Finished Tamiya 1:35 Sdkfz Puma with 5cm gun
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 11:14 pm
Well my first build for a group build on the site has now been completed. It was quite an enjoyable build and the freehand camo scheme and the foliage was a learning curve to say the least however these techniques will be remembered until I need them again.
The puma was painted using tamiya acrylics and the figures were painted with tamiya acrylics and vallejo's excellent flesh coloured paint set.
Before I show you the finished model with the diorama I would just like to say a few things. Firstly the diorama is Miniart's French VIllage Street and the bicycle and figure are from Tamiya's German soldiers with bicycles set. I learned a lot of tips from Youtube and I would reccomend checking out the channels Hamilkar Barkas and Shane Smyth if you are a novice like myself.
Finally here is some background information about the puma:
The Sd.Kfz. 234 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234, or Special Purpose Vehicle 234), was a family of armoured cars designed and built in Germany during World War II. The vehicles were lightly armoured, armed with a 20, 50 or 75 mm main gun, and powered by a Tatra V12 diesel engine. The Sd.Kfz. 234 broadly resembles the appearance of Sd.Kfz. 231 (8 rad).
Armoured wheeled vehicles were developed early in Germany, since they were not subject to the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty. The Sd.Kfz. 234 belonged to the ARK series (type designation of the chassis) and was the successor to the earlier Sd.Kfz. 231/232/233 (8-Rad), which belonged to the GS series.
The combat experience of fast-moving, hard-hitting wheeled reconnaissance vehicles during the Wehrmacht's early invasions of Poland and France impressed German military officials, but indicated some deficiencies in existing designs. A new armoured car project was thus undertaken in August 1940, incorporating several lessons from the Wehrmacht's own external operations. The latest Büssing-NAG Sd.Kfz. 232 variant, the Sd.Kfz. 234 was designed later that year. It was to have a monocoque chassis with eight wheels, and an aircooled engine for use in North Africa.
Chassis were built by Büssing-NAG in Leipzig-Wahren, while armoured bodies were provided by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke of Krefeld and turrets by Daimler Benz in Berlin-Marienfelde and Schichau of Elbing, with engines from Ringhoffer-Tatra-Werke AG of Nesseldorf.
Tatra 103 engine, Panzermuseum Munster, Germany
The vehicle had four-wheel steering and was able to quickly change direction thanks to a second rear-facing DRIVER'S seat; the transmission had six forward and reverse gears, with traction over the eight wheels. Power was provided by an air-cooled Tatra 103 diesel engine.
The first and possibly best known version was the Sd.Kfz. 234/2; it had a turret armed with a 5cm L/60 gun, which was originally intended for the VK 1602 Leopard light tank. It was produced from late 1943 to mid 1944. This variant was replaced in production by the second version, the Sd.Kfz. 234/1, which had a simpler open turret (Hängelafette 38) armed with a 2 cm KwK 38 gun; it was manufactured from mid 1944 to early 1945.
5 cm KwK 39/1 used in a SdKfz 234/2, Panzermuseum Munster
The SdKfz 234/3, produced simultaneously with the 234/1, served as a support vehicle for the reconnaissance vehicles. It had an open-topped superstructure, in which a short-barreled 7.5cm K51 L/24 gun was INSTALLED. This gun, was intended for use against "soft" targets; however when using a hollow charge shell the penetration power exceeded that of the 5cm L/60 gun. This variant was produced from mid 1944 to the end of 1944, before switching production to the 234/4.
The final variant produced was the Sd.Kfz. 234/4, which replaced the L/24 gun with the 7.5cm L/46 PaK 40. This was yet another attempt to increase the mobility of this anti-tank gun; however the 234 chassis was stretched to its limits, and it carried limited ammunition (twelve rounds) due to lack of storage space. This variant was manufactured from the end of 1944 to the end of hostilities in 1945.
And here is the finished product:
The puma was painted using tamiya acrylics and the figures were painted with tamiya acrylics and vallejo's excellent flesh coloured paint set.
Before I show you the finished model with the diorama I would just like to say a few things. Firstly the diorama is Miniart's French VIllage Street and the bicycle and figure are from Tamiya's German soldiers with bicycles set. I learned a lot of tips from Youtube and I would reccomend checking out the channels Hamilkar Barkas and Shane Smyth if you are a novice like myself.
Finally here is some background information about the puma:
The Sd.Kfz. 234 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234, or Special Purpose Vehicle 234), was a family of armoured cars designed and built in Germany during World War II. The vehicles were lightly armoured, armed with a 20, 50 or 75 mm main gun, and powered by a Tatra V12 diesel engine. The Sd.Kfz. 234 broadly resembles the appearance of Sd.Kfz. 231 (8 rad).
Armoured wheeled vehicles were developed early in Germany, since they were not subject to the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty. The Sd.Kfz. 234 belonged to the ARK series (type designation of the chassis) and was the successor to the earlier Sd.Kfz. 231/232/233 (8-Rad), which belonged to the GS series.
The combat experience of fast-moving, hard-hitting wheeled reconnaissance vehicles during the Wehrmacht's early invasions of Poland and France impressed German military officials, but indicated some deficiencies in existing designs. A new armoured car project was thus undertaken in August 1940, incorporating several lessons from the Wehrmacht's own external operations. The latest Büssing-NAG Sd.Kfz. 232 variant, the Sd.Kfz. 234 was designed later that year. It was to have a monocoque chassis with eight wheels, and an aircooled engine for use in North Africa.
Chassis were built by Büssing-NAG in Leipzig-Wahren, while armoured bodies were provided by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke of Krefeld and turrets by Daimler Benz in Berlin-Marienfelde and Schichau of Elbing, with engines from Ringhoffer-Tatra-Werke AG of Nesseldorf.
Tatra 103 engine, Panzermuseum Munster, Germany
The vehicle had four-wheel steering and was able to quickly change direction thanks to a second rear-facing DRIVER'S seat; the transmission had six forward and reverse gears, with traction over the eight wheels. Power was provided by an air-cooled Tatra 103 diesel engine.
The first and possibly best known version was the Sd.Kfz. 234/2; it had a turret armed with a 5cm L/60 gun, which was originally intended for the VK 1602 Leopard light tank. It was produced from late 1943 to mid 1944. This variant was replaced in production by the second version, the Sd.Kfz. 234/1, which had a simpler open turret (Hängelafette 38) armed with a 2 cm KwK 38 gun; it was manufactured from mid 1944 to early 1945.
5 cm KwK 39/1 used in a SdKfz 234/2, Panzermuseum Munster
The SdKfz 234/3, produced simultaneously with the 234/1, served as a support vehicle for the reconnaissance vehicles. It had an open-topped superstructure, in which a short-barreled 7.5cm K51 L/24 gun was INSTALLED. This gun, was intended for use against "soft" targets; however when using a hollow charge shell the penetration power exceeded that of the 5cm L/60 gun. This variant was produced from mid 1944 to the end of 1944, before switching production to the 234/4.
The final variant produced was the Sd.Kfz. 234/4, which replaced the L/24 gun with the 7.5cm L/46 PaK 40. This was yet another attempt to increase the mobility of this anti-tank gun; however the 234 chassis was stretched to its limits, and it carried limited ammunition (twelve rounds) due to lack of storage space. This variant was manufactured from the end of 1944 to the end of hostilities in 1945.
And here is the finished product:
