Yes, here ya go. Never seen this AFV before.Aug 2016

From what I have seen, this vehicle only existed as a prototype, never used in action. But it is a cool looking vehicle.

Wasn't this tank crowded enough without jamming an entire AA gun inside?

I'll very likely buy one, just because I happen to like Hetzers. I WISH that DRAGON would do a "Bergehetzer". At least THEY did enter service...

Historically speaking, this vehicle doesn't even make it onto the "Insignificant List". I expect that this kit will be popular among the the "Panzer-heads", especially the guys that are into "Paper Panzers", and the "1946-? whenever-they-decide-that-they-want-to-end-WWII-crowd"...

It IS a "believable" concept though, other than some of those other ridiculous things like the "MAUS" and that 1,000-ton monstrosity...

Definitely! But who said that the NAZIS ever cared about "crew-comfort"..?

I don´t found it crowded when I sat in a Hetzer a few years ago. Even being 6`4", there is enough space to work inside.

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I'll very likely buy one, just because I happen to like Hetzers. I WISH that DRAGON would do a "Bergehetzer". At least THEY did enter service...

How about the LZ ones? Probably cheaper than Dragon would do them for.

http://www.lzmodels.com/135-German-Bergepanzer-Hetzer.html

The photo etch racks on the hull sides of this kit are the ones used to hold the jib/crane part of the Bergpanzer 38t, so it wouldn't be much of a stretch to assume there is one coming.

A couple of pics I chanced upon:





Looks real (?)

looks like these things actually did see service. Of course the pictures may have been tampered with, I don't think so but it's possible. I like this release. Looking for more variants of the 38(t). Very cool.

I would have to say that at least the first pic looks quite genuine. Seems sorta likely that the second is, too. I've seen many "photoshopped" armor pictures and it's actually rare to see one which is really convincing. Which I would expect, given as we're talking historical trivia worth very little actual money, such as whether or not a 2cm-armed BergeHetzer actually ever served. It's just not seemingly worth much of some talented guy's time to anonymously P-S something like this. Which is why most of the fakes look FAKE. IF these are P-S'd, the guy did a pretty nice job. I would have to ask "why?", if someone did bother to do this.

The BIG implication of both pictures being "real" is that there would definitely have had to have been at least TWO of these conversions fielded!

It's a cool-looking contraption, and, as I'm a fan of both 2cm FlaK38 stuff AND of the Pz. 38(t) and its derivatives, I suspect that I'll have to get one of these sometime - but after the hot flurry has subsided!

As an aside about the vehicle and the concept; It seems to have been a clearly "desperation" move - a single 2cm gun was already known to be of little AA-defense value by 1945. The tiny gun would have been just as mobile on a truck and for less fuel. This contraption used a useful armored hull to carry one small pop-gun. While it COULD well have been built or conceived-of to really be more of a ground-attack / support weapon than an AA platform, one might expect that there would have been more of a "nod" towards gunner-protection - a couple of simple shields would have helped that immensely, I think.

As to "room inside"... It looks like it was probably roomy enough for the gunner and assistant. More so than that SdKfz 234 modified with the 2cm -38 looked to be. Actually, the Germans were VERY interested in crew success - and recognized that relative comfort and room to move around in facilitated combat success. This is why the Pz III, Pz IV, Panther, StuG III/IV and JagdPanther fighting-spaces are all noted as being pretty crew-friendly - as compared, say, to the terrible crew-spaces in Russian tanks and in most WWII French tanks. That crew-space roominess and "comfort" contributed hugely to the high success-rates enjoyed by those tanks even when they were in sometimes less well-armored, slower, and less-reliable than other's tanks. Modern tanks mostly follow more the roomy, well-laid-out "German WWII" concept than the cramped and non-ergonomic Russian T-34 and KV interior designs.

Cheers! Bob

looks like "Doc" in that last picture of yours lol!

This just looks to me like one of those very late war set up Germany was putting anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns on anything they could mount them on.

it's a cool-looking beast; might have to try to grab one sometime after, as one post said, "the hot flurry has subsided;" looks like it was more than a "paper-panzer" but then again I kinda like some of those and that one guy in the photo does look like "Doc" from Back to the Future; very funny

funny

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I built a "Bergehetzer" with the older NEW CONNECTIONS "Berhehetzer" Conversion kit back in 2003, using an old DML "Flammpanzer Hetzer" kit as a donor kit. LZ Models also makes a very nice s.IG.33/2 Conversion; DRAGON will be marketing this vehicle as a new kit soon, along with their 2cm FLAK-Hetzer, and their Hetzer "Aufklarer"...

I just thought that if DRAGON would do a "Bergehetzer" along with the other Hetzer-based kits that they're releasing of late, that it would round out their 38(t) line of kits quite nicely. If DRAGON is going to do a line of converted Hetzers, maybe they should do newly-tooled versions of the original Hetzers, as well. I happen to like Hetzers, but as far as WWII German AFVs and Soft-skins are concerned, I mostly build the earlier German PANZERGRAU and AFRIKAKORPS stuff. I don't go in for every Tiger I & II or Panther that ever left their respective factories- One Early or Initial, Mid and Late of each is entirely enough for me...

As far as AFVs and Soft-skins go, I concentrate on WWII US/Allied stuff in 1/35. In 1/48 Aircraft, I give it a lot more leeway, as far as the aircraft themselves are concerned, i.e, nation and eras, military AND civilian subjects...

Did you have 3 more guys inside this Hetzer with you..? And what about ammo and "personal equipment"..? I imagine space inside a Hetzer or any 38(t)-based vehicle would be about as bad as one of our M3-series or M5-series Stuarts...

The kit is marked as a 2 in 1, what is the other option in the box?

!!!!!

My thoughts exactly; if you don't do it like they did how can you know how roomy it was?

Probably looking where he put the flux capacitor

Nice pics. What is that fitting on the front hull of the cannon armed Hetzer?

It looks like a towing eye welded on. First time I've seen such on JPz 38.

As much as I want this kit, the box art does not match either of the the two photographed examples in any way. Beside being a bergehetzer with a flak 38. Then again, it was long thought that this field mod consisted of a mountain flak dropped into a gutted out bergehetzer. So, there may be more information out there than I am privy to. Wouldn't be the first time.

The Heer found their soldiers cared much less about crew comfort after a visit to the camps