Dragon announces a German SU-76i, which was a Panzer III chassis captured by the Soviets and heavily modified, and then re-captured and modified again by the Germans.

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Thanks!

Isn't this the same as the one under a build log

EDIT -- oh so this one's "new" by having Magic Tracks.

This looks like the Russian command version of this vehicle.

Great subject!!! Fascist meets Bolshevik!!

The irony of the backstory makes this kit worth buying hahaha. Not that I will, but, still. Funny subject

Tat, if you are referring to the one by Kevin Brant, it is not the same -quite similar, but not equal.

The new kit represents a vehicle back in service with the Germans, who added a cupola for the commander on the right hand side. This cupola and its bulge on the casemate are not present on the previous model.

And the tracks, apart from being of the magic tracks type, are Winterketten, the extended ones that were used on the Eastern Front.

My bad Carlos, too quick on the trigger on this one -- didn't realize the difference till I re-read the text. It would be interesting to know if there's additional info on which German units re-captured such rather than just have it labeled as from an unknown unit. Cheers, Tat

they have a bunch of new kits..I like the Pz III with interior.

This is just a a command version made by the Russians. http://wio.ru/tank/capt/capt2.htm

There may have been all of one SU-76i that was recaptured and put back into service by the Germans. As to whether it was ever dressed with Winterketten... we need some good data and evidence on that.

There is at least one picture around showing an SU-76i with the Pz. III cupola mounted (and with the altered casement-side to allow this installation). Paul Owen has posted that picture on Track-Link.com.

I personally think that Paul's picture is of one of these SU-76i built as a unit-command version by the Russians - and that the cupola was added by them for that use, and not some post-recapture modification by any German shop. But that's all just my opinion!

The picture Paul posted is quite interesting, as it suggests that the conversion was done on a captured III-F or III-G tank - it has the hull escape hatches, a mid or later-version idler (I think...), the later wider road wheels for the 40cm tracks, but a widened early-version sprocket of the sort fitted to F and G to use the 40cm tracks.

Sadly, it looks like Dragon intends to tell us that their kit represents a recaptured vehicle which has reputedly been re-fitted by the Germans with a cupola and winterketten. And the Dragon kit evidently will have the later version sprocket. BAH!

With the added cupola and a widened early sprocket, and early version 40cm tracks, one could build a legit model of one of the known Russian command SU-76i. Can one build the possibly only one recaptured SU76i from this kit? I have no idea!

Cheers!

Bob

Hi Bob,
That picture you mention is on the page linked above by Greg.

As for whether is it German or Russian, I can not tell but on this photo the weld seam is different on the cupola side bulge than on the rest of the casemate... If it was done all at once, I would expect the same weld lines all over.

Just my cent

Running out of ideas? feels so desperate, idk

My understanding is there was one SU-76i captured by the Germans, then recaptured by Russians, there is a blurry photo of it and it's white/whitewashed with badly done black crosses. It doesn't have the cuppola feature.

Wether others were captured by Germans I don't know, but to the best of my knowledge the Panzer III/IV mod was made by the Russians, not the Germans.

I would be interested to know the source of information telling the cuppola mod on command SU76is was done by the Germans.

Cheers,

Christophe

Update from Dragon's site:



http://www.dragon-models.com/d-m-item.asp?pid=DRA6856