Introduction
The following introduction is as supplied by ICM:
All tasks related to the medical support needs of the Wehrmacht were carried out by the Army Medical Service (Sanitaetskorps der Armee in German). Various transport vehicles were used for the transportation of the wounded, including horse-drawn carts, armored personnel carriers, or ambulance trucks. Ambulance trucks for evacuating the wounded were mostly converted versions of military and civilian vehicles, including both standard wheeled vehicles and half-tracked “Maultiers.” These vehicles had enclosed bodies equipped with stretchers for transporting the wounded. They also had markings and camouflage corresponding to the military unit to which the vehicle belonged. The Red Cross was painted in a white circle or square without a strictly defined size. Often, the only marking on the trucks was a white flag with a red cross. In Wehrmacht soldier folklore, medical transport vehicles were nicknamed ‘Sanka.’
Typ 2.5-32 with Shelter - WWII German Ambulance Truck
The kit does include what looks to be a well detailed frame, engine, and running gear. There are some small detail parts for the axles and steering linkage and should add some great looking detail from below. Some of the parts are fine and will require some delicate care getting them off the sprues and handling them. A nice engine is provided but unfortunately, like a lot of kits lately, the hood is moulded shut, thus some cutting and scratch building will be needed to show off any extra work you may want to do to the engine. For wheels the kit includes the poly-rubber tires, this turns some modellers off, as for me, I personally like to replace these with resin aftermarket for better tread detail, and weighted look when available. That said the poly-rubber ones included do have nice detail, and the seam down the middle is barely noticeable.
The cab on the real truck was somewhat barren, as is the kit. The kit does include a nice looking dash, and does include decal for the instruments, which should add a great appearance. One drawback is the lack of texture on the floor. This may not be an omission, as I was unable to find any interior images of the Typ 2.3. A nice touch though is the interior detail on the doors, with separate interior door panels. Thus for those who like to put the extra work into the cab, you can show it off.
The rear shelter is a multi-piece affair, first by building the lower cargo bed with side, then constructing the upper shelter that will fit down onto the cargo bed, much like the real thing. While there is nice plank work for the bed and shelter, there is no wood grain texture on the planks. This can be a hit or miss for some modellers. The biggest disappointment is the lack of the ambulance interior detail, and the moulded closed end doors. Thus anyone wanting to detail the backend will need to do some cutting and scratch building.
As for markings, the set includes marking for one vehicle, stated to be in Russia from 1942-1943. The decals look to be very well printed, and well within register.
35414 - V3000S/SS M Maultier with Shelter
A look over the sprues will show a lot of cooling/flow lines present on most parts, but I have yet to have any serious problems with this aspect from ICM. There are a high number of ejector pin marks present on parts, but from what I have seen here ICM is improving where this aspect is concerned due to the marks being less prominent. The parts are cleanly moulded with no flash present in this example. So far what I have seen leaves me reasonably confidant and happy with the model.
There are a few things that ICM do that I think of very positively, one of these is that as a rule they always give you a full engine with some very nice detail despite not providing photo etched parts with the model. ICM has done a really good job here with a mix of very nice detail that careful painting will accentuate to great effect. For me the only thing the modeller need add to this area is some wiring to make a very convincing element of the model.
ICM looks to me to have done a very job of the road wheels and the suspension element as the detail is nice overall. The front wheels look good as regards the hubs, but I have concerns about the tread pattern as it seems very light; however until some paint is applied it will be hard to be sure how this will look. The front axle is an area that will please some and possibly disappoint others; this is due to the front wheels being moveable in relation to which direction they point, the reason I say some may not be happy is that I have yet to see moveable wheels that are completely accurate however some sacrifices are sometimes a plus.
The chassis is another area where ICM shine more often than not, this is due to a large number of their chassis are multi-part offerings as is the case here. The multi-part approach to the chassis is a double edged sword for the modeller, it enables the manufacturer to offer accurate shapes which faithfully replicate the real vehicle; however this approach does mean that the modeller has to be very careful to get everything square or disaster beckons.
The tracks supplied with this model are link and length. The detail on the tracks is of a very good standard, with the only downside possible being how fine the links are when it comes to gluing them together; with that said they should look very good if put together well. It is worth noting that when it comes to adding these to the vehicle the approach taken by ICM should make it a breeze.
The cab area of the model is quite nice having been supplied with multi-part headlights and even separate wiper arms. The curves of the cab are very nicely replicated and should really look the part even the front grill is open slatted which is a nice touch. The only concerns I have here is that it is unclear to me at this time if the bonnet and doors can be displayed open, this means that all of the wonderful detail that ICM has supplied under the bonnet may be hidden from view. The cab interior looks right and ICM has supplied decals for the instruments, there are a number of ejector pin marks that will need attention in this area, but as mentioned earlier they are getting smaller and less deep and so easier to remedy. One thing I would consider doing is giving the seat some work to give them a lived in look rather than a showroom appearance.
