Surprisingly, the Sd.Kfz. 142 Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) was the most widely produced armored fighting vehicle that Germany fielded during WWII. Based on the chassis of the famous Panzer III, the StuG III began life as an infantry support weapon, but by the end of the war it had developed into an effective tank destroyer. One of the earlier variants of the StuG III was the Ausf.C, which was identified by an improved superstructure that eliminated a shot trap near the gunner’s view port. A total of 50 StuG III Ausf.C vehicles, each weighing 20.2 tons and featuring a 7.5cm StuK37 L/24 gun, were produced between May and September of 1941.
Dragon’s latest Orange Box combo set includes a 1/35 scale StuG III Ausf.C, although the kit has a notable difference in that it mounts a 7.5cm StuK40 L/48 main armament instead of the original L/24 gun. This longer-barreled gun was retrofitted to some earlier chassis in order to provide a more effective tank destroying capability. The 1/35 scale tank has also received something of a makeover with the addition of Magic Tracks to add more detailand convenience. The other item included in this economic set is a team of four Panzergrenadiers. The 1/35 scale figures are dressed in winter uniforms as they would have appeared during combat in Eastern Front in 1944/45. This Orange Box selection thus allows modelers to recreate a late-war winter scene. The vehicle and figures are both finely molded and carefully engineered to give a pleasurable build. With Orange Box’s famous cost-cutting prices, this Super-Value Pack is indeed an attractive combination.