In Box Review of Testors Italeri 1/35th Scale
German Horch Command Car, Kfz. 15 4x4
Kit no. 851
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
My kit has a copyright date of 1980 and I paid $13.25 for it at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
My kit has a copyright date of 1980 and I paid $13.25 for it at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
HISTORY:
One of many classes of vehicles available to the German war machine during WWII was the personnel car. This category was broken down by engine displacement and vehicle weight into light, medium, and heavy car.
A typical medium personnel car was the Auto-Union-Horch Kfz. 15 4x4, which was used by the German army, the SS, and various Luftwaffe and naval units.
Over 12,000 were turned out between 1937 and 1943.
The Auto-Union Horch design was very sophisticated for its time, having advanced suspension and good cross-country performance. A drawback was that it was heavy, and the complex chassis and suspension required a great deal of maintenance, a problem shared by many other German vehicles of the time.
Nevertheless, these cars were used as staff cars by regimental and higher commanders, as personnel carriers, as artillery spotting vehicles, and occasionally for towing light artillery pieces.
A wooden-bodied van version, the Kfs. 17, was used as a radio van and battlefield telephone exchange.
An interesting feature of the Auto-Union-Horch design was the two side-mounted spare wheels that were mounted on freely rotating (but not powered) axles, so that they could help the car cross rough terrain by eliminating bottoming-out. Although effective, this unique feature was later dropped from the design to simplify production.
The Auto-Union-Horch saw service in all the major campaigns of the war. They were used often with thier doors removed to facilitate rapid exit in the event of strafing attacks by Allied planes.
At least two of these vehicles are known to have been captured intact by British forces and put into use as staff cars.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 186.6"
Width: 72.8"
Height: 80.7"
Wheelbase: 122"
Weight: 5,500 lbs
Engine: Horch V8, 4 cycle, water-cooled, 80 bhp
Transmission: Manual, 4 forward, 1 reverse (2-speed transfer case)
Brakes: Hydraulic
Tire size: 190 x 18
Maximum speed: 56 mph
Maximum range: 250 miles (approx)
Armament: Vehicle can be fitted with an anti-aircraft mount for two 7.97mm MG.34 machine guns
Crew: 2 to 4
One of many classes of vehicles available to the German war machine during WWII was the personnel car. This category was broken down by engine displacement and vehicle weight into light, medium, and heavy car.
A typical medium personnel car was the Auto-Union-Horch Kfz. 15 4x4, which was used by the German army, the SS, and various Luftwaffe and naval units.
Over 12,000 were turned out between 1937 and 1943.
The Auto-Union Horch design was very sophisticated for its time, having advanced suspension and good cross-country performance. A drawback was that it was heavy, and the complex chassis and suspension required a great deal of maintenance, a problem shared by many other German vehicles of the time.
Nevertheless, these cars were used as staff cars by regimental and higher commanders, as personnel carriers, as artillery spotting vehicles, and occasionally for towing light artillery pieces.
A wooden-bodied van version, the Kfs. 17, was used as a radio van and battlefield telephone exchange.
An interesting feature of the Auto-Union-Horch design was the two side-mounted spare wheels that were mounted on freely rotating (but not powered) axles, so that they could help the car cross rough terrain by eliminating bottoming-out. Although effective, this unique feature was later dropped from the design to simplify production.
The Auto-Union-Horch saw service in all the major campaigns of the war. They were used often with thier doors removed to facilitate rapid exit in the event of strafing attacks by Allied planes.
At least two of these vehicles are known to have been captured intact by British forces and put into use as staff cars.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 186.6"
Width: 72.8"
Height: 80.7"
Wheelbase: 122"
Weight: 5,500 lbs
Engine: Horch V8, 4 cycle, water-cooled, 80 bhp
Transmission: Manual, 4 forward, 1 reverse (2-speed transfer case)
Brakes: Hydraulic
Tire size: 190 x 18
Maximum speed: 56 mph
Maximum range: 250 miles (approx)
Armament: Vehicle can be fitted with an anti-aircraft mount for two 7.97mm MG.34 machine guns
Crew: 2 to 4
THE KIT:
Testors was based in Rockford, IL. They were associated with Italeri, a old prolific model company based in Italy that manufactures all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The kit comes in an end-opening type box that has a inner slide-out tray.
