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Sdkfz 10/5 Flak 38

Introduction

Throughout WW2 the German armed forces constantly looked for innovative ways to mobilize light Flak guns initially for anti-aircraft protection and later on for additional increased firepower for ground attack. One such innovation was to mount the Flak 30 on the rear area of an Sdkfz 10 1 ton towing tractor which resulted in the Sdkfz 10/4 variant. Later versions had the Flak 30 replaced with the more efficient Flak 38 and received the designation Sdkfz 10/5 as a result. This build utilizes the venerable Italeri kit # 371 “Demag D7 with Flak 38 Sdkfz 10/5” along with Model Kasten K-31 workable tracks, Armorscale Flak 38 aluminum and brass barrel, Eduard PE detail set, and the DML kit #6288 2.0cm Flak 38 for the gun itself.

Lower Hull, Interior, and Front Half Details

The Italeri kit is not a complex kit with only three sprues of parts, one of which is devoted wholly to the Flak 38, but is deceptive in its initial impression in terms of the amount of work it needs. The first step begins with the driver’s area interior insert and I used the Eduard PE set to add missing detail in the form of the floor boards and pedals. The Eduard PE parts for the drive axles were also added along with the fire extinguisher holder and a spare FE from the spares bin. Step 2 dealt with the lower hull underside and I used Squadron White Putty to fill the visible ejector marks and sanded it smooth. The front steering wheel suspension was added taking care to insure the axle sat level to avoid problems later on.

Step 3 added the sliding inserts and rails for the driver’s compartment and I also took the opportunity to remove the molded on fender support brackets and sanded the area smooth. The driver’s compartment insert was also installed at this point and the driver’s steering wheel left off for easier detail painting in later steps.

Step 4 added the frame for the glass windshields along with the supports for the engine compartment hood. The tabs on the side of the windshield frame were removed and sanded down to avoid problems with the Eduard PE armored cab cover that would be installed later in place of the kit parts.

Step 5 added the side stowage bins and engine exhaust/muffler covers along with the hood for the engine compartment. I removed the large over-scale hinge on the hood with a sharp #11 blade and once the covers were glued in place, added the Eduard PE hinge with liquid glue and careful pressure to keep it aligned properly. The kit hood latches were also replaced with Eduard items and the remaining parts of the front suspension added once the tow hooks and radiator grill were added to complete this step.

Step 6 and 7 were skipped due to they deal with the road wheels and track installation, something I would do much later. Step 8 however dealt with the install of the armored cab cover, so the Eduard PE parts were removed from their fret and bent into the necessary shapes and angles to fit over the cab and windshield frame. I installed the armored sliding visor covers in the closed position and added the side reinforcing brackets to complete its details. Test fits showed that some of the molded on detail on the hood compartment side needed to be removed to allow the cab to line up correctly so this was done and sanded clean. The armored cab was installed using Gator Grip glue where it mated up with the windshield frame and liquid glue along the sides where it contacted the fenders.

Step 9 installed the front headlights and I drilled out their blackout slits with a finger drill to provide better detail/depth to them before their installation. The Notek light on the left fender was installed using the Eduard PE parts for the base of the mount and the Italeri light modified by cutting away the elements of its base that weren’t needed to join the two together. I also replaced the kit parts for the turning indicators and the driver’s mirror with the Eduard parts and a length of brass rod for the mirror mount arm.

Rounding things out for this section, I installed the rifle rack cases as called for in Step 11. The cases were assembled without the rifles and installed in position on the front fenders. Some putty work was needed to fill gaps on their support legs and I added their missing hinge detail using the Eduard PE parts and liquid glue.