1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; Aufkl.Abt. 4, 1. Panzerdivision; Poland, winter 1939

[Dizzyfugu]

My current output is rather slow - mostly due to lack of time and/or mojo for final photos, so here are already WiP pictures from a small project that has already been finished hardware-wise, story and scenic shots pending.

The kit and its assembly:
This fictional armored car was inspired by a leftover rear axles from an Italeri Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) model that I converted into a fictional half-track variant some time ago. I wondered if the set could be transplanted under an 8-Rad chassis, to create a kind of missing link to the 8x8 successors of the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) with a total of twelve tires on four axles.

The basis became a First to Fight 1:72 Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) kit – a rather simple and robust affair, apparently primarily intended for tabletop purposes. But the overall impression is good, and it would be modified, anyway, even though the plastic turned out to be rather soft/waxy and the parts' sprue attachment points a bit wacky.

The hull was "turned around" to drive backwards, so that its rear engine ended up in the front. I eventually only used the rear twin wheels from the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad), but not its single axles and laminated springs. Instead, I first cut the OOB mudguards in two halves, removed their side skirts and glued them onto the lower hull in reversed order, so that the exhausts and their muffler boxes would end up at the rear of the front fenders. With these in place I checked the axles' position from the OOB ladder chassis, which is a single, integral part, and found that the rear axles' position had to be moved by 2mm backwards. Cutting the original piece and re-arranging it was easier to scratch a new rear suspension, and the rocker bars had to be shortened to accept the wider twin wheels.


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The original small turret with the 20 mm autocannon was deleted and replaced with core elements from a Panzer III turret, left over from previous conversion projects. Wider than any original turret of the Sd.Kfz. 231/232 family, it had to be narrowed by roughly 5mm – I had to cut a respective plug from the turret's and the mantlet's middle section, the deformed hatch was covered under a Panzer III commander cupola. To mate the re-arranged turret with the OOB adapter plate to mount it onto the hull, and to add overall stability to the construction, I filled the interior with 2C putty.
The typical storage bin at the turret's rear was omitted, though, it would have made it too large for the compact truck chassis. The shape was a perfect stylistic match, even though, with the longer gun barrel, the vehicle reminds a lot of the Soviet BA-10 heavy armored car?


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Most small details like the bumpers and the headlights were taken OOB, I added a whip antenna base at the rear and mounted two spare wheels at the back, one of them covered with a tarpaulin (made from paper tissue drenched with white glue, this was also used to create the gun mantlet seals).

Painting and markings:
Typical for German vehicles from the early WWII stages the Sd.Kfz. 241 was painted Panzergrau (RAL 7021; I used Humbrol 67, which is authentic, but mixed it with some 125 to create a slightly lighter shade of grey) overall - quite dull, but realistic. To make the vehicle look more interesting, though, I added authentic contemporary camouflage in the form of low-contrast blotches with RAL 8017, a very dark reddish brown, mixed from Humbrol 160 and some 98. Better, but IMHO still not enough.

After the model received a washing with highly thinned red-brown acrylic artist paint I applied the few decals and gave the parts an overall dry-brushing treatment with grey and dark earth. Everything was sealed with matt acrylic varnish. For even more "excitement", I decided to add a coat of snow.
For the simulated "frosting" I used white tile grout – which has the benefits of being water-soluble, quite sturdy to touch and the material does not yellow over time like gypsum.

First, the wheels, the chassis and the inside of the wheel arches received a separate treatment with relatively dryly mixed tile grout, simulating snow and dirt clusters. Once thoroughly dried, the wheels were mounted. Then the model was sprayed with low surface tension water and loose tile grout was drizzled over hull and turret, creating a flaky coat of fake snow. Once dry again, everything received another coat of matt acrylic varnish to protect and fixate everything further.


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

More coming - hopefully - soon.

