6262, Sd.Kfz.131 Panzerjager II fur PaK40/2 "Marder II". 1/35th-scale styrene/multimedia kit containing 453 styrene parts (including three clear), two bags of "Magic Track", three photo-etched brass frets, one turned aluminum part, one stamped etched brass part, seven water-slide decal marking schemes and ten pages of instructions in 22 steps.

Introduction.

It has been decades since Tamiya first released a kit of this ungainly vehicle (based on their yet older Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F), and over ten years since they released their Wespe (based on all-new tooling). Since the release of the latter kit, modelers have been waiting for "the other shoe to drop", hoping that a new-tool Pz.Kpfw.II and variations would follow. Sadly, for fans of this leichte Panzer, that never happened. In a recent surprise announcement, DML let it be known that they were tooling up to produce an all-new kit of the Panzerjager II, manufactured to the most recent (and outstanding) standards we have seen from them. To be sure, this new kit measures up quite well to those expectations.

Certainly, there are now parts in DMLs "logistics system" that will enable them to produce variations of the Pz.Kpfw.II; stay tuned…

Tracks.

From the ground, up, there are new individual-link "Magic Tracks", which press-fit together. They come in two separate bags since they are "handed", meaning that each bag is for use on a specific side of the vehicle (they are also in two different shades of grey). So, don't open the bags, pour the links out and begin to assemble them; you'll get yourself into trouble. The fit of the links is relatively positive, but they will not take rough handling and will most certainly need to be fixed with cement after the fit is finalized. They all have a tiny pip at one edge from the mold, which is all-but-invisible and there are no knock-out pin marks at all. The idler wheel axle is separate and can be positioned to adjust the final fit; do not glue it in place until you are satisfied with the track's final appearance.

Suspension System.

The road-wheels are very nicely-rendered and include weld details around their rims and manufacturer's logo on the tires; the return rollers are similarly detailed. There are three variations in idler wheels (in the area of their hubs), which include a separate rim ring for the proper appearance, and two variations in drive sprockets (differing rim bolt pattern details). The final drive housings are laid-out somewhat like those in DML's Pz.Kpfw.IV kits in that there are some tiny bolt heads that must be added separately by the modeler. The spring bundles are all separate parts as are the shock absorbers and bump-stops. DML provides each spring bundle with the same numbers of leaf springs; this is incorrect, as Tom Jentz demonstrated at his seminar on the subject, which I attended at (if I recall the year correctly) AMPS 2005. In my opinion, this is not a major problem.

Hull.

The lower hull pan is a one-piece affair that incorporates the side plates; the belly is detailed with access panels and bolts. It is finished with separate bow and stern plate assemblies. The stern plate is finished with a multi-part exhaust muffler that includes a pre-bored pipe and an etched brass perforated heat shield. The trailer hitch is also a multi-part affair complete with etched brass retaining chain. The area is finished off with a station-keeping tail-lamp, engine starter crank, axe, tow rings and crew access step. The bow is finished off with separate bolted plates for the inner segments of the final drive housings, as well as a multi-part stowage bracket for the individual-link spare track section.

Superstructure.

Working from front-to-back, the glacis plate features a separate access hatch, two-position external gun travel lock, tow hooks, spare road-wheel and single Bosch head-lamp. The front superstructure plate has a two-position driver's visor that includes internal detail as well as clear parts for the glass block; his visor on the port-side superstructure plate is separate, but there is no internal detail. This is all attached to the main superstructure/engine deck, which also includes the main sections of the fenders. There are separate mud-flaps front and rear; these can be posed raised or lowered, or left off entirely. The two access hatch lids for the engine compartment are separate parts.

Fighting Compartment.

The two main side walls of the fighting compartment have excellent molded-on exterior details including bolted strips and tie-downs for a foul weather tarp. Two sets of tools are provided for stowage along the outer walls; one has molded-on clamps and brackets, the other set is designed to use etched brass clamps and brackets. It is in the interior of the fighting compartment that DML's designers have pulled out all the stops! The center-piece must surely be the magnificent Fu.Spr.Ger."d" radio set. It includes separate racks, external loud-speaker, amplifier, transformers, the radio sets themselves, the antenna and its base. All that is needed is for the modeler to add the wiring (see reference "Pz.Kpfw.I and II", Achtung Panzer No. 7, below for details). All of the stowed equipment is present including an MG34 and MP38/40; these are "Gen2" items and come with pre-drilled bore and excellent details. There is no actual mount for the MG34, but references state that one was not actually provided. Stowage for the 600 rounds of 7.92mm ammo for the MG is not provided, nor is there any for the MP. While a nicely detailed opening box is provided for cartridges for the 27mm Leuchtpistole (signal flare pistol), the piece itself is not. Internal stiffeners and baffles, coolant exchange hose and mounts, two-position clear styrene periscope heads and mounts, various stowage boxes, spare antenna rods, gas mask containers and fire extinguisher finishes out this section. At the rear there are the three PaK40 ammunition lockers; all can be left closed, or if opened up, feature excellent internal rack detail (see below for a run-down on the ammo). They are in three units, so the center unit can be raised back on it's hinges for access to the engine compartment, precisely as on the prototype.

