Attack
Hobby's 1/72 Grille Ausf. H & Munitionsfahrzeug
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
History
One of the most successful tracked vehicle chassis has to be that of
the Czech LT. vz. 38. Not only was it a successful tank, but the spinoffs
from the basic chassis kept this basic design rolling for decades. A simple
conversion of the basic design was that of 
the
Munitionsfahrzeug. Basically nothing more than an armored ammunition carrier,
the munitionsfharzeug took the basic PzKpfw 38(t) tank and removed the
turret. A crew of two handled the maneuvering and the resulting space
created by the removal of the turret was then used to carry just about
anything.
More impressive, though, was the Marder III and Grille conversions. The Grille was formally known as the Sd.Kfz 138/1 self-propelled heavy infantry gun and matched the Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) chassis with the powerful 15cm sIG 33 infantry gun. Removal of the turret and mounting of the gun resulted in a very high-sided vehicle, but the weapon was very effective and the resultant Grille saw service in nearly every front.
The KitsAttack Hobby is a fairly new name on the 1/72 armor market and they're making a splash by releasing an almost complete line of Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) tanks and conversions. The first two kits were an Ausf C. and an Ausf. G light tanks. The next two releases are the Grille and Munitionsfahrzeug seen here, and as can be expected they share a large number of common parts, just like the originals.The Munitionsfahrzeug has the simplest setup as there is no turret to worry about. In fact, your job of building this kit can be made much simpler if you decide to have the top covering the interior, although the kit does provide both a closed and open canvas cover. Boxes and jerry cans help fill the insides should you wish to show it off.The Grille is a bit more complicated as everything is hanging out, so to speak. With the open top to the vehicle everything from the gun to the engine and transmission is visible, and Attack Hobby has done a fairly good job at detailing this. There is room for improvement, though, mainly in the areas where injection molding can't capture fine detailing, like handles and such. I suspect that we might see an aftermarket detail set for the Grille before too long, and if not there are plenty of other useful tidbits out there that can be used to spruce this kit up.A small decal sheet is common between the two as well, with crosses and a few detail markings. |
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Initially in the box these kits look to be quite nice and should build up into excellent replicas. One word of warning, though. I've started building one of the Attack Hobby Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) tanks and while the construction is straightforward there is one area that needs some help. That is the area of the fenders and running gear. Built out of the box there is no room between the fenders and the roadwheels to fit the track. In fact, the fenders and the rear roadwheels actually touch, making it difficult to even fit the wheels on! But not all is lost here. By thinning the fenders down (and as a result making them appear more realistic) and sanding the treads down a bit, everything can be made to fit and look right. Definitely do the fenders before attaching them to the body, though, as thinning them down while attached is next to impossible!
Conclusion
Attack Hobby has filled an important blank spot in 1/72 armor with their Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) releases, and these two new additions help fill out any German armor collection. But Attack Hobby won't stop here, as they have also announced a PzBefWg 38(t) Ausf. B, a PzBefWg 38(t) Ausf. F, an Aufklärungspanzer 140/1, and an LTvz 38/PzKpfw 38(t) Ausf. A, all based on the same core parts. All of these will be most welcome and I look forward to their next release!
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