6326, Sd.Kfz.251/2 Ausf.C Riveted Version "2-in1". 1/35th-scale styrene/multimedia kit containing 798 styrene parts (including 16 clear and 284 for track links), two etched brass frets, five DS-100 parts, self-adhesive mirror disks, two turned brass parts, five decal marking schemes and ten pages of instructions in as many as 13 steps depending on variation built.

When DML initially released their so-called "Stuka zu Fus" kit based on their Ausf.C hull and chassis, many modelers (myself included) lamented the lack of what originally gave this vehicle its designation as mittlerer Schutzenpanzerwagen Grenatwerfer (8cm GrW34) Sd.Kfz.251/2: the 8cm GrW34 mortar. Now, Cyberhobby has offered this variation with the mortar included (plus parts to mount it on the crew compartment floor) as well as parts to create both the welded or riveted versions of the Ausf.C. One can choose to mount the mortar in either hull, or mount the rockets on either hull, OR mount the mortar AND rockets on either hull. That's much more than a "2-in-1" kit! And, as if that's not enough to sweeten the offer, a third set of rockets is included, the 30cm Wurfkorper 42 Sprengranate, a first in this scale from any manufacturer. So, as has been suggested elsewhere, this kit is not simply a conglomeration of existing items; there are enough new or unique items, as well as options, to give this offering an appeal "all its own".

Although these kits have evolved in some areas to add details or to correct some errors, some items of note remain as they were originally issued. Of primary concern is the overall width of the superstructure, as well as the width of the opening of the crew compartment. Both are slightly narrower than published drawings, specifically those of H.L. Doyle in Panzer Tracts #15-2. The upper superstructure plates should also slightly overlap the lower plates where they meet, but the kit does not have that feature. Other minor issues are the details of certain suspension components. For example, the teeth on the drive sprocket are centered in the rim facets; they should be offset forward and therefore "handed" for each side. The configuration of the lighting holes on the road-wheels lacks the extremely subtle swelling; there are four weld beads at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 O'clock positions between the wheel rims and tires, but they are far too subtle and need some texture added. The driver's compartment bulkhead should have a slanted segment on the port side; DML did a partial fix on this part, so it's really not so bad. Again, nothing really horrible except for the width and overhang issues.

From the ground up, the kit provides semi-workable individual track links that come in two parts (rubber pad and metal shoe); when sandwiched together they will remain flexible. The belly plate and lower chassis sides is a single piece to which separate torsion bar arms, idler adjustment arms and final drives are attached (see comments above regarding the remainder of the suspension components). Separate bump-stops are provided, as well as a number of internal details such as the fuel tank, transmission and other items that will not be visible on the finished model. The front end receives a separate plate below the engine, while the rear-end mounts several separate items including a slide-molded tow pintle. The conventional front wheels are nicely detailed and are mounted on axles that are designed to allow them to steer.

The lower side panels are separate parts, and here is where the options begin. Either the advertised riveted body parts or the welded body parts can be used. The latter are marked as "not for use", but if the vehicle you wish to model was constructed in that manner, why not use them? Separate fenders with very restrained rivet detail are then attached, complimented by etched brass mounting flanges. Multi-part stowage lockers are provided with separate lids, which can be depicted opened or closed; there is internal detail on them. Various separate head-lamps (with separate mounting brackets), tail-lamps and tools, the exhaust muffler and turned brass width indicator poles (a bending jig is molded onto one of the sprues) with mirrors created from adhesive foil disks, finish up the assembly. The separate Notek black-out driving head-lamp has its own mount and features an etched brass lens element, for extra finesse.

Internally, beginning with the driver's cockpit, there are choices of seats, some featuring etched brass back-spring details, separate steering column and wheel, various hand controls, separate foot pedals, and decals for the instrument panel dial faces. Various stowage items are provided including gas mask container, MP38/40 and ammo magazines. A radio is fitted in front of the starboard-side seat, while the vision blocks have separate clear styrene inserts for the glass blocks; these can all be posed opened or closed. A single DS-100 soft styrene driver figure is provided; he's nicely detailed and being flexible, he should be easier to fit into his position. Further back there are the bolted flanges that connected the front and rear segments of the vehicle, as well as other stowage items.

