1:35 StuH III Welded Mantlet With StuG42 Howitzer

PANZER ART 1:35 - StuH 42 howitzer with a welded mantlet

An add-on set for building the German Sturmhaubitze 42 assault howitzer in 1:35 scale. It replaces the plastic barrel and the armored mantlet with a more accurate part: a turned metal gun barrel with a drilled muzzle and a resin casting of the mantlet. This is the welded mantlet, that is, the angular plated type carried by the earlier production batches of the vehicle. The set is not a model of the vehicle but an addition to an existing kit.

The real subject

The Sturmhaubitze 42 came about as a high-explosive complement to the StuG III assault gun. Instead of an antitank gun it carried the 10.5 cm StuH 42 L/28 howitzer, intended against field fortifications, machine gun nests and infantry at short range. It was built from 1942 on the StuG III chassis and served in assault gun battalions alongside the gun-armed vehicles. It is precisely the shape of the mantlet and the end of the barrel by which the individual production batches are told apart.

Building and painting tips

First wash the resin casting in lukewarm soapy water to get rid of any mold release agent. Cut the casting block off with a saw and level the face with abrasive paper; protect your breathing while sanding resin. Glue the casting with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue), degrease the metal barrel with alcohol and lay down a primer, or the paint will not hold on it. Darken the muzzle of the barrel only at the very end.

Who the set is for

• For builders of German equipment who want the accurate shape of the mantlet and a drilled muzzle.
• For modelers who are bothered by the seam line on a plastic barrel.
• For dioramas with Second World War assault guns.

This is an accessory, not a complete model. It is supplied unassembled and unpainted.