Hello!

Anyone know were to find this kit in the USA:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/133431-rpm-35051-15-cm-sfh-13-1-sf-auf-gw-lr-s-f-sd-kfz-135-1

¿?

Best regards!

It's one of those RPM kits of the modified Lorraine tractor that Alfred Becker adapted as armored field guns (SPG).

I have that very kit you are looking for. I believe that RPM actually put out 2 kits of this thing - one for the "north Africa" front, and one painted up as for "Normandy 1944"... Frankly, I think both boxings are of the same plastic. Which may be actually realistic, as there was one limited "production run" of these, back in 1942. There were no "early, mid, or late" versions. I think most stayed right in France where Becker made them (and where there were spare parts to be had) - but some apparently ended up going to Africa.

As to where does a guy find this kit... I don't think it is still in production, so not a common shelf item at the LHS. I see them pop up from time to time on eBay and occasionally one appears in a shop which has older kits around, and model-show vendors sometimes have one. They are, like wild mushrooms when you want some, hard to find, and you find them "where you find them". The kit, FWIW, is a little crude and simplistic - on the poor side of "OK" - and needs a fair amount of love to get to look pretty good. But it's still (until HobbyBoss or someone else catches wind of it! ) the only styrene kit of this beastie, so...

Good luck hunting!

Bob

There's one on eBay right now...

H.P.

Thanks, guys!

You are absolutely wrong about this, and should be a bit more careful when putting information out there that you aren't sure about.

There were TWO production runs of the 15cm SFH 13/1 Geschutzwagen Lorraine Schlepper. The first 30 were manufactured by Alkett around May/June 1942 and the majority went to Rommel in North Africa. The second batch of 72 were built by Baukommando Becker and remained in Europe.

The primary difference between the two versions was the rear spade - they were quite different, with the Alkett one being significantly shorter. There were other differences as well like the front gun travel lock.

I have no idea if the differences have been correctly represented in the two different RPM kits.

Lots of conflicting info on this beast . The Germans captured about 300 Lorraine chassis . The initial order was for 60 mounted with the 7.5 cm Pak 40 , 60 mounting the 10.5 cm leFH18 and 40 with the 15 cm sFH13 - total order 140 . Of course Adolph got involved and the orders got changed , so a total of 170 with the Pak , 94 with the 15 cm and only 12 with the 10.5 ended up being built . As well there are photos of one mounting a French 47 mm gun and a Russian 122 mm gunned version ended up on an armoured train . And Rommel did get some , but which ones and how many I don't know

I love to be corrected, but, as I am 1950 miles removed from my library right now, I'll have to let some of this rest for a bit. But let's be sure... A. Becker designed the thing, starting out with assembling several of these at Alkett-Krefeld (with which Becker was associated in his career as an engineer and with whom he had a big connection in 1942) - after which he was relocated to France to expedite production / conversion using the Hotchkiss plant outside Paris. The first several made (at Alkett) were given over to the DAK, owing to lack of and need for mobile artillery.

You may well be right about there being some variation in travel-locks and yes, there were 2 types of spades (my apologies for having left this salient item out!).

So far as I know, there was no "BauKommando Becker" version and an "Alkett version" - all had the same lower and upper hulls. Any "versioning" would really be based on which spade was used. As to whether it was longer or shorter spades done first, I no longer can say with any confidence! Likewise, I do not recollect (and being 1950 miles away from my library right now, cannot look it up) whether those sent to Africa were the longer or shorter spade version.

As to the kit(s) - I have the Al Alemein (sp!) "version" kit - and I've looked into a "Normandy" kit box - but did not check the spade size and compare. From all I've read otherwise on these kits, IF they differ, that spade would be the appropriate thing to differ in.

Because they were really, other than spades and maybe travel locks, all the same and all built by Becker (just serially so at 2 different locations), I think of them all being one production run...

Again, I don't know (and actually doubt) that the kits are really different, though it would be nice if they did have different spades!

Bob

They pop up on eBay so often , just keep looking .

According to the info on the Scale Mates page linked to in the intial post, the only differences between the two kits are the boxart and decals.

Lots of usefull information, thanks again.