Let's meet a Czechoslovakian girl who fought for the Germans and for many other countries in the early stages of WWII. It's time to discover the mysteries of the Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) or Pz.Kpfw. 35(t).
 |
| Pz.Kpfw. 35(t) of 6th Panzer Division Russian front, 1941 |
History:
The Panzerkampfwagen 35(t), commonly shortened to Panzer 35(t) or abbreviated as Pz.Kpfw. 35(t), was a Czechoslovak-designed light tank used mainly by Nazi Germany during World War II. The letter (t) stood for tschechisch (German: "Czech"). In Czechoslovak service, it had the formal designation Lehký tank vzor 35 (Light Tank Model 35), but was commonly referred to as the LT vz. 35 or LT-35.
A total of 434 were built; of these, the Germans seized 244 when they occupied Bohemia-Moravia in March 1939 and the Slovaks acquired 52 when they declared independence from Czechoslovakia at the same time. Others were exported to Bulgaria and Romania. In German service, it saw combat during the early years of World War II, notably the Invasion of Poland, the Battle of France and the invasion of the Soviet Union before being retired or sold off in 1942. It was used for the remainder of the war by other countries and as a training tank in Bulgaria into the 1950s.
 |
| Pz.Kpfw. 35(t) light tanks in Radom Poland 1939. |
 |
| Pz.Kpfw. 35(t) - 3rd Panzer Division - France, 1940. |
 |
| Pz.Kpfw. 35(t) passing through a destroyed Russian T-28 medium tank Russian front - 1941. |
Tank description:
The Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) was assembled from a framework of steel "angle iron" beams to which the armour plates were riveted. A 4 mm firewall separated the engine compartment from the crew. It had several mesh-covered openings to allow access to the engine and improve ventilation by drawing air in through the commander's hatch. This had the advantage of rapidly dispersing gun combustion gases when firing, but several disadvantages. The constant draft generated by the engine greatly affected the crew during cold weather, the danger of an engine fire reaching the crew compartment was increased and the engine noise and heat increased crew fatigue.
The Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) was assembled from a framework of steel "angle iron" beams to which the armour plates were riveted. A 4 mm firewall separated the engine compartment from the crew. It had several mesh-covered openings to allow access to the engine and improve ventilation by drawing air in through the commander's hatch. This had the advantage of rapidly dispersing gun combustion gases when firing, but several disadvantages. The constant draft generated by the engine greatly affected the crew during cold weather, the danger of an engine fire reaching the crew compartment was increased and the engine noise and heat increased crew fatigue.
 |
| PzKpfw 35 (t) chassis blueprint |
The driver sat on the right side of the tank using a 390 by 90 millimetres observation port protected by 50 millimetres of bulletproof glass and an armoured shutter 28 millimetres thick. To his right was a vision slit 120 by 3 millimetres with a similar thickness of bulletproof glass. The Germans replaced the original three colored lights used by the Czechs to communicate with the driver with an intercom system. The radio operator sat on the left and had his own 150 by 75 millimetres observation port with the same protection as the driver's. His radios were mounted on the left wall of the hull. The hull machine gun was between the driver and radio operator in a ball mount capable of 30° of traverse, 25° of elevation and depressing up to 10°. Most of the machine gun's barrel protruded from the mount and was protected by an armoured trough. The mount had a spotting telescope, but open sights could be used if the plug at the top of the ball mount was removed. If necessary, the driver could lock the mount into position and fire it himself using a Bowden cable. The driver's hatch was exposed to direct fire and could be damaged from the front.
 |
| Lt vz.35 front interior view - (Pz.Kpfw 35(t) almost the same) |
The turret ring had a diameter of 1.267 mm. The turret had a flat face in the center of which was mounted the 37.2 mm main armament. On the right side was another 7.92 mm machine gun in a ball mount. The commander had four episcopes in his cupola and a monocular mirror, 1.3 x 30° periscope which he could extend, once he had removed its armoured cover in his hatch, to give vision while "buttoned-up".
As the sole occupant of the turret, the commander was responsible for loading, aiming and firing the main gun and the turret machine gun while simultaneously commanding the tank. The Germans wisely added an extra crewman on the right side of the turret to load the 37mm main gun and to operate the turret machine gun. Some ammunition had to be removed to accommodate him. This decreases the commander's workload, greatly increasing his efficiency.
