1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F) "Uhlan", summer 1945

Dizzyfugu · March 19, 2017, 07:37:51 AM

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some background:
The "Entwicklung" tank series (= "development"), more commonly known as the E-Series, was a late-World War II attempt by Germany to produce a standardized series of tank designs. There were to be six standard designs in different weight classes, from which several specialized variants were to be developed. This intended to reverse the trend of extremely complex tank designs that had resulted in poor production rates and mechanical unreliability.

The E-series designs were simpler, cheaper to produce and more efficient than their predecessors; however, their design offered only modest improvements in armor and firepower over the designs they were intended to replace, such as the Jagdpanzer 38(t), Panther Ausf.G or Tiger II. However, the resulting high degree of standardization of German armored vehicles would also have made logistics and maintenance easier. Indeed, nearly all of the E-series vehicles — up through and including the E-75 — were intended to use what were essentially the Tiger II's eighty centimeter diameter, steel-rimmed road wheels for their suspension, meant to overlap each other (as on the later production Tiger I-E and Panther designs that also used them), even though in a much simplified fashion.

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Focus of initial chassis and combat vehicle development was the E-50/75 Standardpanzer, designed by Adler, both being mostly identical and only differing in armor thickness, overall weight and running gear design to cope with the different weights.

The E-50 Standardpanzer was intended as a medium tank, replacing the Panther and Tiger I battle tanks and the conversions based on these older vehicles. The E-50 hull was to be longer than the Panther, and in fact it was practically identical to the Königstiger (Tiger II) in overall dimensions except for the glacis plate layout. Compared with the earlier designs, however, the amount of drilling and machining involved in producing the Standardpanzer designs was reduced drastically, which would have made them quicker, easier and cheaper to produce, as would the proposed conical spring system, replacing their predecessors' torsion bar system which required a special steel alloy.

The basis development, the combat tank, was to carry the narrow-mantlet 'Schmalturm' turret (designed for the Panther Ausf. F), coupled with a variant of the powerful 88 mm L/71 gun.
In service the vehicle received the inventory ordnance number "SdKfZ. 304" and was officially called "Einheitspanzer 50" (Standard tank), retaining its E-50 abbreviation. The weight of the E-50 vehicle family would fall between 50 and 75 tons. The engine was an improved Maybach HL234 with up to 900 hp output. Maximum speed was supposed to be up to 60 km/h.

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The E-75 Standardpanzer (SdKfz. 305), based on the same hull, was intended to be the standard heavy tank and as a replacement of the heavy Tiger II and Jagdtiger tanks. The E-75 would have been built on the same production lines as the E-50 for ease of manufacture, and the two vehicles were to share many components, including the same Maybach HL 234 engine.
As its name indicates, the resulting vehicle would have weighed in at over 75 tons, reducing its speed to around 40 km/h. To offset the increased weight, the bogies were spaced differently from on the E-50, with an extra pair added on each side and eight instead of six wheels plus a slightly wider track, giving the E-75 a slightly improved track to ground contact length.

The basic combat tank version was to be equipped with the same turret and 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 as the E-50 battle tank, but along with an optical rangefinder for increased long range accuracy. Anyway, heavier guns (10,5 cm and 12,8 cm caliber) in bigger turrets were under development.

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The E-50/E-75 chassis would also become the basis for a family special purpose vehicles like anti-aircraft tanks, assault guns or tank destroyers. One of the earliest developments for the latter class of vehicles was the SdKfz. 304/2, a self-propelled gun carrier for the powerful 12.8 cm KwK L/61 gun, a proven weapon with immense range and firepower, based on the 12.8 cm FlaK 40 anti-aircraft cannon.
The SdKfz. 304/2 was to be much more mobile and lighter than its predecessors, the Jagdtiger and Keiler tank hunters, which had suffered from being overweight and - consequently - underpowered. The new tank hunter was not to exceed 55 tons and offer a field performance similar to the highly effective Jagdpanther, which was only armed with an 88mm cannon, though.

As an appropriate vehicle basis the new E-50 chassis was chosen, but the internal layout was radically modified in order to accept the large and heavy weapon, the crew of six and a decent load of ammunition (which consisted of two parts) in a fully closed combat compartment.
In order to simplify the tank and save weight, the engine section was, together with the gearbox, moved to the hull's front. The complete crew section, including the driver's position, was placed behind the engine. This was a radically new layout approach, and this form of the standard chassis was called E-50(F) ("F" standing for "Front"; there was also an "M" (= Mitte) for a mid-engine layout, with a separate driver compartment in front of the engine; the standard layout with a rear engine did not receive a dedicated suffix).

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The driver's position behind a long 'bonnet' considerably impaired the field of view, and both driver and radio operator, placed on the other side of the hull, had sit in separate "cabins" in front of the casemate-style box main structure. These positions were separated by parts of the engine and the gearbox between them, and accessible from the main combat room.
Despite some inherent weaknesses, this arrangement was regarded as an acceptable price to pay for space and weight savings through only a single major internal fire bulkhead, no need for a long power shaft running all through the hull and an improved crew survivability behind the massive engine against frontal attacks.

