Rapid Fire! - France 1940 in 20mm - Bunkerknacker!

 

 

As many times happens, Colin and Richard are to blame for this one. The Bunkernacker ('Bufla') shows up with importace in the lists of 1st PD in the RF! Blitzkrieg Battlegroups book. I looked for a proper model to buy and could only find some very expensive die-cast models made in Germany and sold in Czech Republic (or made in Czech Republic and sold in Germany, something like that).

 

 

For this conversion I used  the Airfix model of the 88mm and tractor that was previously destined to be used by the German Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil war.

 

 

The only markings are the Kleist army group symbol, licence plates and the white Balkankreuz.

 

 

The crew are converted hard plastic Matchbox figures. The arms were carved out and Milliput arms were added with plastic 88mm shells included.

 

 

There is a 3mm gap between tracks and main hull that was eliminated with a seam of hot glue .

 

 

The hot glue also makes the model sturdier. If you don't do something like this there will be a big hole that can easily be seen from this angle. I left this one without the brown camouflage for a possible use in the Eastern Front.

 

 

 

The main reference books for this model were Panzerwaffe- The Campaigns in the West by Mark Healy and Case Yellow from Firefly Collection.

 

 

 

The Airfix parts are world wide recognisable sand colour with Evergreen plastic card

in white.

 

   

 

The mantlet has to be cut down to shape and some parts added.

 

 

The rear ammunition baskets were made in another hard styrene I had around.

 

 

All original engine parts should be built and all new structures are glued on top of the original ones. This helps a lot the building process.

 

 

The driver cabin is the biggest effort but as this is a sole child the end result is good enough for me.

 

 

These venerable Matchbox figures ended their artificial carreer in the artillery! The Milliput arms can be seen as well as the 88mm shells (in fact 50mm shells from PSC as the Omaha WN's ate all true 88mm shells I had. The difference is not big because the shells are 1/72nd scale and the figures are 1/76th scale which helps to mask the difference) .

 

 

Next: last S-Models H-39's I needed already arrived, but I'm also inclined to build the artillery group of the Portuguese Brigada Mecanizada for my splendidly humble 2008 series... I will leave it in Jesus hands but as Jesus is my middle name, its in my hands :).