6475 - Pz.Sfl.IVb 10.5cm le.FH. 18/1

"...nicely done features and options built in."

"A beautiful kit!..."

"This is a fine kit of an interesting combat-tested self-propelled gun."

6475 Pz.Sfl.IVb 10.5cm le.FH 18/1 Sd.Kfz 165/1 Ausf. A
1/35 injection plastic kit with decals and photo etch

During WWII the German Army developed a range of proposals for self-propelled howitzers seeking to meet a set of quite exacting (and changing) standards. One such design was the Pz.Sfl.IVb, which was designed by Krupp using on a shortened Panzer IV hull and armed with the 10.5cm le.FH.18 howitzer. Like many other design proposals the Pz.Sfl.IVb (Sd.Kfz 165/1) was purpose designed and relatively complex. It included an open topped turret that could traverse 70 degrees, and many unique chassis components such as six road wheels. Eight Pz.Sfl.IVb were built and assigned to 16 Panzer Division for troop trials on the Eastern Front. In the end, the Pz.Sfl.IVb, like with similar proposals, did not enter series production, but rather the le.FH.18 howitzer was mounted in the Wespe, which was a simpler and expedient design.

This new release from Dragon contains a considerable level of new tooling and accurately depicts the larger 520mm road wheels, a feature overlooked in other models of this subject. This kit is in the popular Smart Kit format and includes interior detail for much of the crew compartment. Clear plastic parts are included for the driver and radio operator vision blocks and photo etch is provided for 25 parts. The gatefold instructions have 20 steps and the tooling designed to ensure that clean up of this kit’s part should be swift.

TURRET & FIGHTING COMPARTMENT

The upper half of the kit is based around a slide molded eight-sided turret shell, single piece upper hull/engine deck and the howitzer assembly. When assembled the turret and howitzer can move, but remember that the turret had a rotation of 70 degrees.

The single piece turret shell has realistic weld marks and captures the upper lips on the turret quite convincingly. On the outer face there are cast on cleats (a different number on each side) while on the inside there is structural bracing and positioning marks. The injection marks are positioned so as to be invisible when the model is complete, thus avoiding the need for cleanup. The turret side hooks have undercut detail and are separate parts. On the rear of the turret there is a slide-molded spare track rack, which has captured the rack’s small detail such as screw heads and angles and the antenna base.

Attached to the turret inside there is a multi-part radio, periscopes, hand traverse wheel, small boxes, pouch for the cleaning rod head, and crew effects of water bottle and gas mask. The later two are Gen-2 tooling (plenty of spares helmets, entrenching tools etc on the Gen-2 sprue) and come with PE straps to secure them to the sidewalls. A metal frame that runs over the turret top would appear to be for a tarpaulin (not included) to protect the gun and crew from the rain.

The turret base is a separate part with a toothed turret ring and attached to it are a MP38/40, crew seat, small attachments and two ammo bins which have PE lids (you emboss them to get the X pattern).

The howitzer is new tooling that has a similar layout to that used for related weapons. The gun is quite detailed with the breech, multipart sight and also a periscope (grey plastic), hand wheel, and recoil guard. The barrel tube is a single piece injection plastic with a separate collar and outer face of the muzzle break. There is also a new mantlet with crisp bolt heads. The howitzer is attached to the turret in a similar manner to a tank gun.

The lower fighting compartment has a separate raised floor with duckboards and a transmission hump and provides the fighting compartment as seen below the open turret. The rear bulkhead is detailed with bolt heads and a stamped X profile. Six ammunition lockers are provided, three of which are boxes with lids that can be modeled open to reveal the frames inside which are partly loaded. The other lockers are racks. 16 loose shells are included which could be used to further fill the lockers or to enhance a diorama. The forward driving compartment is empty. The driver and radio operator’s hatches are separate parts that could be left open and their vision blocks have clear plastic parts and internal detail.

HULL & ENGINE DECK

The hull has considerable new tooling and importantly has the distinctive features of the Pz.Sfl. IVb including only three bogie pairs of roadwheels per side. The hull compares favourably to references. The one-piece hull tub is shorter than a regular Panzer IV and has separate mounts for the return idlers. There are new bogies distinct to this chassis (designed for the heavier load per bogy resulting from having fewer bogies) and importantly the road wheels are the larger 520mm pattern, a feature overlooked on some other brands. These wheels are of the same standard as those in other Smart Kits with integrated tyres that have the seam lines shown (don’t sand these off) and sidewall markings. The multipart muffler with a hollow outlet pipe, and the rear idlers (in step 1A you remember to use idler parts D5 and D6) are also new tooling. Other features such as the early style hub caps for the road wheels, the drive sprockets, and on-vehicle tools are typical of circa 1942 Panzer IVs and many are common with related Dragon Panzer IV kits. The rear hull is quite unique with cowlings and a smoke candle rack.

The upper hull/engine deck feature crisp detail for the turret ring guard, bolt heads and counter sunk screws. It has integrated turret supports and louvers for the engine, which have depth while being thin. The hatches for the transmission and steering-brake access, can be modeled open or shut. PE is used to depict the brackets that secured the spare road wheels on the rear engine deck and gives a very nice in scale look. The tools have integrated claps.

The newly tooled fenders have tread plate detail on both sides, feature the outer lip fold, have positioning holes for tools and in some cases the bottom of the brackets is cast on. The fender supports, and the front and rear fenders are separate parts. The jack is built from five parts and has separate brackets (use parts C21 and C28). The tow cable is made from twisted wire with plastic end eyes.

MAGIC TRACKS

The tracks are Magic Tracks where each link comes loose, and for most modelers will require no clean up, although each link has two small injector marks. These links are the 40cm wide type with open guide horns and no chevrons on the outer faces. The tracks are asymmetric in that there is a separate set for each side to reflect the way the track pins were fitted. Each side is separately packed and has its own shade of grey.

DECALS

The Cartograf decal sheet by has markings for two Pz.Sfl. IV b from Panzer Artillery Regiment 16 of Panzer Division. Both are sold grey guns with the gun’s name (Gchill and Biethen) written in white Gothic script on the turret side. Three Balkan Crosses are also included.

RECOMMENDATION

Dragon’s new Pz.Sfl. IV b is an impressive release that offers modelers the chance to make an accurate model of this rare subject out of the box. With its unique suspension and open turret this kit will stand out from other Panzers in your collection. Strongly recommended.

- Neville Lord