The standard floor panel (still with undersized hump over the transmission) has a hole on the inner face that must be opened to mount the new base plate for the mortar; there are also new supports for the bipod. The mortar itself is from an earlier figure set and although the bore is already opened, the walls of the tube are too thick; widening the opening with a drill bit will take seconds. Etched brass ammo racks replace one of the bench seats into which four ammo boxes (two wood, two metal) can be fitted. There are several loose mortar bombs, which the instructions mark as "not for use", along with the normal ground-mount base plate. Of course, they can be used as the modeler sees fit. The remainder of the compartment has rifle racks (with separate rifles), bench seats and under-seat stowage lockers, all nicely broken-down for maximum detail. At the rear end, all of the mechanisms for the doors are separate and can be posed opened or closed. There are some other stowage items for that area, including fire-extinguishers and, externally, a pair of jerry cans and racks for the doors.

The upper hull is also provided as either a riveted or welded configuration, as is the bow plate and engine air intake cowls. There are separate hatch lids for the engine compartment, while the front and top plates over the driver's cockpit are also separate parts. Again, welded or riveted versions are supplied, and the inner surfaces have representations of the internal mounting/adapter plates (NOT spaced armor) that were used to bolt on the various fittings. Remember, that mortar carriers did not have the shielded MG at the front (as correctly shown in the instructions). The rear AA mount is also provided and the supplied MG34s include separate ammo drums as well as an etched brass ring sight and all small locking fittings.

The next major option is to build the kit as the rocket carrier with Wurframen 40 (projector frames). The racks themselves are of the wood style and are broken down very nicely to include almost every conceivable detail. The main frames are molded in two parts using slide-molds and have a nice, restrained wood grain effect. The frames can be left off and the mounting arms folded up, or when they are fitted, they can be placed in any elevation, within the limits of the part's design. Three different types of rockets are provided, including:

" 28cm Wurfkorper 41 Sprengranate
" 30cm Wurfkorper 42 Sprengranate
" 32cm Wurfkorper 41 Flamm

Each rocket is composed of four parts and includes separate fuses. This last is a nice touch, since when transported in their frames or mounted on the vehicle, the fuses were not fitted until just prior to a fire mission. The detail on them is nice and they are engineered so there are no seams to bother with, but unfortunately there are no markings for them on the decal sheet. There are special etched brass and styrene rough-sighting vanes for the vehicle's bow; these were used to orient the rockets in azimuth, towards a potential target. There are no devices (or cable) provided to fire the rockets, which I assume was done remotely with the crew a safe distance from the vehicle.

Having reviewed a number of these DML '251-based kits, I can safely say that there are no major fit issues. The belly part provides a "square" starting point to which the side panels are attached; get these right and the rest of the major parts will fit easily. The modeler should also check to ensure that internal stowage items are properly positioned so that they will not interfere when fitting the upper superstructure in place. There are no excessive ejector pin marks and no sink marks to be seen. Detail is crisp and there is certainly quite a lot of it, with the interior being very "busy".

The water-slide decals are produced by Cartograf of Italy, so they are of excellent quality. They consist of three sheets; one has blank registration plates of several types, along with separate numbers and WH- or SS- prefixes. This will allow any number combination seen in references to be depicted. The second sheet contains five styles of Balkenkreuz national insignia. The third sheet consists of the dial faces for the driver's instrument panel. They are supplemented by an etched brass mask for the name "Tilsit", seen on one of the vehicles. The markings depict the following /2s:

" Mortar carrier, "WH-1514005", unknown unit, Ostfront 1944.
" Mortar carrier, "WH-1551400", unknown unit, Ostfront 1944.
" Wurframen carrier, "Tilsit, WH-1453100", 3.Panzer-Division, Poland 1942.
" Wurframen carrier, "WH-1552401", unknown unit, Ostfront 1944.
" Wurframen carrier, "WH-1351004", unknown unit, Ostfront 1944.

