German Armoured Car E-V/4, Ehrhardt/17

Reviresco 1:72 Scale Vehicle Review

The E-V/4 Ehrhardt/17 armoured car was designated for use on roads, it had six forward and six reverse gears, four-wheel drive, and it achieved a top speed of 38 mph. The vehicle had 9 mm of frontal and rear armour, and 6 mm of side armour. The vehicle had two machine guns, one of which was mounted in a rotating turret on top of the vehicle, and a third machine gun in reserve. The crew consisted of the vehicle commander, the driver, one reverse driver, and five or six soldiers. The initial production amounted to only 12 vehicles in early 1917, but 20 more were ordered later that year. After the war, another 20 cars of the 1917 pattern were built, some of which may have seen active service during the 1919 unrest in Berlin and other German cities.

Straßenpanzerkraftwagen E-V/4 Ehrhardt/17
Type: Armoured Car, 4x4
Engine: 80 hp; 8490 cc
Length: 5300 mm
Width: 2000 mm
Height: 2900 mm
Weight: 7.75 t
Speed: 61.3 km/h
Range: 250 km
Crew: 8-9

Evaluation

Excellent choice of subject, the Ehrhardt armoured car is unique in its scale.
Easy to assemble, only 25 parts. The model can be put together in 40 minutes, but some filling will be required after the glue has dried.
Much cast-on equipment like hatch covers, panel lines, rivets, picks and shovels.
The entire vehicle is cast in soft metal, much sturdier than resin.
Assembly instructions are easy to follow. The parts snap into place nicely, and they glue very well. The hull assembly needs to be monitored while the glue dries, making sure that the parts are aligned correctly.
The illustrated parts list made identification of the pieces very easy.
Good casting quality. Very little flash, and only a few mould lines needed to be removed with a scalpel. Machine Guns come on a sprue, the other parts are separated already.
Machine Guns show cast-on hatch covers in the open position. A clever way to handle a potentially tricky assembly. Not only are they aligned correctly, these guns and hatches will not be easily damaged when the vehicle is handled. The Ehrhardt has two machine gun hatches on either side, and one in the turret.
Spare covers are available to close any hatches which are not in use, and there will be enough left over to be used on other vehicles.
Two variants may be modelled, one with the fixed machine gun turret, or the later version with the rotating turret.
Compatible with Airfix, and Revell figures of the period.

Cast in soft metal, containing lead. The vehicle is very heavy, considered an advantage by some, and a transportation problem by others.
The model comes with four machine guns, even though the E-V/4 Ehrhardt/17 is recorded to have had only two, plus one spare. Closed hatches should be flush with the armour plate, not superimposed on it.
Part #10, the right half of the hood assembly, was not cast correctly; the resulting gap between the hood and the body had to be filled with putty. Smaller gaps between the body side panels and the front/rear, and tiny holes on the turret roof also required filling.
Decals are not included. Some vehicles carried large iron crosses on a white square, which will have to be painted by hand.
Painting instructions show the E-V/4 Ehrhardt/17 in fieldgrey overall, but the multi-colour camouflage pattern actually looks more attractive, and it would be more useful in simulation games where effective vehicle camouflage is required.

Historical Employment

Panzerkraftwagen-MG-Abteilung 1, German Army, 1917-1919
- Western Front 1917-18
- Ukrainian Front 1918
- Home Front 1919

Possible Conversions

E-V4 Ehrhardt/17 with wireless equipment, and a tall retractable aerial behind the turret.
Ehrhardt/17 with turreted 5 cm Ballonabwehrkanone (Anti-Balloon Gun)

The E-V/4 Ehrhardt/17 is a large, and heavy vehicle which deserves to have a skirmish scenario dedicated to it. The vehicle had a crew of 8 or 9 soldiers, and it is likely that crew members occasionally dismounted to scout on foot or to protect the stationary vehicle against enemy infiltration attempts while the wireless equipment was in operation.

The Ehrhardt armoured car was built until 1919, and wargamers may want to use one in the fighting which erupted in Berlin, between Spartacist revolutionaries and loyal troops returning from the front. The vehicle looks great in a multi-colour camouflage scheme like that used on other German fighting vehicles of the Great War. The Ehrhardt would look right at home in a Spanish Civil War scenario, even if it did not actually serve there.

Sample from Reviresco

Frequently Asked Questions

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World War One Miniatures