In Box Review of Tamiya 1/35th Scale
German Hanomag Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Halftrack
Military Miniatures Series No.20
Kit no. MM120
By Ray Mehlberger
Still available as kit 35020 in the Tamiya online catalog
My kit has a copyright date of 1973. The kit is available in a later reboxing from 12 locations overseas or from Mega Hobby for $15.17 or Kit Linx for $14.05 or Sprue Bros for$14.99. Also available from Hobby Lobby.
Kit no. MM120
By Ray Mehlberger
Still available as kit 35020 in the Tamiya online catalog
My kit has a copyright date of 1973. The kit is available in a later reboxing from 12 locations overseas or from Mega Hobby for $15.17 or Kit Linx for $14.05 or Sprue Bros for$14.99. Also available from Hobby Lobby.
HISTORY:
The Sd.Kfz. 251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) half-track was a WW2 German armored fighting vehicle designed by the Hanomag company, based on its earlier, unarmored Sd.Kfz. 11 vehicle.
The Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the panzergrenadiers (German mechanized infantry) into battle. Sd.Kfz. 251s were the most widely produced German half-tracks of the war, with at least 15,252 vehicles and variants produced by various manufacturers, and were commonly referred to simply as "Hanomags" by both German and Allied soldiers.
There were four main model modifications (Ausführung A through D), which formed the basis for at least 22 variants. The initial idea was for a vehicle that could be used to transport a single squad of 10 panzergrenadiers to the battlefield protected from enemy small arms fire, and with some protection from artillery fire.
In addition, the standard mounting of at least one MG 34 or MG 42 machine gun allowed the vehicle to provide suppression fire for the rifle squad both while they dismounted and in combat.
The armor plates were designed to provide protection against standard rifle/ machine gun bullets (like the 7.92×57 mm Mauser bullet). The front-facing plates were 14.5 mm thick; the sides were steeply angled, V-shape 8 mm thick plates.
This level of armor provided protection against normal (non-tungsten) rifle AP round, which could pierce about 8 mm of vertical armor.
Positive aspects of the open top included greater situational awareness and faster egress by the infantry, as well as the ability to throw grenades and fire over the top of the fighting compartment as necessary while remaining under good horizontal cover.
The downside was a major vulnerability to all types of plunging fire; this included indirect fire from mortars and field artillery, as well as small arms fire from higher elevated positions, lobbed hand grenades, even Molotov cocktails, and strafing by enemy aircraft.
The first two models (Ausf A and B) were produced in small numbers from 1939. Ausf A and B models can be identified by the structure of the nose armor, which comprised two trapezoidal armor panels - the lower of which had an engine cooling vent.
The B model, which began production in 1940, eliminated the fighting compartment's side vision slits. The C model, which started production in mid-1942, featured a simplified hexagonal-shaped forward armored plate for the engine. Models A through C had rear doors that bulged out.
The C model had a large production run, but was quite complex to build, involving many angled plates. From early 1943, the D model was developed with the purpose of halving the number of angled body plates, simplifying the design and thus speeding up the production. D models can be easily recognized by their single piece sloping rear, with flat doors.
The standard personnel carrier version was equipped with a 7.92 mm MG 34 or MG 42 machine gun mounted at the front of the open compartment, above and behind the driver. A second machine gun could be mounted at the rear on an anti-aircraft mount.
Variants were produced for specialized purposes, including with anti-aircraft guns, light howitzers, anti-tank guns and mortars or even large unguided artillery rockets, as well as a version with an infrared search light used to spot potential targets for associated Panther tanks equipped with infrared detectors.
A strong design feature of the Sd.Kfz.251 was the large track area, with the characteristic "slack track" design with no return rollers for the upper run of track. The SdKfz 251 also had the Schachtellaufwerk system of overlapping and interleaved main road wheels common to virtually all German half tracks of the period.
This lowered the ground pressure and provided better traction, at the cost of much greater complexity in maintenance. The 251 also had tank steering, whereby the normal steering wheel moved the front wheels, but after more turning of the steering wheel, the tracks are braked to cause turning, like on a tank.
