This release sees the introduction of a range of light vehicles for the Axis, ranging from motorcycle equipped troops to staff cars to an artillery tractor and more!
As always, here’s a little background on the various new units…..
Kradschutzen
Kradschutzen truppen (Motorcycle troops) were highly mobile infantry units used by the German Army during WWII. Often attached to Panzer divisions, they were lightly armed and used as reconnaissance and mobile assault units. A variety of bikes were used, with the main type being the BMW R12.
This unit is supplied with 4 riders and 1 NCO.
Kubelwagon
The VW Type 82 Kubelwagon (or “bucket-car”) was the most common light utility vehicle of the German Army during WWII with over 50,000 being manufactured. Despite being only two-wheel drive, its performance surprised even its own developers during trials as it was capable of exceptional cross-country performance.
Many variants were made including the Schwimmwagen, a commander’s car with a Beetle body, a radio car and a light support version with an MMG on a pintle mount. Due to lack of fuel, there was even a coal powered model designed!
Horch 108 Field car
The Horch 108 field car was an off-road vehicle developed in the 1930s and used by the German army during WWII. It was a rugged and reliable machine, capable of towing a variety of light to medium guns and their crews. It was also used as a heavy staff car and also as a platform for other weapons such as the 2cm FlaK.
This model is supplied with a driver.
Kurogane
The Type 95 Kurogane (also known as “Yonki” or “Daruma”) was a light 4WD vehicle similar to the Kubelwagon. It was developed in the 1930s and used by the Japanese army during WWII. It was unique as it was the only completely Japanese designed car used by the army, as they generally used civilian cars. As it predates the Gaz and Willys jeeps, it was one of the first 4WD passenger vehicles in the world to enter mass production with over 4,500 being made.
While it was a small vehicle, it had excellent off road capabilities and was available in a variety of body types.
Fiat 508 Coloniale
The Fiat 508 was an Italian civilian passenger car of the 1930s. There were many variants produced, including a Torpedo body style. This style was later adapted into the Coloniale variant that was used by the Italian military up to and including WWII.
Ho-Ki artillery tractor
The Type 1 Ho-Ki was a heavy artillery tractor that could also be used as an APC as it was capable of carrying over a dozen passengers. It was developed during WWII and used by the Japanese army. Usually unarmed, some were manufactured with mountings for machine guns, including the Type 92 HMG.
This model is supplied with 3 passengers.
Type 97 truck
The Type 97 truck was a 1930s Japanese vehicle that was one of the most common lorries of the Japanese army during WWII. It was smaller than many contemporary transport trucks and was quite heavy for its size, but had good ground clearance to handle uneven island roads.
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We hope that you found this little bit of background history and that soon our models will be reinforcing your various Axis armies – Vorauszahlung! or….. whatever else is appropriate for your army 😉