StuG III Ausf. G July 1944 Late Production w/Zimmerit - Dragon Zimmerit

Dragon, 1/35 scale

Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

Summary

FirstLook

Okay, here’s the story on DML Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. G kits thus far:

6229 cyber-hobby.com - StuG III Ausf. G with Deep Wading Muffler (2008)
6320 StuG III Ausf. G Early Production - Smart Kit (2008)
6365 StuG III Ausf. G Early Production w/Schurtzen - Smart Kit (2009)
6412 cyber-hobby.com - StuG III Ausf. G May 1944 Mid-Late Production - Smart Kit (2010)
6417 StuG III Ausf. G “Georg Bose” DX 07 Special Kit (2007)
6581 StuG III Ausf. G Dec, 1943 Production - Smart Kit (2012)
6607 cyber-hobby.com - StuG III Ausf. G Initial Production - Smart Kit (2010)
6658 cyber-hobby.com - StuG III Ausf. G “Black Knights” Comic Version (2010)
6598 cyber-hobby.com - StuG III Ausf. G Initial Production w/Winterketten - Smart Kit (2011)

Now DML is offering the late production Ausf. G with zimmerit and the iconic “Saukopf” (boar’s head) mantlet as a kit. This kit provides an Ausf. G with“waffle pattern” zimmerit (as with the StuH 42 Ausf. G kit No. 6454) on its upper and lower hull. To accomplish this, DML swapped out 32 parts from their StuG III Ausf. G “Smart Kit” and replaced them with the new ones with the “waffle pattern” in place.

I have seen some comments on the Internet about which factories used which pattern of zimmerit and which features are correct or incorrect for that model. I do not have that detailed a level of information on the StuG so will leave it to them to sort out the overall accuracy of the kit.

What comes in the box provides a later production” – e.g. with both a welded and“Saukopf” mantelet – version of the Ausf. G assault guns, so the builder does have a choice. However, there is no zimmerit on either mantlet.

As it uses the “Smart Kit” it retains individual torsion bars and road wheel arms as well as all of the external details on the lower hull such as shocks and bump stops. Each idler wheel consists of five parts with twin brass inserts between the plastic castings. All wheels are detailed to the point of having the rubber tire manufacturer’s data readable!

Brass is provided only for those bits where plastic cannot do the job, such as the aforementioned wheel rims and the air intake and exhaust grilles on the engine deck plus some non-slip gridding. All fender details are separate and go on in subassemblies. In point of fact, most of this model consists of subassemblies, which is how it gets its tremendous level of details.

The kit retains a high level of interior parts, including the gun, commander’s cupola assembly, floor, and the radios and stowage racks for various bits on each side of the casemate. Likewise the engine deck consists of several subassemblies combined to form the deck. Note that every hatch on this vehicle can be opened for display of the interior, but there is no engine or transmission provided. This kit also now comes with the remote control mount for the machine gun and its reduced size gun shield.

Final assembly again has a number of different modules combined into one final assembly – lower hull, fenders, engine deck, interior, gun barrel, casemate, and tracks. Oddly enough, while the radios and antenna bases are supplied, no comment is made about the antennas for them!

The kit provides a full set of schurtzen plates for the side armor and these are all etched nickel with styrene and etched brass details. These appear modified from a previous kit (apparently a Pzkw. IV from what I recall) and use supplemental plates attached to the two center plates for reinforced protection. The “luggage rack” at the rear of the hull here is provided by etched brass frame. However, only two options in the kit mount the shields.

Technical support was provided by Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.

Four different finishing options and a targeted Cartograf decal set are provided: Unidentified Unit, Western Front 1944 (tricolor with large black crosses and white 222); Unidentified Unit, Western Front 1944 (“ambush” scheme, no markings); Unidentified Unit, Western Front 1944 (sand overall, black crosses, black 201); and 904th Sturmgescheutz Brigade, East Prussia 1945(whitewash over sand, black 304)..

Overall, this should be one of the more popular variants to be marketed.

Sprue Layout:

A 12 Additional components for Late Production
A 54x2 Wheels and torsion bars (6 mini-sprues connected)
B 48 Road wheel arms and lower hull details
C 28 Casemate and fenders
D 31 Basic upper hull details
E 34 Interior and radio sets
F 16 Gun barrel and mantelet
F 31 Schurtzen frames, “saukopf” mantlet
G 55 Fender and upper hull details
G 24 OVM and hull details
G 15 OVM and light components
H 1 Zimmerit coated lower hull pan
J 10 Clear styrene
L 14 Late production G components, engine deck with zimmerit
M 37x2 Schurtzen brackets, bolt heads
P 4 Late production casemate roof
P 29 Zimmerit coated hull part
P 7 Remote control machine gun mount
Q 11x2 Late production final drives, driver face, return rollers
Q 1 Zimmerit coated casemate
R 108 Magic Track - Left
S 108 Magic Track - Right
WC 4 MG34
Z 1 Twisted steel wire
MA 20 Etched brass
MB 5 Etched nickel
MC 5 Etched nickel
MD 6 Etched nickel
ME 13 Etched brass

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.