[Wardukw]

That's a stretched BA-10 or 6 RAD Dizzy mate 
So ya got both areas covered at once ..pure talent buddy boy 
And in all honesty this is freaking cool and now I want to build one in 35th ...of course not a copy of yours..another version of it..same chassis ..different turret 

[Dizzyfugu]

Feel free, it's not a copyrighted design! 

[NARSES2]

That's looking good 

[Dizzyfugu]

After some delays...


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background:
Due to the restrictions of the Versailles treaties, the Reichswehr was already dealing with the increasing mobilization and motorization of the army after the end of the First World War. The realization that the speed of the troop units required appropriate equipment was available early on. However, the Reichswehr suffered from financial constraints and during the Weimar Republic the industry only had limited capacity for series production of larger, armored vehicles.

Nevertheless, at that time the Sd.Kfz. 3 (unarmored half-track transport vehicle/1927), the ARW (eight-wheel car/1928) and the ZRW (ten-wheel car/1928) provided fundamental experience. The findings of these tests and the troop testing with the Sd.Kfz. 3 enabled a more precise specification of the new vehicles to be developed. The "heavy" armored cars were primarily intended for the reconnaissance units of the new armored forces.

The incipient rearmament could only start with a "cheap" solution, though. A three-part armored structure for the chassis of commercially available off-road trucks was developed by the Army Weapons Office, Dept. WaTest 6, in cooperation with the company Deutsche Eisenwerke AG. The typical truck chassis featured front-wheel steering and a driven bogie at the rear (4x6 layout). In June 1929, the companies Magirus, Daimler-Benz and Büssing-NAG were commissioned to develop the desired armored car from it. If you consider that this truck class was developed for a payload of 1.5t, you can already conclude from this that the vehicles, which are now equipped with a significantly heavy armored structure, had little off-road mobility. Even if the appearance of the vehicles supplied by the different manufacturers was similar, there were external distinguishing features by which the manufacturer could be identified. The vehicles were tested in the Reichswehr from 1932 and introduced later.


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


One of the four crew members (driver, commander, gunner, radio-operator) was used as a reverse driver: with the narrow streets of the time and a turning circle of between 13 and 16m, this function was essential for a truck-sized heavy reconnaissance vehicle. The chassis had the excellent ladder-type configuration, able to withstand the stress of rough rides at high speed. The scout car was 5570 mm long, 1820 mm wide, 2250 mm high and weighed 5.35, 5.7 or 6 tons, depending on the manufacturer. The hull was made of welded steel armor, 5 to 14.5 mm (0.2-0.57 in) thick depending on the angle (bottom to front) with well-sloped plates. The armament consisted of a 2 cm KwK 30 with 200 rounds and a MG 13 with 1300 rounds in a manually operated turret. The fuel supply was 90, 105 or 110 liters, but with a consumption of about 35 or 40 liters per 100 km, this resulted in a completely inadequate range for a scout car.

Having no true alternatives at hand, the armored 4x6 car was accepted and became known as the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-wheel), and it was subsequently developed into two more vehicles. Up until 1937, 123 vehicles were built as Sd.Kfz. 231 reconnaissance cars and Sd.Kfz. 232 radio trucks. A further 28 were manufactured as Sd.Kfz. 263 (Panzerfunkwagen) command vehicles.
As early as 1932, after testing the pilot series, it was clear that the interim solution of "cheap" 6-wheel vehicles would not meet the future requirements of the armored divisions now planned. It was planned that from 1935/36 at least 18 vehicles of a new type that would meet the requirements for off-road mobility and high road speeds should be produced annually. Büssing-NAG had obviously made a good impression with the ARW and was now commissioned to make the revised vehicle ready for series production, which would become the SdKfz. 231 (8-Rad). The overall concept was completed between 1934 and 1935 and already showed all the features of the future type: all 8 wheels driven and steered, the same speed forwards and backwards, ability to change direction in less than 10 seconds, and a turning circle of "only" 10.5m. The vehicle layout was changed, too: the engine bay was relocated to the rear, the crew compartment was placed at the front end. This improved weight distribution, handling, and the field of view for the main forward driver.
The purpose of the new vehicles was identical to that of the earlier heavy 6-wheel vehicles, they were used on the same sites and so the same ordnance inventory designation was adopted, despite the vehicle's many modifications. The so-called Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) was armed, corresponding to its 6-Rad counterpart, with a 2cm KwK 30 and the MG 13 (later MG 34) in a rotating turret. Likewise, the Sd.Kfz. 232 (8-Rad) carried a large, curved bow antenna, and there was a Sd.Kfz. 263 (8-Rad) command vehicle, too.


