37 mm PaK Anti-Tank Gun on Light Armoured Personnel Carrier, Sd.Kfz. 250/10
ESCI 1:72 Scale Vehicle Review
The ESCI 1:72 scale Sd.Kfz. 250/10 Zugführer (platoon commander) vehicle of the armoured reconnaissance platoon of the Panzeraufklärungsabteilung. The crew figure is a 20 mm Raventhorpe Panzergrenadier radio operator. ERTL re-released the ESCI kit of the German light armoured personnel carrier, Sd.Kfz. 250/10, with more detailed polystyrene track sections to replace the old soft polyvinyl tracks. The 250/10 shown here has been sprayed in a camouflage scheme of dark yellow, red brown, and olive green.
The recce platoon consisted of six infantry half-squads carried in Sd.Kfz. 250/1 light armoured personnel carriers, and one Sd.Kfz. 250/1 or 250/10 for the platoon commander. Crossfire players may want to mount infantry elements of the armoured recce platoon on half-squad figure bases similar to those used by the Squad Leader boardgame.
Contents
- Sd.Kfz. 250/10, 3.7 cm PaK auf le.SPW
- Crew Figures (3)
- Decal Set
- 15. Panzerdivision
- Division Großdeutschland
Evaluation
Scale model with excellent detail.
The Panzerjäger tank-hunter tactical markings included in the kit should be replaced with more appropriate Panzeraufklärer armoured recce markings.
The vehicle lighting consists of two commercially available headlights, presumably with Schlitzblende slotted covers; Notek Tarnscheinwerfer blackout light, Abstandsrücklicht convoy driving rear light, and Bremsschlussleuchte brake/tail light are missing.
The Peilstangen guide rods on the front fenders are indicated, but they are much too thick and end at the rearview mirrors; the only solution is to scratchbuild better guide rods from 0.3 mm piano wire and attach round rearview mirrors to them.
The rack jack is barely recognizable as such; personal equipment is missing.
Compatible with Altaya, Atlas, CDC, De Agostini, Dragon Models, Eaglemoss, Fine Scale Factory, Hasegawa, Italeri, Orion, Revell, Zvezda.
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.
Sd.Kfz. 250/10 may be used as the platoon commander vehicle of the Panzeraufklärungszug armoured recce platoon of the Panzeraufklärungsabteilung.