The box art shows a color photo of the Horch made up and sitting on a modeler's work table.
It is overall panzer-gray with white license plate on the front of the left front fender with black license no. WH-556852. It has a white tactical symbol followed by a letter "K" on the front of the right fender.
This is the Commanding Officer's personal staff car, "Panzer Group von Kleist", Russia, 1942.
One side panel has a one paragraph history of the Horch, followed by a small color profile of the car.
Testors was based in Rockford, IL. They were associated with Italeri, a old prolific model company based in Italy that manufactures all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The kit comes in an end-opening type box that has a inner slide-out tray.
The box art shows a color photo of the Horch made up and sitting on a modeler's work table.
It is overall panzer-gray with white license plate on the front of the left front fender with black license no. WH-556852. It has a white tactical symbol followed by a letter "K" on the front of the right fender.
This is the Commanding Officer's personal staff car, "Panzer Group von Kleist", Russia, 1942.
One side panel has a one paragraph history of the Horch, followed by a small color profile of the car.
The other side panel lists Testors brand glues, bottle and spray paints, hobby tools, brushes and tape, followed by a repeat of the small color side profile again.
The bottom of the box has 8 color walk-around type photos of the model made up. Four photos show it in the box art scheme. Two show it made up overall sand colored with license no. WH-457228 on the front of the left front fender and a white tactical symbol of crossed swords and a palm-tree with swastika on the front of the right front fender. It is shown with and without its canvas top installed.
It is a Horch with the 220th Motorized Reconnaissance Unit, 164th Light Afrika Division, North Africa, 1942.
It is a Horch with the 220th Motorized Reconnaissance Unit, 164th Light Afrika Division, North Africa, 1942.
These two made up models were assembled by Mike Good. Kit was printed in the USA, parts made in Italy. Copyright date of the kit is 1980 and Testors street address in Rockford, IL is provided.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 2 light-gray trees, a clear tree and black vinyl tires in a clear sealed cello bag, the decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a staple-bound booklet of 12 pages in 8 1/2" x 11 " page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up, over the history of the Horch, general and painting instructions.
Page 2 is the parts trees illustrations.
Page 3 through 8 gives 9 assembly steps, with a lot of text.
Page 9 is figure painting and weathering instructions.
Page 10 begins with two 3-views over camouflage instructions and applying decal instructions.
1. A Horch that is in a wave pattern of dark yellow, dark green and dark red-brown. No markings are shown or unit mentioned.
2. Another Horch in the same pattern.
Page 11 has six 2-views, showing the front and rear of car markings.
1. A Horch in dark yellow, dark green and dark red-brown blotches, with a white German helmet sign on the front of the right front fender and on the right of the rear. It has license plate no. WH-1032548 on the front of the left front fender and the left of the rear.
It is with Panzer Grenadier Division "Grossdeutschland", USSR 1943.
2. A Horch in overall dark gray. with a white tactical insignia and letter "G" on the front of the left front fender and on the rear. There is a white shield with a black key on it on the front of the right front fender.
It is with the 5th Battery, 10th Motorized Artillery Regiment, 10th Panzer-grenadier Division, "Panzer Group Guderian", USSR, October 1941.
3. A Horch that is overall dark gray, with a white tactical marking on the front of the left front fender over license plate no. SS-8216 and a white tactical marking with a white letter "G" on the front of the right front fender.
It is with the 9th Motorized Company, 3rd Panzer-Grenadier Regiment, 2nd SS Panzer Division, "Das Reich", "Panzer Group Guderian", USSR, Spring 1942.