Hull Interior.

This area begins with a part for the floor to which a nicely-done transmission is mounted, along with separate mounts and drive shaft. Up front, there is a station for the driver complete with seat, his hand and foot controls, instrument panel, gas mask, internal details for his view-ports, and stowage lockers. Further aft the main item is the air cleaner and rear gun travel lock. This is backed by excellently-detailed compartment wall sections as well as the forward segment of the radiator. On open filler cap is molded in place atop the fuel tank; one would assume some sort of cap would cover it, but it is not provided.

Main Weapon.

The PaK40 is essentially one large sprue from DML's towed gun kit, along with another small sprue that contains the two-part spaced armor shield; finally, there is a sprue with ammunition rounds, storage tubes and boxes (see below). The main sprue includes the corrected slide section, which is now of the proper length. There are several display options including: two styles of end caps for the recuperater housing and an internal part for use if the caps are shown in the open or removed position; three styles of double-baffle muzzle brake (circular/circular, oval/oval and oval/circular) with either styrene or etched brass internal retaining rings; two gun tubes (styrene or turned aluminum, with the former designed to accept an inserted round at the breech end) and a breech that can be modeled opened or closed. The gun can recoil as well as traverse and elevate. The spaced-armor shields have beveled edges and feature an etched brass center section that will elevate with the gun tube, as well as etched brass panels to cover the sight aperture.

Two types of complete rounds for the PaK40 are provided (four each for a total of eight), as well as three spent cartridge cases. Ten metal single-round packing tubes are provided, six of which have separate end caps and slide-molded openings; these can be shown to be "discarded". Two wooden multi-round crates are also given; these have separate lids and internal brace detail. They also have a nice wood texture and are molded in such a way as to be devoid of ejector pin marks. The finishing touch is a water-slide decal sheet with stencil data for the rounds and their various containers.

Molding, Fit and Engineering.

Overall, I found the fit of the main components to be very good, if a bit tricky in parts. This is because there are loads of nooks and crannies where detail is present. In essence it is up to the modeler to use his basic skills in order to get the most out of this kit. For instance, all parts should be properly cleaned-up and test fitted; this is especially critical if the gun is to operate as advertised and if all the small panels are to go together seamlessly. There were no sink marks of any consequence, and in almost all cases ejector pin marks were eliminated from any visible surface. The beveled gun shields for the PaK40 are very well-rendered for a thin appearance, while the bevels on the superstructure side plates are also subtle and mostly covered after assembly; be careful in the weathering stage so as not to accent them.

Instructions.

As always with DML, the instructions are extremely busy but very well-rendered as traditional line art. Many sub-steps are called out in each of the 22 main steps. The only advice here is that the modeler should proceed with caution and not glue anything down until he is sure of its place. As far as I could see, the issue that plagued the first iteration of the PaK40 kit (the proper placement of parts B-51 and B-52) has been addressed.

Accuracy.

The kit appears to represent a later type manufactured after January 1943, from a purpose-built (not converted) chassis. It lacks early features such as openings for twin periscopes for the driver, and has later tool stowage and suspension features; see above for comments on the spring bundles. The modeler should in all probability only use part E-3 to represent the drive sprocket of a "purpose-built" Marder II. Scale plans in "Panzerjager", Panzer Tracts No. 7-2 only show a port-side view, but the important items matched well such as wheel sizes, superstructure and ammo locker dimensions and the overall length, using the fender line as a guide. Scale plans in "Pz.Kpfw.I and II", Achtung Panzer No. 7 agree with the above and also show that the width and placement of certain details is substantially correct.

Decals and Markings Information.

Water-slide decals from Italy's Cartograf are provided to mark seven vehicles. The designs are very crisply printed on thin carrier film and feature excellent registration and color saturation; this is a hallmark of this printer's products. While some of the cited vehicles come from unidentified units, several do not. These include: Panzer-Korps Grosdeutschland, 1.Panzer-Division, 10.Panzer-Division and Pz.Jag.Abt.49 (4.Panzer-Division). References ("Panzerjager", Panzer Tracts No. 7-2) state that only three of the above-mentioned units received this vehicle; there is no mention of them in 10.Panzer-Division. Naturally, the listing could be incomplete. While I could not find any photographic confirmation of any specific vehicle scheme in the cited references, I found several similar to the one given for Pz.Jag.Abt.49, in "4.Panzer-Division on the Eastern Front (1) 1941-1943". It would also appear that vehicle "1-111" from an unidentified unit (given twice) is probably the same one at differing times (1943 and 1944). These observations are based on the references I have at hand and are subject to amendment if new information surfaces.

Conclusion.

This release is an essentially accurate and very highly-detailed replica of the prototype and with the addition of some detail in the already busy fighting compartment, it will be an "eye-popper" in anyone's display. Most importantly, it would be hoped that the advent of this kit will pre-sage the release of a new-tool series of Pz.Kpfw.IIs; only time will tell.

Highly recommended.

- Frank De Sisto