Misc. Fully Tracked Vehicles

A total of fifty RSOs were converted to this SP role in late 1943 and were used only on the Eastern Front. Our model is very complete kit consisting of 28 parts and can be built allowing full traverse of the 75mm Pak40 gun or with the sides folded up and the gun held by the travel lock. 

We recommend our Waffen SS Anti-Tank Crew Figure Set as crew for this model. See Related Products below for details.

In 1941, Porsche and Henschel submitted competing designs for a 45-ton Heavy Tank mounting an 88mm gun based upon the highly successful Flak 37 Anti-Aircraft Gun.

Porsche's design, the VK 45.01 (P), known as Tiger (P) or Porsche Tiger, lost out in trials to the Henschel design which was produced as the Tiger I.

The Tiger (P) was not selected for mass production and most of the already produced chassis were rebuilt as Ferdinand and then Elefant tank destroyers.

n 1943, three Tiger(P) hulls were converted into recovery vehicles and designated Bergepanzer Tiger (P). They saw service with Schwere Panzerabteilung 501 on the Eastern Front.

A total of 21 of these vehicles were converted between October 1944 and March 1945.

Our model depicts the pressed steel cab version of this fully tracked lorry and was used extensively on the Eastern Front but also used in the West.

The Brueckenleger IV b was a bridge-layer mounted on the hull of the Panzer IV Ausf. D. A total of twenty were built, with four each being supplied to BL Zug (Bridging Platoon) of the 1st., 2nd., 3rd., 5th. and 10th. Panzer Divisions seeing service in France and the Low Countries before being withdrawn in mid 1941.

The Wehrmacht had been quick to understand the need to recover tanks in the combat area so when the Panthers were introduced in early 1943, planners had already decided to deploy specialist armoured recovery vehicles based on the Panther chassis. The first 12 built, taken from the MAN production line, were simple turretless hulls without even a wooden superstructure and no earth spade, etc. Series production was then undertaken by Henschel from July 1943, building 70 by November of that year. In February 1944 Demag converted all their Panther production over to Bergepanthers, supplying 150 by September before the Ausf G production type started. Along with conversions based on returned hulls for repair, a total of 347 are believed to have been completed. They were first deployed at Kursk in July 1943 and saw wide service on all fronts until the end of the war.

This model faithfully reproduces this superb ARV and has full internal detail, including Winch Motor, Gearbox, Jibs, 2cm KWK38 Gun, 2x MG34 with AA mounts, Earth Spade, Brass fret chain, Copper Hawser Cables. Tools, etc.

A total of 150 Panzer Mk.III's were converted throughout 1944 for use with Panzer IV or StuG units in the Armoured Recovery role. Fitted with the same Derrick Crane as the Bergepanthers, it was however a much less sofisticated design than the Panther conversions, but still proved to be perfectly adequate as a fairly rudimentary ARV.