LEVAProduction's 1/72 scale Pak 43 Anti Tank Gun,

Kit #72-A-10 andDefensive Position & Ammunition accessories.

By Stephen Brezinski

LEVA Productions,11,260 Rue Bellavois, Montreal-Nord, Quebec, CANADA, H1H 3E2

http://www.geocities.com/levaproductions/levamain.html

Historical Information : developed as an offshoot of a new 88-mm AA gun projects, this wasa dedicated anti-tank (AT) weapon. It was a variation of the samegun used in the Tiger II and JagdPanther, as the KwK 43; and onthe Nashorn and on the two wheeled split trail carriage as thePak 43/1. Note that this LEVA Pak 43gun cannot be used in a Nashorn, as the Nashorn's gun has adifferent recoil system & breach.

Weight in-action was 3700 kg (8156 lb.). Traverse of 360degrees and elevation of -8 to +40 degrees. It had an averagemuzzle velocity 0f 750 m/s (2461 f/s) for a maximum range of17500 meters (19138 yds.). The gun can be modeled on all Germanfronts (except Africa) from 1943 to 1945. In a field artilleryrole its designation was 88 mm K 43. Suitable towing tractorswould be the 8-ton halftrack SdKfz 7 ( Hasegawa kit), a6.5 ton truck (Art Toys kits) or anything else used forthe Flak 18 and Flak 36 guns. This kit comes with solid rubbertires and spoked wheels, though pneumatic tires may also be used,taken from Hasegawa's Flak 18 kit.

1. Two scans of the kit parts out of the package: gun,cruciform base with folding legs, shield, wheels, trailer bodies,seats, elevation & traverse hand wheels, etc. Removing thecasting blocks and flash with a sharp hobby knife and fine sawposed little difficulty. The detail is very good for a staticmodel and will make a good wargaming piece as well.

2. Breach-end view of LEVA's German Panzerabwekanone43 (Pak 43) AT gun kit (72-A-10) ,assembled on its trailers but unpainted and before detailing.This kit comes with the two Sonderanhanger 204 (SdAh 204)trailers for motorized transport. The foldable cruciform legs canfold out. The gunner's seat and traverse and elevation wheels areincluded and well done. Except for the shield braces this isbuilt OOB (Out Of the Box).

3. The kit instructions. Many resin kits come with noinstructions so this is pleasant to see.

4. The SdAh 204 trailers removed and the gun ready for action.The gun and trailers are well molded in gray polyurethane resinand the parts not overly thick. Details such as some shieldbraces, winch handles and brake cables may be added. A lessexpensive version of the kit without the limbers (Kit #72-A-10/1) is also offered by LEVA . A typicalpaint scheme for this gun would be a base of Dunkle Gelb (PanzerYellow) as it was issued after the spring of 1943 and often withgreen and/or brown patches. The rubber tires should be dark grayin this scale, not black.

5. Photo of the separate Pak 43 ammunition assessoryset (#72-E-15) which includes both boxed and tubedammunition, loose shells, and stacked shells with shell rammers.This Pak 43 weapon used the same bottleneck shaped shells as thePak 43/1 and the KwK 43 tank gun, unlike the shells of the 88-mmFlak 18 & 36 guns.

6. The gun positioned in LEVA's resin Pak 43Gun Position base (Kit number unknown at present). Theone-piece resin base comes with Pak 43 ammunition (at right),camouflage netting (foreground), and sandbags (right background)molded in. The base is approximately 15 cm (6 inches) indiameter. The base may work with a 1/72 or 1/76 scale Pak 43/1kit (the gun with two wheels and split trails such as from TPModels ) though may need some modification. The base may alsowork with Hasegawa's Flak 18 and Flak 36 kits.

You can see that as a dedicated AT gun, and unlike the Flak 18& Flak 36 AA guns, it had a low profile and could not rise toa high elevation. This was generally considered the best AT gunof WW2, though heavy and difficult to maneuver.

7. Breech-end view of the unpainted Pak 43 set in LEVA's base,which I have already painted. At far left are the 88-mmammunition tubes. On the left side of the gun breech is thegunner's seat and handwheels. In the right foreground is asandbagged dugout. Note the distinct weld seams on the sides ofthe legs.

8. Photos of a Pak 43 located at the US Army's AberdeenProving Grounds in Aberdeen Maryland, USA. Some cables aremissing though otherwise it is in great condition. In thebackground you can catch the long barrel of a Pak 43/1. In photosI have seen a number of variations in the gun's fittings andshield so I am not worried if the LEVA model does notexactly match all the available photos.

And here are photos of the completed kit:

I purchased this kit from Stuempfles Military Miniatures inPennsylvania, USA. (http://users.supernet.com/stumpfle/)

References

German Artillery of WW2 , Ian V.Hogg, The Crowood Press (1996). Only on German weapons: field,AT, AA railroad and fortress guns, few descriptions of capturedweapons. Highly recommended.

Aberdeen Proving Grounds ,Aberdeen, Maryland. Personal photos of 1999 and 2000.