However, the interleaved and overlapping main road wheels shared a major problem with the Tiger I and Panther tanks that also used such road wheel configurations - in muddy or winter weather conditions, such as those during a mud season (rasputitsa) or the winter conditions, accumulated mud and snow could freeze solid between the road wheels, immobilizing the vehicle.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Half-track armored personnel carrier
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Romania, Kingdom of Hungary, Italian Social Republic, Independent State of Croatia
Wars: World War II
Designer: Hanomag
Manufacturer: Hanomag, Adlerwerke, Horch, Škoda, Borgward
No. built: Approx. 15,252
Weight: 7.81 tonnes (8.61 short tons)
Length 5.80 m (19 ft)
Width: 2.10 m (6 ft 10 in)
Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Crew: 2 + 10 passengers
Armor: 6-14.5 mm (0.24-0.57 in)
Main armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Secondary armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Engine: one Maybach HL 42 6-cylinder petrol engine 100 PS (99 hp, 74 kW)
Power/weight: 12.8 hp/tonne
Suspension: Overlapping torsion bar (track),Leaf spring (wheels)
Operational range: 300 km (186 mi)
Speed: 52.5 km/h (32.5 mph)
The Sd.Kfz. 251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) half-track was a WW2 German armored fighting vehicle designed by the Hanomag company, based on its earlier, unarmored Sd.Kfz. 11 vehicle.
The Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the panzergrenadiers (German mechanized infantry) into battle. Sd.Kfz. 251s were the most widely produced German half-tracks of the war, with at least 15,252 vehicles and variants produced by various manufacturers, and were commonly referred to simply as "Hanomags" by both German and Allied soldiers.
There were four main model modifications (Ausführung A through D), which formed the basis for at least 22 variants. The initial idea was for a vehicle that could be used to transport a single squad of 10 panzergrenadiers to the battlefield protected from enemy small arms fire, and with some protection from artillery fire.
In addition, the standard mounting of at least one MG 34 or MG 42 machine gun allowed the vehicle to provide suppression fire for the rifle squad both while they dismounted and in combat.
The armor plates were designed to provide protection against standard rifle/ machine gun bullets (like the 7.92×57 mm Mauser bullet). The front-facing plates were 14.5 mm thick; the sides were steeply angled, V-shape 8 mm thick plates.
This level of armor provided protection against normal (non-tungsten) rifle AP round, which could pierce about 8 mm of vertical armor.
Positive aspects of the open top included greater situational awareness and faster egress by the infantry, as well as the ability to throw grenades and fire over the top of the fighting compartment as necessary while remaining under good horizontal cover.
The downside was a major vulnerability to all types of plunging fire; this included indirect fire from mortars and field artillery, as well as small arms fire from higher elevated positions, lobbed hand grenades, even Molotov cocktails, and strafing by enemy aircraft.
The first two models (Ausf A and B) were produced in small numbers from 1939. Ausf A and B models can be identified by the structure of the nose armor, which comprised two trapezoidal armor panels - the lower of which had an engine cooling vent.
The B model, which began production in 1940, eliminated the fighting compartment's side vision slits. The C model, which started production in mid-1942, featured a simplified hexagonal-shaped forward armored plate for the engine. Models A through C had rear doors that bulged out.
The C model had a large production run, but was quite complex to build, involving many angled plates. From early 1943, the D model was developed with the purpose of halving the number of angled body plates, simplifying the design and thus speeding up the production. D models can be easily recognized by their single piece sloping rear, with flat doors.
The standard personnel carrier version was equipped with a 7.92 mm MG 34 or MG 42 machine gun mounted at the front of the open compartment, above and behind the driver. A second machine gun could be mounted at the rear on an anti-aircraft mount.
Variants were produced for specialized purposes, including with anti-aircraft guns, light howitzers, anti-tank guns and mortars or even large unguided artillery rockets, as well as a version with an infrared search light used to spot potential targets for associated Panther tanks equipped with infrared detectors.
