Modelling the Jagdpanzer 38(t) 'Hetzer'

‘Bergepanzer 38(t) and vignettes’

As a special feature, this chapter deals with constructing a recovery variant of the Hetzer, and placing it in a realistic setting. The Bergepanzer 38(t) model had been built a few years ago, and the steps to bring it up to standard will be covered. Two different diorama options are explored with the model being placed in both a rural and urban vignette.

Brief history
The recovery version of the Hetzer was produced by BMM in Prague, and 106 vehicles were built by the end of the war. The example modelled here was a specific vehicle produced in February 1945 that featured a large spade and winch for recovery operations. Two model companies produce kits of the Bergepanzer 38(t) in 1/35 scale: New Connections from Germany has a conversion set for the DML kit, and JP Hobby from the Czech Republic have a complete multimedia kit.

Bergepanzer 38(t)
The New Connections resin kit conversion models vehicle serial no. 322519 that was completed and photographed at the BMM factory in February 1945. Featuring a large spade on the rear, this test vehicle was very likely to be the only one so equipped. The model was constructed using the DML ‘Command Version’ Hetzer kit no. 6060 along with N.C. resin conversion kit no. 35001. The conversion kit came with details in white metal that are now thankfully produced in resin.

Running gear
For the most part, the model has the same running gear configuration as the late Hetzer. The 16-rivet roadwheels in this case were created by removing every second rivet from the 32-rivet style provided in the kit. Tracks used were the white metal Friulmodel early style – also early in that they are the original ‘clamp’ style before Friul came out with the pin type. The extravagant modeller may wish to add a few late-style Hetzer track links to the left-hand run, since photos indicate a mixture.
This vehicle had one peculiarity noted in few publications – the idler wheels were different styles on each side. The right side had the standard dished 6-hole pattern, whereas the left side had a dished 8-hole pattern with ribs in between. The left idler was made by casting two plain dish bases, drilling 8 holes in each, and adding styrene ribs for the inside and outside.
For those wishing to give this model the correct sit, the rear of the hull sat slightly lower than the front due to the weight of the spade.

Interior
The detail around the transmission and final drive should be constructed as per the late Hetzer and sIG 33 models. A bench seat was made from styrene and added behind the driver. The winch assembly, gear-driven from the transmission, sits at an angle and allows the cable to line up with the hole in the firewall. Although featured in this model, it is believed the leather pad to the left of the driver was a post-war addition to the later ST-1 and G13 vehicles and not used in the wartime Bergepanzer 38(t).

Hull details
The white-metal exhaust supplied by New Connections was too small and poorly shaped. I used the Dragon one and added a small bracket at the back to support it. The front end of the Flamm-Vernichter style exhaust was hollowed out, and Aber’s brass detail used to support the pipe. My reference showed the exhaust pointing straight back from its point of exit from the engine deck.
The original towing pintles on the vehicle were cut off, and new ones welded on both the front and back of the vehicle in the form of steel loops. The ones at the rear appeared to be bigger than the ones on the front, so different size solder wire was used to make the corresponding changes.
The early-style driver’s periscope cover provided on the resin hull needs to be removed, and the later one added using the modified kit part (remove the rain lip). Small hooks for the tarpaulin cover need to be cemented around the perimeter of the crew compartment.
The stowed pipes for the jib crane were given shackles for the ends. I made these out of aluminium strip from a disposable ashtray. Grant Line bolts were added to these items, and small retaining chains were added using a variety of photo-etched and miniature chains. The left front stowage rack also received a strengthening rib that appeared in the reference photos.
The more uncommon riveted side skirts were installed on the vehicle, so Grant Line rivet heads were added to the kit skirts to complete this detail.

Notes on painting and markings
Although Osprey’s New Vanguard 36 depicts this vehicle in a brown and tan scheme, back in 1999 the model was painted with colours interpreted from the black and white wartime photographs. Assuming a Dunkelgelb base, seen on the lower front glacis, most of the body of the vehicle appeared a slightly darker shade (Olivgrün), with larger patches of a yet darker colour (Rotbraun). Thin lines of off-white (based on the appearance of the white no-smoking sign in the background) randomly snaked over smaller areas of the vehicle.
The model was airbrushed in Model Master enamel Panzer Olivgrün 1943, then brush-painted in a hard-edged scheme with Model Master Panzer Schokladenbraun, and Tamiya’s acrylic Buff. The Dunkelgelb underside and running gear were airbrushed with Tamiya’s Dark Yellow XF-60.
Two black bands were situated around the driver’s periscopes, and were painted in the same fashion as on the late Hetzer. The serial number of the vehicle was applied to the glacis plate using small Letraset rub-on markings.

The BMM factory building
To give the models a realistic setting, a section of the factory building used as a backdrop for wartime pictures was reproduced in 1/35 scale. The ivy-covered structure is familiar to modellers of the Czechoslovakian vehicles, and recognisable with the cobblestone road in front, and the ‘No Smoking’ sign printed in both German and Czech.
Studying various views of the building, a rough sketch was drawn out on a piece of cardboard. The cardboard was placed behind a model to estimate how much of the structure to re-create, and get an estimate of the size needed for the proper camera angle for photographs.

