Panzerserra Bunker- Military Scale Models in 1/35 scale: Panzer II Ausf D

Soldaten !!

Now it's time to see something light, fast .... but dangerous: the Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D - SdKfz 121: the fastest of reconnaissance tanks of Pz II light tanks family.

Panzer II Ausf D in in a Polish woods.
September, 1939.

History:

The Panzer II is the common name used for a family of German tanks used in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen II (abbreviated PzKpfw II).

Although the vehicle had originally been designed as a stopgap while larger, more advanced tanks were developed, it nonetheless went on to play an important role in the early years of World War II, during the Polish and French campaigns.

Pz II Ausf B in Warsaw, 1939.

Panzer II with Panzer I in French campaign.

The Panzer II was the most numerous tank in the German Panzer divisions beginning with the invasion of France. It was used in both North Africa against the Western Allies and on the Eastern Front against the Soviet Union.

Panzer II - Afrika Korps - 1941

Panzer II in the Russian front - Summer , 1941

The Panzer II was supplanted by the Panzer III and IV by 1940/1941. By the end of 1942, it had been largely removed from front line service and it was used for training and on secondary fronts. The turrets of the then-obsolete PzKpfw Is and PzKpfw IIs were reused as gun turrets on specially built defensive bunkers, particularly on the Atlantic Wall.

Panzer II turret - Atlantic Wall - France, 1944

Production of the tank itself ceased by 1943, but its chassis remained in use as the basis of several other armored vehicles, chiefly self-propelled artillery and tank destroyers such as the Wespe and Marder II.

Wespe SPG 105mm

Marder II tank destroyer

Design

Armor:

The Panzer II was designed before the experience of the Spanish Civil War of 1936–39 showed that shell-proof armor was required for tanks to survive on a modern battlefield. Prior to that, armor was designed to stop machine gun fire and high-explosive shell fragments.

The Panzer II A, B, and C had 14 mm of slightly sloped homogenous steel armor on the sides, front, and back, with 10 mm of armor on the top and bottom. Many IIC were later given increased armor in the front of the vehicle. Starting with the D model, the front armor was increased to 30 mm. The Model F had 35 mm front armor and 20 mm side armor. This amount of armor could be penetrated by towed antitank weapons, such as the Soviet 45mm and French canon de 25mm and canon de 47mm.

Soviet 45mm AT gun

French 25mm AT gun

French 47mm AT gun

Armament:

Most tank versions of the Panzer II were armed with a 2 cm KwK 30 L/55 autocannon. Some later versions used the similar 2 cm KwK 38 L/55. This autocannon was based on the 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft gun, and was capable of firing at a rate of 600 rounds per minute (280 rounds per minute sustained) from 10-round magazines. A total of 180 shells were carried.

The Panzer II also had a 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 machine gun mounted coaxially with the main gun.

The 2 cm autocannon proved to be ineffective against many Allied tanks, and experiments were conducted with a view to replacing it with a 37 mm cannon, but nothing came of this. Prototypes were built with a 50 mm tank gun, but by then the Panzer II had outlived its usefulness as a tank regardless of armament. Greater success was had by replacing the standard 2 cm armor-piercing explosive ammunition with tungsten cored solid ammunition, but due to shortages of tungsten this ammunition was in chronically short supply.

Mobility:

All production versions of the Panzer II were fitted with a 140 PS, gasoline-fuelled six-cylinder Maybach HL 62 TRM engine and ZF transmissions. Models A, B, and C had a top speed of 40 km/h. Models D and E had a torsion bar suspension and a better transmission, giving a top road speed of 55 km/h but the cross country speed was much lower than previous models, so the Model F reverted to the previous leaf spring type suspension. All versions had a range of 200 km.

