Opel Blitz with Nebelwerfer 1/35
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 4:48 pm
Opel Blitz with Nebelwerfer
Hi guys,
For this GB I thought: Well, why not combine two tipes of weather in this build?!
So I took an Opel BLITZ and stuck a NEBELWERFER on the back of it.
A bit a history:
Opel Blitz
opel_zps1hztjoiu by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
During the years preceding World War II Opel, a subsidiary of General Motors (GM) since 1929, was Germany's largest truck producer. The Blitz name, found in a prize competition, was first applied to an Opel truck in 1930.
By 1934 there were four base versions offered of the 1 tonne basic model along with fourteen versions of the larger 2 and 2½ tonne trucks. Under the terms of Nazi economy and the German re-armament the authorities ordered the construction of the Opelwerk Brandenburg facilities in 1935, where until 1944 more than 130,000 Blitz trucks and chassis were produced. The medium-weight versions originally were equipped with a flathead 68 HP petrol engine coming from the 1930 GM Buick Marquette, replaced in 1937 with a modern overhead valve 75 HP straight-six engine also used in Opel Admiral passenger cars. This engine was very similar to Chevrolet engines from the same period, to the point that disabled Blitzes abandoned by fleeing Germans could be easily put back into operation by advancing Allies using Chevy/GMC and Bedford parts.
From 1939, the reliable Blitz 3.6 three-ton version was used in large numbers by the German Wehrmacht armed forces throughout World War II. Derived variants included an elongated version and the four-wheel drive Blitz A. To cope with the bad road conditions and the rasputitsa mud seasons on the Eastern Front, a half-tracked Maultier (mule) SdKfz 3 version was built using tracks and suspension based on the Universal Carrier. Among others, these were used as service vehicles for the Messerschmitt Me 323 military transport aircraft. It is also claimed that Opel, a subsidiary of GM, used forced labor to reap unprecedented profits. To what degree GM controlled Opel at the time is subject to debate, but it is clear that GM did in fact play a role in giving Nazi Germany the Opel Blitz truck.
The light basic model was manufactured as Blitz 2.5 in Rüsselsheim until 1942 and again from 1946, equipped with the 55hp Opel Super 6 engine. On 6 August 1944, the Opelwerk Brandenburg was devastated by an RAF air raid. Furthermore, until the end of the war, about 2,500 Blitz 3.6 trucks were built by order of Minister of Armaments Albert Speer at the Mannheim plant of the rival Daimler Benz AG, while the production of its own Mercedes-Benz L3000 model had to be discontinued. After the war, the facilities in Brandenburg were completely dismantled at the behest of the Soviet Military Administration, while Daimler-Benz in Mannheim resumed building the Blitz 3.6 under the designation L 701 until 1949. The last 467 medium trucks were again assembled by Opel in Rüsselsheim until production finally discontinued in 1954 without a successor.
Nebelwerfer
nebelwerfer_zpsgzg80fav by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
The Nebelwerfer "Smoke Mortar" was a World War II German series of weapons. They were initially developed by and assigned to the Wehrmacht's so-called "smoke troops" (Nebeltruppen). This weapon was given its name as a disinformation strategy designed to fool observers from the League of Nations, who were observing any possible infraction of the Treaty of Versailles, into thinking that it was merely a device for creating a smoke screen.[citation needed] They were primarily intended to deliver poison gas and smoke shells[citation needed], although a high-explosive shell was developed for the Nebelwerfer from the beginning. Initially, two different mortars were fielded before they were replaced by a variety of rocket launchers ranging in size from 15 to 32 centimetres (5.9 to 12.6 in). The thin walls of the rockets had the great advantage of allowing much larger quantities of gases, fluids or high-explosives to be delivered than artillery or even mortar shells of the same weight. With the exception of the Balkans Campaign, Nebelwerfer were used in every campaign of the German Army during World War II. A version of the 21 cm calibre system was even adapted for air-to-air use against Allied bombers.
