Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G Abschlußausführung (Final Production)

Manufacturer: MR Models (Kit MR-7204)

What you Get:

• 9 Parts moulded in yellow resin of good quality.
• 17 Parts cast in white metal.
• Packed in a plastic bag.
• An A5 sheet with info and assembly instructions (in German).
• No decals.

Evaluation:

I anxiously wait for this conversion, as my previous experience, with the M4A3E2, was a very positive one. This together with the fact that the StuG III Ausf. G is one of my long-time favourites, only creates on me great expectations, so after receiving this conversion, I have mixed feelings.

This is a combi-kit, and as such you need to provide an ESCI (presumably in a near future an Italeri) StuG III Ausf. G. While the ESCI Panzer III series have a couple of flaws, namely some scale problems in terms of proportions, even so, it will build in a nice model, and I expect that these conversion while address those problems.

So you get a upper hull, late production, with cast deflector in front of commander cupola, open loaders hatches, and a corrected Box mantlet (I expected a Topfblende [the correct designation for the Saukopf]). Also in white metal, some early all-steel return rollers, to replace those horrible ones from the ESCI model.

My problems with this kit are:

# Some annoying air bubbles, not a few, but a lot, some of certain dimension, simply destroyed part of the detail, on ones of the sides

# A noticeable warping all along the length will make difficult to attach it to donor hull

Also the gun packed with this model is of an unknown version.

Using some references, we can find out that the designation is misleading, as for a late StuG III Ausf. G, we should expect not only the Block mantlet, but also the Topfblende, but most important the Zimmerit covering, as these were produced until April/May, before the introduction of the Travel Lock, Remote control MG and, on the Block Mantlet, the Coaxial-MG. I expect that the reference 7205, should be like these, but with a 105 barrel.

If you prepare to tackle this model I will Recommend it, for the others simply wait for a suitable version on the Revell chassis.

References:

- BITOH, KITAMURA & NAMIE, Actungpanzer No. 5: Sturmgeschütz III, Stug. IV & SIG.33, Dai Nippon Kaiga, 1995 (simply the best StuG book to have)

- JENTZ & DOYLE, Panzer Tracts No. 8 Sturmgeschuetz - s.Pak to Sturmmoerser, Darlington Productions, 2000 (for the correct story, development and exquisite plans, even if in 1/35)

- DOYLE & JENTZ, Sturmgeschütz III & IV 1942-45, Osprey Military, New Vanguard 37, 2001 (for the rest of the info, from the above team)

- COCKLE, GREER & PROBERT, Walk Around Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G, Squadron/Signal, 2001 (this will complement very well any of the above)

- CULVER & GREER, Sturmgeschütz III in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications Armor No.14, 1976 (while old and having a lot of inaccuracies, particularly on the plans, still a useful and cheap source of wartime pictures)

- MAJEWSKI, Artur, StuG w Akcji, Armagedon, 2000 (While the text is in Polish, this is the best source for pictures on these AFV, a must have if StuG is a passion…)

José "Faustnik" Ventura