15 cm heavy Self-Propelled Howitzer “Hummel”
Matchbox 1:76 Scale Vehicle Review
This used ESCI 1:72 scale model of the 15 cm schwere Panzerhaubitze “Hummel” has been painted in an unusual camouflage pattern of olive green disruptive stripes over over the dark grey base colour. The flexible polyvinyl track fits under the road wheels and around idler wheel surprisingly well, but the teeth of the sprocket wheel do not engage the track links, and the heavy tank track appears to float above its support rollers.
The 3rd Battery of the Panzerartillerieregiment of a Panzerdivision was equipped with six Panzerhaubitzen “Hummel” self-propelled howitzers and two Munitionsträgern “Hummel” ammunition carriers, which typically translates to two “Hummel” SP howitzers and one “Hummel” ammunition carrier in popular simulation games.
Camouflage Patterns
ESCI provides waterslide decals for different “Hummel” self-propelled howitzers, along with suggested matching camouflage schemes:
- Winter Camouflage over Black Grey RAL 7021
- Olive Green RAL 6003 over Black Grey
- Dark Yellow RAL 7028
- Chocolate Brown RAL 8017 over Dark Yellow
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.