Maybach HL 62 TRM 6-Zylinder 140 ps engine
font: Panzermuseum Munster - Germany

Crew:

The Panzer II had a crew of three men. The driver sat in the forward left hull with the gearbox on the right. The commander sat in a seat in the turret, and was responsible for aiming and firing the cannon and co-axial machine gun, while a loader/radio operator sat on the floor of the tank behind the driver. He had a radio on the left and several 20mm ammunition storage bins. In the Panzer II Ausf D, the driver and radio operator sat side by side at the front

Main variants:

Model	Production period	Number prod.	Charac. detail
Ausf a1	Late 1935 – May 1936	10	First model in production Idler wheel with rubber
Ausf a2	May 1936 – February 1937	15	Idler wheel without rubber
Ausf a3	May 1936 – February 1937	50	Remov. partion between fight. comp. and engine

Ausf b	February – March 1937	25	New engine Wide tracks

Ausf c	1937	1113	New suspension with quarter elliptic springs
Ausf A	1938-40		Anti-bullet protection in the ring turret
Ausf B			Simplified technology much like previous model
Ausf C			Improved armour Commander cupola



Ausf D	1938-41	138	New suspension - faster New hull
Ausf E	1938-41	138	New suspension - faster New hull

Ausf F	1940-43	524	Return to Ausf C suspension

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf.D - Sd.Kfz.121

In 1938, Daimler-Benz developed a "Schnellkampfsvagen" (Fast Fighting Vehicle) for the tank battalions of the newly created four Light Divisions. Although the tank mounted the same turret as the standard PzKpfw II Aust. a to F, the hull and superstructure were completely altered. The driver and radio operator sat side by side at the front and each had a sliding shutter visor in the front superstructure plate.

Panzer II Ausf D in Sd.Ah. 115 trailer tractioned by a Faun L900
Notice the hull of this version.

A new torsion bar suspension with four large Christie-type road-wheels each side was adopted and the hull and superstructure design owed a lot in general layout. to Daimler-Benz's PzKpfw III. A pre-selector Maybach Variorer VG 102128H gearbox was fitted, with seven forward gears and three reverse; steering was by mechanical clutch and brake. The engine was the Maybach HL 62TRM and could drive the tank at 55 kph; the vehicle could cross a 1.75 metre trench, climb a step of 42 cm and wade up to 85 cm.

The tank's length was 4.64 metres, width 2.3 metres and height 2.02 metres. Armour protection was 30 mm on the front and 14.5 mm on the sides. Only about 138 of these light vehicles were built to the original design in 1938-39, and they were designated PzKpfw II Ausf. D and E.

A brand new Panzer II Ausf D, newborn from the factory.

The latter model had a strengthened suspension, different tracks (lubri-cated as opposed to dry pin) and revised drive sprockets and idler wheels. These Ausf. D/E PzKpfw II weighed 10 tonnes and were a disappointment, especially in terms of cross country performance.

Panzer II Ausf D breathing hard on uneven ground.
This was his "Achille's Heel"

The Panzers II Ausf D were usually transported to the battle front by heavy trucks Faun L900 or Bussing-Nag 900 in his almost maximum loading capacity.

Faul L900 carriying Panzers II Ausf D in a Berlin Parade.
Germany, 1938.

Faun L900 full loaded with two Panzers II Ausf D.

Bussig-Nag 900 tank transporter

This overload usually generates damage to vehicles and accidents.

Faun L900 overturned by overload !!
The victim was a Panzer II Ausf D.

They did not see much service with the Light Divisions, which received normal PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II Ausf. a to F for their tank batallions, but, instead, were apparently issued to Panzer Regiment 8, part of the independent 4th Panzer Brigade.

Panzer II Ausf D with PanzerI Ausf B.
Notice the early uniform of the crew.

The PzKpfw II Ausf. D and Ausf. E have seen some combat service with the 66th Panzer Abteilung (verlastet), 2nd Leichte Division and 33rd Panzer Abteilung (verlastet). 4th Leichte Division during the campaign in Poland in September 1939.

Panzer II Ausf D crossing a Polish road.
September, 1939.

Panzer II Ausf D leading two Panzers I ,
in an icy landscape in Russia.
Winter, 1941-42.

Variants:

Flammpanzer II Flamingo / PzKpfw II(F) - Sd. Kfz. 122

Based on the same suspension as the Ausf. D and Ausf. E tank versions, the Flamm (also known as "Flamingo" used a new turret mounting a single MG34 machine gun, and two remotely controlled flamethrowers mounted in small turrets at each front corner of the vehicle. Each flamethrower could cover the front 180° arc, while the turret traversed 360°. The flamethrowers were supplied with 320 litres of fuel and four tanks of compressed nitrogen. The nitrogen tanks were built into armored boxes along each side of the superstructure. Armor was 30 mm to the front and 14.5 mm to the side and rear, although the turret was increased to 20 mm at the sides and rear.

