"If the tank succeeds, then victory follows." - Major-General Heinz Guderian, "Achtung Panzer!" During the development of the Tiger(P) and Tiger(H), Hitler had agitated for a turret design which would be large enough to mount the 8.8cm KwK L/71 gun. This had not materialized and on September 22nd, 1942, it was decided that the StuG with 200mm frontal armor and the long 8.8cm gun should be immediately designed, with the Tiger(P) as the basis, and part of the Tiger(P) production diverted for the vehicle. Alkett was to design and produce the Ferdinand, with Niebelungenwerke supplying the completed chassis. Despite the shortage of suspension parts and lack of test runs, on February 6th, 1943, Hitler ordered that 90 Ferdinands be supplied to the front as quickly as possible by all available means. This resulted in the order for Niebelungenwerke to complete the Sturmgeschutz Ferdinand instead of Alkett. All 90 were completed by the end of May 1943, in time for use in the summer offensive at Kursk. This particular 1:72 scale Ferdinand heavy tank destroyer was attached to the schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654 then deployed to Kursk during the summer of 1943. New for 2024! #DRR63206 Dimensions: Features: Please note: We happily combine multiple sales into one order to reduce shipping charges. Please contact us first to determine the cost of shipping before proceeding to final checkout so we can clarify the procedure with you. |