I am finally getting around to building this kit and I am wondering about the extra parts to make a Bundswehr version. There's two sprue H with parts for the German version but not many of the parts are called for in the instructions. I am wondering if the MG42 machine gun was ever mounted on the tank instead of the .50 Cal. Also was wondering about the extra pioneer tools as the kit has you use the American style frame to hold the tools. I have seen some pictures where the .50 Cal. is left off all together. Any help appreciated.

Chris,

I haven't got this kit although I have made a Bundeswehr M41 from the Tamiya offering albeit using AFV Club tracks.

Having scoured the Tankograd book on the subject it appears that the only German mods to the vehicle were the addition of the smoke dischargers; earlier versions - doubtless supplied within the auspices of the US Military Assistance Programme - were just as the issued US versions including the .50 MG. There is no evidence whatsoever (within the Tankograd books) of any MG 3 (revised MG 42) being used.

What I did utilise was the excellent Valkyrie early Bundeswehr crew and for a splash of colour added a traffic wand in red and white, plus some foliage to portray a camouflaged vehicle.

Brian

Could the extra German parts be from common sprues used on the AFV Club Bundeswehr M42A1 Duster? It uses an MG3 on the turret.

Chris,
As a former M41 TC in the Bundeswehr, I can tell you for sure that we never had MG3s (ex MG42) mounted. On the turret roof, Ma Deuce, and Browning .30 cal as coax weapon.
As for German changes to the tanks, there were white rectangular position lights on the front fenders, in front of the US-style tool rack on the right and at the end of the diagonal fender brace on the left. According to German traffic laws, vehicle lights must not be further inboard than 40 cm (16 in), so the tail lights couldn't remain as supplied by the US, and German-style truck tail lights (round, upper half amber, lower half red) were mounted on the rear fenders, right behind the mufflers and outboard of the exhaust tubes. To protect them against the immense heat of the mufflers (we could light our cigarettes on them after half an hour's drive), circular asbestos (!) discs were mounted to the lights' rear. Actually, these lights rarely burned for more than an hour before giving in to the combined attacks of heat and vibrations they were exposed to.
The smoke dischargers were installed in mid-1965, but regarding the convoy crosses, I can't remember having cleaned them in my time thru march '66. As for the pioneer tools, we invariably had them in the US standard sheet metal rack on the right hand front fender. The APU muffler was mounted either on the right hand engine muffler cover or between hull and tool rack, with the exhaust tube looking like a metal shower hose i.e. like a hose in a spiral.
I don't know if this was a German specialty, but we frequently had normal road wheels as idlers instead of the perforated standard ones.
HTH,
Peter

That was common for later vehicles. Eventually a wheel with a roughly triangular tire was used, along with the semicircular tires on the return rollers.

KL

The Bundeswehr bits are from AFV-Club's M88A1G. That is why you get all the track repair tools and spare center guides.

I had enough spare lights to fix up the old Monogram M48A2 as a M48A2G. The old Lo Model conversion kit didn't include the additional lights but the AFV-Club M4I NATO did.

I have seen M41 with MG42 but I'm sure it was in a war movie where it played a German tank.

Addendum:
Not knowing the AFV Club kit, I want to add the following details: The Bw M41 had rather large red reflectors in armored rings on its final drives (the size of the factory-installed US taillights) plus another one of the same size in a black rubber ring on the end of the canvas muzzle cover (which also covered the bore evacuator). The two "Jerry" cans used to be US water cans with their characteristic large lids - hanging 2 cans at 5 gallons each of gasoline above the hot exhausts would've been inviting disaster, while not being useful for much more than starting and warming up the engine.
But a cup of coffee and a little washing were always welcome.
Peter