Kit, Eduard 3713, Jagdpanzer Hetzer Mid-Production

EDUARD


3713, Jagdpanzer Hetzer Mid-Production. 1/35th-scale styrene/multi-media kit. Contains 530 styrene parts, two frets of photo-etched brass, one turned aluminum gun tube, one piece of string, one small sheet of printed material, one sheet of masking material, four water-slide decal markings schemes and a 24 page instruction booklet with un-numbered steps. Price: $69.95 USD.


In the last year, Eduard made their first venture into producing full kits in 1/35th-scale, beginning, logically enough, with the Jagdpanzer 38, a.k.a “Hetzer”. The first release was an “Early-Production” kit, followed by a “Late-Production” kit. Since features “blurred” from one variation to the next, I would prefer to refer to this new kit as an “Interim-Production” version. Apparently, the kit’s designers agreed, since there are parts from both previous releases in this box. Therefore the modeler can construct almost any version of the Jagdpanzer 38 with what’s in this box.


From the ground, up, this kit contains the same track included in both previous kits. The track is thought to be the later style with two ribs in the center of the face of the links, instead of one. They are very crisply molded in the “link-and-length” configuration. The single links all have small ejector pin marks on the inner faces, while the lengths have two or three pin marks on each section. The tracks are “handed”, so take care when fitting them to get it right. Spares are provided to fill the three etched brass racks on the rear of the vehicle.


The suspension consists of the early style road-wheels that had 32 bolts around the rim, as well as the later type that had 16 rivets around the rim, while the drive sprocket is the type without holes on the rim. There are four choices of idler wheels: four, six and eight holes on a dished surface, as well as the initial style, with 12 small holes around the rim. The one-piece lower hull has very fine access plate details, while separate suspension bogie housings, idler wheel mounts, return roller mounts and final drive mounts are attached to it. At first glance, everything looks fine but a closer look will reveal the following:


• The rim around the initial style idler wheel (parts E-13 and E-21) is too thick and should be trimmed down.
• The contours around the rims on the outer faces of the road-wheels are not entirely correct.
• The details on the inner faces of the road-wheels are incomplete, especially regarding rim-bolt patterns.
• The bogie spring bundles are nicely detailed but do not account for the natural nose-heavy attitude of this Jagdpanzer.


The superstructure is a single piece with a separate roof plate (with separate access hatches) and separate panels for the engine deck and its access hatches. There are two types of main engine deck panels provided. One has only a single small access hatch at starboard rear corner, while the other has one at each corner. References show the earliest vehicles had no hatches in this area, the latest vehicles had the starboard side hatch welded closed (and the hinges removed), but kept the port side hatch, while some had both hatches, or only one to starboard; the Germans simply loved to tinker with designs! The detail is delicate and restrained and there are no knock-out pin marks present on any of these parts, either on the inside, or the outside. All handles are separate as well. The fenders are all separate parts that include nice rib details on both surfaces; no knock-out pins are present here either. Etched brass parts are provided to replace the styrene front fenders if the modeler wishes. The underside of the superstructure features etched brass parts for the screens that covered the opened area next to the engine compartment; Eduard is the only manufacturer to include such a feature on a kit of this vehicle.


Two exhaust pipe configurations are provided: the early type with extended pipe and muffler with perforated etched brass cover, and the later “Flammvernichter” (flame-dampening) type. Etched brass parts provide for the mesh over the radiator air intake as well as the sliding cover, which closed this opening in order to divert hot air into the crew compartment. Various tools and other fittings are provided including: multi-part jack (the only part with a visible sink mark on the entire kit), jack block, shovel, wire cutters, axe, pry-bar (all with separate etched brass clamps and brackets) and spare rod antenna storage bracket. A Notek head-lamp and tubular tail lamp are given as is a 2-meter rod antenna and base, plus a perforated or solid storage box (both in etched brass or styrene). The Schürzen plates are commendably-thin styrene parts and feature separate hanging brackets. The hull rear plate is separate and is delicately detailed. It features etched brass tow cable holders (a choice of hooks or straps) for the provided tow cable, which itself is made from nylon string and styrene ends. The large tow bracket with its lateral girder-like assembly is not given on this or any other Eduard Jagdpanzer 38 kit.


