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There were very few of these vehicles in the real world. COBI produced significantly more and I got one of them. You can see how the construction works in this review.
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To make the artillery more mobile, you have to mount it on a self-propelled gun. This is exactly what happened with the 150mm infantry gun 33, the basis of which is the Panzerkampfwagen II. The chassis was made 32 cm wider and 60 cm longer. Only 12 pieces were made by Sturmpanzer II and used in 1942 in front of Tobruk. By the end of 1942, not a single vehicle was ready for use.
Brick Quality
Like most new sets this year, this one was completely printed. The clutch power is enormous, so that construction techniques were also possible to fix entire claddings with just a single stud.
Instructions
Parts lists have been available in the instructions for a short time. A tabletop card is also included again. Otherwise everything is as usual. Old steps are greyed out and new steps are shown in color. Included are 68 construction steps, which were divided into 2 construction phases.
Construction
Anyone who has already built the Panzer 2 will be familiar with the construction technology with which the hull is started. Instead of using plates, you work with tilted 1×8 bricks. Several rows of brackets ensure that everything can be covered with a large plate at the end. Then it is built up high and the holder for the drive wheels is attached.
After the final height has been reached, plates and the first tiles are used again. At this point, the upper rollers are also attached to the chassis. Now we are largely finishing the front and building the mount for the 150mm gun.
Then it is the turn of the engine compartment and the side trim. Most of the printed parts are used here. The two compartments that can hold the tools included are very nice. After the rear is also covered and the exhaust is plugged in, the actual vehicle is almost ready.
Now it’s the turn of the gun that can be moved in all directions. Only at the very end we attach the large rollers and pull the tracks on.
Sturmpanzer II vs. Panzer II vs. Tiger 131
Since the Sturmpanzer II is based on the Panzer II, the similarity can hardly be denied. Both are identical in width, even if the real model has become a few centimeters wider. This can hardly be represented with studs. In terms of length, it looks different. This is also reflected in the model and you can look at the additional roller without a direct comparison. Compared to the Tiger 131, the Sturmpanzer II is of course rather small.
Conclusion:
COBI has once again launched a very nice, detailed and fully printed model that I like very much. It was a little shaky in some places during construction, than you are used to. All in all great fun again.
This post is also available in Deutsch.