The 8.62-litre Škoda T-11/0 four-cylinder, water-cooled engine produced 120 horsepower at 1,800 rpm. Two fuel tanks were fitted, the main tank with a capacity of 124 litres was on the left side of the engine and the 29 litres auxiliary tank was on the other side. The engine could run on gasoline, an alcohol-gasoline mixture, and "Dynalkohol" (an alcohol-benzole mixture). It was mounted in the rear along with the six-speed transmission which drove rear-mounted drive sprockets.
The suspension was derived from the Vickers 6-Ton tank; eight small pairs of road wheels on four bogies per side, each pair of bogies sprung by a single leaf spring, a front idler wheel, and four track return wheels. An unsprung road wheel was located directly underneath the idler wheel to improve obstacle crossing.
The transmission, brakes and steering were mechanically assisted with compressed air, reducing driver fatigue. This last feature proved problematic in the extreme conditions of the Eastern Front.
The main armament was a Škoda ÚV vz. 34 (German designation "KwK 34(t)") gun with a pepperpot muzzle brake and a prominent armoured recoil cylinder above the barrel. Škoda called it the A3.
It fired a 815 grams (0.8 Kg) armour-piercing shell at 690 m/s. It was credited with penetrating a plate inclined at 30° from the vertical 37 mm thick at 100 m, 31 mm thick at 500 m, 26 mm thick at 1,000 m, and 22 mm thick at 1,500 m. The machine gun's ball mount could be coupled to the main gun or used independently. Both weapons could elevate 25° and depress 10°. They both used 2.6x power sights with a 25° field of view. Initially the tank used Zbrojovka Brno ZB vz. 35 machine guns, but these were exchanged for ZB vz. 37s during 1938. This was adopted by the Germans as the MG 37(t).
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) turret guns |
In German use, 72 rounds of 37 mm ammunition were carried. These were stored in 6-round boxes: three on the hull side wall, eight in the turret overhang and one ready box above the gun on the turret roof. For the machine gun, 1,800 rounds of belted 7.92 mm ammunition were carried. The machine gun ammunition was in 100 round belts, stored three to a box. In Czech service, the LT vz. 35 carried 78 rounds (24 AP, 54 HE) and 2,700 rounds of machine gun ammunition, the difference being removed to make room for the fourth crewmember in German service. The German command tank version (Panzerbefehlswagen 35(t)) exchanged some ammunition - exactly how much isn't known - for another radio set and a gyrocompass. It could be recognized by the prominent "clothesline" radio antenna mounted on the rear deck (see in Variants).
Development:
The Czech Army formulated a requirement in the II-a category of light cavalry tanks by the end of 1934. Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk (CKD) proposed an improved version of its P-II light tank already in service as the LT vz. 34, but Škoda offered a new design that used the pneumatic system and engine earlier proved by its unsuccessful SU or S-II light tank prototype.
One prototype was ordered from each company for delivery during the summer of 1935. Both tanks had the same armament and three-man crew, but ČKD's P-II-a was much smaller at 8.5 tonnes and had only a maximum 16 mm of armour while Škoda's S-II-a weighed 10.5 tonnes and had 25 mm of armour. The army thought that P-II-a was at the limit of its development while the S-II-a could be improved as needed.
 |
| CKD P-II-a - prototype |
 |
| Škoda's S-II-a - winner prototype Future LT vz. 35s |
The first production order for 160 LT vz. 35s, as the S-II-a was designated in Army service, was placed on 30 October 1935 and deliveries began in December 1936. An additional order for 35 was made on 12 May 1936 and a follow-on order placed for 103 more a month later. The total order for 298 tanks was split equally by Škoda Works and ČKD according to their cartel agreement.
Development was rushed and there were many defects in the LT vz. 35s. Many tanks had to be returned to the factories to be repaired. Most of these repairs involved the electrical system, not the complicated pneumatic system.
Foreign interest:
In August 1936, Romania placed an order for 126; the bulk of these were delivered from the end of 1938 by Škoda. Afghanistan ordered ten in 1940; but, these were sold instead to Bulgaria. Total production was 434, including 298 for the Czechoslovak Army, 126 for Romania (under the designation Škoda R-2) and ten for Bulgaria.
