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Italeri Horch Command Car SdKfz 15 - Final Assembly

Because of all the nooks and crannies, I painted the body and chassis separately with Model Master Panzer Gray. I had left off the doors until the final assembly because I wanted to show them opened and I was going to attempt to build my own hinges. This became the most involved step in the construction, but after much trial and error, here is a technique that seems to work:

• First, sand all the hinge detail off the model, but don't forget to take measurements before you do. Then, using the fine hypodermic tube from an empty Testor's Liquid Cement, cut it into appropriate lengths (two per hinge) with a cutting wheel in a motor tool (a razor saw takes forever, and cutters do not work).

• Insert a wire core into the hinge (a piece of plain copper wire from an old phone works great) and glue it in place from the top of the hinge. One great discovery I made during this process is Formula 560, a strong white glue used by R/C modelers to glue aircraft canopies. It claims to be as strong as super glue, does not run and dries very slowly so you can take your time positioning parts. I used this stuff throughout the hinge construction and it worked like a charm.

Next I cut two pieces of plastic to represent the faces of each hinge. Using the Formula 560, I glue one piece of the hypodermic tube to each piece of plastic (at this point the copper core is only glued to the top half of the hypodermic) and you have a working hinge. Then you just mount two hinges to each door and add a little rivet detail. Once the doors are set and the hinges are glued in place, you can remove the doors and simply hang them when the model is on display, or position them and glue them in place.

At this point I added all those small pieces that had been left off from the previous steps. I replaced the front windscreen with clear acetate for more thinness. The shovel does not fit quite right, so I added a spacer made of sheet plastic to the bracket around the blade.

The lids to the side stowage boxes have some fit problems, so a little filling and sanding was necessary. I added wiring for the headlights, horns, turn signals and windshield wipers from thin solder and replaced the Notek light with one from the Pz IV set.

I replaced the front clearance markers and commander's pennant with ones made from wire and plastic and I added a small plastic disc to front where the hand crank engages the engine (Italeri gives you a hole, so I'm assuming the example they modeled is missing this cover).

Also I replaced the grab handles on the interior with new ones made from solder. You just bend them to shape, flatten the ends and attach them with a drop of Zaparts This is easier than removing the mold seams and the parts retain their round shape.

As noted earlier, the accessories are a little rough, so I replaced the three Jerry cans with cans from the new Tamiya German Fuel Drum Set, and I replaced the hand crank with one from the Panzer IV On Vehicle Equipment Set.

The last step of construction was building the folding canvas toparts The kit provides a top in the employed position and one neatly stowed and secured. I wanted to show the top down but not stowed.

In the field you rarely see a top neatly stowed and none of the pictures in my references show the top properly put away; it is generally just folded down and pushed out of the way in a rather random fashion. So of course, this is what I had to model. I considered borrowing the top from the Tamiya Steyr 1500 kit, but it is too wide.

The Steyr top had the look I wanted, so using it as a guide, I built a framework out of plastic strips. Then I folded a long piece of white tissue paper around the frame and saturated it with watered down white glue to hold it in place. Once this assembly had dried, I glued it in place and the model was ready for final painting.

Finishing

The painting technique that works best for me is a five-step process.

• First, I base coat the model with enamel paint, in this case Testor's Panzer Gray. This is followed by an acrylic wash. The third and fourth coats are done in oils, and then I finish with a lacquer flat coat. I have been told that alternating the type of paint in each layer will prevent successive layers from attacking the coats underneath. I don't know if this is true, but I do like the results. Since the body and chassis were base coated separately before final assembly, I just touched up the gray where needed.

• After the base coat, I apply the markings so they will be weathered consistently with the vehicle. I found a great picture of a car with the 200 Panzerjager Battalion driving alongside a column of tank destroyers (a potential diorama one day), so I decided to do that car. The license plates are from the kit decal sheet (the kit decals work fine), and the tactical and divisional markings are from the Tamiya German armor decal sheet. I applied all the marking with Future floor wax, and they went on great.

• Next a wash of 1 oz. water with about four drops of Polly Scale Dirt, four drops Polly Scale Black and one drop dishwashing detergent (this breaks up the surface tension and allows the paint to flow and dry evenly) was liberally brushed over the model (one coat topside, three coats underneath). This gives the model a good dusty worn look.

• Then, in a shallow container, I mix three parts raw umber, three parts burnt sienna and one part lamp black (Grumbacher oils) and mineral spirits until I get a dark wash. Let this mixture sit about 10 minutes until the pigments settle, then tip the container slightly to let the mineral spirits flow to one side. Use the sediment at the bottom to lightly outline every detail on the model. The paint is thin enough that a touch of the brush to a bolt head will initiate the capillary effect and it will flow around the entire detail. This step simulates shadows in the recessed areas of the model.

• Once this coat is completely dry, then drybrush with the oils. The underside is drybrushed with a mixture of raw umber, burnt sienna and white to represent dirt and mud. This color is also brushed up the sides to depict mud and dirt thrown up from the wheels. The muffler and exhaust pipe are drybrushed with burnt sienna only, and the topside is drybrushed with a mixture of the base color and white. Once this coat is good and dry, give the entire model a final coat of Testor's Dullcoat lacquer. Dullcoat will fog clear parts so on cars and trucks be careful to mask off the windows. This gives the model an overall flat appearance and blends all of the colors together. Now the model is finished and ready for display.

Overall this was a great kit to build. I am quite pleased with the finished product and I wouldn't say requires any special effort to get a good result. It is definitely one of the best kits available from Italeri and for $16; it's a great value.

References

For reference I used the excellent German Personnel Cars in Wartime published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd. This book is the best reference I found for detailing. Unfortunately, the pictures are not reproduced very clearly, so you really have to study them. While you can find photographs of these vehicles in almost any book about the German Army in WWII, I also found Panzer Colors Vol. I, II and III by Bruce Culver to be particularly helpful.

The photographs are reprinted much more clearly and these books provide a wealth of information on painting and marking the vehicle. Another excellent source of "in service" photographs is the three volume set "Waffen SS" published by Concord Publications.

The instructions state the kit is a replica of an example in the "Deutsches Museum" in Munich. It measures out accurately to the specifications in my references. Italeri has done a really nice job capturing the shape and look of this vehicle.

It is quite possible to build this kit straight from the box and have a very nice model. However, if you like to add detail, there is still a lot you can do with this kit. Because I like to add my own personal touch to a model, I opted to take the detailing route. I guess its kind of like marking my territory.