Pitt Stop

 

SdKfz 263 Modifications

  • Tamiya SdKfz 232 kit.
  • ADV/Azimut SdKfz 263 conversion.
  • Royal Models wheels and headlights.
  • Aber Width indicators.
  • Eduard PE set.
  • Moskit Exhausts.
  • Tamiya jerry cans with Aber details.
  • Scratch-built antennas.
  • Cal-Scale MG 34 barrel.
  • Resicast “flimsies” and assorted tarps and stowage.
  • Greif lenses.
  • Warriors pith helmets.
  • Archer Fine Transfers.
 
   

Diorama Construction

The premise of the scene is a group of war weary reconnaissance troops stopping at a North African well to replenish and take a break.

            The well is a resin kit from Model Victoria and was painted with acrylics and pastels (not pigments).  The unbroken pots and drums around the well were home cast resin pieces.   I took a few castings of the pots broke off the handles and made vac-u-form replicas.  These were then cut out and weathered to be the broken pieces off to the side.      
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
The palm trees are from Hart of the South.  They took several days to assemble as each palm fond had to be removed from the backing and clued to a wire.  They were then pressed into a ball of sand on top of the resin trunks and liberally coated with super glue and sand.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   

DAK Figures

DML’s Afrika Korps figure set was used with one head replaced with a Warriors one.  I poured through my DAK reference material to get the uniforms as authentic as possible.  The high tropical boots (pictured at right) were painted in a green color.  I chose to make mine a little lighter as they were faded by the sun.

The remaining figures wore the tropical ankle boots as pictured on the left.  I originally painted the canvas on these tan until further research revealed that the Luftwaffe boots were tan and army were dark green.
   
 
   
 
   

The figure with the sweater was painted according to the reference picture on the right.  Contrary to popular belief, the DAK troops did not wear light tan clothes as a rule.  They were a mix of issues mostly medium to dark green.  I wanted to represent this by painting all of the uniform pieces differently.  Research showed that the cloth caps tended to fade quickly in the sun so I did paint them very light sand. 

  

 
   
          All figures were painted with Vallejo acrylic paints.  Shoulder straps and collar tabs are Archer Fine Transfers.  The figures were painted to represent a reconnaissance group in 1942.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
The fit of the Azimut conversion kit was very poor and required hours of sanding and tons of putty. I replaced all the hatch and pistol port covers with styrene sheet.  The hinges came from the Eduard PE set.  Missing bolts were added from styrene and a Waldron punch-and-die set. 
   
Once the main superstructure and chassis were completed I started on the large frame antenna.  Working from scale drawings, I annealed some brass rod and formed the outside shape of the antenna.  Cross bars were soldered together to finish it off.  The antenna supports were made from brass tubing and soldered to the antenna.  The antenna on the rear deck was made from brass tubing and punched discs cut in half.  The crank was the only part used from the Azimut conversion.
   
The remaining Eduard PE parts were added and the model was ready for painting.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 

 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
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