The Wehrmacht used 218 vehicles captured from the Czechoslovak Army in March 1939. Britain's Alvis-Staussler negotiated for a production license from September 1938 until March 1939 when the Nazi occupation made an agreement impossible. The Soviets were also interested so Škoda shipped the S-II-a prototype and one production LT vz. 35 to the proving grounds at Kubinka for evaluation. The Soviets were only interested in buying the prototype, but Škoda refused to sell unless a license was purchased as well, believing that the Soviets would simply copy the design and build it without paying any royalties.
- S-IIa: Prototype tank built by Skoda for the Czecho-Slovakian Army S-II light tank requirement
- Lehký tank vzor 35: (Light Tank Model 35) Abbreviated as LT vz.35 or LT-35, production tanks for the Czecho-Slovakian Army
- Panzerkampfwagen 35(t): The LT vz.35 tanks inducted into the Wehrmacht after annexation.
- Panzerbefehlswagen 35(t): (Pz.Bef.Wg.) Command tanks with radios.
- Mörserzugmittel 35(t) or Artillerieschlepper 35(t): Artillery tractor conversions of Pz.Kpfw. 35(t).
- T-11: Ten Pz.Kpfw. 35(t) tanks ordered for the Afghan Army in 1940, diverted to Bulgaria. The tank was equipped with a 47mm A-8 main gun.
- R-2: Designation used by Romania for LT vz.35 tanks supplied to the Romanian Army.
- TACAM R-2: (Tun Anticar pe Afet Mobil - Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun) Romanian tank destroyer conversions of R-2 tanks, mounting captured Soviet weapons.
The chassis was used for both a command tank (Panzerbefehlswagen 35(t)) which featured extra radios (20 built) and also as an artillery tractor (Artillerie Schlepper 35(t)) by removing the turret and upper hull and covering the gap with canvas (49 converted from March 42 onwards).
The T-11 was built to an Afghan order placed in 1940 and differed mainly in that it used an improved Škoda A-7 gun (as used on LT vz. 38). Ten were built, but were sold to Bulgaria and delivered in the third quarter of 1940.
The TACAM R-2 was a tank destroyer built by removing the turret and substituting a captured Soviet 76.2mm divisional gun ZiS-3 in its place. The gun and crew was protected by a thin, fixed, three-sided, partially roofed casemate that used armour plate salvaged from captured Soviet tanks. The prototype was completed by September 1943, although it used the older 76.2 mm M-1936 F-22 field gun, and proved reasonably successful. Conversion of an additional twenty was completed by the end of June 1944 when the project was stopped because of concerns that its gun was inadequate against the heavily armoured Soviet Iosif Stalin tanks. Proposals were made to up-gun the vehicle with either the Romanian-built 75 mm Reşiţa Model 1943 anti-tank gun or the German 88 mm gun, but nothing was done before Romania changed sides in August 1944.
Operational history:
Czechoslovakia
The 298 LT vz. 35 tanks were assigned to the armoured regiments belonging to the four Mobile (Rychlá) Divisions between 1936 - 39. Each regiment was supposed to detach three-tank platoons to support the infantry divisions and border areas in times of crisis. These platoons were heavily used suppressing the protests and violence instigated by Konrad Henlein's Sudeten German Party (Sudetendeutsche Partei - SdP) and the Sudetendeutsche Freikorps (paramilitary groups trained in Germany by SS-instructors) between May and October 1938.
 |
| LT vz. 35 Czech light tank in trials 3rd Assault Vehicle Regiment Central Slovakia - 1937. |
After the Munich Agreement, two tank battalions were sent to reinforce the 3rd Mobile Division in Slovakia. They were used to repel Hungarian and Polish border-crossers, sometimes up to a battalion in strength. They screened the infantry when they had to evacuate southern Slovakia after the First Vienna Award on 2 November 1938.
The S-II-a prototype and one LT vz. 35 tank were returning from testing in the Soviet Union when the fighting began. They detrained in Sevljus and participated in a counterattack at Fančíkovo, but the LT vz. 35 was damaged and captured by the Hungarians.
 |
| The LT vz. 35 captured by the Hungarians. |
The prototype was forced to retreat into Romania by 17 March, along with most of the other Czech troops in eastern Ruthenia. The Romanians returned the prototype to Škoda six months later.
