RSO with Pak40 - Dragon 1/35

Cast your mind back to a time where model shows were the norm, and we were all free to parade around the display tables covered in mini masterpieces. Not only were the shows a feast for the eyes but they were an assault on the senses! Whilst the displays are why we all go, there was always that air of anticipation as to what you might find on the (somewhat unpredictable) Swap and Sell tables. Piles and piles of second-hand kits at bargain prices, too good to be true. A corner of the hall where only the strong survive! Some get in quick for the best bargains whilst others hang around until the end in the hope an eager seller with a sharpie in hand is prepared to start slashing prices with 30 minutes to go… But the thing I love the most about the Swap and Sell tables is sometimes you hit the jackpot. You know that feeling…you see something that looks interesting and is reasonably priced, so you pick the box up to inspect it a little closer, and when you do you can’t help but notice it weighs a little more than you were expecting. Then as the lid comes off you see the aftermarket tracks and barrel. Lovely! ‘I’ll have that thanks!’… And that is how this interesting little subject found its way into my stash. A tasty little kit with metal tracks and barrel, priced around half the original retail price. What’s not to love about that? But as this scenario tends to go, the bargain of the century makes its way home and gets tucked away in the stash to continue its slumber only this time under a different roof.

 A few years pass and I am looking through the stash for some inspiration when this little RSO comes into focus. I took it from the shelf to have a look through the schemes and again noticed the weight was suspiciously heavier than I was expecting and then I remembered all the aftermarket it had come with. I had completely forgotten about it, so in a way I got a chance to get excited about it all over again. I’d found the kit to build, and I didn’t have to go looking for anything. Someone had already done that for me, and I was ready to go.

The Rolling Coffin

The RSO is an interesting vehicle and is an often-overlooked modelling subject. I have always been attracted to the fringe and tracked support vehicles, so this subject was always going to be in my pocket.  Developed by Steyr as a support and supply vehicle, it quickly proved itself to be far more capable of dealing with the poor conditions of the Eastern front than some of the more traditional support vehicles. As Germany began facing increasing numbers of allied armour it was apparent that an anti-tank weapon was needed to boost their firepower, and it needed to be commissioned quickly.

 Whilst the RSO was always able to tow anti-tank weapons to the front, it was found that in doing this the aiming sights were often be knocked out of calibration and rendered faulty. After several trials, it was found that a Pak40 was able to be mounted on the rear deck of a modified RSO chassis, hence giving the Germans the ability to have a mobile anti-tank gun that could be manoeuvred and fired more quickly than previously possible.

 Unfortunately, the 7.5cm Pak40 auf Raupenschlepper Ost (RSO) proved to be less than successful on the battlefield due to the difficulty in accessing the ammunition stored in the floor of the platform as well as a small fighting platform. The crews who manned this machine christened the ‘Rolling Coffin’ due to the little protection the vehicle provided the soldiers. But enough with the history and let’s get on with the build