Walls
After transferring the measurements onto a paper plan, windows, doors and other miscellaneous details were pencilled in. The main wall was to be 34cm long and 18cm high. The smaller wall measured 14.5cm long, and all of the windows were standardized at 5 x 3cm. The refined plan was then applied to .020in. styrene sheet, which was stiff enough to stand up to the required size of the walls. The walls were then cut out and the locations of windows and doors marked on the back.
After cutting .015in. styrene into 8mm strips, pieces were cut with a chopper to make the window frames that were glued onto the back of the wall. The styrene remaining in the frames was carved out, leaving a spot for the windows to be inserted. Features on the face of the building were added with more styrene strip, in some cases textured with a lacquer-based paste product called Mr. Surfacer 500. After joining the two walls at 90 degrees, a top was measured for and cut from the .020in. styrene sheet.
The structure was given a coat of Tamiya acrylic paint mixed from a number of colours to give a drab mortar look. Tamiya Buff, Khaki Drab and Earth mixed with a bit of White were airbrushed on, after which a light dusting of thinned buff was sprayed in various areas to highlight the detail.

Windows
The window glass was made from ordinary overhead projector acetate sheet. Patterns for the individually framed panes were made from thin styrene strip, glued together onto a piece of glass, then lifted with a razor. The resulting pieces were airbrushed black, and then carefully tacked in place onto the clear acetate with white PVA glue. A double main entrance was added in a similar way. The windows and doorway were cemented in place with PVA glue after the structure had been painted.

Details
Rather than try to draw the ‘No Smoking’ sign by hand, a photo of the actual building wall was photocopied and adjusted to the right size. The sign was snipped out with scissors, retouched with paint, and mounted on a styrene base with a glue stick.
A couple of other small signs and a styrene rod drainpipe were added to the front wall. A light above the doorway was fashioned from styrene tube and brass rod. White markings on either side of the doorway were painted with an off-white Vallejo paint.
The most prominent detail to add was the significant growth of ivy on the wall. With reference to the wartime photos, the pattern of the ivy was copied with blobs of PVA glue, over which was sprinkled liberal amounts of Hudson & Allen ivy.

Base
Four Verlinden Products resin cobblestone sections were attached to a 3/4in. plywood base and trimmed to fit around where the building was to be positioned. The resin was cut with a coping saw and filed to the correct contours with a wood rasp. The sections were joined together with cyano glue, and the gaps filled with epoxy putty. The cobblestone pattern was impressed into the putty to achieve a homogeneous appearance.
The roadway was airbrushed with a mixture of Tamiya acrylic paint to give a light tan appearance. Once dry, this was washed much the same as with the models using white spirit paint thinner and black and raw umber oil paints. This brought out the texture of the cobblestone detail.
The building structure was set into place, and a section of black matte board was cut to fit the rear. The same matte board was also cut as a surround for the base, following the contours of the slightly undulating cobblestones. PVA glue was used to fix these, ensuring that the cuts weren’t visible from the front, and each section was sufficiently dry before the next one was added. A small section of dirt and foliage was added to the building perimeter using model railway brick border and Celluclay paste. Hudson & Allen foliage (which consists of larger birch seedpods than the ivy product) was pressed into the pre-coloured Celluclay along with some small dried plant limbs.
The details on the building were enhanced with thinner and oil paint washes. The wash technique was also used to create rain streaks and other marks on the walls. The entire building and base was given a light dusting of thinned earth colour acrylic paint with an airbrush. This stops things from looking toy-like by preventing the individual components from standing out starkly against each other.

Vignette with figures
A natural setting is a simple and effective way to display an AFV model, and adding figures to it brings the scene to life. A lost grenadier is given directions from two crewmen in the Bergepanzer in this rural setting. Two of DML’s figures from the Armoured Reconnaissance, Wiking Division (Hungary 1945) kit no. 6131 were modified to fit the model by repositioning the arms and legs. New resin heads replaced the DML ones, adding a more lifelike appearance. The grenadier on the ground is one of the earlier Warrior’s resin figures, well sculpted with fine detail.
After deciding on the setting and how the figures are to be posed, an appropriate base was sized up. In addition to the plywood and matte board from the previous example, an old trophy plaque works just as well for a base. Styrofoam SM® was trimmed with a retractable utility knife, placed on the base and tested with the vehicle and figures for symmetry. Contours were marked out with a black marker, and the foam trimmed to the desired shape and attached to the base using white PVA glue.
With the edges of the base masked off, a papier-mâché product called Celluclay was mixed with raw sienna acrylic paint, white glue and water, and spread onto the base in a similar fashion to icing a cake. A drawback with the Celluclay is a tendency to shrink as it dries, so it is important to use the minimum amount, spreading it thinly. To cover the wet clay at the sides of the base one can add commercially available static grass, but spices like dill and thyme from the kitchen work well too.
To form a dirt roadway, sand, grit and a bit of concrete dust were sprinkled on and patted into place in the wet clay. Various colours of static grass were placed on either side, with a small amount going up the middle of the road. Hudson & Allen’s tall grass was then placed in patches on the rear bank; fishing shops sell a similar material for fly-tying, which is just dyed deer hair. To add a touch of interest, a broken tree stump was also glued onto the bank after adding some of the Hudson & Allen ivy product. After all of the groundwork was complete, the model and figure were pressed into the damp mixture to allow a proper sit once the base had dried.