Sunday, December 01, 2013

Stug III x 2 WIP

DML StuG III F/8 and StuG III Ausf. G (early) (Bodo Spranz) WIP.  The winterketten for the F/8 are being switched out with the regular tracks found in the Cyber Hobby Orange Box StuG III F.  The camo and markings for the StuG IIIG are roughly based on a picture found in Peko Publishing's Sturmgeschutz III on the battlefield showing several StuG IIIGs from an unidentified unit with "field" applied camo and small 3 digit tac numbers.  The balkenkruz are Archer Fine Transfers; the tac # is from the Kagero Jagdpanzer book (1/48th scale).  Because both are visible from the open loader's hatch, an MP40 was added to the back of the firewall near the loader's hatch, as well as the stored MG34 in the rear corner.  Putting together the various subassemblies of the StuG IIIG required some careful planning and even then I screwed up completion of the gun assembly; fortunately, the fit is pretty good once everything is in place.

Because of the stowage rack on the rear of the StuG IIIG, installing some of the tools on the sides of the engine deck took extra work.  In particular, the wire cutters don't fit and so some adjustments were needed.  The jack was a very tight fit, but just squeezed in on the fender.  Brass radio aerials were installed and the undersized metal tow cables replaced with picture hanging wire closer in size to the plastic tow cable heads.  Fitting the tow cables is questionable, however, because of the fender support's proximity to the one of the cable latches.