4: A Horch that is in a base of overall dark gray, hurriedly over painted with desert sand, much of the original color still showing. It has a black "8" over the license plate with number WH-928955 on the front of the left front fender and a white palm tree with swastika followed by a tactical marking on the front of the left front fender and on the rear.
It is with the 8th Motorized Machine Gun Battalion, 5th Panzer Regiment, attached to the 5th Light Division (formerly with 3rd Panzer Division), North Africa, March 1941.
5. A Horch in overall dark gray, with a white letter "K" on the front of the right front fender and on the rear, with license no. WH-55682 and a pennant on the right front fender. (already described above)
6. A Horch in overall desert yellow. (already described above.
Page 12 has a black and white photo of the car showing it from above and a side view.
Trees are not alphabetized. Instead they are labeled with geometric symbols - a square, star, solid circle and an outlined circle.
The light-gray star tree holds: the floor, sides, grill, fenders, jerry cans, hood, steering wheel, dash, doors, pennants, seats etc. (76 parts)
This kit contains 2 light-gray trees, a clear tree and black vinyl tires in a clear sealed cello bag, the decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a staple-bound booklet of 12 pages in 8 1/2" x 11 " page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up, over the history of the Horch, general and painting instructions.
Page 2 is the parts trees illustrations.
Page 3 through 8 gives 9 assembly steps, with a lot of text.
Page 9 is figure painting and weathering instructions.
Page 10 begins with two 3-views over camouflage instructions and applying decal instructions.
1. A Horch that is in a wave pattern of dark yellow, dark green and dark red-brown. No markings are shown or unit mentioned.
2. Another Horch in the same pattern.
Page 11 has six 2-views, showing the front and rear of car markings.
1. A Horch in dark yellow, dark green and dark red-brown blotches, with a white German helmet sign on the front of the right front fender and on the right of the rear. It has license plate no. WH-1032548 on the front of the left front fender and the left of the rear.
It is with Panzer Grenadier Division "Grossdeutschland", USSR 1943.
2. A Horch in overall dark gray. with a white tactical insignia and letter "G" on the front of the left front fender and on the rear. There is a white shield with a black key on it on the front of the right front fender.
It is with the 5th Battery, 10th Motorized Artillery Regiment, 10th Panzer-grenadier Division, "Panzer Group Guderian", USSR, October 1941.
3. A Horch that is overall dark gray, with a white tactical marking on the front of the left front fender over license plate no. SS-8216 and a white tactical marking with a white letter "G" on the front of the right front fender.
It is with the 9th Motorized Company, 3rd Panzer-Grenadier Regiment, 2nd SS Panzer Division, "Das Reich", "Panzer Group Guderian", USSR, Spring 1942.
4: A Horch that is in a base of overall dark gray, hurriedly over painted with desert sand, much of the original color still showing. It has a black "8" over the license plate with number WH-928955 on the front of the left front fender and a white palm tree with swastika followed by a tactical marking on the front of the left front fender and on the rear.
It is with the 8th Motorized Machine Gun Battalion, 5th Panzer Regiment, attached to the 5th Light Division (formerly with 3rd Panzer Division), North Africa, March 1941.
5. A Horch in overall dark gray, with a white letter "K" on the front of the right front fender and on the rear, with license no. WH-55682 and a pennant on the right front fender. (already described above)
6. A Horch in overall desert yellow. (already described above.
Page 12 has a black and white photo of the car showing it from above and a side view.
Trees are not alphabetized. Instead they are labeled with geometric symbols - a square, star, solid circle and an outlined circle.
The light-gray star tree holds: the floor, sides, grill, fenders, jerry cans, hood, steering wheel, dash, doors, pennants, seats etc. (76 parts)
The light-gray outlined square tree holds: the driver figure, axles, wheels, chassis, muffler, springs, MP40 etc. (81 parts)
The solid circle tree is the clear windows and headlight lenses (7 parts)
The black outlined circle trees is the vinyl tires (6 parts)
There are no figures included.
Detail is great.
Detail is great.
Highly recommended.