The glacis plate features nice weld beads and interlocking plate joints, along with both styles of driver’s view-port. Likewise, the early and late style inner and outer cast Topfblende (pot-handle) gun mantlets are also provided. A new turned aluminum gun tube (with a slight “step” at the bore end) supplements the already-provided pair of styrene units as an option. The main gun comes in two versions, one of which is certainly the PaK39 (Version ‘A”), while the second variation (Version “B”), appears to depict the StuK40, which was the armament of the post-war versions.


The gun’s sight will move with it, as will the plate on the roof that covers the opening. The MG34 on its “Rundumfeuer” (remote control mount) is quite a little gem as it is completely detailed inside and out, including control handles and clear part for the sight. New etched brass gun shields are provided as are the original styrene type. The commander is also provided with a binocular periscope, while all standard periscopes are made from clear parts. There is a separate roof plate with “Pilze” (sockets for jib boom) which were not present on early Jagdpanzer 38s but could be retro-fitted to survivors after July of 1944; depending on references the modeler may wish to remove these.


Eduard has decided to model the interior of this vehicle to include the entire fighting compartment and engine compartment. In fact, the majority of the kit’s parts are for the interior, while the first 10-plus pages in the instruction booklet are devoted to the construction of this area. Only four-plus pages are devoted to the exterior. Assembly starts with the various fuel tanks and the engine block, and continues with the radiator and air filter system, heating air ducts, as well as various accessories including the small blow-torch used to pre-heat the engine in extreme cold weather. The main bulkhead houses the Fu5 radio (and its accessories), as well as the heating vent and is the base for the transmission drive shaft. Working further forward, there is a fire extinguisher, seats for the four-man crew, a complete transmission, driver’s controls (including clear periscopes, foot pedals, steering levers and etched instrument panel with printed, full-color dial faces), and all sorts of small accessories and head pads. There are styrene ammunition racks for 19 rounds (ten along the starboard side superstructure wall and nine along the port side hull wall). Unlike the first issues of this kit, Eduard has added etched brass floor racks for additional ammunition, as well as styrene rounds to fill them. This makes for a fuller and more accurate finished model. However, there are only nine more rounds stored in this rack, bringing the total to 28; sources (including the kit’s instruction booklet) indicate there should be 41.


Eduard has provided a complete Fu8 radio along the port side sponson, which will allow the modeler to model a “Befehls” (command) Jagdpanzer. However, there is no “Sternantenna” (star antenna), mount, base or armor guard. This radio also takes up some of the area where PaK39 rounds may have been stored (my references are not clear on this point).


Detail omissions or inaccuracies in the interior include:


• Lack of a stored StG44 near the driver; its rack is provided, so a well-stocked spares box will come to the rescue.
• No MG34 ammunition stowage; again, check your spares box.
• None of the characteristic flanges that were a feature of German construction methods are seen, especially around the interior of the roof plate, where it joined the superstructure side and glacis plates.
• The engine block has some in-accurate contours and lacks some prominent details.
• Not enough ammunition is provided, nor are there racks for them.


Like its predecessors, the instruction booklet in this kit is simply fantastic. It consists of 24 pages and includes a well-written history of the Jagdpanzer 38 (two pages, in English and Czech) that is enhanced by the use of several archival photographs. The rear page shows the parts sprues, with certain areas marked as “not for use”. Color notes are also given on that page, keyed to Gunze paints. 15 pages deal with the actual assembly steps; these are presented as full-color CAD renderings in a multitude of distinct (but un-numbered) steps, with the parts very clearly shown, and include painting notes; a small leaflet is included for the etched brass floor-mounted ammo rack. This is followed by six pages of color notes for the three marking schemes provided for in the decal sheet. Each vehicle is covered in five full views (a fourth vehicle is depicted in a side profile), showing markings, camouflage colors and patterns, as well as the particular style of the parts used in their construction. Notes on the various assembly pages also show which parts to use in constructing a particular vehicle.


