In box Review of Zvezda 1/35th Scale
German Command Tank
PzBefWg (Sd. Kfz. 265)
Kit no. 3523
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1996
Out of production
Available from one person on the web, in the USA, for $20.00
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1996
Out of production
Available from one person on the web, in the USA, for $20.00
HISTORY:
The kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen (English: light armoured command vehicle), known also by its ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 265, was the German Army's first purpose-designed armoured command vehicle; a type of armoured fighting vehicle designed to provide a tank unit commander with mobility and communications on the battlefield. A development of the Army's first mass-produced tank, the Panzer I Ausf. A, the Sd.Kfz. 265 saw considerable action during the early years of the war, serving in Panzer units through 1942 and with other formations until late in the war.
The kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen, is commonly referred to as a command tank, but as it is without a turret or offensive armament and merely is built on the chassis of the Panzer I light tank, it does not retain the capabilities or role of a tank. Instead, it functions more along the line of an armoured personnel carrier in conveying the unit commander and his radio operator under armour about the battlefield.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light tank
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Hungary
Wars: Second World War
Designed: 1938
Manufacturer: Krupp, Daimler-Benz
Produced: 1938–1939
No. built: 190
Mass: 5.8 tonnes (6.4 short tons; 5.7 long tons)
Length: 4.445 m (14 ft 7.0 in)
Width: 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)
Height: 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Crew: 3; Commander, Driver and Radio Operator
Armor: 6 to 13 mm (0.24 to 0.51 in)
Main armament: One 7.92 mm MG13 machine gun
Engine: Maybach NL38TR inline six-cylinder water cooled gasoline engine of 100 metric horsepower (74 kW)
Suspension: Quarter-elliptical leaf spring suspension.
Operational range: 290 km (180 mi)
Maximum speed: 40 km/h (25 mph) on-road
The kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen (English: light armoured command vehicle), known also by its ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 265, was the German Army's first purpose-designed armoured command vehicle; a type of armoured fighting vehicle designed to provide a tank unit commander with mobility and communications on the battlefield. A development of the Army's first mass-produced tank, the Panzer I Ausf. A, the Sd.Kfz. 265 saw considerable action during the early years of the war, serving in Panzer units through 1942 and with other formations until late in the war.
The kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen, is commonly referred to as a command tank, but as it is without a turret or offensive armament and merely is built on the chassis of the Panzer I light tank, it does not retain the capabilities or role of a tank. Instead, it functions more along the line of an armoured personnel carrier in conveying the unit commander and his radio operator under armour about the battlefield.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light tank
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Hungary
Wars: Second World War
Designed: 1938
Manufacturer: Krupp, Daimler-Benz
Produced: 1938–1939
No. built: 190
Mass: 5.8 tonnes (6.4 short tons; 5.7 long tons)
Length: 4.445 m (14 ft 7.0 in)
Width: 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)
Height: 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Crew: 3; Commander, Driver and Radio Operator
Armor: 6 to 13 mm (0.24 to 0.51 in)
Main armament: One 7.92 mm MG13 machine gun
Engine: Maybach NL38TR inline six-cylinder water cooled gasoline engine of 100 metric horsepower (74 kW)
Suspension: Quarter-elliptical leaf spring suspension.
Operational range: 290 km (180 mi)
Maximum speed: 40 km/h (25 mph) on-road
THE KIT:
Zvezda is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer, based in Moscow, Russia. Kit was packaged in Italy by Italeri.
The kit is shrink-wrapped in an end-opening type box. I am no fan of this type of box because invariably parts or the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end-flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The cover art shows a color illustration of the command tank coming down a grassy hill near a forest. It is overall Panzer-grey with a black and white German cross on the right front of the fighting compartment. The commander is looking out of the roof hatch. He wears a black Panzer uniform with beret.
One side panel of the box begins with: For modelers aged 10 and over. In 4 languages, including English. Made in Russia by Zvezda, with their address and packaged in Italy by Italeri and their address there. Not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts. In multiple languages, including English.