Germany:
In 1939, following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, 244 vehicles of the Czechoslovak Army were seized by the Germans where they were known as the L.T.M.35 until January 1940. In German service, they were used as substitutes for the Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank.
 |
| Panzer III of the 6. Panzer-Division France - 1940 |
They were assigned to the Panzer Battalion (Panzerabteilung) 65 (39) of the 1st Light (leichte) Division and the independent Panzer-Regiment 11 (81) where they participated in the Invasion of Poland.
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) number 244, 1 leichte Division, Poland 1939. Notice the big crosses in the turret (in white or/ yellow). |
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) of the 1. leichte Division Notice the Pz.Kpfw II right behind.. Poland -1939 |
 |
| A Panzerbefehlswagen 35(t) Command tank in Poland, 1939. |
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) light tank broken on a road gap 1. leichte Division Poland - 1939 |
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) in Poland The same vehicle of the profile above |
 |
| A Pz.Kpfw 35 (t) killed in open field. A literal example of how markings served as targets for enemy shots. These big crosses were abolished after these experiences |
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) of 4th Panzer Division Poland - 1939 Notice the markings blurred with mud in the turret. Lesson learned!!! |
The 1st Light Division absorbed the 11th Panzer-Regiment and was redesignated as the 6th Panzer Division on 18 October 1939. It took 132 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s into the Battle of France where it was assigned to XXXXI Corps (mot.) for Panzergruppe von Kleist's attack through the Ardennes.
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) leading a column of three Pz.Kpfw IVs and Pz.kpfw II light tanks - 6th Panzer Division France Invasion - May, 1940. |
 |
| A moment of rest in the French countryside. Pz.Kpfw 35(t) in company of a Horch. France- 1940 |
 |
| And back to the fight... A damaged Pz.Kpfw 35(t) of 3rd Panzer Division Notice the Nazi flag in the rear deck France -1940 |
 |
| Pz Kpfw 35 (t) of 6th Panzer Division destroyed by a 25 mm AT gun of the 46e GRDI - Épinal - France - 19 June 1940 |
For the invasion of the Soviet Union, 6th Panzer Division had 160 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s. to support 4th Panzer Group's drive on Leningrad.
By 10 September 1941, the 6th Panzer Division had only 102 operational Pz.Kpfw. 35(t), despite having received two replacements from Germany. Eight tanks were repairable, but 47 were total losses. By 31 October, only 34 were operational with another 41 requiring repair. On 30 November, all Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s were reported non-operational:
 |
| Pz.Kpfw.35(t) of 6th Panzer Division with grenadiers Leningrad - September 1941 |
"The average distance driven is 12,500 kilometres for the Pz.Kpfw. 35(t). The special situation in regard to repair the Pz.Kpfw. 35(t) is well known. It is indeed deemed necessary to point out that repairs can only be accomplished by cannibalizing other Panzers because there are no longer any spare parts for the Pz.Kpfw. 35(t). This means that after retrieval of the Panzers that are scattered around the terrain, a maximum of 10 can actually be repaired out of the 41 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t) reported as needing repair. The Pz.Kpfw. 35(t) can no longer be rebuilt. All of the components are worn out. To be practical, maybe the armored hulls are still useable."
Commander, 6th Panzer Division, 31 October 1941
Due to the cessation of production of these tanks, and the absence of spare parts being made, it was decided that the summer campaign of 1941 was to be their last. The fighting in Russia exposed the vehicle's unsuitability for cold weather operations and general unreliability.
This weakness, in addition to their thin armour and inadequate firepower, resulted in the 6th Panzer Division being reequipped with German tanks on its withdrawal from Russia in April 1942.
All 26 remaining Panzer 35(t)s still in working condition in 1942 were sold to Romania. Some vehicles had their turrets and hull machine guns removed so that the chassis could serve as a munition carrier or an artillery tractor, the Artillerieschlepper and the Mörserzugmittel 35(t). These had a towing capacity of 12 tonnes.
