Introduction

Although the thought of the German Army in WWII is one of a highly mobile, motorized Army; the Germans relied for much of their transport on horse power. Comparatively few model kits deal with this though, the Tamiya ‘Goulash Kanone’ and Italeri horse drawn ambulance and transport wagon being the notable exceptions. Horses where also used by (dispatch) riders and to tow artillery. Which brings me to this nifty little set of Photo-etch from Eduard. Although titled ‘sPzB 41 AT Gun 28mm’ the parts for the anti-tank gun are just a few. The majority of this set is to detail the horse that is pulling it, and the soldier tending the horse. This set is for Dragon Kit No. 6079

what’s in the envelope?

The clear envelope holds one fret of Photo-etch brass, and three pages of instructions. As always the fret is sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard, to avoid damage.

a closer look

Gun shield

Despite the set’s title there is only a replacement for the gun shield included, and two racks for the ammo cases that fit on the legs. The gun shield is, as you would expect, an improvement on the plastic parts, as it’s much more in-scale. The two shields are separated by two brackets, and dressed up with a variety of small details. The aiming/trigger device has it’s own small shield, and this also is provided as two separate shields with spacing brackets and other detail.

Soldiers equipment

The set provides parts to improve and add some very useful detail, and this could be used for any German Heer soldier. There are slings for the MP40 and K98, as well as for the Gasmask Canister. For the ammo pouches, both MP40 and K98, replacement locking tabs are included. And there is a chin strap for the helmet.

Equipment for horse

This could again be used on almost any horse pulling a ‘trailer’ of some sort. The harness is fairly universal, and it goes without saying that Photo-etch straps and buckles are far superior to plastic. A nice touch is the horse shoes, although these are only useful if the horse is ‘in motion’.

conclusion

If you happen to have the Dragon kit of the horse drawn sPzB 41, this set is a must have item. If you don’t have the sPzB 41 kit, but another kit which includes a horse, this set will be very useful. If you are looking for some fine detail for either a sPzB41, a single soldier, or a horse, this set won’t disappoint. At $12.95 it probably falls just inside the ‘I’ll pick it up anyway’ price bracket, but the value for money factor will depend on how much of this set you will use.

My thanks to Eduard for this review sample.