While surfing through another well know AFV modeling website, (Missin’-Jinxs), I took a look at Steve Zaloga’s latest work, “Panzernest '44”. [bow]
I have always liked the German Mobile Steel Pillbox, I even got about 3/4 of the way finished scratch-building one, but gave up for lack of detailed photos. Mr Zaloga states this is a RPM kit, but I can’t seem to find it in any on-line HS. Does anyone know if this has been released yet, or did Mr. Zaloga get to build a pre-production model?
Are you talking about this?
There are more reference pictures in this link.
Not that one Dwight, this one;
The US had a prefab pillbox, too. If I recall, it looked like an M3 Stuart turret mounted on a septic tank! Can anyone confirm this?
German Armored MG Panzernest, RPM models #35018.
Little wonder I had a hard time finding it. Who comes up with these names?
Goofy little thing. How thick was the armor?
Here is one still in the ground;
Armor ranged from 5 inches thick at the aperature to 2 inches thick at the sides and top. Total weight was 6955 lbs. The ventilation holes on the sides allow an axle to be passed through the pillbox. Wheels are fitted to this axle and the pillbox can be towed upside down.
I’d hate to hear the crash of A.T. shells hitting it while standing in there. Seems like a deathtrap.
That’s about 120 mm of armor…pretty good for a pillbox. I agree with tigerman, it doesn’t look like it would be easy to get in or out of it in a hurry…
There is a 20 x 23 inch door, hinged at the bottom, mounted on the back side, so one could have a reasonable chance of bailing out. With that much sloped armor and a very low silhouette, it probably was a fairly hard target to knock out. Beats hanging out in a log bunker any day. Still, I don’t think I’d be volunteering to man this thing. It would be rather easy to out-flank unless several were positioned with overlapping fields of fire.