75mm Assault Gun  By Nigel Robins   

This kit was first released in 1962 and is a model of a medium production model StuG III Ausf G with a Topfblende (Saukopf) cast mantlet.   It deserves a more accurate title than it is given on the box. Unlike many older and indeed new kits in this scale the StuG is  dimensionally perfect.   Its second great virtue is that it is easy to build. It was clearly modelled on the example in Bovington Tank Museum even down to the missing roof-top machine gun. The shield is there but not the gun!  The gun barrel, as in some of these early kits, is too fine and in my opinion the road-wheels are a little crude. The tracks however, are good, as are the sprocket and idler wheels. The radio aerials provided are best replaced with fine wire but Airfix at least tried to represent them. There is no evidence of Schurzen support rails or the plates themselves but this is not a disaster as some StuGs never had them fitted and these can be added by the modeller easily with plastic card and strut or an add-on kit if you are so inclined. Finally some of the rivets on the track guards are a little overdone by current standards.  

Simple Steps to turn a very good kit into an excellent one

replace the aerials drill out the road wheels   replace the gun barrel add a roof-top MG

Easy conversions - 

1. replace the 75mm gun with a 10.5 cm to build a StuH 42

2. add Schurzen.  There are good etched brass kits on the market but the weight of the brass puts a strain on the fixings if you keep them accurate.  We advise using a very thin plastic card.

3. Replace the Saukopf mantlet with the earlier square version.  Matador kits KGG-04 and KCG-18 provide parts and templates for Schurzen.

Conclusion

This is a fine kit and very good value for money.  It really looks the part when made up .  The Topfblende (Saukopf) cast mantlet is superb and the vehicle is dimensionally accurate, unlike the Fujimi effort, which is vastly too wide. Even the decals are not too bad, three crosses and a unit badge, which is probably correct for a late war German vehicle. Airfix even suggest painting it something close to dark yellow though any late war scheme is appropriate. For 1962 this was a very fine effort considering the lack of reference material that was available then compared with today and the kit still stands up to close inspection!