Copyright 1996. Followed by a small color repeat of the box art.
Zvezda is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer, based in Moscow, Russia. Kit was packaged in Italy by Italeri.
The kit is shrink-wrapped in an end-opening type box. I am no fan of this type of box because invariably parts or the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end-flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The cover art shows a color illustration of the command tank coming down a grassy hill near a forest. It is overall Panzer-grey with a black and white German cross on the right front of the fighting compartment. The commander is looking out of the roof hatch. He wears a black Panzer uniform with beret.
One side panel of the box begins with: For modelers aged 10 and over. In 4 languages, including English. Made in Russia by Zvezda, with their address and packaged in Italy by Italeri and their address there. Not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts. In multiple languages, including English.
Copyright 1996. Followed by a small color repeat of the box art.
The other side panel of the box shows 4 color box-arts of other kits that
Zvezda manufactures: Kit no. 3522, a Panzer 1B, Kit no. 3508, Soviet Tank T-60, Kit no. 3512, German Infantry and Kit no. 3518, Anti-tank Gun M1.
Zvezda manufactures: Kit no. 3522, a Panzer 1B, Kit no. 3508, Soviet Tank T-60, Kit no. 3512, German Infantry and Kit no. 3518, Anti-tank Gun M1.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds two medium-grey plastic trees and one medium-grey tree of vinyl tracks and the decal sheet in a single clear cello bag.
Trees are not alphabetized. Instead, they are marked with shapes.
The triangle marked tree holds: a figure, road wheels, axles, drive sprockets, return rollers, idler wheels, exhaust etc. (105 parts) Six parts are X’d out in the parts-trees illustrations as being excess and not needed to complete the kit. Some of the parts were loose in the box.
This kit holds two medium-grey plastic trees and one medium-grey tree of vinyl tracks and the decal sheet in a single clear cello bag.
Trees are not alphabetized. Instead, they are marked with shapes.
The triangle marked tree holds: a figure, road wheels, axles, drive sprockets, return rollers, idler wheels, exhaust etc. (105 parts) Six parts are X’d out in the parts-trees illustrations as being excess and not needed to complete the kit. Some of the parts were loose in the box.
The square marked tree holds: hull tub and top, hatches, tools, main gun etc. (45 parts)
The circle marked tree holds the vinyl tracks and the engine air intake screen. 2 long runs and 2 short ones.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 6 ½” x 9 ¼” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up, with no marks showing. Bottom of the page gives the history of the tank in English.
Page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Page 3 to page 4 gives a grand total of 6 assembly steps.
The top of page 5 repeats that Zvezda is the manufacturer and Italeri the distributor. Over a side-view that is overall Panzer-grey with a white Ro1 on its sides. Over decal application instructions and a black and white rear-view photo of the model made up.
Page 6 begins with illustrations of the decals used over two 3-views. Both are overall Panzer grey.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up, with no marks showing. Bottom of the page gives the history of the tank in English.
Page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Page 3 to page 4 gives a grand total of 6 assembly steps.
The top of page 5 repeats that Zvezda is the manufacturer and Italeri the distributor. Over a side-view that is overall Panzer-grey with a white Ro1 on its sides. Over decal application instructions and a black and white rear-view photo of the model made up.
Page 6 begins with illustrations of the decals used over two 3-views. Both are overall Panzer grey.
The first one has a skeletal white German cross on its sides and front and a black skeleton wielding a sword and on wheels on the sides. It was with the 15th Inf. Div.
The second one is the one with Ro1 on its sides again, with a solid white German cross and circle divided into 4ths on the rear. It was with the 13th Inf. Div.
The second one is the one with Ro1 on its sides again, with a solid white German cross and circle divided into 4ths on the rear. It was with the 13th Inf. Div.
Very nice detail.
Recommended.
Recommended.