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in 1941 before being withdrawn for refit in May 1942.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.