 |
| Pz.Kpfw.35(t) in the winter... Brrrr.. She's hate the cold!!! |
 |
| Pz.Kpfw.35(t) of 6th Panzer Division with grenadiers Russian front - 1941 |
Romania:
Romania ordered 126 of the tanks on 14 August 1936 as the R-2 and received the first 15, which had been diverted from the Czech order, in April–May 1937 to display in a parade. They suffered from numerous teething problems and the Romanians put a hold on production until these issues were resolved. The constantly changing Romanian demands didn't help the situation, but they refused to accept any vehicles until trials were conducted in Romania. Three R-2s were shipped to Romania on 12 July 1938 for the trials, but Skoda knew which one would be chosen and prepared the vehicle well and it passed all tests. After disassembly and checks of the trial tank were completed, the Romanian commission approved the design on 23 August. In the meantime, the initial batch was returned to Skoda to be upgraded to current standards on 28 July. Shipments to Romania began on 1 September with 27 shipped before the Munich Crisis forced the Czechs to hold all remaining tanks in case they were needed. 5 finished tanks and 6 almost-finished tanks were appropriated and shipped to Slovakia although they were quickly returned after the Munich Agreement was signed. The last shipment departed on 22 February 1939.
The R-2s were assigned to the 1st Armoured Regiment of the 1st Armoured Division where they participated in Operation Barbarossa.
 |
| Romanian Skoda R-2 from 1st Armoured Division Don area - Stalingrad Battle - 1942 |
The division was
withdrawn from combat after the Battle of Odessa in 1941. At the start of 1942,
40 tanks were sent to Pilsen for overhaul while 50 more were repaired in
Ploiești. The division returned to the front on 29 August 1942 with 109 R-2s.
By the eve of the Soviet Stalingrad Counter-offensive on 19 November
the division could only muster 84 serviceable R-2s with as many as 37
unserviceable tanks stationed in the rear. The division was on the outer edges
of the Stalingrad Pocket, but managed to breakthrough the western wing of the
encirclement, although 77 R-2s were lost in the process. Only about a third of
these were destroyed by the Soviets, the rest were either abandoned or broke
down and couldn't be recovered. One R-2 arrived from Romania during December as
a reinforcement. The 1st Armored Division was ordered home in early January
1943.
Despite the delivery of 26 Pz.Kpfw.
35(t)s during 1942, Romania could only muster 59 R-2/Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s on 1 April
and 30 August 1943, but raised this to 63 by 25 March 1944. There were 44 on
hand on 19 July 1944. By this time they were relegated to training duties with
the 1st Training Armoured Division. A company of R-2s was sent to Transnistria
with the ad-hoc Cantemir Mixed Tank Group on 24 February 1944, but it did not
see combat before being withdrawn on 28 March 1944.
A company of R-2s was assigned to the
Popescu Armoured Detachment after King Michael's Coup and Romanian's defection
from the Axis at the end of August 1944. The Detachment was tasked with
preventing the German units stationed around Ploiești from breaking out to the
north and finding refuge in Hungary. They accomplished their task and the R-2s
were withdrawn from combat operations until the following year. Romania had
concentrated all of its remaining tanks and armoured fighting vehicles in the
2nd Armoured Regiment in early 1945 as the unofficial Soviet arms embargo began
to have effect.
It had five R-2s on hand in early February 1945 when it was sent to the front, but the Soviets confiscated most of them when it arrived. Both R-2s were serviceable when the regiment entered Bratislava on 4 April 1945, but these were probably destroyed when the regiment was virtually surrounded in Austria on 10 April because they are no longer listed among the regiment's vehicles afterwards. About twenty-one tanks were rebuilt as TACAM R-2 tank destroyers with an ex-Soviet 76.2 mm gun in 1943-44.
Slovakia:
 |
| Skoda LT vz35 - Ukraine |
The Slovak Army seized 52 LT vz. 35 tanks when they declared their
independence from Czechoslovakia in March 1939. They were organized into a
battalion that was later incorporated into the Armoured Regiment. Three of
these tanks participated in the Slovak-Hungarian War of March 1939. One tank
company participated in the invasion of Poland, but didn't see any fighting.
The Army upgraded the internal communications system of its tanks with German
intercoms in 1941, but it is unknown if they added a fourth crewman as did the
Germans. When Slovakia joined the German invasion of the Soviet Union it sent a
Mobile Group that included thirty LT vz. 35.
