MBK Originala in Detail

In this video series we want to show you and introduce you to several originals in detail, because for model builders there is nothing better than references.
Today we are showing you interior and exterior views of the heavy field howitzer 18 on the gun carriage III/IV, Sd.Kfz.165 "Hummel"
The idea behind the Hummel is that the artillery should follow the fast tank troops under armor protection as support.
The development, which was to use existing parts from the Panzer III and IV for manufacturing reasons, began in 1942, the gun carriage III/IV, with the hull from the Panzer IV and the drive/engine from the Panzer III. The engine was moved from the back to the middle to create more space for the fighting compartment. Exactly like the Nashorn.
The technical data of the 724 Hummels delivered in total are as follows:
- 6 man crew
- 24.4 t weight
- 150 mm sFH 18/1 L/30 gun with 18 rounds of ammunition
- 13 km range
- Length 7.17
- Width 2.97
- Height 2.81
The first vehicles were delivered in May 1943. Production was stopped at the beginning of 1945. Changes were made to the Hummel again and again, but in general there is a distinction between an early variant (with hub cap/drive wheel, raised bay window for the driver). And the late variant, here the hub cap is missing, and the radio operator/driver bay window are the same size, and the exhaust system is designed differently.
The Hummel in Munster was manufactured by the ironworks in Duisburg, or rather the superstructures. The Hummel was captured by American troops on the Western Front in 1944/45 and shipped to Fort Knox for testing purposes.
In 1976, the Hummel was given as a gift to the Panzer Troops School. After that, the Hummel "rotted around" outside in the teaching collection for 6 years until it was restored to a drivable condition by the Panzer Troops School's tank workshop in 1982.
We are delighted that the Munster Tank Museum made this possible for us.
If you would like to see this vehicle (and of course many others) in the original (because no video or photo can replace the personal impression), you should plan a visit to Munster:
Museum website: daspanzermuseu...
Address: Hans-Krüger-Str. 33, 29633 Munster (Örtze), Germany