German armoured car, Sdkfz231/232 late type

[Hohenstaufen]

After the RFM Stug with interior, I promised myself a “shake and bake” Tamiya kit to unwind and found this, the Afrika Korps version in my stash. I’ve made this a couple of times previously in the original format, but of course not using the supplied scheme. Nor did I intend to this time, making one of the three examples of either the 231 (standard armoured car) or 232 (with additional radio gear, the way the kit is meant to be made) known to have served with “Hohenstaufen” (9SS) at Arnhem. Naturally, this would be a late version and referring to the book below, I found there were more differences than I had previously thought:

Interestingly, none of the other references I have made any mention of the changes introduced during the late production run of this vehicle, which include simplification of the hull shape and the Sdkfz 234 type driver’s hatch, replacement of the flush fitting visors with the later type and shortening of the front mudguards, all differences which are very noticeable when the two are put side by side. The other big difference is that the bulky, ungainly and very noticeable (by the enemy!) frame antenna was replaced by a “sternantenna”. The differences make it look like a rather different vehicle.
I won’t bore you with the initial assembly, which being a Tamiya kit is straightforward. All the changes to hull shape were performed with Plasticard and Humbrol putty, following the illustrations in Thomas Anderson’s book. The visors came from the spares box. The drivers hatch will be cut from plastic and attached later, it does appear to stand slightly proud, not flush, which is fortunate for me. It’s not going to be bang on for accuracy (there’s a slight issue with the mantlet for the 2Cm in the turret), but it looks close. There was a conversion set for the Tamiya kit available from New Connections, see link here for a construction by Mark Bannerman: missing-lynx.com - Gallery - Mark Bannerman’s SdKfz 232 8-rad
But when I tried searching on it no one had any stock so I’m going to plug on with my version. You will note a few other details; elimination of the brush guards over the side lights, removal of the Pakschutze at the front (the later vehicles have their frontal armour increased to 30mm, so don’t need it) and I also need to scratch a front bumper.
Here’s where I am so far:

contrasted against an old Tamiya kit to show the changes:

and a Dragon 234/1 to highlight the similarities, the changes seem to be almost a “try-out” for the 234:

[joepanzer]

I love your countertops!!

I look forward to updates on the 8 Rad.

[wasthere]

Great work from me too .I might get inspired to do the same.I find it better now I’m older to do bigger and better improments to my work

[Hohenstaufen]

Here’s an update on the Sdkfz 232 late. In fact I’m calling this finished and ready for paint. The more I looked at the mantlet, the less I liked it, so I had to go and change it. This meant doing away with the moveable gun, but hey, this is a model, not a toy, so I was OK with that. The later mantlet is clearly an external design, unlike the early one which is internal, hence the change. It was reshaped with putty once attached to the turret. The riveting detail removed in the process was replaced with melted sprue - old hat modelling, dissolve sprue in poly cement, apply with a cocktail stick. The bumper was a bit of sprue attached to plastic card brackets, likewise the “pot” for the “stern” antenna. Other bits and bobs came from the spares box, manly from DML leftovers. A very noticeable addition is the armoured cover over the rear louvres. This is clearly shown in several photographs, so it was scratched from plastic card by eye. Fortunately, the angle seems to line up with the exhaust covers, which helped. The exhausts themselves are different in some photos, extended and angled up, as per the Mark Bannerman kit, but unchanged in others, so I took the easy path. There may have been a simplification of the rear hull to match the front (in fact, looking closely at Mark Bannerman’s model, there is), but this isn’t clear in my reference photos and you can’t really see it with all the parts on, so I left it. Here are the photos:

[Dioramartin]

Yay & huzzah for featuring the much-neglected 231/232, great scratch-dating (© Dioramartin) too, looking forward to the paint job. (Also loving the 60’s-retro diorama base )

[mech]

It’s looking good.

[Hohenstaufen]

Was it really April that I posted the start of this build?! Anyway for symmetry, here is the painted version, which I’m calling finished. The figure came with the kit, just painted him up differently. Fortunately, the Tamiya transfers included a six digit number plate beginning “192” (“Hohenstaufen” vehicles can be identified in photos because most begin “19”, which is lucky, as it seems they almost never marked their vehicles, certainly not armoured vehicles; in fact photos taken at Tarnopol in spring 1944 show most of the time they didn’t even put tactical numbers on tanks), they just needed modifying from “WH” to “SS” which is easy enough with a small brush or fine pen. I’m afraid the 60s tablecover has gone, likewise the worktop, these photos were taken in the study!

[SamS]

Mate that is a lovely clean build, and just in time for Christmas!

[Gregory_J_Copplin]

Any chance tha was an 8 RAD that would have been with Grabners column on the bridge?

[Hohenstaufen]

As far as I can tell, this is exactly the vehicles used by Grabner’s column. Some authorities refer to the first few armoured cars, which made it through the ambush as being “Pumas”, but my research suggests this is incorrect. Firstly, “Hohenstaufen” never received any Sdkfz234/2 vehicles and secondly, the armoured cars supplied during their working up in France would have been of this type, NOT Sdkfz 234/1 (see also photos of “HJ” Sdkfz231/2 in Normandy) as these were not issued until late 1944. The vehicles used at Arnhem were those left over from their previous deployments in the Ukraine and Normandy. Also, on page 106/7 of Janusz Piekalkiewicz’s “Arnhem 1944” there is a picture of an Sdkfz231 or 2 and an Sdkfz 222 firing on the evacuation of 1st Airborne. By default these almost certainly belong to “Hohenstaufen” (or possibly “Frundsberg”) as there were no other similar units in the area. In fact the fuel can installation is based on this picture. Finally, “Einsatz Arnheim” by Marcel Zwarts is an excellent reference for 9SS Aufklarung Abteilung at Arnhem (as well as other units), including a strength return for all the vehicles of the unit present, their fate and extensive lists of personnel.

[Gregory_J_Copplin]

@Hohenstaufen that was very thorough. Thank you for the references, i am hap hazards collecting lots to do Grabners column.