German Sd.Kfz.142 Stug III Ausf. G, Frühe Version

Although the Stug is one of my favourite German vehicles, I’ve never built one. I knew I had one somewhere lying around and after a quick search through my apartment I dug up the Tamiya Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G, Frühe Version. In order to spice this kit a bit up I bought the ATAK 35A05 conversion set and a Lion Roar photoetch set.

Hasegawa's 1/72 M5 High Speed Tractor (kit no. MT23, 31123) and M2 155mm Howitzer 'Long Tom' (kit no. MT2, 31102) are simple kits to build and a bit (understatement) rough on the details. None the less, I've had a lot of fun building and painting these two little kits. View the finished model.

First introduced in 1941, the Humber Armoured Car was first used as a light, mobile reconnaissance vehicle and as such were often in action. A total of 5,400 Humber armoured cars were produced.

With a top speed of 45 m.p.h. and a range of 250 miles, the Humber was found to be highly effective in the Western Desert campaign due to it's manoeuvrability in the open desert, although the engine life was reputed to be limited to only 3,000 miles.

Humber armoured cars also served in Europe in an anti-aircraft capacity with armoured Car Regimental Headquarters.

During 1926, preliminary trials were held for the development of an artillery tractor with excellent performance both on road and cross country. The resulting half track configuration was carried on as the basis of a most successful range of infantry vehicles that became the classic partner to the tanks of the Panzer Divisions.

The SDKFZ 251/1 shown here was the standard vehicle used by the armoured infantry unit. Seating 12 men, it carried two MG 34 or MG 42 machine guns and two sub machine guns. Its excellent ballistic shape and mobility earned it the new role of close support for the tanks.