Hi folks. I’m in the middle of Tamiya’s Sdkfz 223, you know, the one with the totally wrong interior. I’ve been looking at photos and a Hilary Doyle video filmed at NACC of a vehicle that has basically been gutted, so not the greatest help. I have no intention of building the whole interior, but want the view from the turret down to be approximately right, even though I’ll probably put a figure in the turret (yeah, I know it’s not a turret really). Here’s the question. I happen to have in my stash the Bronco SdKfz 221 with PzB.41 (the 2.8Cm squeeze bore weapon). To fit this weapon, according to Milsom and Chamberlain in “German Armoured Cars of World War 2”, the machine gun had to be removed. Since the PzB.41 seems to have been mounted on a pivot on the armour over the driving position, the turret front was cut away and presumably could no longer rotate. So was the whole machine gun pedestal removed also, there would be little point in keeping it, as it was that fitting that rotated the turret and it would get in the way of serving the gun? If so, since the pedestal is supplied complete in the Bronco kit, along with the whole unmodified turret of the standard 221, I can use it in the Tamiya kit, without spoiling the Bronco one. Can anyone advise? The Bronco instructions seem to suggest it is still needed but I’m not convinced, I suspect this is a hangover from the standard 221 kit.
Nuts & Bolts vol 47 says that on the Panzerbüchse 41 conversions “according to equipment list, the Drehsockel and the M.G. 34 were maintained as armament”
The Drehsockel für leichtes M.G. being a rotatable mount for light machine guns […] consisting of the pedestal base, the rotary column, the guide head with sliding-out tube and the protective cover[…]
There are a few photos but I can not see any detail regarding your question.
Thanks. You seem to be the only one to answer so far, from which I assume no one has any clear photos of the modified 221. My own research confirms you are right that the MG34 was retained, but it can’t be mounted in the Drehsockel, if still fitted, as the PzB.41 is in the way. In any case, I think I will just use the Bronco pieces in the Tamiya A/C as I have no immediate plans to put the 221 together.
I think your point makes sense, I have no idea how both the Drehsockel and the PzB.41 could be together without interfering