A strong design feature of the Sd.Kfz.251 was the large track area, with the characteristic "slack track" design with no return rollers for the upper run of track. The SdKfz 251 also had the Schachtellaufwerk system of overlapping and interleaved main road wheels common to virtually all German half tracks of the period.
This lowered the ground pressure and provided better traction, at the cost of much greater complexity in maintenance. The 251 also had tank steering, whereby the normal steering wheel moved the front wheels, but after more turning of the steering wheel, the tracks are braked to cause turning, like on a tank.
However, the interleaved and overlapping main road wheels shared a major problem with the Tiger I and Panther tanks that also used such road wheel configurations - in muddy or winter weather conditions, such as those during a mud season (rasputitsa) or the winter conditions, accumulated mud and snow could freeze solid between the road wheels, immobilizing the vehicle.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Half-track armored personnel carrier
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Romania, Kingdom of Hungary, Italian Social Republic, Independent State of Croatia
Wars: World War II
Designer: Hanomag
Manufacturer: Hanomag, Adlerwerke, Horch, Škoda, Borgward
No. built: Approx. 15,252
Weight: 7.81 tonnes (8.61 short tons)
Length 5.80 m (19 ft)
Width: 2.10 m (6 ft 10 in)
Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Crew: 2 + 10 passengers
Armor: 6-14.5 mm (0.24-0.57 in)
Main armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Secondary armament: MG 34 or MG 42
Engine: one Maybach HL 42 6-cylinder petrol engine 100 PS (99 hp, 74 kW)
Power/weight: 12.8 hp/tonne
Suspension: Overlapping torsion bar (track),Leaf spring (wheels)
Operational range: 300 km (186 mi)
Speed: 52.5 km/h (32.5 mph)
THE KIT:
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Sd.Kfz. 251/1 posed against one of Tamiya's signature all-white backgrounds that they use for the majority of their box arts.
It is overall earth-yellow with a German cross on the sides and a white license plate with black serial no. WH-1260672 on the front. There are 2 crewmen looking out the top. One has a 98K carbine in his left hand and the other is manning the forward machine gun.
Three other infantrymen are behind the 251. They and the 2 guys in the vehicle all wear field gray uniforms and steel helmets. One infantryman is kneeling on one knee and beckoning the other 2 guys behind him onward. He wears a pair of binoculars around his neck, a MP40 in his left hand and ammo pouches for it on his belt.
One guy behind him has a 98K carbine. The other guy carries a MG34 machine gun on a bipod and a ammo can for it.
One side panel repeats the box art smaller, followed by a paragraph in Japanese, that I believe is the history of the half track.
The other side panel has 4 color box arts of other AFV kits that Tamiya manufactures: a Tiger I G tank, a King Tiger G tank, a M4A3E8 Sherman U.S. tank and a T-34 Soviet Union tank.
No kit numbers are provided for them. Kit was MADE IN JAPAN.
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Sd.Kfz. 251/1 posed against one of Tamiya's signature all-white backgrounds that they use for the majority of their box arts.
It is overall earth-yellow with a German cross on the sides and a white license plate with black serial no. WH-1260672 on the front. There are 2 crewmen looking out the top. One has a 98K carbine in his left hand and the other is manning the forward machine gun.
Three other infantrymen are behind the 251. They and the 2 guys in the vehicle all wear field gray uniforms and steel helmets. One infantryman is kneeling on one knee and beckoning the other 2 guys behind him onward. He wears a pair of binoculars around his neck, a MP40 in his left hand and ammo pouches for it on his belt.
One guy behind him has a 98K carbine. The other guy carries a MG34 machine gun on a bipod and a ammo can for it.
One side panel repeats the box art smaller, followed by a paragraph in Japanese, that I believe is the history of the half track.