Markings are provided for the following Jagdpanzer 38s:


• Un-identified unit, France, Fall 1944, in factory-applied “Ambush” scheme.
• “Black 233”, H.Pz.Jag.Abt.741, Holland, Fall 1944, in base of Dunkelgelb with field applied patches of Rotbraun and Olivgrün.
• “Black 33”, Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Feldherrnhalle 1”, Austria, Spring 1945, in factory-applied hard-edged three-tone scheme of Dunkelgelb, Rotbraun and Olivgrün.
• “White 212/POA”, 2.Division, Russian Liberation Army, Czechoslovakia, Spring 1945, in factory-applied hard-edged three-tone scheme of Dunkelgelb, Rotbraun and Olivgrün.


The color scheme patterns are correct, and so, for the most part are the designated colors. However, the three vehicles with factory-applied color schemes are most probably in a base of Rot (red oxide) primer, which was ordered to be applied after September, 1944. The decals themselves are cleanly printed and are in perfect register. There is also a small sheet of decals for the model’s interior that include warning placards as well stowage placement stencils; that’s a rather nice touch. Finally, as an aid in painting, there are masks for the road wheels and tires.


The four crew figures included in the first two releases are not provided here. While not “awful”, they were more reminiscent of the older Italeri types and certainly not up to current standards in most areas. Their deletion in favor of expanded etched brass parts, an aluminum gun tube and more styrene parts options, is, in my opinion, an excellent decision by the manufacturer.


Overall (with the exceptions as noted), I found the detail of this kit to be good-to-excellent. The radios as well as the gun mounts are a case in point. I test fitted many of the larger components and there were no fit problems after normal clean-up of parts. The fit of the rear plate (A-4) to the lower hull (A-1) may require a bit of a tweak, as it has on one of my review samples. As I stated earlier, there are no knock-out pin marks visible on any parts where it counted, and there was only one visible shrink mark (on the jack). I checked this kit against the drawings in the MBI book by Francev, Kopecky and Kliment, as well as the drawings in the Panzer Tracts book by Jentz and Doyle. The kit matches most areas quite well, but the drawings do not agree in some areas, notably the roof plate. In that respect, the kit is much closer to the Doyle drawings. The interior is well done, and is a large improvement over the original kits, especially in regards to the ammunition racks for the PaK39. The expanded etched brass frets are a nice addition, although I suppose some modelers may still wonder why the Schürzen were also not provided in this fashion.


But, overall, this kit is certainly an improvement over what has come before, for several reasons.


• With what’s in the box, any one of the three versions of the Jagdpanzer 38 produced by Eduard can modeled; a bit more work and research will allow any type but a Flammpanzer 38 to be built.
• The additional etched brass parts, especially those for the floor-mounted ammo racks will correct a major deficiency in the interior.
• The inclusion of a fine turned-aluminum gun tube will also enhance this kit’s appeal.
• Quality control has been tightened as can be seen by the fact that there is no shrinkage of the road-wheel’s center hubs.


So, if you held off on purchasing any of the two previous versions of this kit when they were first released, now may be the time to re-consider.


Highly recommended.


Frank V. De Sisto


References consulted included, but were not limited to, the following:


• “Jagdpanzer”, Panzer Tracts No.9, by T. Jentz & H.L. Doyle.
• “Hetzer Jagdpanzer 38”, by V. Francev, Kopecky & C. Kliment.
• “Czechoslovak Armored Fighting Vehicles 1918-1948”, by V. Francev & C. Kliment.
• “Jagdpanzer 38 Hetzer”, Osprey New vanguard #36, by T. Jentz & H.L. Doyle.


Eduard products are available at retail and mail order shops, or direct from the manufacturer at: www.eduard.cz.


Delete byteme from email.