Sd.Kfz. 231/-
s.Pz.Spähwg. (Pakwagen)

Airfix 1:76 Scale Vehicle Review

Sd.Kfz. 231/- Pakwagen.

Outwardly similar to the Sd.Kfz. 234/4, this is an unauthorized Pakwagen conversion of the Sd.Kfz. 231, mounting a 7.5 cm PaK 40. The Sd.Kfz 231 series of armoured cars had less powerful engines, and thinner armour, compared to the improved 234 series. Airfix seems to have produced this model in error. Only 98 Pakwagen were built, and they should have been converted from 234 series vehicles, not the earlier 231 series of 8×8 armoured cars. However, considering the significant equipment shortages encountered by the Wehrmacht, there is a possibility that the instructions were not carried out to the letter, and that some 231s were indeed converted to Pakwagen.

Contents

Sd.Kfz. 231/- Pakwagen Conversion

  • Type: Heavy Armoured Car, 8×8
  • Wheelbase: 2.75 m (1.35 m bogie)
  • Length: 5.85 m
  • Width: 2.20 m
  • Height: 2.50 m
  • Weight: 7.9 t
  • Armament: 7.5 cm L.46 PaK 40
  • Commander, Driver, Gunner, Loader
  • Note: Rear driving position removed

Evaluation

Scale model with much raised detail.

Few parts, easy to assemble. The angle of the gun shield must be carefully adjusted and monitored while the adhesive dries.

High quality kit. Parts fit well and there is minimal flash.

Compatible with Fujimi, Matchbox, Nitto, and VAC-U-CAST.

The vehicle probably did not exist in this form, unless it was an unauthorized one-off conversion, modelled on the Pakwagen Sd.Kfz. 234/4.

The reverse driving position is modelled in the open gun compartment, but this variant of the 231 would not have had a rear driver!

Historical Employment

  • Pz. Aufklärungsabteilung (Armoured Recon Detachment), January 1945
    • 3 Pakwagen in the Panzerjäger Platoon, Stabskompanie (HQ coy)

Possible Conversions

  • Sd.Kfz. 234/4 Pakwagen with 7,5 cm PaK 40, January 1945
  • Sd.Kfz. 231 schwerer Panzerspähwagen (8×8) with 2 cm L/55, 1939–1945
  • Sd.Kfz. 232 schwerer Panzerspähwagen (8×8, Funk) – radio vehicle, July 1942–1945
  • Sd.Kfz. 233 schwerer Panzerspähwagen (8×8) with 7.5 cm L/24, January 1943–1945

Airfix’s Sd.Kfz. 231 is an unauthorized variant of a well designed armoured vehicle. The distinctive 8-wheeled chassis was used for a variety of armoured cars, it combined excellent cross-country mobility and speed. Heavy armoured cars served on all fronts and they were camouflaged in a number of different seasonal or regional patterns. The vehicle is a very useful anti-tank platform for wargamers, it’s cheap, fast, and effective.

Airfix Modelling

German Miniatures of World-War Two