The other side panel has 4 color box arts of other AFV kits that Tamiya manufactures: a Tiger I G tank, a King Tiger G tank, a M4A3E8 Sherman U.S. tank and a T-34 Soviet Union tank.
No kit numbers are provided for them. Kit was MADE IN JAPAN.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 4 dark-gray trees, a dark-gray hull tub and roof parts, vinyl treads in 3 sealed clear cello bags, the decal sheet and instructions.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 7 1/4" x 10 1/4" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the Sd.Kfz. 251/1 and 3 illustrations of half tracks: a Sd.Kfz. 11 and 2 views of the Sd.Kfz. 251/1.
Page 2 has the parts trees illustrations over the first 2 assembly steps.
Page 3 through 5 give a total of 14 assembly steps. for the half track.
Page 6 has the 15th assembly step for the crew figures.
Page 7 is the painting and decal application instructions. Two 3-views of schemes are shown. Text is all in Japanese, so I don't know what colors are being called out for these.
1. A Sd.Kfz. 251/1 with red number 424, 125 or 435 on its side outlined in yellow to choose from followed by the German cross. Four different division markings can be chosen from for this one too.
2. A Sd.Kfz. 251/1 that has a skeletal cross on the sides of the hull and Afrika Korps palm tree with swastika logo and a choice of tactical markings.
Page 6 has a lot of Japanese text and illustrations of a Sd.kfz 251/3, a Sd.Kfz. 251/9, a Sd.Kfz. 251/17 and a Sd.Kfz. 251/1.
Dark-gray letter A tree holds: fenders, shovels, side lockers, nose plate, bench seats, machine guns, headlights, tools etc. (49 parts)
This kit contains 4 dark-gray trees, a dark-gray hull tub and roof parts, vinyl treads in 3 sealed clear cello bags, the decal sheet and instructions.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 7 1/4" x 10 1/4" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the Sd.Kfz. 251/1 and 3 illustrations of half tracks: a Sd.Kfz. 11 and 2 views of the Sd.Kfz. 251/1.
Page 2 has the parts trees illustrations over the first 2 assembly steps.
Page 3 through 5 give a total of 14 assembly steps. for the half track.
Page 6 has the 15th assembly step for the crew figures.
Page 7 is the painting and decal application instructions. Two 3-views of schemes are shown. Text is all in Japanese, so I don't know what colors are being called out for these.
1. A Sd.Kfz. 251/1 with red number 424, 125 or 435 on its side outlined in yellow to choose from followed by the German cross. Four different division markings can be chosen from for this one too.
2. A Sd.Kfz. 251/1 that has a skeletal cross on the sides of the hull and Afrika Korps palm tree with swastika logo and a choice of tactical markings.
Page 6 has a lot of Japanese text and illustrations of a Sd.kfz 251/3, a Sd.Kfz. 251/9, a Sd.Kfz. 251/17 and a Sd.Kfz. 251/1.
Dark-gray letter A tree holds: fenders, shovels, side lockers, nose plate, bench seats, machine guns, headlights, tools etc. (49 parts)
Dark-gray letter B tree holds: bogies, floor, dashboard, steering wheel, axles etc. (46 parts)
Dark-gray letter C tree holds: road wheels, idler wheels, drive sprockets, front tired wheels etc. (41 parts)
Non-alphabetized dark-gray tree holds the parts of the figures and their gear (56 parts)
The dark-gray hull tub and roof are next.
The vinyl tracks (2 runs) and a tube of cement and the decal sheet complete the kits contents.
Hull tub has raised lettering on the bottom of it that needs to be removed.
Trees fit the box tight in all 4 directions.
The decal sheet has yellowed with age. I'm told that if you tape it to a window facing the sun it will bleach out. I will have to try that or get another sheet.
There are no clear parts in the kit. Very nice detail.
Trees fit the box tight in all 4 directions.
The decal sheet has yellowed with age. I'm told that if you tape it to a window facing the sun it will bleach out. I will have to try that or get another sheet.
There are no clear parts in the kit. Very nice detail.
Recommended.