This is my second go round with this kit from Dragon, catalouge #6165, released earlier this year. The first attempt was done out-of-the-box, to become familiar with the new tooling of this interesting tank killer.
The Hornisse is the Early version of the Nashorn Panzerjäger. The main differences being the drive sprocket (Pz.Kpfw III E), the gun brace (from the previously developed Hummel), and the exhaust systems (Hummel). Other items on the early Nashorns where rubber return rollers from Panzer IV/D's, two Boshe headlights and mud flaps at the back. Both versions used the 8.8 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 43/41.
Previous antitank guns developed by the German military after the start of W.W.II included the 4.7cm Pak(t) mounted onto a Panzer 1B chassis,the Russian 7.62 Pak36(r) placed on the Panzer II/D chassis and the Pz.Kpfw.38(t) tank chassis from invaded Czechoslovakia. Other tank hunters included the 7.5 cm Pak 40/2 used in conjunction with the Panzer II chassis,and the 7.5 cm Pak40/3 mounted on a Pz.Kpfw.(t) Ausf.II.
While these Panzerjägers were fairly good in defending against the Russian T-34 and other main battle tanks,a more devastating tank killer was asked for by the Panzertuppen.
Thus the emergence of the 88 heavy anti-aircraft gun mounted on a combination of Panzer III and Panzer IV chassis. |