For the Opel Blitz I bought this kit:
AF54F6E7-5639-48A2-B5ED-E19A8AA38803_zpsnqv9luwa by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
6238CFF8-0046-4645-91E1-125066909EA0_zpsrds7udsi by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
AD215B5C-E5BF-4C5B-AE3C-73462C447150_zpswug3gnce by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
8C100A48-2F5F-4883-BE90-E90526C762C9_zpsye2ybgb8 by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
EADE8866-73A1-42C8-9659-42E6510A2218_zpsbh3kky0u by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
664AA2E0-5355-4CB6-8CA7-C733E175679E_zps1nw7yicq by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
8B0A8A61-00D6-48C9-BB8F-158639BBB8EE_zpsvwhjehqx by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
318AA647-A9A8-46B7-849A-3EA1CF053552_zpst3ndwzji by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
1854A636-B5D3-4352-A693-E6BD7A5A1476_zpszvzf9vyi by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
681A60E8-DFF9-4DDE-B332-699246FF8751_zpsxq54awss by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
81EC2AB2-D3D5-4DBF-922E-8B1096B85385_zps5y50sf3m by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
For the Nebelwerfer I bought this kit:
FullSizeRender 4 by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
FullSizeRender 2 by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
FullSizeRender by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
FullSizeRender 3_zpsqrrtprs6 by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
For the figures to go on the diorama, I bought this kit:
275D4478-1674-464F-902A-83812958BEC2_zpsutqyhtzo by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
Started building the Opel:
C4B15EF3-B992-4D3D-A0E1-A7055F5A630F_zps6hka1mcb by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
D7116926-4F9A-42E2-8557-FF4F078DF30B_zps76lm9qr3 by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
6F4FAB5D-A622-4647-872B-956E85F0194A_zpsofg0kclf by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
995038AA-CA70-41A4-A54D-9E70352C87C8_zpsrs3sivye by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
15275FFB-1DC8-493F-A784-5749B1A083BE_zpsxqmgjauh by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
4EE9A191-4BB5-42F7-BF4D-CF872D8C23A9_zpsmt5yagzc by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
I fixed the wheels so that I could move than left and right.
1C551413-79A3-4A02-9193-20843619E087_zpsopzzepjd by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
9F3E78CD-E68A-4E54-85B1-5D07F2702A3D_zpsymvhvbr6 by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
The flat bed did not have any woodgrain. So I carved it in with a pointy tool.
B2B54EE3-96E7-4663-89E7-0FDCEE1EB781_zpskn4w38pm by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
4DDA1153-C4EF-45BE-A29D-4BBDB5D0AE39_zps6gkfytmc by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
The roof required some filling.
526A4FAF-AC7C-4DC8-9D9B-2E2FDCB1E247_zpshfutvloy by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
I decided not to use the wooden sides of the flat bed.
6E834F36-733E-4E43-A7F2-6F4841B06F19_zpsug4yal9z by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
Next up: Building the Nebelwerfer.
IMG_1735_zpsw57mdkqs by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
I used only part of the mount because I had to mount the Werfer on the flat bed of the Opel.
IMG_1736 by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
IMG_1737_zps2gtwrg0h by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
IMG_1738 by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
I added an extra strip with bolts to the mount to give it a believable fit to the flat bed.
IMG_1739 by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
Build completed!
IMG_1740_zpsffcjblvl by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
Built the figures. Probably not going to use them all but built them all, anyway.
IMG_1718_zpsgcru3twu by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr
That’s it for now folks.
Next up: Painting!
Hi guys,
For this GB I thought: Well, why not combine two tipes of weather in this build?!
So I took an Opel BLITZ and stuck a NEBELWERFER on the back of it.
A bit a history:
Opel Blitz
opel_zps1hztjoiu by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrDuring the years preceding World War II Opel, a subsidiary of General Motors (GM) since 1929, was Germany's largest truck producer. The Blitz name, found in a prize competition, was first applied to an Opel truck in 1930.
By 1934 there were four base versions offered of the 1 tonne basic model along with fourteen versions of the larger 2 and 2½ tonne trucks. Under the terms of Nazi economy and the German re-armament the authorities ordered the construction of the Opelwerk Brandenburg facilities in 1935, where until 1944 more than 130,000 Blitz trucks and chassis were produced. The medium-weight versions originally were equipped with a flathead 68 HP petrol engine coming from the 1930 GM Buick Marquette, replaced in 1937 with a modern overhead valve 75 HP straight-six engine also used in Opel Admiral passenger cars. This engine was very similar to Chevrolet engines from the same period, to the point that disabled Blitzes abandoned by fleeing Germans could be easily put back into operation by advancing Allies using Chevy/GMC and Bedford parts.
From 1939, the reliable Blitz 3.6 three-ton version was used in large numbers by the German Wehrmacht armed forces throughout World War II. Derived variants included an elongated version and the four-wheel drive Blitz A. To cope with the bad road conditions and the rasputitsa mud seasons on the Eastern Front, a half-tracked Maultier (mule) SdKfz 3 version was built using tracks and suspension based on the Universal Carrier. Among others, these were used as service vehicles for the Messerschmitt Me 323 military transport aircraft. It is also claimed that Opel, a subsidiary of GM, used forced labor to reap unprecedented profits. To what degree GM controlled Opel at the time is subject to debate, but it is clear that GM did in fact play a role in giving Nazi Germany the Opel Blitz truck.
The light basic model was manufactured as Blitz 2.5 in Rüsselsheim until 1942 and again from 1946, equipped with the 55hp Opel Super 6 engine. On 6 August 1944, the Opelwerk Brandenburg was devastated by an RAF air raid. Furthermore, until the end of the war, about 2,500 Blitz 3.6 trucks were built by order of Minister of Armaments Albert Speer at the Mannheim plant of the rival Daimler Benz AG, while the production of its own Mercedes-Benz L3000 model had to be discontinued. After the war, the facilities in Brandenburg were completely dismantled at the behest of the Soviet Military Administration, while Daimler-Benz in Mannheim resumed building the Blitz 3.6 under the designation L 701 until 1949. The last 467 medium trucks were again assembled by Opel in Rüsselsheim until production finally discontinued in 1954 without a successor.
