First to Fight – 116 – Panzerbefehlswagen (Pz.BfWG) 38(t) Ausf. E/F

Description:

Unassembled plastic model kit in 1/72 scale of a German WWII Light tank Panzer 38(t) in a command variant (Panzerbefehlswagen / Pz.BfWG) using the Ausf. E/F chassis and hull.

The Panzer 38(t) Ausf. E and F were mid-war upgrades of the Czechoslovak-designed LT vz. 38, which had been adopted by the Wehrmacht as the Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) after Germany occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939. These variants featured increased armor protection to keep the vehicle competitive on the evolving battlefields of 1941-42, particularly during the early stages of Operation Barbarossa.

The primary difference between the Ausf. E and Ausf. F was the incremental increase in armor thickness. The Ausf. E, introduced in late 1940, had 25mm of frontal armor, which was then bolstered with an additional 25mm plate, giving it a total of 50mm of frontal protection. The Ausf. F, produced from 1941 onward, maintained this armor layout but also increased side and rear armor from 15mm to 30mm, offering better protection against Soviet anti-tank rifles and shrapnel. Both versions retained the 3.7 cm KwK 38(t) L/47.8 cannon, which was effective against most early-war Allied tanks but struggled against newer Soviet models like the T-34 and KV-1.

The command variant add extra radio and antenna for communication. This kit upgrades the series of First to Fight Panzer 38(t) kits (see related kits section) with some new parts, this is the first Ausf. E and F release, with the aerial antenna of the command variant, equal or very similar to First to Fight – 091 – PZKPFW 38(t) Ausf. C / PanzerBefehlsWagen (PZBFWG) 38(t).