I have found no references for any of these half-tracks except for "Tilsit", which has a riveted body. The markings are correct (with the warning that the reference photo does not show the registration numbers), but the vehicle is not in overall Dunkelgelb as the instructions suggest; it has a camouflage pattern, probably using both secondary colors of Rotbraun and Olivgrun. I also doubt the time and place denoted in the instructions, since the Dunkelgelb base was not in use until early 1943, and there was no combat in Poland until well into 1944. "Tilsit" also mounted MG42s, which are not included in the kit; the modeler must source these from his spares collection.

In the final analysis, this kit still has relatively major accuracy issues, which one competitor's kit does not exhibit. On the other hand, there is a wealth of options in the box, including items not available anywhere else at the time of this review. Therein resides the modeler's dilemma.

Recommended.

Frank V. De Sisto

References consulted for this review included, but were not limited to, the following books:

" "Mittlere Schutzenpanzerwagen (Sd.Kfz.251)", Panzer Tracts #15-2, by T. Jentz & H.L. Doyle.
" Squadron Armor #2, "Schutzenpanzerwagen in Action", by U. Feist & K. Rieger.
" Squadron Armor #21 "Sd.Kfz.251 in Action", by C. Kliment.
" Osprey Vanguard 32, "The Sd.Kfz.251 Half-Track", by B. Culver.
" Tank Magazine Special Issue, July '91, Sturm & Drang 3, "Sd.Kfz.250 & 251", author unknown.
" Tank Magazine Special No.2, "German Armored Personnel Carrier", author unknown.
" AFV Weapons Profile 57, "Schutzenpanzerwagen Sd.Kfz.251 and Sd.Kfz.250", by W. Spielberger, P. Chamberlain & H.L. Doyle.

Reviewer's note: Since May of 2005, I have been working on books for Concord Publications, a sister company to DML. The reader may wish to take this into consideration. For my part, I will attempt to maintain an objective viewpoint when writing these reviews.

DML/Cyberhobby kits are available exclusively from their web site at: www.dragonmodelsltd.com, or at www.cyber-hobby.com.

- Frank De Sisto

Rockets and mortars were the distinguishing weapons of the German Werfer or heavy fire support troops and for the mechanized Werfer Units in the Panzer and Panzer Grenadier Divisions these weapons were often mounted on the Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track. The Ausf C version of the Sd.Kfz 251 was in production from 1940 to 1943 and was used to mount both the 8cm mortar, this being known as the Sd.Kfz 251/2 and was also used to mount the Wurfrahmen rocket launcher system which is often knows as Stuka zu Fuss to reflect its role of providing heavy area bombardment capability for the mechanised infantry.

This limited edition release from Cyber-hobby can be built as either the Sd.Kfz 251/2 complete with the 8cm mortar (granatwerfer) and associated interior with a choice of riveted or welded hulls or as a Sd.Kfz 251 Stuka zu Fuss with a choice of three different rocket types. You also have the option to build a 251/1 in standard armoured personnel carrier and this kit is a good choice for someone wishing to do so as it includes several improvements over Dragon's first 251/1 Ausf C (kit 6187) and gives you plenty of useful spares. Given the choice of hull types, interiors, and carried weapons, this kit can be built in over a dozen different configurations.

The instructions are the three colour format with line drawings and have separate sections on how to construct the two interior configurations (mortar carrier or standard APC layout with forward machine gun and 4 bench seats) and the rockets, thus making it easy to follow.

Sd.Kfz 251/2 Mortar Carrier

This kit includes the 8cm mortar with a new base for use inside the 251, containers of mortar shells and the PE for storing them in the rear of the fighting compartment, in lieu of one of the rear bench seats. Hence the kit can be built as a straight mortar carrier (unlike kit 6284) with either a riveted or welded hull as photos indicate both hull types were used as mortar carriers. Two petrol cans are mounted externally on the rear doors. If the kit is not built as a 251/2 the mortar comes with a standard base and loose ammunition, allowing it be used in other modeling projects.

Following Kriegsstarkenweisung (Kstn) No. 1126 a(gp)(fG) of January 1944, some specialist fire support companies removed the mortar from their Sdkfz 251/2 and fit them with Wurfrahmen 40 rocket launchers. No doubt, the appearance of these field converted vehicles varied, and photos of one Ausf D which appears to have been so converted, provides inspiration for building this kit with a twist. The vehicle is fitted with the rocket launchers, and the interior as per the 251/2 (steps 5 to 11) with the rear mortar ammunition rack, but without the mortar and the rear MG is fitted as a forward MG without a shield.

