Sturm-Panther

1/35th scale resin turret from Real Models

Plastic	n/a
Decals	n/a
Resin	A
Instructions	B+
Vacuform	n/a

kit review and photography

by Steve Jantscher

The Sturmmörsar 15 cm "Sturm Panther" is certainly a neat looking addition to the Panther line up of vehicles, but like much of the late war German model subjects of late, never progressed past a wooden mockup mounted on a chassis. I had real difficulty finding information on this vehicle, finally locating an entry in my Spielberger Panther & Its Variants book. According to Spielberger, "... On 23 June 1944 in Kummersdorf Krupp handed over the draft O U 23550 for the installation of the 150 mm Sturmmörser (assault mortar) in the turret of a Panther. " ..." On 21 July 1944 Oberst Dipl.-Ing Crohn, Hauptgruppenleiter in the Heerswaffenamt/WaPrüf 6, informed Professor Dr.-Ing. Müller of Krupp that due to the current military situation all development of armored self-propelled vehicles for heavy and super-heavy guns was to be stopped. Nevertheless, the wooden mockup of the Sturmmörser 150 mm was to be demonstrated before the Chef des Generalstabes des Heeres, Generaloberst Guderian."

So there, according to Walter Spielberger, the "Sturm Panther" enjoyed an active official "life" of just under one month's duration. Why shouldn't armor modelers want and get what Luftwaffe '46 enthusiasts have enjoyed recently, a boon in models of hypothetical and "paper" projects. Here is another such project.

Real Models has produced a very nicely crafted resin Panther turret with its associated Brummbär type 1.5 cm gun. There isn't really much to say about the casting except that is is uniformly of good quality without any casting flaws. It does have a rather large casting block, and is solid, but with care that shouldn't present any serious problems. Real Models recommends the Tamiya Panther G kit as the basis for this simple conversion. As you can tell from the simple one page of instructions, there isn't much work required other than the fabrication of some hand holds with wire. The gun and mantlet are hollow cast. Instructions are simple but adequate.