1/72 (20mm) Russian ZiS 3 (76mm Divisional Gun M1942): Plastic Soldier Company

 

The ZiS 3 was a 76mm Divisional Gun (M1942) used by the Russians during the Second World War.  The gun’s designation, ZiS 3, stands for Zavod imeni Stalina (factory named after Stalin), which was an honorific title given to Artillery Factory No. 92; the factory that first produced this gun.  The ZiS 3 was well liked by the Red Army, due to the gun’s reliability, durability, accuracy and ease of use.  By the end of the war, over 103,000 ZiS 3s were produced.

 

The Plastic Soldier Company produces a 1/72 scale (20mm) Russian ZiS 2/3 Gun set, which allows you to build either the ZiS 2 (57mm anti-tank gun) or the ZiS 3 (76mm Divisional Gun).  The set contains four gun sprues, and two artillery crew sprues (each sprue has eight artillerymen; four for each gun).

 

 

 

Russian ZiS 2/3 Gun & Artillery Crew sprues (side 1)

 

Russian ZiS 2/3 Gun & Artillery Crew sprues (side 2)

 

 

 

I preferred the look of the ZiS 3 gun; thus, I built the four models as ZiS 3 76mm Divisional Guns.

 

 

 

Russian ZiS 3 (1): side 1

 

Russian ZiS 3 (1): side 2

 

 

 

Russian ZiS 3 (2): side 1

 

Russian ZiS 3 (2): side 2

 

 

 

Russian ZiS 3 (3): side 1

 

Russian ZiS 3 (3): side 2

 

 

 

Russian ZiS 3 (4): side 1

 

Russian ZiS 3 (4): side 2

 

 

 

The below images include Russian miniatures I built and painted from earlier posts.

 

 

 

 

1/72 (20mm) Sd.Kfz 251/D Variants: The Plastic Soldier Company

 

The Sd.Kfz 251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) family of half-tracks are the most common half-tracks produced by Germany during the Second World War, with some 15,252 half-tracks and variants produced.  There are four main models of Sd.Kfz 251: the Ausführung (Ausf) A, B, C and D.  From these four models, some twenty-two Sd.Kfz 251 variants were created.

 

The Plastic Soldier Company produces a Sd.Kfz 251/D (Ausf D model) variant kit that allows you to build the following four Sd.Kfz 251/D variants:

• Sd.Kfz. 251/2 Schützenpanzerwagen (Granatwerfer): Equipped with a 81 mm mortar.
• Sd.Kfz. 251/7 Pionierpanzerwagen: An assault engineer variant.
• Sd.Kfz. 251/9 Schützenpanzerwagen (7.5 cm KwK37): Equipped with a 75 mm L/24 low velocity gun.
• Sd.Kfz. 251/16 Flammpanzerwagen: Equipped with two flame projectors. 

 

The kit comes with four Sd.Kfz 251/D sprues, which allows you to build either the Sd.Kfz 251/D1 Schützenpanzerwagen, the standard trooper carrier, or the Sd.Kfz 251/D10 Schützenpanzerwagen (3.7 cm PaK), a trooper carrier armed with a 37mm PaK (Panzerabwehrkanone 36) anti-tank gun.  As well, an upgrade sprue is included, which allows you to build the four Sd.Kfz 251 variants listed above.

 

 

 

Sd.Kfz 251/D sprue & the variant upgrade sprue: side 1

 

Sd.Kfz 251/D sprue & the variant upgrade sprue: side 2

 

 

 

The Sd.Kfz 251 Ausführung (Ausf) D model, which this kit allows you to build, first entered production in earlier 1943.  The Ausf D is characterized by the reduced number of angled body plates (roughly half those of the Ausf C model) and a simplified design; this was done to speed up the manufacturing time for each vehicle. 

 

 

 

Sd.Kfz 251/D2 Schützenpanzerwagen (Granatwerfer): side 1

 

Sd.Kfz 251/D2 Schützenpanzerwagen (Granatwerfer): side 2

 

 

Sd.Kfz 251/D7 Pionierpanzerwagen: side 1

 

Sd.Kfz 251/D7 Pionierpanzerwagen: side 2

 

 

Sd.Kfz 251/D9 Schützenpanzerwagen (7.5 cm KwK37): side 1

 

Sd.Kfz 251/D9 Schützenpanzerwagen (7.5 cm KwK37): side 2

 

 

Sd.Kfz 251/D16 Flammpanzerwagen: side 1

 

Sd.Kfz 251/D16 Flammpanzerwagen: side 2

 

 

 

 

I built the above terrain piece from extra components from several Plastic Soldier Company kits (the armour kits come with extra components, providing options for building the models).

 

 

 

 

 

I painted three distinct camouflage patterns for these models.  I found these camouflage patterns in the Flames of War reference book Colours of War.  I recommend picking up this book as a World War 2 miniature and model painting resource.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Plastic Soldier Company’s Sd.Kfz 251/D variant kit comes with several extra components which allows for customizing the vehicles (and for kit-bashing future hobby projects).  I paid $42 Canadian for this set, which works out to $10.50 Canadian per vehicle: an excellent price for a high quality model.