German Panzer-Artillery II “Wespe” Self-Propelled Howitzer

This pre-assembled second-hand ESCI 1:72 scale model of the 10.5 cm Panzerhaubitze “Wespe” features an unusual camouflage pattern of light grey and olive green disruptive stripes over a dark grey base colour, reminiscent of Variant “C” of the schemes suggested by ESCI. The flexible polyvinyl track fits the road wheels and idler wheel surprisingly well, but the teeth of the sprocket wheel do not engage the track links.

The 1st and 2nd Battery of the Panzerartillerieregiment of a Panzerdivision were equipped with six Panzerhaubitzen “Wespe” self-propelled howitzers and two Munitionsträgern “Wespe” ammunition carriers, which typically translates to two “Wespe” SP howitzers and one “Wespe” ammunition carrier in popular simulation games.

Camouflage Patterns

ESCI provides waterslide decals for four different “Wespe” self-propelled howitzers that were reportedly deployed in Italy, Normandy, or on the Eastern Front in 1944, along with suggested matching camouflage schemes:

1. Olive Green RAL 6003 over Dark Yellow RAL 7028, Italy 1944
2. Olive Green and Chocolate Brown RAL 8017 over Dark Yellow, Normandy 1944
3. Olive Green on Black Grey RAL 7021 Anzio 1944
4. Olive Green and Chocolate Brown over Dark Yellow, Eastern Front July 1944

It is important to remember when buying second-hand ESCI models, that kits from the 1970s were still equipped with polyvinyl tracks. These older model kits were revised between 1984 and 1988 and released in the newly introduced “Red Box” packaging, which contained beautifully detailed polystyrene track segments and individual track links to replace the troublesome polyvinyl tracks.

“Wespe” Self-Propelled Howitzer