Rick Cooper provides an in-box review of the new Bison II 15cm s.IG 33 from Dragon.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Thank you for the review and the kind words Rick, and for what it is worth I cannot see a difference colour wise in the tracklinks in the picture either

I have read a number of times that 12 Bison II's were built - and that all 12 were sent to Africa and then lost there.

If that was the case how did one of these get to the Kubinka museum in Russia, where it now resides?

Good review!


~ Jeff

Dave,

Everything I have read says the same thing, 12 built, 12 destroyed in NA. I have never seen a picture of one from Kubinka, do you have one?

Rick

Sorry, I can't find my copy of the picture.

I do remember the Bison was painted "dark yellow" but I didn't know if this was supposed to be Afrika Korps or post 1943 European. It clearly looked repainted the way so many museum exhibits do and I was struck by the fact that so rare a vehicle seemed to have gone unnoticed.

Have just read a report that one refurbished Bison was pressed into Egytian military service for the 1948 war with Israel. I wonder, just in passing, if this was the Soviet connection?

Thank you for the well written review Rick. I really like that they came through with the rifling in the metal barrel, most excellent. I agree with you and Darren about the tracks, they look identical in color to me as well. I hope they change this or it could be a tad bit confusing to more than a few modellers. I am looking forward to this kit for certain.

Dave,
That might just be the answer to the question. It certainly makes a logical chain of events, captured war stocks left behind, pulled out and used by Egypt, passed on to the Soviets. Someone, somewhere must have a picture of the beast. Sooner or later it will turn up!
Rick

I've read somewhere that the sprocket wouldn't fit the tracks (DML added one teeth or something of this kind). Can you confirm?

spit

Pawel, that's true. I am building this kit now and the tracks do not fit the sprocket!!! So, one should consider buing aftermarket tracks or find old dragon 25-teeth sprockets.

You might get same problem with AM tracks,. I'm no expert on Pnz II but maybe a set of Pnz II sprocket will work? Geraint

Just found another issue - there are parts only for 1 radio rack, but you need to build two! Parts RD4 and RD8 are present only in 1 copy each.

anyone found a solution for the tracks that don't fit the sprocket. Just faced the same problem

2 Important Notes:

1 - newer versions of this kit have DS tracks, so be careful when ordering online (I'm not sure if the box info was changed, but I've seen both)

2 - They include the same bags of tracks that come with regular Panzer II's. Because the Bison II had an extended chassis and 1 extra road wheel, you don't get enough tracks for the whole vehicle.

Best solution is to buy a DML panzer II or Marder II. They have two sprockets in the box with the number of teeth that fit.

This is a well known issue. Someone suggested to use racks from the marder III kit but the ones I have (Marder 3 M) do not have them. I used the Eduard PE set, it also adds some more interior fittings.