Catching up on my completed AHPC entries for last week - more progress on my Panzergrenadier project. This time with six Sd.Kfz. 251/9 Ausf. D vehicles from the 12th 'Heavy' kompanie of III/26. SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, 12SS Panzer Division.
The 'mittlerer Schützenpanzerwagen (7,5 cm)' (Sd. Kfz. 251/9) was created as a supporting vehicle for the mechanised infantry units of the German army and SS in mid 1942. Armed with an 7.5 cm K. 37 L/24 gun (the same 'short' 75mm gun that had been mounted on the early StuG and Panzer IVs, but later designated as 7.5 cm K. 51 (Sf.)), this vehicle lends some heavy direct firepower. In FoW terms, these vehicles are still dangerous to most allied tanks in the Normandy theatre.
Still, they have negligible armour themselves - and being open topped are particular vulnerable to artillery and mortar fire.
I've painted the six vehicles which (according to a full order of battle) would be assigned to the heavy support company of the battalion. For this, the hull numbers 443-448 have been used.
Painting wise, I went with the same recipe as my other half-tracks. I used the Skytrex decals for the side and rear hull numbers, as the smaller ones I had used for this previously from Doms Decals didn't cover the number range I required. License plates and division symbol were also added.
Foliage was added using seafoam 'branches' and leaf flock. I focussed this on the front of the vehicles, where foliage might have been added to camouflage the vehicle in a hedge or treeline. Basing has been done to the same style as the rest of my 15mm Normandy collection.
For camo on these, I kept similar colours to those used before, but in a different camo pattern. I'm afraid I don't have the skills currently to airbrush, so the camo pattern is a little heavier and harder edged that I would have liked. However, at tabletop distances it will work.
These models are 15mm Plastic Soldier Company kits (PSC) with the PSC upgrade sprue used to convert them into the 251/9 versions. Crew will be painted and added at a later date.
This units completion leaves 12 more vehicles to finish on my planned Order of Battle (with 34 half-tracks or associated vehicles painted since November).
Now on the painting table are the mortar half-tracks and towed (limbered) Pak40 guns. I am starting to flag with regards to half-track/German vehicle painting... Thankfully not much more to do.
Having painted so many of these halftracks already I'm not surprised your enthusiasm for the project is starting to wane a little James. But the results show your hard work is worth it as these six look pretty cool and I really like this camo scheme.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dai - one of the ideas behind pushing on with the project all at once is to maintain consistency in the painting styles, etc. Appreciate the comment!
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