Germany’s first attempt at creating a heavy tank was the Neubau-Fahrzeug (literally, “New Construction Vehicle”), although the design was in fact too ponderous for the blitzkrieg tactics that were being developed. Nevertheless, a total of five vehicles were made, and three of them saw combat in Norway in 1940. The multi-turreted Neubau-Fahrzeug was conceived in 1933, with the main armaments being a 7.5cm KwK L/24 gun and coaxial 3.7cm KwK L/45 gun. There were two other turrets fitted front and rear with machine guns. While the Neubau-Fahrzeug offered good propaganda value, the vehicle operated by a six-man crew wasn’t truly effective in combat. Three tanks fought in a specially created Panzerabteilung in Norway, although one was demolished after getting stuck in a swamp. By 1942, all these heavy tanks had been scrapped.

Modelers were pleased with the second prototype Nr.2 that was released in March 2011. However, modelers have been clamoring for a follow-up kit depicting the third to fifth prototypes. This kit version was obviously going to be the most popular because of the fact that the Nr.3-5 vehicles actually saw combat in Norway. There are a number of brand new parts specifically for this kit, including the main turret, cupola and front and rear machine gun turrets. The upper hull and fenders are also new. Furthermore, Cartograf has provided high-quality decals of the distinctive white elephant markings that appeared on the Nr.3 tank. Equipped with these markings, modelers can produce a standout model of the most memorable Neubau-Fahrzeug tank of all, one that saw real combat! The contents of this finely engineered kit are squeezed into a box that features the stunning artwork of Ron Volstad on the top. Indeed, the image shows a Neubau-Fahrzeug set against an appropriate Norwegian backdrop. For modelers desiring a rare but real German tank, this kit is the answer!