1:72 V3000SS/SM Maultier Cargo halftrack

Ford V3000 Maultier, a half-track truck in 1:72 scale from IBG Models

An injection-molded plastic kit of the German Maultier half-track truck in the cargo version. The small 1:72 scale makes the model a compact addition to a collection as well as to a diorama. It is made by the Polish company IBG Models.

The real subject

Experience of Russian mud and snow led the German army to convert ordinary trucks into half-tracks: the rear driven axle gave way to a tracked running gear, which produced a family of vehicles called Maultier, meaning mule. The basis of this version was the three-ton Ford V3000 truck built in Germany. Maultiers delivered supplies, fuel and ammunition above all on the Eastern Front, where ordinary wheeled trucks could not cope with the muddy roads.

Building and painting tips

In 1:72 scale work with tweezers and a thin cement applied with a small brush, as the parts are small. Assemble and paint the tracked running gear before joining it to the cargo bed. A small model benefits from a lightened shade of the base color, a fine wash and a dry brush on the edges; dust pigments on the tracks faithfully suggest front-line conditions.

Who the model is for

• Modelers of military vehicles in 1:72 scale with limited room for a collection.
• Builders of Eastern Front dioramas, as a supply half-track is an authentic subject.
• Anyone interested in German logistics and the less usual vehicles of the Second World War.

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.