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Nevertheless, the Army Weapons Office demanded a short-term solution for a vehicle based on the 4x6 chassis that offered better off-road performance and armament, namely a 37 mm anti-tank gun, with at least comparable range and armor protection. This interim vehicle was supposed to be ready for service in early 1934. Magirus accepted the challenge and proposed the Sd.Kfz. 241, a 4x8 vehicle. It retained the old overall 6-Rad layout with the front engine under a long bonnet, but it had a fourth steered axle added to lower ground pressure and improve the vehicle's trench bridging capabilities. The powered two rear axles retained the 6-Rad's twin wheels, so that the vehicle stood on a total of twelve tires with a relatively large footprint. The armored hull was very similar to the Sd.Kfz. 231 6-Rad, but carried a new, bigger turret with a 3.7 cm KwK 30 L/45 gun and an axis-parallel 7.92 mm MG 34 light machine gun.

The box-shaped turret exploited the hull's width to the maximum and had a maximum armor of 15 mm, no base and the seat of the commander was attached to the tower wall. The commander sat elevated under a raised cupola in the rear section of the turret, just behind the main gun. He had five viewing slits protected by glass blocks and steel slides for all-round visibility. The gunner/loader, standing to the left of the main gun, had to constantly follow the movement of the turret, which was done by hand. In order to support the gunner when slewing the turret, the commander had an additional handle on the right side. The two crew members also had a turret position indicator.
 The cannon was fired electrically via a trigger, the machine gun was operated mechanically with a pedal. To aim and view the outside, the gunner had a gun sight to the left of the gun with an opening in the gun mantlet. Standard access to the vehicle was through low double-doors in the vehicle' flank, but side exit openings in the turret with two flaps each were also frequently used to board it. Another entry was through the commander cupola's lid.
With all this extra hardware, the Sd.Kfz. 241's overall weight rose considerably from the late Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) nearly 6 tons to 7.5 tons. As a consequence, the chassis had to be reinforced and a more powerful engine was used, a 6-cylinder Maybach HL 42 TRKM w carburetor gasoline engine with 4170 cc capacity and 100 hp (74 kW) output at 3000 rpm.


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


As expected, the Sd.Kfz. 241 was not a success. Even though the first vehicles were delivered in time in mid-1934, its operational value was rather limited. Off-road capability was, due to the extra weight, the raised center of gravity and the lack of all-wheel drive, just as bad as the 6-Rad vehicles, and the more powerful engine's higher fuel consumption allowed neither higher range, despite bigger fuel tanks, nor a better street performance. The only real progress was the new 3.7 cm KwK 30's firepower, which was appreciated by the crews, even though the weapon was only effective against armored targets at close range. At 100 m, 64 mm of vertical armor could be penetrated, but at 500 m this already dropped to 31 mm, any angle in the armor weakened its hitting power even further. The weapon's maximum range was 5.000m, though, and with HE rounds the Sd.Kfz. 241 could provide indirect fire support. Another factor that limited the vehicle's effectiveness was that the gun had to be operated by a single crew member who had to load and aim at the same time – there was simply not enough space for a separate loader who would also have increased the gun's rate of fire from six to maybe twelve rounds per minute. The vehicle's armor was also inadequate and only gave protection against light firearms, but not against machine guns or heavier weapons. On the other side, the cupola on top of the turret offered the commander in his elevated position a very good all-round field of view, even when under full protection – but this progressive detail was not adopted for the following armored reconnaissance vehicles and remained exclusive to German battle tanks.

