Bill Plunk (wbill76) provides an in-depth description and illustrated build of DML''s kit #6357 10.5cm K.Pz.Sfl.IVa "Dicker Max".

Maximum Firepower: DML's "Dicker Max"



A companion Step-by-Step Build Log is also available.


If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Nice job Bill.

Thanks Dave.

On a level of coolness, this vehicle goes right to the top. Excellent build, paint job and weathering Bill. I really want one of these now. Excellent.

I just recently read a book on this AFV and it is a very cool one. The feature is nicely done. Good job

Scott,

The "Max" certainly has an interesting history. One of the things I thought interesting is that the crews never referred to it by this name, it only picked it up later on. Also some fascinating speculation on whether the "white dot" on the front hull was a means of telling the 2 vehicles apart from each other as the dot is present when there are still 2 in service but vanishes in later photos when only 1 still survived.

Frank,

Have to agree with you on the attractive nature of the subject...I tend towards the stranger vehicles because of their uniqueness and this one fills that in almost every possible way.

excellent weathering job!

Tom

Thanks Tom, much appreciated.

Bill,

Excellent and very inspiring build!!

Darryl

Thanks Darryl, glad you enjoyed it.

Bill

Great job and thanks for the report. Went out and bought one for myself.

Can't wait to put it together.

Bill,

Very nice! Nice paint work.

Hi Bill,

Excellent build, the finish is tops. Tis a shame the vehicle never caught on as its got great lines ........

cheers
Brent

Andrew, Thomas, Brent, appreciate the comments!

Hi Bill,

You really did a good job on the "Dicker Max" there.

The only thing that is off a bit is the story about the K.Pz.Sfl. IVa.

It was originally developed in 1939 by Krupp in the Grusonwerke in Magdeburg. The demands from the Wehrmacht where to design a vehicle with enough firepower to be able to destroy bunkers and penetrate armour (under a 30 degree angle) at long ranges (over 2 km's).

Krupp started to design two different vehicles, both based on the PzKpfW-IVA. The first would be equipped with the 10.5 cm schwere Feldhaubitze K 18 L/52 (which was conveniently produced by their neighbours) and the other with a 12.8 cm gun.

Because the 10.5 cm gun was produced next door and it was easier to install, Krupp settled for the K-18.

Eventually 2 vehicles where produced as prototypes (even though Hitler wanted to start serial production right away) and where sent to the 521st Panzerjäger Detachment for a proposed attack on Gibraltar. When this never eventuated, they were transferred to the 3rd Panzer Division and saw combat on the Eastern Front in 1941.
Eventually one prototype was captured by the Russians after it got hit. The hit caused a fire, resulting in the ammo to ignite rendering the vehicle useless.
The second vehicle was then sent back to the Grusonwerke in Magdeburg to be refitted as a normal PzKpfW-IV.

The serial production of the "Dicker-Max" never started because the Germans decided to build the Nashorn instead. That vehicle could be produced a lot faster, but also packed less of a punch. Looking in hindsight, serial-production of the "Dicker-Max" could have proven to be more useful since it's 10.5 cm gun would even have been lethal for the later JS-2 tanks.

Greetz Recce

wow Bill, lovely build and weathering!

Recce,

Thanks for the additional information on the history of the Max.

Kevin,

Thanks as well for your comments.