DML 1/35 Panzerjaeger I 4.7 Pak(t) Early Production - Smart Kit First Look

By Cookie Sewell

First Look

This kit is a near duplicate of the first version (Kit No. 6230) released 27 months ago.

As per the original review, it was one of the outgrowths of the Spanish Civil War that antitank guns of the 1930s were not able to knock out tanks of the 1930s, and therefore newer weapons were developed. The Czechs created one of the most powerful small antitank guns of the era in the Skoda Model 1936 47mm gun. Able to penetrate up to 51mm of armor protection, this was a very handy weapon and one gratefully taken over by the Germans in 1938. When the Pzkw. I was seen to be too weak to survive long even against the weak antitank guns of the early war period, a number of them were used as chassis to fit the Czech 47mm gun and turn into reasonably capable self-propelled antitank guns for use early in the war, and they gave good service in the deserts of North Africa.

In this kit DML has changed one sprue from the original and now adds a new gun shield and specific casemate fittings for mounting it on the Pzkw. I Ausf. A hull. It no longer has the “jerry” cans for water and their mounts which came with the first variant that was set up for Afrika Korps use.

As before the lower interior is relatively complete and includes internal bulkheads, controls, batteries, foot pedals, a brass radio mount, very complex but complete clear view ports and frames, and all hatches and ports on the upper side of the vehicle are optional position bits. While there is no engine, the kit now adds the ammo lockers for the 4.7 cm gun as well as separate rounds and other details.

The tracks are again “Magic Track” links, which in this scale would be fine except for the fact that they are smaller than most 1/72 scale track links. This is one area where the use of DS plastic flexible track would probably have been more popular!

The gun itself is amazing as it consists of at least 48 parts, including a one-piece muzzle brake that was created using “slide molding” techniques. The breech is positionable and other parts may be set as the modeler sees fit.

Etched brass is limited to items such as the wheel rims (20) and the grilles and travel rack parts, so most of the rest of the parts are styrene, and in some cases very puny parts indeed. Care will have to be taken during assembly due to the size of some parts.

Technical assistance was provided by Ed Kusiak, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.

Finishing instructions and decals are now provided for seven different vehicles: Pz.Jg.Abt. 521, Stalingrad 1943 (whitewash over grey with unit markings and white crosses); Pz.Jg.Abt. 670, France 1940 (grey with name “KRYZACZKA”); Pz.Jg.Abt. 643, France 1940 (grey with name “ASCHAFFENBURG” and both black and white crosses); SS Pz.Jg.Abt. “Liebstandard Adolf Hitler”, Eastern Front 1941 (grey with division insignia); Pz.Jg.Abt. 670, France 1940 (grey with name “GRAF SPEE”); Pz.Jg.Abt. 4, 14th Panzer Division, Stalingrad 1942 (grey, white 20). A targeted sheet of Cartograf decals is included.

 Overall, this provides another option for a previous kit. I am confused as to why some items such as this are released as mainline DML kits and not cyber-hobby.com kits, as it is always odd when “niche” kits are released as mainline ones and others such as production variants as boutique ones. Only DML seems to know the rhyme or reason as to why they make those selections.

Thanks to DML for the review sample.

Sprue breakdown

• A 35 Pzkw. I A engine deck and details
• B 46 A Details - fenders, tools
• C 18 Panzerjaeger I casemate and hull details
• D 15 Pzkw. I A upper hull parts
• F 60 Panzerjaeger I 4.7 cm gun parts
• G 32 Pzkw. I A Interior parts
• H 38 Modified Pzkw. I casemate and engine deck
• H 12 German detail parts (lights, fittings)
• H 4 German tools
• J 18x2 Pzkw I drivers and suspension bogies
• K 34 Pzkw I interior parts
• L 216 Magic Track links
• L 12x2 A modified suspension parts
• N 7 Panzerjaeger I casemate and gun shield sections
• W 23x2 Pzkw. I clear
• X 1 A lower hull pan
• MA 46 etched brass
• MB 20 etched brass rings
• GA 64 German generic kit - helmets, canteens, gas masks, etc