Modifications and updates to the mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 8T (Sd.Kfz.7) Holzpritsche variant during its production run.
The first
wooden cargo bodies (Holzpritsche) built on the m11 designed chassis were
installed by the manufacturer Saurer as early as November 1943. These were
first attached to the 1943 Typ HL m11 chassis which retained the old-style metal cab.
At about the same time the assembly firm emblems were dropped from the radiator
housing, as were the turn signals, side light and brake light. Later in 1943 the headlamps were also reduced in size, and a pair of steel pins were welded to the front of
the frame either side of the towing point to allow for mounting of an external
starter. The track guards were also reduced in depth.
Early cab with a reduced depth track guard, starter pins fitted but still the original larger type headlights
In 1944 the cab was re-designed into the final, larger, but simplified wooden type with a new full width instrument panel and angled track guards. The opening glass panel in the windscreen was dropped and at least three variations in the design of the wooden side panel profile existed. These being a rounded front, one with a short straight bevel and a third with a long bevel. Krauss-Maffei were unable to start there Holtzpritsche type production until Feb 1944 of which, by then, they would have likely been constructed with the new wooden cab layout.
A final version wooden cab example has the rounded side cab panel, starter pins and the later small headlamps
This wooden cab vehicle looks to have retained the manufacturer emblem on the radiator housing. It has a rounded cab side panel, the starter pins added and the smaller headlamps
Other modifications that are not so visibly obvious included the discontinuation of the inertia starter in 1944, The guide to access this and the cover plate were eliminated from the starboard front mudguard in early 1944. The final type of lightweight track plates was also introduced later that year.
This abonded vehicle is missing its cargo body side panel and a large stake of wood appears to have pierced the bonnet. It has the short straight bevel on the side panel and the small headlamps
The only changes to the cargo body were that the rifle racks were moved to the
equipment rack rather than mounting to the floor. This meant that the
Holzpritsche could be quickly converted to a flatbed simply by removing both
the crew bench and the wooden equipment rack.
A dislodged wooden equipment rack. The mounting pin can be clearly seen here at the bottom of the rear middle mounting post
This factory fresh vehicle has the original headlights, rounded cab side panel
profiles, and steel pins fitted for an external starter. There is no assembly manufacturer
emblem visible on the radiator housing. This is one of the vehicles I believe
Trumpeter used in their kit research as they provide these licence plates as
decals.
Notice the two tailgate bump stops fitted to the rear underside of both chassis legs
The missing kit variant
No kit manufacturer in 1/35 scale currently offers this version so no existing kit offers the cab floor moulding with the shallow track guards present. Dragon did release kit #6794 in 2014 which they labelled a ‘Typ HL M11 1943 production’ which showed reduced depth track guards on the box art. Unfortunately, the kit only provided existing body floor mouldings with the original deeper type of track guard. They then expected the modeller to reduce them in size by slicing them along their full length. And this without any template or guide marks! I have built this kit, and it was a challenge to reduce their depth without butchering a major component. To represent a Holzpritche version the track guards would also have to be reduced in length.
This is the variant that no current kit maker offers.
No comments:
Post a Comment