Rocket Launcher and Warheads

This kit features the rockets and their launcher from kit 6284, plus an extra set of rockets. The overall standard of these parts is high with crisp detail such as the screw heads on the launcher frame, which was largely made from tubular steel and the use of slide-molding to depict the wood grain on the rocket crates.

The projectiles are the 28 cm Wurfkoerper Sprengranate (high-explosive), 32 cm Wurfkoerper Flammgranate (napalm/jellied petroleum incendiary) and the new 30cm Wurfkoerper Sprengranate.

As typical of new Dragon kits the Wurfrahmen and projectiles are made from considerable number of parts and are flexible as to how they are assembled.

Other features for the Wurfrahmen system include:

* Ability to adjust the launch angle with one of three different mounting plates (the angle determined the rocket's range of fire)
* The frames projector mounting arms can be constructed either folded or open for firing. This allows for the half-track to be modelled without any rockets and crates as is often seen in photos of vehicles in transit (leaving the crates off made the vehicle narrower).

* Six of each type of rocket and crate, having spares would be useful for dioramas and as the load for trucks. All crates are wooden with the wood grain detailed.
* The fuse for each projectile is separate allowing for additional diorama potential.
* Photo-etch aiming rod fitted on the front of the 251, which was used to align the vehicle with the target.

While it was possible for the troops to mix rocket types, photographic evidence suggests that this was not the norm. In addition the fact the high-explosive and incendiary rocket types had different explosive characteristics and hence different optimal uses, and also different ranges (and thus would have needed the launch frames to be angled differently to converge on a common target) would have favoured not mixing types. Also most references note that while it was possible for the crew to fire the rockets from within the half-track, it was normal practice to do so from outside the vehicle using a remote trigger (not included in the kit) to avoid the considerable back blast from the thin stabilized rockets.

Armoured Hull and Other Features

As expected most of the sprues are from Dragon's existing 251 Ausf C and this kit includes the upgraded parts from later releases. The kit contains around 700 parts and many sub-components have been broken down into multiple parts, hence it will requires several modelling sessions to assemble.

Some of the features and upgrades including in this kit are:

Two part separate link tracks with one part for the rubber pad and the other for the shoe. These track parts do not have any injection marks and from experience can be removed quickly from the sprue with a fresh blade, but make sure to correctly align the three pins on the pad and be sparing with the glue.
Brass width indicator rods
Clear vision blocks which can be modelled either open or closed
Upgraded front tyres (no sidewall markings) and upgraded rear road wheels with “VORWERK” sidewall markings.
Photo etch detail including the seat backs and applique detail for the lower hull.
Left and right side photo etch painting templates “Tilsit” which was the name of one of the Stuka zu Fuss decals are provided for.
Improved anti-skid plate detail for the fighting compartment floor
· Driver figure wearing a M43 field cap and M1942 field jacket with matching trousers and ankle length boots. This figure is in Dragon styrene, which provides some give when positioning him.

·
Decals

Three Cartograph waterslide decal sheets are provided along with profiles for five 251s being one armed with the 8cm mortar and four Stuka zu Fuss, all from the Eastern Front.

A medium sized sheet has numerous individual digits for registration plates and Wehrmacht WH and Waffen SS prefixes (the runes are broken into two parts) as wells as two sets of blank white plates (one with and one without black outlines), which will allow modellers to depict any specific 251 with these two forces. A small sheet has 5 dashboard dials and the third sheet contains five sets of four Balkan Crosses (2 styles of white outline, two styles of black centre with white outline and one solid black).

Recommendation

This new Cyber-Hobby kit provides the much wanted Sd.Kfz 251/2 with the 8cm mortar and interior fittings, while also offering the option of the Stuka zu Fuss and the choice of a welded or riveted hull. The two spare sets of rockets, along with the flexibility in how the rocket launcher can be assembled add to the kit’s diorama potential, while the upgraded parts add finesse. Definitely recommended.

- Neville Lord