Stug. III Ausf. B w/AssaultTroops

Manufacturer: Alemany (Kit#FG7209)

This is the first Alemanykit I have seen, and thankfully, I was warned ahead of time thatit wasn't a great kit. But, while it is nowhere near the qualityof many of the best resin manufacturers, I certainly have seenworse kits, and with some care, I think this can build intopretty decent model.

The main hull is resin,and the best I can tell, it is an original piece. I'm prettycertain that it is not based on the old ESCI Stug, but if it is,the alterations are extensive. As mentioned above, the quality isnot great, with a hand-crafted appearance to everything. But thedetail is abundant, and accurate as far as I can tell.

The main chassis parts aremolded onto the hull, as are the top track runs, and the engineexhaust system.

The remainder of the kitparts are provided in cast metal. The roadwheels and hatches arevery well done, but the sprocket and idler wheels are a littlecrude, as is the main gun. The tracks appear to be copies of theESCI Pz. III tracks, and although they lack detail on the innersurfaces, they will certainly be easy to bend into shape aroundthe wheels.

This box is a combo-set,which comes with a set of assault troops, as pictured above. Fourcomplete figures, and two half-figures for tank crewmen areincluded. They are a mixed bag, with some scale problems. Acouple of the standing figures are absolutely huge, whereas theseparate arm pieces are miniaturized. New arms will be needed forsome of these guys. The poses are a little strange, but I thinkthat one of them is in the process of throwing a hand grenade.Some of the weapons will also need replacing. Aside from thoseobservations, the detail is fairly good, and I actually like thefigures better than the vehicle in this set.

No decals or instructionsare provided.

Thank you to Jim Matthiessen for sending me the reviewsample.