1:35 Sd.Kfz.3a Maultier. Early Production.

The real subject

The nickname Maultier, meaning mule, belonged to a half-track conversion of ordinary trucks. On the Eastern Front it turned out that a wheeled vehicle could not get through muddy roads and deep snow, so a tracked running gear replaced the rear axle while the steered wheels stayed at the front. The vehicle lost speed on the road, but it reached places an ordinary truck could not, and it carried supplies and ammunition to units in the field. The designation Sd.Kfz.3 was carried by various versions of this conversion according to the base vehicle. The early production epithet refers to the older production standard, which differs from later examples in details.

What the set contains

Plastic parts on sprues and building instructions, 1:35 scale. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted, and the marking options are given in the enclosed instructions.

Building and painting tips

The tracked running gear calls for the most attention, so dry-fit its parts and watch that both sides stand level and the whole vehicle does not limp. Paint the cab and the cargo bed before you close them up. By its very purpose the vehicle invites weathering: mud thrown from the tracks onto the fenders and the underside, wear on the cargo bed, dust in the corners. Go easy on the mud, though, so that the shapes of the running gear stay visible.

Who it is for

For the modeler who collects German equipment and wants something other than a tank on the shelf, and for builders of dioramas from behind the front. Paints, glue and accessories are not included, unless stated otherwise.