The large 12.8 cm cannon was completely covered under a box-shaped superstructure, which had almost vertical side walls. The gun could traverse 7° to each side, elevate 15° and depress -10°. 32 rounds were carried inside of the hull, including armor piercing and explosive shells.
In order to keep the SdKfz. 304/2 within a 60 tons overall weight limit, the vehicle's front armor was limited to 70mm. This was deemed satisfactory, since the SdKfz. 304/02 was primarily intended for long-range combat only (the weapon had an effective range of 3,500 m (2.2 mi) and more even against heavily armored targets), primarily against heavy Soviet combat tanks and assault guns.
Having learned painful lessons with the Sturmgeschütz IV "Brummbär" and its vulnerability to close range attacks of infantry soldiers, the SdKfz. 304/2 was from the start outfitted with a ball mount for a MG 34 machine gun in the front plate of the superstructure. Another MG 34 on board could be mounted on the commander's cupola for anti-aircraft defense. Smoke dischargers were also available.

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

A small batch of the SdKfz. 304/2 was built at Deutsche Eisenwerke in mid-1945, to be tested under field conditions. Due to the lack of 12.8cm anti tank guns, around half of the 40 vehicles (production numbers are unclear, since the vehicles were manually converted from initial, unfinished E-50 chassis') were outfitted with the lighter 8,8cm Pak. Both variants were distinguished by "A" and "B" suffixes, respectively, and officially called "Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F)", frequently shortened to "Jagdpanzer E-50 (F) A or B".
In service, the relatively agile vehicles were dubbed "Uhlan" (after German light lancer groups in WWI) by their crews, and the more simple name quickly caught on. Another unofficial nickname, based on the separated driver/radio operator compartment and the boxy shape of the tank, was "Beichtstuhl" ("Confessional Box"), but this name was soon forbidden.

The new tank hunters only saw limited use, though, since they suffered from many early production flaws, and general technical reliability was also low. Other weaknesses were soon revealed, too. The SdKfz. 304/2's high casemate design made the vehicle hard to camouflage. With its almost vertical front and side armor, as well as the separate and edgy driver and radio operator compartments, it proved to be very vulnerable, too, so that - on the same chassis - an improved hull (similar to the Jagdpanther, but with the engine in front of the crew section and armed with a new 105 mm cannon) for the newly developed SdKfz 304 chassis (a.k.a. "Jagdpanther II") was quickly developed, offering a much improved ballistic protection from any angle.

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Specifications:
Crew: Six (commander, gunner, 2x loader, radio operator, driver)
Weight: 54 tonnes (60 short tons)
Length: 7.27 metres (23 ft 8 in) (hull only)
9.36 metres (30 ft 8 in) incl. gun
Width: 3.88 metres (12 ft 9 in)
Height 3.35 metres (11 ft)
Ground clearance: 495 to 510 mm (1 ft 7.5 in to 1 ft 8.1 in)
Suspension: Conical spring
Fuel capacity: 720 litres (160 imp gal; 190 US gal)

Armor:
10–70 mm (0.4 – 2.75 in)

Performance:
Speed
- Maximum, road: 46 km/h (28.6 mph)
- Sustained, road: 38 km/h (24 mph)
- Cross country: 15 to 20 km/h (9.3 to 12.4 mph)
Operational range: 160 km (99 miles)
Power/weight: 16,67 PS/tonne (14,75 hp/ton)

Engine:
V-12 Maybach HL 234 gasoline engine with 900 PS (885 hp/650 kW)

Transmission:
ZF AK 7-200 with 7 forward 1 reverse gears

Armament:
1× 12.8 cm KwK L/61 with 32 rounds
2× 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 with a total of 5.200 rounds (one in the casemate front
and an optional AA gun on the commander's cupola)

The kit and its assembly:
This build was spawned from the question: with the German Experimental-Panzer designs becoming available, what would have been an initial solution for the large 12,8cm PaK, and a kind or predecessor of the more effective designs that were to follow (like the Jagdpanther II on E-50/75 basis or the heavy 'Krokodil' from the E-100 chassis)? Creations like the Jagdtiger or the Elefant/Ferdinand had failed due to their weight, and roofless self-propelled designs like the Nashorn or the lighter Marder family had also not been very effective designs.

Consequently I tried my luck with a kitbash: the standard E-50 chassis (from a Model Collect combat tank variant), combined with the superstructure of the "Sturer Emil" SPG prototype (Trumpeter kit).

Work started with the lower hull, which was more or less taken OOB – just the upper side was completely re-arranged and the engine roof cut out, together with the attachment ring for the original Schmalturm turret, and transplanted to the front. In this step, the original driver hatches on top of the hull were deleted, too.