For me this is the one area where (as my school reports often read) could do better. The exterior is good with nice detail on all external surfaces, ICM has even supplied steps that can be shown in use or stowed. The interior of the shelter however is devoid of any detail and it is a real shame that this is the case on a model that cries out for an interior. A scene with wounded being evacuated from the front could be impressive using this model with medics scurrying around and placing the stretcher cases in the rear, as such I strongly urge ICM to consider at least making an alternate shelter available with a detailed interior for this model and giving the modeller the option of spending that little bit more for a shelter with medical staff and wounded in order to give this model some life to it. The windows and headlight lenses are nicely represented on the model even though they parts are a little thick; however as there are no bowed areas and with the clear parts being flat this should not cause distortion issues.
The decal sheet is not huge but sufficient for the task and offers two finishing options for the model, these are:
Maultier, Poland, Autumn 1944
Maultier, Germany, Winter 1945
Lastkraftwagen 3.5t AHN with Shelter WW2 German Ambulance Truck
A look over this latest model offering from ICM gives me the usual good vibrations I get from most of their products. The mouldings are free from flash, but there are some flow lines present on some parts; the flow lines do not look or feel to have caused any issues that will need to be remedied. There are some ejector pin marks that will need to be tackled, but these are small and shallow, the placement of them does look to have been well considered as they are not excessive in number and a lot of the placements will be hidden on the finished model.
You will not be surprised to hear that the underside of the vehicle is of a very high standard. The chassis is a multi part affair and this approach does mean that ICM offers a very well detailed and accurate chassis for the model, but it does mean that care has to be taken by the modeller to make sure everything is square to avoid issues as you progress through the build. There are a few ejector pin marks on the inner face of the chassis rails which depending on your requirements should be fixed during the build.
Another area that ICM does well is the engine and gearbox of the model, the details are of a very high standard and with the addition of some wiring you will have the possibility of having a very nice jewel in the engine bay. I was unable to find reference for the engine which will make adding wiring difficult and means I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the parts, but I have come to trust the effort put in by ICM and as such I believe it to be accurate. The radiator and tin shield is also nicely represented on the model as is the pipe work.
The steering rack included with the model does not allow for the front wheels to be depicted turned and this is one of the few weaknesses of the model in my opinion. The leaf springs are well replicated and have only the faintest of seam lines present, so if care is taken these should look very good. The bell housing of the differential is a two piece moulding and so there will be a seam that may need to be remedied. The wheels appear to accurately match online reference and so should look good. The tyres have a very light road tread pattern on them and I am not in a position to comment on the accuracy of this pattern. The spare wheel storage area is another nicely detailed area and I cannot credit ICM highly enough for the effort they put into what is a hidden portion of the model for the most part.
The cab interior is another area where I spend fruitless hours on Google looking for reference; however there is a good amount of detail to make the area look right. The seats are a bit of a let down as while I like the design they have that new look about them rather than the lived in look. Regardless the overall look of the cab interior has been nicely tackled. The cab exterior is very nice and does match online reference, of particular note is the front grill which has open slots and nicely replicated branded parts. The glazing is of a good thickness and this prevents distortions when looking through it into the cab. The doors of the cab are fairly simple in design, appear to have all of the relevant detail. ICM has provided the doors as separate mouldings, but only indicates them added as closed, it would not take much work for them to be shown in an open position.
Starting with the frame work that support the cabin floor and attaches it to the chassis; this has been well tackled as it will allow for ease of construction while providing a sturdy support framework, there are a few small ejector pin marks that would ideally be fixed before assembly despite how difficult they will be to see on the finished model. The cabin itself is devoid of detail on the inside which is a crime in my opinion considering how much detail ICM has lavished elsewhere. There is a wooden frame included with the model and listed as ‘not used’ and this could be modified to add roof detail, this gives the modeller a starting point for adding their own detail. The exterior of the cabin is quite good and will look the part. I cannot avoid thinking that ICM should either include interiors for models like this, or provide separate offerings for those modellers who wish to have an interior.
The decals offered only furnish one vehicle with Heer number plate and listed as being in France in 1944. The decals can just be felt on the sheet and so are in my opinion of an acceptable thickness. The carrier film around the decals is minimal and so there are no issues there.
Conclusion
This set despite the age of some of the offerings provides three decent models of German trucks during WW2 and is the second release of Krankenwagen offerings. The models are let down by a lack of interior in the rear, but it is possible to do some scratch work in those areas. Otherwise these are perfectly good models when closed up.8