Introduction

The use of trucks by the German Army in World War 2 does not seem to get the attention as the German halftracks or if it does not have the name Opel. Starting in 1934 the Einhiets-Fahrgestelle began development of the Einheits-Lastkraftwagen, or standard lorry, with payloads of 1.5, 2.5, and 4 tons. Only the 2.5 ton with 6 axles went into production with almost 17,500 trucks built. The truck was powered by the MAN 80hp diesel engine, and was 6-wheel drive.

During the war there were a lot of field modification done, including of mounting of different weapons. IBG Models has now brought us the Einheitsdiesel with the Italian Breda 37mm mounted in the truck bed.

Contents

Inside the relatively large box you will find the following:

5 – plastic sprues
1 – sprue of clear plastic
Small Decal Sheet
Metal Barrel

Review

A first look that the sprues, and I notice some well molded grey plastic with little to no visible flash and no sink marks. I did find a couple of ejector pins marks that will need to filled, for example on the interior cab firewall, under the fenders, on the gear for the gun. The molding detail is very well done, as I found the majority of the detail to be crisp.

One thing I really notices is the lack of larger parts, most of the parts are smaller, and there are a lot of them. And this is due to the engine, frame, and drive components. Assembly of the truck frame is a multi-part affair, and I mean a lot of parts. Looking at the sprues and instructions, the completed frame looks to be very well detailed. Also included is a well detailed engine too. And for those who like to leave the engine compartment open, a little wire and plumbing can be scratch done, and this would be an engine to be proud of.

As for the drive components, they are also a multi-part assembly, and some time and care will be need to ensure you get everything lined up correctly. But again, once complete will add to the great detail on the underside of this truck.

Unfortunately I cannot say the same for the cab of the truck. While the Einheitsdiesel did not have a very busy cab, the details are not a lot. The cab details include the steering wheel, shifters and brake levers, two pedals, and very plain instrument panel. For those who would like to leave the bench seat of, you would get a view of some of the fame detail, including the batteries and fuel tank. In my opinion, the interior will require some scratch building and/or aftermarket parts to dress it up a little. Another factor for the cab, is the doors are molded closed, so a little work will need to be done here as well if you wish to have open cab doors. You should also note that there is only clear plastic for the front windshield, and the clear plastic is very well done, including the molding of the extra bar on the driver side that will need to be masked and painted.

The bed of the truck looks good, with the wood planks, but for some the lack of wood grain molded into the planks may be a downer. But this should not be that much of an issue, as wood grain can be simulated with paint or decals if you need the grain to shown after weathering.

The assembly of the gun looks to include some nice detail as well, with IBG Models including a turned metal barrel in the kit. Also included are several ammunition boxes to add for stowage. The one part that I did not find very well detailed was the ammunition tray for the gun, the 37mm rounds look a little flat.

The instructions look well laid out across 40 steps, with a couple steps looking just a little busy. But with some care and preplanning, should make assembly relatively easy. The instructions do include some callouts for paint, referencing Vallejo Model and Air colors. The kit includes marking and paint scheme for one vehicle, serving in Italy in 1943. As for the decals, they are very well printed and well within register.

Conclusion

Overall this looks to be a great looking kit from IBG Models, and definitely an interesting subject. The kit has a great looking frame and engine. The only draw backs I have found in the lack of interior cab detail and the softly molded ammunition loading plate. For soft skin fans though, this should be a great build and result in a great looking model, highly recommended.