The Nuts & Bolts team have released a new book with the Sd.Kfz. 6 as the subject. Even with other great reference works such as the Panzer Tracts for scale plans and production information, this is still a worthy addition to the library and one I eagerly waited to be published thanks to the Bronco kits in my stash.
As printed, the book has 224 pages not including the heavier covers which also are used and are bound in a glossy heavy paper. The author is Dr. Nicolaus Hettler but the editor is still Heiner F. Duske, scale plans by the late John L. Rue (probably his last for the Nuts & Bolts series) and completed by Leven DeConinck (who joined the N&B team), color artwork by Laurent Lecocq, and models built by Tony Greenland and Vinnie Brannigan.
The images are a mix of color and gray tones. A total of a whopping 430 are provided of which 272 tonal photographs of the subjects in service (not including the many insets showing details close up), 120 color images of museum examples.
Text is included which provide a bibliography, some background in the form of chapters. They cover the deployment, Camouflage and markings, Judgment, a short anecdote, surviving vehicles, and models.
It is worth mentioning that the captions are most informative and all text is in dual English/German languages.
There are scale plans include the various versions (5 view and 4 perspective drawings) and are followed by a dozen color profiles which include an inset with a photograph of the actual vehicle and others clarifying markings. The plan cover the KM l 4 Artillerie Aufbau (five plan views), Bn l 5 Pionier aufbau (5 plan views), DB l 7 Artillerie Aufbau (3 plan views), DB l 8 Artillerie aufbau (port plan view), Bn 9b Pionier Aufbau (5 plan views plus 4 perspective drawings), Bn 9b Artillerie Aufbau (4 plan views plus 4 perspective drawings), Bn 9b Sd.Kfz. 6/2 frühe Ausf. (early vers.) in Fahrstellung (in travelling positin) (4 plan views), Bn 9b Sd.Kfz. 6/2 späte Ausf. (late version) in Feuerstellung (in firingpositin) (2 plan views plus 4 perspective drawings), Bn 9b Sd.Kfz. 6/3 Diana (5 plan views plus 4 perspective drawings), Bn 9 turbo Pionier Ausführung (4 plan views), 7,5 cm Sfl L/40,8 mod. 1 1. Prototyp (5 plan views), 7,5 cm Sfl L/40,8 mod. 1 3. Prototyp (5 plan views and 4 perspective drawings), Feuerleitpanzer auf HKP902(5 plan views), and Pz Sfl II – 7,5 cm K L/41 auf Chassis 5 t HKP 902 (5plan views).
The next section covers components used on the vehicle found in museums and private collections with 120 color photographs and the book ends with a plastic modeling section.
The bottom line is simple, pick up this one as it will be invaluable when tackling any of the many 1/35th scale kits with the multiple detail sets available for each. Of course, many of these subjects have been released in other scales.