The Mobile Group was reinforced and reorganized in early July 1941 as
the Mobile Brigade, also known as Brigade Pilfousek after its commander, and it
mustered only twenty seven tanks despite seven reinforcements because
breakdowns had caused ten to be evacuated back to Slovakia. This was due to a
conspiracy among the Slovak tankers that the tanks would be needed to overthrow
the regime at some point and couldn't be wasted in combat against the Soviets.
 |
| Skoda LT vz.35 profile |
This caused a high incidence of crew
sabotage to which the officers and maintainers turned a blind eye, which caused
the tanks to be withdrawn to Slovakia at the beginning of August 1941. On 1
January 1942, the Slovaks had 49 LT vz. 35 on hand because three had been
destroyed in the battle for Lipovec earlier in the summer. However, of these 49
only seven were operational as part of the conspiracy to keep the tanks in
Slovakia. The LT vz. 35s were relegated to the training/reserve role by 1943
when the Germans began to supply more modern tanks to Slovakia. At least eight
LT vz. 35s were used by the insurgents during the Slovak National Uprising in 1944.
Bulgaria:
Bulgaria used 26 tanks, delivered by Germany from used war reserve stock in early 1940, with the normal A-3 gun and 10 New T-11 tanks with the more powerful A-8 gun from the confiscated Afghan order were delivered between August and October 1940.
They were supposedly relegated to training duties once the Germans began
to deliver Panzerkampfwagen IV medium tanks in 1944, but apparently remained in
service into the Fifties.
But Kliment and Francev claim that the T-11s participated in the
fighting in Yugoslavia and ended the war south of Vienna as part of the 1st
Tank Brigade.
Hungary:
Hungary captured one LT vz. 34 in Carpatho-Ukraine on 15 March 1939, when it conquered that country, and also a LT vz. 35 in fighting with the Czech demonstration detachment returning from Kubinka in med-March 1939.
|
| The LT vz. 35 captured by the Hungarians. |
They were impressed and asked Škoda for a quote to repair them. The Hungarians did not accept the price, but Škoda fixed them for free once the Hungarians had bought a license to build the medium 40M Turán I tank in August 1940. The tanks were returned to Hungary in March 1941 and were used for training through 1943
Specs:
| Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Light tank |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovakia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1936–50? |
| Used by |
|
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Škoda |
| Designed | 1934–36 |
| Manufacturer | Škoda, ČKD |
| Produced | 1936–40 |
| No. built | 434 |
| Variants | T-11, TACAM R-2 |
| Specifications (Panzerkampfwagen 35(t)) | |
| Weight | 10.5 t |
| Length | 4.90 m |
| Width | 2.06 m |
| Height | 2.37 m |
| Crew | 4 (3 in original design) |
Main armament
| 3.7 cm KwK 34(t) gun |
Secondary armament
| 2 x 7.92 mm MG 37(t) machine gun |
| Engine | Škoda T11/0 4-cylinder, water-cooled gasoline - 120 hp |
| Power/weight | 11 hp/tonne |
| Transmission | 6 x 6 |
| Suspension | leaf spring |
| Fuel capacity | 153 l |
Operational range
| 120 km or 190 km |
| Speed | 34 km/h |
The kit:
For this project, I'll use the Bronco kit Pz.Kpfw.35(t) (#CB35065). It's a very well detailled kit, with full interior.
 |
| Bronco´s box kit. |
I particularly do not like to build interiors, especially in tanks, which are completely enclosed in my shelf (life is short and my closet is full...) Some particular kits I like to detail to the extreme, but this is not the case.
It may sound like wrong, but I want to make this kit simple, without interior. The parts I'll save for a future scratch project ... who knows? !!
The Bronco kit is very detailed....I would even say detailed too much, with an approach that I particularly do not like: small parts that could cause parts of larger pieces without compromising the details but that tire the modeler. Tiny pieces that only increase the workmanship of the modeler in an annoying way and, because they are too small, break and feed the "Carpet Monster" with extreme ease. As Antonio Saliere would say, in the movie Amadeus: "Too many notes ..."
First of all, the drama: my postman is a Viking!!! My kit arrived very smashed... Damn!!!
 |
| Trampled by an elephant !!! |
 |
| Thank of Gods, the interior was ok.. |
As I said above, I decided to build this girl without the interior. By studying the instructions and observing the sprues, I realized that the kit features very, very small parts that would be part of the larger pieces without harming the detail at all, but that would turn the building into a real nightmare.
