Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale
‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6285; Sd.Kfz. 186 Jagdtiger Henschel
Production Type
by Cookie Sewell
652 parts (346 in grey styrene, 244 "Magic Track"
links, 42 etched metal, 8 in clear stryene, 4 cast white metal, 4 turned
aluminum pins, 2 turned brass, 1 turned aluminum gun barrel, 1 length
of twisted steel wire); price estimated at US $34
Advantages: kit appears to be upgraded and revised with
new parts from recent Tiger II kits added in
Disadvantages: market for this vehicle not as extensive
as others
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German armor fans
F I R S T L O O K
It's amazing that for a vehicle that only had a production
run of 77 vehicles (67 with Henschel suspension and 10 with Porsche bogie
units) this particular tank destroyer remains popular with modelers. Its
combat career (at over 70 short tons it was very limited as to where it
could go, especially as its length hobbled it in enclosed spaces) was
not all that spectacular; it was a vehicle designed to kill Soviet heavy
tanks at combat ranges, and instead wound up mostly being used against
American forces on the Western front. Still, it did put fear into many
American commanders, and the T26E4 Pershing with the hyper-velocity 90mm
gun was sent over from the US in case the 3rd Armored Division ran into
one.
DML has now released an updated version of its recent Jagdtiger
kit with some new sprues added to it. The kit now includes the improved
Henschel steel wheels found in the recent Tiger II kits as well as their
modeler-friendly "Magic Track" – pre-trimmed snap-together
links that only have to be snapped together, installed and then touched
with cement to set them.
Also provided are a new turned aluminum gun barrel and a
turned brass "projo" and casing for the big 12.8 cm gun. It
includes the choice of turned wire cables and white metal tow clevises
and pins as well. Tools are replaced with the new "standard German
OVM" sprues now provided with each new DML German kit. More clear
styrene periscopes also are provided.
I have heard some complaints that the original DML kit was
too short, making too much use of their early Tiger II chassis pan and
hull. I can't confirm this one is correct – but I measured the upper
hull and it came out to right around 203 mm in length (7.1 meters) which
matched with the plans I had.
The kit does provide the AA machine gun and mount, which
go on the rear deck of the vehicle. There is no "Zimmerit" finish,
which is fine, as these vehicles were only provided with that surface
treatment for less than two months of their production run (July-September
1944.) Even then, I always recall the Jagdtiger as its application is
screwy – it cuts off about halfway up the casemate sides (I guess
somebody figured it would take a very tall Soviet to get a sticky bomb
or magnetic mine that high!)
Six finishing options are suggested, but the kit comes with
a complete "number jungle" sheet to do all of the vehicles in
the two battalions it equipped, sPzJgAbt. 512 and sPzJgAbt. 653, as well
as one unknown "stray". Specific information is provided for:
1 – "X7" from the 512th; 2 – "115" from
1/653rd; 3 – "301" from 3/653rd; 4 – Unknown (which
may be a mistake – these markings are apparently factory production
codes and markings, not used on finished vehicles; one photograph that
clearly shows these markings is of the production line at Niebelungewerke);
5 – "211"from 2/512th, and 6 – 1/653rd. "X7"
is probably the best known as it was captured after it got stuck in a
small town.
Overall this is a nice upgrade to a good kit, and one that
should still remain popular with modelers. I guess most of them are just
fascinated with BIG!
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
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