Project - Wehrmacht horsepower

[SteveKrieg]

G'day all,

Happy new year and hope that the start of 2020 has been kind to all and sundry. As for me, I've recently sorted and packed-away the last of the Project "Currahee" figs, odds and sods and have been toying (so to speak) with ideas for this year's annual model show thinking something along the lines of either showcasing some vehicles that I've used in previous projects to emphasis motorisation and mechanisation during WW2 whilst adding a couple of new ones. I've since decided to narrow down the number of models and concentrate on just several new additions.

Firstly, and in-line with this, I thought about doing up three vignettes featuring an often forgotten mode of horsepower that remained prevalent throughout the war; particularly with the German army - the horse.

So the first 'cab off the rank' this year is a horse-drawn couple of IF8 Infanterie Karren containing the stores required of a panzer-zerstorer gruppe which consisted of a group leader, a horse handler and two squads - each of three x two-man teams. The wherewithal courtesy of DML and CHE's old 2005 series pertaining to the infantry carts and the various couplings employed for it to be either hand-drawn, horse-drawn or vehicle drawn; all three modes of which will feature in the over-arching project for display Nov this year.

The preliminary pics shows the gear just recently unboxed...the plan now is to repaint and detail not only the carts but also the Panzershrecks (the primary weapon of the teams), stores and the assembly of several figures (I'll only do the horse handler, group leader and one squad so as not to over-crowd the scene given I want to illustrate mainly the horse and the carts.

The first cart is fitted with a special wooden frame that held six panzershrecks, in the centre, 12 ammo boxes (each team loader was given two) and normally the second cart contained spare rounds if avail but, in this case, special back mounts that stowed additional rounds and worn by the loader also (often saving him from having both hands busy with carriage). The carts and horse frame will be camo'd. More to follow. Enjoy, Steve

 

[SteveKrieg]

G'day all,

Just a quick progress report on the Horse-drawn Panzerschreck cart project which I wasn't looking at starting until next month but low and behold I'm towards it completion already (should be done by end of weekend). Having seen the period pics (and utilising such as my main modelling reference), the carts and contents were actually quite easy to repaint/weather and detail with the most mundane aspect being the rocket rounds.

The carts (one horse drawn and the other fitted with the rocket launcher rack) are both CHE using spare DML launchers, rockets and ammo boxes to complete the load. Both carts were resprayed and then camo'd with the intent of illustrating late '44 somewhere towards the German border.

 

[SteveKrieg]

Six panzerschrecks were resprayed and each painted and detailed differently as if painted by their crews (the ones that came with the cart all had the same camo pattern applied which takes away the individuality that would've stemmed from their users). I went to extra lengths to cut and fit wooden floorboards common to the IF8 noting that, when fully loaded for the diorama, very little would be seen of them but what the hell.

The tank destroyer platoons increased in number as the war progressed, largely to fill the gaps in tank and A/T gun losses which could never satisfactorily be replaced. Strikingly enough, the weapons (including the Panzerfaust) were advanced for their time and I found this the most interesting in that their method of mobility is the horse (indicative of the fact perhaps that the longer the Axis were in the war, the more backwards they went whilst the Allies went forwards in every aspect of the game).

There were three groups per panzer-zerstorer platoon, each group consisting of two x six man squads under the command of a group leader with a horse handler doing the 'driving'. For the purpose of the diorama, and not to clutter the scene, I've opted to fit-out only one squad of three x two man Panzerschreck teams along with the group leader and horse handler.

 

[SteveKrieg]

With one squad loading-up, this allows the ability to display the other squads panzerschrecks stacked on the cart. Additional detail was required for the rockets and the rocket carriers (both DML three and five rocket configurations used to illustrate both types) and I've detailed more than enough for the scene just in-case so that the figures can be posed prepping for the hunt. The DML ammo boxes for the rockets all come with winter markings so given this was around the Autumn period, I've patched-out the black circles indicating winter ammo (as was done in the factories in order to re-use the wooden crates) with some marked with an 'X' indicating normal ammo. I found labels on the internet which I shrunk to scale and printed for adding to the inner crate lid.

Final pics to follow, enjoy, Steve

 

[SteveKrieg]

G'day all,

Well the panzerknackers are good to go. There's still one or two small touch-ups I'll be adding, mainly a zeltbahn pattern cap for the group leader (seen adjusting the straps of a rocket carrying frame being worn by one of the squad's newest members).