Flamingo Flamm Panzer SdKfz 122 - Russia, 1941

Total weight was 12 tonnes and dimensions were increased to a length of 4.9 m and width of 2.4 m although it was a bit shorter at 1.85 m tall. A FuG2 radio was carried. Two sub-variants existed: the Ausf. A and Ausf. B which differed only in minor suspension components.

Flamingo Flamm Panzer overloading a Russian rural bridge to its limit.

One hundred and fifty-five Flamm vehicles were built from January 1940 through March 1942. These were mostly on new chassis, but 43 were converted from Panzer II Ausf. D/E. The Flammpanzer II was deployed in the USSR, but was not very successful due to its limited armor, and survivors were soon withdrawn for conversion to Marder II tank destroyers in December 1941.

Panzer Selbstfahrlafette 1 für 7.62cm PaK36(r) auf Fahrgestell PzKpfw II Ausf D1 und D2 - Marder II - SdKfz 132.

After a lack of success with conventional and flame tank variants on the Ausf. D/E chassis, it was decided to use the remaining chassis to mount captured Soviet antitank guns.

Marder II D in the Russian front.

The hull and suspension was unmodified from the earlier models, but the superstructure was built up to provide a large, open-topped fighting compartment with a Soviet 76.2 mm antitank gun, which, while not turreted, did have significant traverse. Only developed as an interim solution, the vehicle was clearly too tall and poorly protected, but had a powerful weapon.

A Marder II D heavily camouflaged - Russia - 1942

Specs:

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D/E
Type	Light fast tank
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
In service	1939–1941
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designed	1938
Produced	1938–1941
Number built	138 (excluding conversions)
Specifications (Ausf. A-C)
Weight	10 t
Length	4.64 m
Width	2.3 m
Height	2.02 m
Crew	3 (commander/gunner, driver, loader)

Armor	5– 30 mm
Main armament	1 × 2 cm KwK 30 Ausf. a–F
Secondary armament	1 × 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34
Engine	Maybach HL 62TRM 6-cylinderpetrol 140 PS (138 hp, 103 kW)
Transmission	7 speeds forward x 3 reverse
Suspension	torsion bars
Operational range	200 km
Speed	55 km/h

The kit:
For this fast project, in paralel to Faun L900, I choose an old shelf queen: Panzer II Ausf D German Light Tank, from Maquette (#MAQ 3546), the reencarnation of Alan kit.

My kit: Maquette (#MAQ 3546)

The origin: Alan kit (# 009)

I can almost hear your cry of horror,howling:

"Why you use this piece of crap, for Christ sake ???"

And the candid and simple answer is: Because I have this girl in my closet for years .... and now it's time to bring it to life !!!

I could buy this kit much more modern and detailed ....

Awesome panzer II Ausf D from Bronco.

But as I said before: "Scale Modeling for me is fun, not competition or religion". Let's turn a frog into a prince !!!
My kits, because I have little space in my apartment ( and have tons of kits...), I keep my models in the bag-kits format, like old ones:

Old bag-kits in the market..

I throw away the boxes of my old kits and keep my girls in bags:

The panzer II D bagged!!

The instructions are, at least, Spartan !!!
AHHUUUU!!!

The chassis and the hull. The little eyebrown in the driver's shield, I intend to remove. Although there is this version with eyebrow, I will make the plain early version. This Maquette kit until it is not so bad ...Good news!!!

Notice the eyebrown...I'll depilate this girl!!!

testing in the Faun...

By the booklet, time for the wheels and suspensions...

My loved welder...My precious!!!

Depilated !!!

So nice, for now...

Turret time: the gun is good, but the MG...bleargh!!!

A touch of sophistication:

MG34 by RBModels...Awesome and cheap!!!

The fans are hysterical ....

The little girl with metal...Much better!!

Ready for painting...

First of all, the markings:

Primer and shades of gray...

With the Faun L900 tank transporter...

In close-up...

In gloss (Future). ready for decals...
Notice the Faun heavy truck

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D - 3rd Light Division
67th Tank Batallion
Polish Campaign - September - October 1939

Starting the weathering...

More weathering...

Being transported by Faun

Tools and headlights...

And my little girl is ready, finally: Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D, from 3rd Light Division, 67th Tank Batallion, fighting in the early days of Polish Campaign. September - October,1939.