Dragon Armor Sd. Kfz. 251/22 Ausf D "Pakwagen" - Poland 1945 - Rare

No. 60488, Vintage year - 2011, Scale - 1:72

Unit - 79.Panzer Artillerie Regiment, 7.Panzer Division - the 7th Panzer participated in the Battle of France, the invasion of the USSR, the occupation of Vichy France and on the Eastern Front until the end of the war. The division fought successfully in France in 1940 and then again in the USSR in 1941 before being withdrawn for refit in May 1942. It returned to southern Russia after the defeat at Stalingrad and fought in defensive battles as part of Army Group Don and then in Manstein's counterattack at Kharkov. It fought in Kursk in the summer of 1943 and was further degraded in the subsequent Soviet counteroffensive. In 1944 and 1945, the division was markedly understrength and continuously engaged in a series of defensive battles across the Eastern Front. It was twice evacuated by sea and thus had to leave much heavy equipment behind. Interestingly, it appears that the 78. Panzer Artillery Regiment (not the 79th) was attacked to the 7th Panzer Division and included one motorized battalion and two self-propelled battalions in addition to support and staff.

Campaign - Gdynia, Eastern Pomerania, Poland 1945 - In January, the Soviet 2nd Belorussian Front mounted a large attack and broke through the defenses of the 2nd Army, which was forced back north and west. The Kampfgruppe of the 7th Panzer Division fought a rearguard action through north Poland at Elbing and to the east of Graudenz. The division crossed the Vistula and continued in defensive battles for and around Konitz. In mid-February 1945, the division was pushed back into northern Pomerania. In March 1945 the division was fighting a delaying action at Gdynia, north and west of Danzig. On 19 April 1945, the surviving men were again evacuated by sea, this time from the Hel Peninsula. Only a small remnant returned, assembling at the Baltic Sea island of Usedom in western Pomerania and retreating west through Prussia until finally surrendering to the British Army at Schwerin north and west of Berlin in May 1945. 

Markings - Sand and green camouflage with No. 545 in black on side panel and 

Model - Sd. Kfz. 251/22 Ausf D. Half-track with high velocity PaK40 L/46 (auf Mittlerer Schutzenpanzerwagen) 75mm Anti-tank gun - toward the end of the war, every available field gun was mounted atop a vehicle to produce a self-propelled anti-tank weapon. In this case, a modified PaK 40 anti-tank gun was built with a trimmed shield so it could be mounted directly on the standard Sd.Kfz.251 chassis. This "Pakwagen" was one of the best anti-tank support vehicles used as operations turned into defensive actions along both fronts of the war. The range of the gun allowed the vehicle to be relatively safe from well-camouflaged and pre-arranged positions. However, the chassis was never designed to handle the extra weight or blast shock and recoil, leading to many mechanical breakdowns and excessive structural damage. But this version was given top priority by Hitler in December 1944.  The mount comprised two H-shaped beams welded to the floor on the middle of the rear compartment. The shield was modified with trimmed angles and the platform was made of flat triangular plates holding in place the original gun cradle. The drive sat on the left, aiming with the standard PaK 40 optics. Traverse was 18 and 19 degrees and elevation ranged from -3 to plus 22 degrees. Around 22 rounds (HE and AP) were stored with extra rounds often put in loose containers or available space. It is guessed that perhaps 1,200 vehicles were made using the Ausf D bodies. The Ausf D was introduced in the spring of 1943 as the "Neue" vs. the previous "Alte" version. The modifications included many changes in production design. The number of armored panels was reduced from 19 to 9, permanent stowage boxes with padlocked access traps were added, replacing the rear mufflers. Simple vision slits, simple flat engine hood panels with relocated air intakes under the hull, simplified reverse sloping rear end with flat door panels and many other modifications allowed the simplification of construction while offering the same protection, and it was far less labor-intensive. The Ausf D was more and more required for ad hoc modifications and conversions due to a dramatic increase in the need of fire support platforms of all kind. 

Role - this infantry support/special purpose vehicle played an integral role to the Blitzkreig thesis as the Sd.Kfz.251 replaced the Sd.Kfz.11 (prime mover for the 105 mm Howitzer and 37 mm Flak). The Waffenamt requested an armored vehicle that would carry a platoon of Panzergrenadiers and their equipment that could keep up with the Panzer Divisions. Each mechanized infantry corp. would require 100 of these vehicles which should offer protection from small arms fire and artillery shrapnel. Armament included two MG-34 machine guns for defense and direct support. It was technically a "Medium Assault Armored Vehicle" that possessed off-road ability. Its top speed was 53 km/h. As per above, later in the war, the anti-tank role became ever more critical due to the increased limitations in quantity of available German armor as well as fuel.

Thank you for your interest.