Schienen-Spähpanzer 204 (f) (Rail Scout Car)
The French Panhard Voiture Spéciale Type 178 – Panhard 178 Railway Armoured Car in German Service WWII by ICM Kit 35376 Review
Military Train and Armoured Train Service
Panhard 178 Armoured Car in Railway Operations
ICM offers the Panhard 178 designated as the Panzerspähwagen P 204(f) under German Service during WWII. This excellent German Armoured Railway Car appeals to military train and armoured train enthusiasts alike. A section of European Gauge railway tracks is included in the kit.
Panhard, Berliet, Latil and Renault had acted upon the request for proposals for an armoured car of 4 tons, an operational range of 400km with a maximum speed of 70km/h.
In October 1933 Panhard’s ‘Automitrailleuse de Découverte Panhard Modèle 1935’ (the official designation of the vehicle) was completed and by 1934 Panhard won the bid after trials.
The selected armoured car prototype, the ‘Panhard Voiture spéciale type 178’ or ‘Panhard 178’, weighed in at 8 tons, with an operating range of 300km.
The ‘Panhard 178’ was a 4×4 vehicle with a forward and backward-facing driver’s seat, a distinguishing feature at the time.
The captured Panhards were used as ‘Panzerspähwagen’, or reconnaissance vehicles attached to armoured divisions. In total 40 of all 190 captured vehicles were modified to receive railway wheels and classified as ‘Schienenpanzer’ or ‘Eisenbahnschutzfahrzeuge’. In total there were 729 units built, including 176 during the German occupation in 1940.
The Panzerspähwagen with the German Tube Communication Antenna was used extensively on the Eastern Front.
The most numerous and perfect WWII French armoured vehicle was the AMD-35. It was designed by Panhard Company as reconnaissance vehicle for cavalry.
It’s serial production was launched in 1934. It was named Panhard 178. Thоse vehicles had rear engines and all-wheel drive. Their main armament was the 25 mm anti-tank gun. There were produced 551 vehicles up to 1940.
As part of the French Army cavalry units, Panhard 178 took part in combats in the spring of 1940. More than 200 vehicles were captured by the German army and under the designation Pz.späh.204 (f) used in the Wehrmacht. 43 vehicles were converted to railcars for BP 42 armoured trains.
The turrets of the Panhard saw many modifications during production runs and batch orders and care must be taken with its design. The kit includes the late APX3 turret type with a rearview episcope in the rear hatch of the turret, other than simple vision slits as present in earlier turret versions, and two Gundlach periscopes on the roof, also typical for late production turrets.
The interior may be hidden or shown, as this vehicle has a lot of hatches and big doors, a lot can be visible of the interior. This leaves room for internal modifications and additions to all advanced modellers. This is especially true for the engine compartment.
In Box Kit Review: ICM 35376 1/35 Scale
What’s Inside The Box
WWII German Armoured Vehicle Panzerspähwagen P 204(f) Railway
ICM Instructions
