I’m starting a new project around the Panzerjeager-Fahrzeuge Somua MCG S307(f) mit 7.5cm pak 40. What a mouthfull.
I’ve begged for Tamiya or one of the new big names to release this vehicle and it’s variants in 1:35 plastic, but since it looks like that’s not going to happen this year, I pulled the trigger on an expensive printed kit. KM’s offering, to be exact. It was about $120 after shipping here to the Midwest US and took a little over a month to get here.
I’ve always been fascinated by Major Becker’s modified French vehicles and their integration with the panzergreandiers of Regiment 125 and 192.
I find their D-Day and June '44 service fascinating. They’re already unique vehicles but when covered in foliage and surrounded by grenadiers in heavy WH camo amongst the hedgerows, it’s always made for compelling imagery for me.
I’ve recently picked up and read through Hans Hoeller’s ‘D-Day Tank Hunter’ to absorb what I can about that night and the initial weeks of the campaign. Really good stuff.
Some here may remember that I have a weird thing about figures. I always have to modify and have a big thing for Zeltbahns and Gewehr 41’s.
I’ve purchased what I can find as far as German figures in zeltbahns. I need them to pull form when kitbashing.
Unfortunately there’s quite a scale/size discrepency and It makes a fairly arduous process.
I also picked up Tamiya’s incredible Marder I auf Lorraine. I’ve always loved the look of it and it showed up in decent numbers in Normandy. I know the static infantry division 716 had a panzerjeager kompanie with some. I’ve wondered if one of those, a halftrack and men from the units pioneer abteilung were responsible for the investigation into Benouville on June 6th just prior to Hoeller’s Panzerjeagers. Stephen Ambrose claimed it was a Panzer IV but I’m almost certain that wasn’t the case.
Regardless, I’m likely going to build 2 dioramas out of this research project. One with the Somua and one with the Marder I.
Here is comparison pic of Tamiya’s Marder I next to KM Model’s Somua MCG S307(f).
It’s clear that the MCG is much larger. I’m still not sure if this is accurate or the KM Somua is oversized a bit.
Apart from feeling enormous, another issue I’ve run into with the KM Model Somua is the Pak 40. I found it lacking in detail and the barrel seemed off.
I decided to buy a supplementary Pak 40 and went with Miniart’s new Pak 40 early production.
The issue is now that Miniart’s barrel really feels off.
I finally decided on buying one of Panzer Art’s barrel/breech assemblies. I’m happy with it and will work it into the build.
I did run into some frame warping which cause the frame to fracture when I tried to fix it.
These figures are kitbashed using Dragon and Hobby Fan sets. A technique/build I used years ago on a Panzergrenadier Regiment 25 project, but had to sideline because my painting just wasn’t up to snuff and I’d rather put it on hold than commit to something I don’t care for.
The SS figures built in a similar way a few years ago:
For inspiration I’m using a broad assortment of pics I’ve found online.
I found an excellent lookign figure on ebay. It was a zeltbahn wearing figure with a K98k from H3 models.
I was dissapointed with it however, because it’s scale feels far too small to work with this build.
It’s even small by Tamiya standards. Here it is next to one of Tamiya’s excellent new 44-45 sets
Doing some blocking and staging to get ideas for the build.
You may recognize Mk.35 production’s Norman Fence, Tree and Norman telegraph pole. I’ve had them in the stash for over a decade and it’s time to use them.