Modeling for me is fun and not suffering. So I decided to build the tub of the chassis first to put the Pz.Kpfw 35 (t) on their own legs. It may seem like lazy, but NOTHING OF BUILDING THE INTERIOR. I have in my "Man's cave" an old CMK Pz.Kpfw 35(t) which I bought from a colleague for a pittance, already built ... I will take advantage and remodel this scrap to the standard Lt. vz 35 from Czechoslovakia. See image below:
 |
| The CMK kit with (wrong) German colors and the new Bronco chassis |
If you compare the old CMK kit with the new technology Bronco kit, the difference is enormous (and not thanks to the thousands of annoying little pecks that are part of this puzzle...). I'll rebuild this girl in parallel and post a new topic on the Bunker soon.
 |
| Old and built CMK kit. Although it is built as Pz.Kpfw 35 (t), it really is an Skoda LT vz 35. |
Congratulations Bronco, for the quality of the kit, but rethink the philosophy of engineering detailing....Do not commit the same sin as the old Dragon kits 3 in 1...
After the chassis, the suspensions... The big problem is the fragility of the parts . The suspension was projected to be totally mobile, but the fragility of the little parts and the difficulty of the building almost made this attempt unfeasible.
 |
| Bronco suspension. |
If you are going to build your Pz. 35 (t) in a diorama or vignette with uneven terrain, this step will be at least challenging !!!!
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) bogies |
 |
| The suspensions springs... |
About my opinion of the annoying detailing philosophy: Look at the parts with red arrows in the pics below:
 |
| These details could be part of the larger pieces without affecting quality of detail!! |
 |
| The collage of such small pieces deforms the detail quality ... |
These little parts could be perfectly part of the bogie injection, but with Bronco choosing to separate them from the bogies, the detailing does not increase but decreases. The pieces are so small that the collage deforms them...
And my rationality asks: But why ???
Little and tiny parts separated from a detailing in the injection of the larger part are better ??? Honestly no!!! Again, IMHO.
But let's stop the philosophy and we will continue with the building of the kit ... Remember: The entire suspension set of this kit is extremely fragile. If you are going to position the bogies in different positions, for uneven terrain, glue everything as soon as possible ...
 |
| Bogies in position |
 |
| Glued!! |
Closing the chassis, without interior. Heresy!!! (but very satisfied !!)
 |
| The chassis was ready!! |
 |
| Time to close the girl... |
I glued the horn of the Czech version (The kit has parts of both versions ...) in the upper hull. My girl will be German. The Czech girl will be rebuilding the CMK kit.
 |
| Uops...Wrong horn!! I'll fix this, soon!!! |
 |
| The jerry-cans for the german version |
 |
| Fuel!!! |
 |
| The girl closed!!! |
 |
| With turret. Compare the Bronco with CMK one!!! |
 |
| Notice the aerial made with acupuncture needle... |
 |
| The german horn !! Much better!! |
 |
| Details ready for painting... |
 |
| Primmer Vallejo white in the Bronco... |
 |
| and dark-yellow Mig in the CMK... |
 |
| Panzer-gray!!! |
 |
| Decals after Future... |
 |
| My nightmare: LBL tracks. Moveable, but very fragile... |
 |
| My girl with shoes... Notice the jerry-cans in the rear deck |
 |
| Extra fuel for the looooong distances in Russia!!! |
 |
| Testing the rollbags from Value Gear |
And finally... Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) light tank. 6th Panzer Division - Barbarossa Operation, Russia, 1941.
 |
| Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) light tank. 6th Panzer Division - Barbarossa Operation Russia, 1941. |
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) - left side |
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) with Kojak and Rover, the dog. |
 |
| The girl is very small, indeed!!! |
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) and Skoda LT vz.35 |
 |
| Pz.Kpfw 35(t) with Skink AA tank |
 |
| Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) light tank. 6th Panzer Division - Barbarossa Operation, Russia, 1941. |
See you soon, boys!!
Marco: Muy bueno el color que te quedó de ese gris Panzer gastado, muy logrado. saludos
ResponderExcluirHolla, Jose!! Gracias, hombre... Los proyectos monocolor suelen ser complicados, por lo que la maqueta no parece un juguete... ¡¡Gracias por los ánimos, amigo!! ¡¡¡Saludos!!!
Excluir