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

On the hull's gaping rear end I tried to integrate the (originally roofless) weapon compartment from the "Sturer Emil" SPG. The latter comes as a single piece and turned out to be a little too narrow. I could have taken it OOB, but then a small step in the hull's side walls had to be accepted. So I cut the box structure into pieces and tried to blend them as smoothly into the lower hull's lines as possible – with the benefit of slightly more angled side walls. The resulting gaps at all four corners were filled with styrene sheet and putty, and the rear wall called for some major adjustments because it has a convex shape with an entry hatch. A bit messy, but the flanking exhaust pipes cover most of the mess.

On the new roof (cut from styrene sheet using a pattern made from adhesive tape and graphite rubbed along the edges), a commander cupola from a Panzer IV and some details like rangefinder optics or air vents were added. Since the interior would not be visible anymore, I only added a primitive console that would hold the OOB cannon bearing and allow slight movement with the barrel in place.

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The kit would receive new tracks – vinyl pieces instead of the single styrene pieces from the Model Collect kit. And for a more lively look, the mud guards and side skirts (integral part of the upper hull half) were dented – using a candle flame to warm and warp the material.

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Painting and markings:
The rather massive and tall tank was to look simple, yet a bit improvised, so I decided to mimic a primer finish with some thin camouflage paint added on top, so that much of the primer would still shine through.
In an initial step, the hull and still separate parts like the barrel and the wheels received a uniform coat of RAL 3009 Oxidrot – a rich, rust-red tone that comes close to the German primer used on late-war tank hulls. This basic tone was considerably lightened, through dry-brushing and shading with Humbrol 70, 113 and 119 (Brick Red, Rust and Red Brown, respectively), since paint was sparse in Germany in late WWII and colors frequently stretched and thinned with added pigments like white lead, resulting in an almost pinkish tone.

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Once dry, the kit received an overall cover with thinned acrylic Sand and Beige (Revell 16 and 314) – almost a custard-colored wash - so that a good amount of the light paint would cling to details and run down the vertical surfaces, leaving an uneven, partly translucent coat on top the red primer that shines through everywhere. This finish was later tailored with brass brush, steel wool and sand paper treatments. No further camouflage (e. g. with Olivgrün) was added, for a simple look.

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

On top of the basic paint, a dark brown washing was added and the edges further emphasized through dry-brushing with light grey and pale sand tones, plus some acrylic silver. Once the wheels and tracks were fitted into place and the few decals applied, a coat of matt acrylic varnish was added. Finally, dust and dry mud were simulated with mixed pigments, applied with a soft brush onto wet stains of varnish.

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Jagdpanzer 12.8cm auf Fahrwerk E-50(F); (SdKfz. 304/2A) "Uhlan", vehicle "134" of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 507; Bohemia, summer 1945 (Whif/Kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

An impressive whif tank, and the complex superstructure was quite challenging. Even though it's a kitbashing, the whole thing looks pretty plausible and "German", so the original objective was accomplished.

chrisonord · March 19, 2017, 08:08:59 AM

Brilliant build Dizzy, this has given me some inspiration for a self propelled gun of Russian/soviet decent for my Cartel army.

Chris.

Old Wombat · March 19, 2017, 05:59:59 PM

More micro-armour! Good job, Dizzy!

Dizzyfugu · March 20, 2017, 01:44:37 AM

Thank you very much. There's even another one (a modified Coelian AA tank on a Panther chassis), but my PC crashed yesterday - I hope I can recover it!

NARSES2 · March 20, 2017, 07:12:38 AM

That does look good

Sport21ing · March 21, 2017, 04:53:39 AM

Good looking, very similar to this one, but an better variant and story

http://nast-sonderfahrzeuge.de/fotosammlung/displayimage.php?album=25&pos=3

Dizzyfugu · March 23, 2017, 03:27:03 AM

I know the Jagdpanther II concept with the "rear cab" layout, there are even two Modelcollect of this design (based on E-50 and E-75 chassis', though) available (and I have one in the stash, too). But I find the design actually a bit fishy, because I wonder how the large gun and its mount fit into that shallow compartment, together with a crew of at least three if not four men and a decent number of rounds?
Additionally, this design has a driver compartment in front of the engine - which needs an additional bulkhead and takes up a lot of relative space. I am not certain about the Modelcollect kits' layout. From these doubts, though, I derived my whiffy predecessor with the driver integrated into the combat section and a true front engine layout, plus a taller/wider/less slanted superstructure which looks tall and huge, but actually hardly covers the 12.8 cm PaK inside and leaves only little space around. Tank design is not an easy task!

Captain Canada · May 06, 2017, 10:21:10 AM

Did that ever turn out good ! Very sleek and compact. Nice.

Dizzyfugu · May 06, 2017, 10:24:15 AM

Thank you. But compact is not a good term - this one is actually pretty huge!