Overall, I'm happy with the way it all turned-out and special thanks to Dragon's CHE issue circa 2005 - The 'Josef Hein and Gretchen horse-drawn IF8 cart and the 'Christoph Wenkel w/IF8 Panzerschreck cart...both of which were the crux of this scene and could not be achieved without.

I've never weathered a horse so except for the hooves, this horse remains 'out of the box' 'til I figure out a way of doing so without wrecking the model. This first group of pics features the horse and carts only.

Next cab off the rank will be the horse-drawn field kitchen, 'til then...enjoy the pics. Steve

 

[SteveKrieg]

And for several featuring the anti-tank squad.

 

[SteveKrieg]

Dang, forgot to add the pics...

 

[SteveKrieg]

and some more...

 

[SteveKrieg]

and lastly.

These teams would operate in unison with their infantry brethren either attached separately as a squad or two-man team or operating as a group (section) or squad-level anti-tank screen. These men made up in bravery what the panzer divisions could no longer do due to shortages in production numbers and lack of fuel.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Panzercommander HOH]

These guys look great, Steve!

Love your grass mat as well!

Great job!

Fred

 

[The_Dutchman]

Steve, that's a nice set of Panzerjaegers. I do have one suggestion for you regarding the horse's harness: it should be a lot lower on the horse's body as can be seen in these pictures. I hope you'll be able to modify it.

 

[SteveKrieg]

Cheers for the comments guys. In answer to the queries, the grassmats are from JG Miniatures and normally used for the much smaller models such as King & Country however I tend to think they are also very suitable to replicate grass for 1/6th.

Thanks for the pics 'Dutchman' regarding the horse harnesses, these will come in very handy for the next 'horsepower'-related vignette which will feature a German field kitchen and limber. For the pulling of the smaller IF8 Infantry cart, there was not too much out on this other than what the CHE horse is fitted with which, based on period pics, is the harness worn for the pulling of smaller carriages (see attached which matches that worn by the model). I'll have to scratch-build the harnesses for the field kitchen so will be taking special note of the materials required and hoping I can source them and will no doubt be an interesting challenge in itself.

I reckon it'll take some effort to fit-out the harnesses required on the two to be used for the pulling of the field kitchen and though references are short (period pics aside) I did find a nice line illustration that came out of an instruction guide for a 1/35th scale model. I'll be using two CHE/DML horses for the pulling and a metal field kitchen and limber but more on that later.

Thanks again for the kudos and the pics. Enjoy, Steve

 

[SteveKrieg]

By the way, here's one of several period pics that inspired me to recreate in 1/6th scale and, of particular note, the horse harness. Cheers, Steve

 

[Hammer's Africaners]

Another great looking display and figures

 

[SteveKrieg]

G'day all,

I'm hoping, given the superb level of knowledge on this site, that someone could riddle me this...did the Germans produce a longer variant to their Type IF8 Infantry Cart...???

I found one the other day which is a lighter plastic CHE variant to their stock-standard polystone series. I was dark grey so have repainted dark yellow with the intention that I can change-out the rear cart of the Panzerschreck chain so that I can display both kinds. I know the Germans produced three variants but unsure if this long 'bath tub' styled cart was actually used during the war given I can find no images on one and I do not intend to go the effort and change-out if I can support it with factual evidence.

Any help most appreciated. Cheers, Steve

 

[Sixth Vanguard]

I am no expert on german handcarts.
I did find a few pages that show something like what CH was trying to model in that kit.

You have probably found the same, but if not these pages have interesting info

https://handcartz.smugmug.com/CARTS/GERMAN-CARTS/i-VLhZZ4j

http://www.questmasters.us/infantry_trailer.html

This one closely resembles the CH but not in length of te tub
https://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=485514&country=us

 

[SteveKrieg]

Thanks very much 'Sixth Vanguard', that does help a little and appreciate the links which seem to indicate (from the manufacturer's plate on one of the stretched relics) that there were longer carts in-use by the German military prior to the introduction of the IF8 with the shortened version most likely conceived from such as I imagine the elongated types probably were found during trials to be hard to handle particularly if hand-pulled over rougher terrain.

Regardless, I'll do up the longer variant and have it ready to change-out with the second IF8 if/when I find exact pics of the model being used. It is a nice model and I'm sure given DML/CHE's level of detail into their 1/6th line back in the day that they must've based this longer version of some form of historic evidence? (one would think).

Cheers very much again for your input... Regards, Steve