Nebelwerfer
nebelwerfer_zpsgzg80fav by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrThe Nebelwerfer "Smoke Mortar" was a World War II German series of weapons. They were initially developed by and assigned to the Wehrmacht's so-called "smoke troops" (Nebeltruppen). This weapon was given its name as a disinformation strategy designed to fool observers from the League of Nations, who were observing any possible infraction of the Treaty of Versailles, into thinking that it was merely a device for creating a smoke screen.[citation needed] They were primarily intended to deliver poison gas and smoke shells[citation needed], although a high-explosive shell was developed for the Nebelwerfer from the beginning. Initially, two different mortars were fielded before they were replaced by a variety of rocket launchers ranging in size from 15 to 32 centimetres (5.9 to 12.6 in). The thin walls of the rockets had the great advantage of allowing much larger quantities of gases, fluids or high-explosives to be delivered than artillery or even mortar shells of the same weight. With the exception of the Balkans Campaign, Nebelwerfer were used in every campaign of the German Army during World War II. A version of the 21 cm calibre system was even adapted for air-to-air use against Allied bombers.
For the Opel Blitz I bought this kit:
AF54F6E7-5639-48A2-B5ED-E19A8AA38803_zpsnqv9luwa by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr6238CFF8-0046-4645-91E1-125066909EA0_zpsrds7udsi by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrAD215B5C-E5BF-4C5B-AE3C-73462C447150_zpswug3gnce by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr8C100A48-2F5F-4883-BE90-E90526C762C9_zpsye2ybgb8 by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrEADE8866-73A1-42C8-9659-42E6510A2218_zpsbh3kky0u by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr664AA2E0-5355-4CB6-8CA7-C733E175679E_zps1nw7yicq by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr8B0A8A61-00D6-48C9-BB8F-158639BBB8EE_zpsvwhjehqx by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr318AA647-A9A8-46B7-849A-3EA1CF053552_zpst3ndwzji by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr1854A636-B5D3-4352-A693-E6BD7A5A1476_zpszvzf9vyi by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr681A60E8-DFF9-4DDE-B332-699246FF8751_zpsxq54awss by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr81EC2AB2-D3D5-4DBF-922E-8B1096B85385_zps5y50sf3m by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrFor the Nebelwerfer I bought this kit:
FullSizeRender 4 by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrFullSizeRender 2 by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrFullSizeRender by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrFullSizeRender 3_zpsqrrtprs6 by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrFor the figures to go on the diorama, I bought this kit:
275D4478-1674-464F-902A-83812958BEC2_zpsutqyhtzo by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrStarted building the Opel:
C4B15EF3-B992-4D3D-A0E1-A7055F5A630F_zps6hka1mcb by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrD7116926-4F9A-42E2-8557-FF4F078DF30B_zps76lm9qr3 by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr6F4FAB5D-A622-4647-872B-956E85F0194A_zpsofg0kclf by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr995038AA-CA70-41A4-A54D-9E70352C87C8_zpsrs3sivye by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr15275FFB-1DC8-493F-A784-5749B1A083BE_zpsxqmgjauh by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr4EE9A191-4BB5-42F7-BF4D-CF872D8C23A9_zpsmt5yagzc by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrI fixed the wheels so that I could move than left and right.
1C551413-79A3-4A02-9193-20843619E087_zpsopzzepjd by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr9F3E78CD-E68A-4E54-85B1-5D07F2702A3D_zpsymvhvbr6 by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrThe flat bed did not have any woodgrain. So I carved it in with a pointy tool.
B2B54EE3-96E7-4663-89E7-0FDCEE1EB781_zpskn4w38pm by JP Verhoeven, on Flickr4DDA1153-C4EF-45BE-A29D-4BBDB5D0AE39_zps6gkfytmc by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrThe roof required some filling.
526A4FAF-AC7C-4DC8-9D9B-2E2FDCB1E247_zpshfutvloy by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrI decided not to use the wooden sides of the flat bed.
6E834F36-733E-4E43-A7F2-6F4841B06F19_zpsug4yal9z by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrNext up: Building the Nebelwerfer.
IMG_1735_zpsw57mdkqs by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrI used only part of the mount because I had to mount the Werfer on the flat bed of the Opel.
IMG_1736 by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrIMG_1737_zps2gtwrg0h by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrIMG_1738 by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrI added an extra strip with bolts to the mount to give it a believable fit to the flat bed.
IMG_1739 by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrBuild completed!
IMG_1740_zpsffcjblvl by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrBuilt the figures. Probably not going to use them all but built them all, anyway.
IMG_1718_zpsgcru3twu by JP Verhoeven, on FlickrThat’s it for now folks.
Next up: Painting!
