Kit Build/Review: 1/72 Roden SdKfz 234/4, pt. I.

Despite the Coronavirus lockdown, I’ve hardly done any mini-military stuff for ages. 

I thought being forced to stay home would mean a massive bonanza of model making and figure painting. But no, instead I’ve been either resting, reading, working (from home) or doing household stuff, from the quotidian chores, to building a shed and a greenhouse. 

And as a result, I’ve not had the time or energy to model or paint. I even had a bit of a break from the reading. But now I’m making a conscious effort to get back in the saddle. And in that vein, here’s my first 1/72 kit build and review since, well... poss before Xmas!?

The latest kit to go on the production line is this lovely Roden 1/72 SdKfz 234/4. I do love Roden’s box art! Very colourful and evocative. David Willey of Tank Museum curatorial fame does a great Tank Chat on the German 8-rad’ line of AFVs. I include a link to it here, for reference/interest. 

I started the build out of sequence, with the Pak-40 type gun. It’s a very detailed little sub-construction. Very fiddly and intricate, but great. Unfortunately I didn't photograph the building of the gun. So construction pics start with the running-gear.

The somewhat open cab design of this vehicle also required that I paint the interior. Willey notes in his chat how the Bovington example is painted incorrectly, the vehicle itself only came into series production in the later part of the war, the dunkelgelb as opposed to dunkelgrau era! The interior is also similarly incorrect. I decided to give mine an elfenbein interior, such as was sported by German tanks.

After I’d built the gun, I went back to the ‘proper order of things’, which meant running-gear. And boy is the Roden’s 234 style eight-wheeler assembly complex and fiddly! I think it’s designed such that, in theory, the wheels can be aligned at differing angles, and even, possibly, rotate! But in reality this doesn’t work. Or at least it didn’t for me. This is my second Roden 234. My first was a Puma variant (see the build of that here). And it was the same story, re the wheels. 

My version of an elfenbein interior, blocked in.

Washes and weathering, early stages.

Washes and weathering, pretty much done.

Painting and weathering the interior, and the gun, which I decided to attach (another out of sequence improvisation of my own choosing) was kind of fun, and yet also kind of frustrating. I’ve learned that I’m really bad at the ‘pin-wash’/panel line type stuff.

Anyway, I did the best I could, and after a while, I achieved a result I decided was good enough. I was thinking of putting driver figures into the fore and aft driving seats. But I haven’t. I definitely will on the next 234 with a similarly open fighting compartment. 

Basically finished, assembly wise.

I'll prob' add a few bits of extra stowage. But not much.

At the time of posting, this 234/4 variant is now basically built. But before I paint the exterior, some gaps need filling. And I’ll probably add a little detailing, such as stowage. 

I noticed in many wartime images online that there appear to be rods - barrel-cleaning stuff, perhaps? - on the left side of the vehicle, that are not a feature included in this kit. They should be a fun and easy scratch-build addition!

Part two will be painting and decals. To follow soon, I hope!

Book Review: Images of War - Hitler's Anti-Tank Weapons 1939-1945, Hans Siedler

This is a very handy little book. Following a brief scene-setting introduction, over five chapters - Early Years (1939–41), Operations in Russia, Stop-Gap Solutions, 1943, The End - Hans Siedler gives us a brief history of German WWII anti-tank guns. 

Copiously illustrated, as befits any title in this ever growing series, with contemporary black and white photos, and with three useful appendixes, the titles of which hint at the scope of the coverage - Towed Anti-Tank Guns, Converted Anti-Tank Guns, Hand-Held Anti-Tank Weapons - whether you're a wargamer, modeller, or just a WWII history nut, this is a great resource. 

The text is very basic, but sound enough, as far as it goes. Text and images take us from the early war 3.7 Pak 36 to the late-war Pak 43; alongside this there's the development from lightly armoured/gunned Marder variants up to the Elefant and Jagdtiger (the latter the heaviest AFV of WWII); and there are also the handheld weapons, from the Panzerbusche to the Panzerschreck, with disposable Panzerfaust figuring large as the war draws to its inexorable end.

Also duly noted are the many instances of hybrid vehicles, some related to types already mentioned - the evolution of the Panzerjagers can only be briefly covered in such a slim and wide-ranging book - and others such as when guns of various types were mounted to half-tracks, or on vehicles such as the RSO. A nice little touch, after the appendices, are the two contemporary German images showing how to use and the structure of the popular mass-produced Panzerfaust. 

Hardly the definitive work on such a potentially huge subject, nevertheless this is an easy to read, well illustrated and highly enjoyable addition to the very useful Images of War series. I love it!

1/76 WWII - Airfix Opel Blitz & Pak 40

Yet another addition to my recent spate of 'tidying up'. And yet another instance of a very partially documented build. I've got a niggling feeling that pics of these builds must've been tken. But where the deuce are the images now?

This was another kit that I bought two of, one for me, and one for my father. and we sat building them together on a monday afternoon, before watching some World At War to wind-down. I like trucks, and this is fun to make. The lower chassis in particular, is greatly enjoyable. There are some fiddly bit, making this one of the ore challenging of the Airfix kits we've tried thus far. And as Pa found out, if you're not careful, you can damage the axles and put your wheels out of whack quite easily!

I love the suspension and drive-shaft/transmission, etc.

Although I painted my driver, I didnt end up putting him in the cab, whereas ye aulde Pater did. I've also built the gun. but I can't find any pics of that, or any more of the build. The truck is finished, assembly-wise, but remains in matt black undercoat only for now.