Only a total of fifty-five Sd.Kfz. 241s were completed by Magirus in Cologne until 1936, when production of the Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) vehicle family started and soon replaced the Sd.Kfz. 241, which was primarily operated at the Eastern Front in Poland and Czechoslovakia. By 1940, no Sd.Kfz. 241 was left in any frontline army unit, but a few survivors were grouped together and handed over to police units. Their main gun was either completely deleted or sometimes replaced with a second machine gun, and they were used for urban patrols and riot control duties. However, by 1942, no Sd.Kfz. 241 was left over.


Specifications:
    Crew: Four (commander, gunner, driver, radio operator/rear driver)
    Weight: 7.5 tons (11.450 lb)
    Length: 5,85 metres (19 ft 2 in)
    Width: 2,20 metres (7 ft 2 ½ in)
    Height: 2,78 metres (9 ft 1 in)
    Ground clearance: 28.5 cm (10 in)
    Suspension: Torsion bar and leaf springs
    Fuel capacity: 150 litres (33 imp gal; 40 US gal)

Armor:
    8–15 mm (0.31 – 0.6 in)

Performance:
    Maximum road speed: 70 km/h (43.5 mph)
                                         52 km/h (32.3 mph) backwards
    Operational range: 250 km (155 miles)
    Power/weight: 13 PS/ton

Engine:
    Maybach HL42 TRKM water-cooled straight 6-cylinder petrol engine with 100 hp (74 kW),
    driving the rear pair of axles

Transmission:
    Maybach gearbox with 5-speed forward and 4-speed reverse

Armament:
    1× 37 mm KwK 30 L/45 cannon with 70 rounds
    1× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun mounted co-axially with 1.300 rounds



1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Sd.Kfz. 241; vehicle 'B' of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung 4, 1st Panzerdivision; Masovian Voivodeship (Warsaw region, Poland), Winter 1939 (What-if/modified First to Fight kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


A relatively quick build, done in a few days. The First to Fight kit is very simple and went together well, but I'd use something else the next time due to the odd material it was molded with. The outcome of an 4x8 scout car looks quite plausible, though, like the missing link between the Sd.Kfz. 231 and 232 – the unintended similarity with the Soviet BA-10 heavy armored car was a bit surprising, though. And the snow on the model eventually makes it look a bit more interesting, the stunt was worth the effort.

[Wardukw]

Very very cool Dizzy 
I've done some hunting to get a 8 RAD and it will be coming from Japan..there's none here in NZ that don't have a absolutely stupid price of around the hundred dollar mark and mine will be a 8x8 
I'll also stuff in a 30mm cannon and turn it into a heavy scout car..the gun isn't a guarantee 
Might end up with a 50mm 

[Old Wombat]

"Cool" is an understatement!

Its mother needs to knit it a thick woollen jumper, it looks positively chilled to the bone!

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you, gents!

[NARSES2]

That does look good, particularly in that setting 

[Dizzyfugu]

Let it snow, let it snow... 

[Gondor]

What are the bars on the sides between the front and rear mudguards?

Gondor

[Dizzyfugu]

I am not certain, but they are/were present on many 8-Rad vehicles. I assume that they were simple handles to better enter the vehicle (through the side doors between the mudguards). Or they were intended to protect the gun barrel when the turret was turned to the side from people bumping into it when entering or leaving the vehicle? Another idea is that these were a kind of fenders that helped clear the turret/guns traverse in thick underbrush, since it was not motorized (= crew accidents)?

[Gondor]

Ok Thanks

Gondor

[Wardukw]

Those frames are gun deflectors..theses crew entry doors right below the gun when it's turned sideways and those frames stopped the guns depression so the guys could move in and out and not get shot with their own 20mm cannon.

[buzzbomb]

Works well as an upgrade path for the 8 Rad series