Mercedes Benz Torpedo Militare

Recensione del Modello Reviresco in Scala 1:72

L’armata tedesca went to war in 1914 con approximately 4,000 motor veicoli of all types. This number increased rapidly, but it never exceeded 40,000 veicoli on all fronts, of which 12,000 were motor cars. Severe shortages of fuel e rubber were felt as early as 1915. As a result, gas guzzling, e tire eating heavy cars, e light trucks were decomissioned e put into storage. Motor cars ed ambulances ran on wooden, leather, o metal wheels once their precious rubber tires were used up. Synthetic rubber production was not nearly as effective as that della seconda guerra mondiale, e tires made from this material had a life expectancy of only 2,500 km. By comparison, the allied armies operated over 200,000 motor veicoli in Francia e Belgio alone.

Motor cars employed by l’armata tedesca in prima guerra mondiale were not designed as veicoli militari, they were civilian cars painted field grey, con partial armour plating applied in some cases. I veicoli were routinely loaded con much more equipaggiamento, e more men than they could carry. Not surprisingly, vehicle losses resulting from mechanical failure were much more common than combat losses, the cars simply broke apart under the excessive weight. Period photos show motor cars con wire-cutter rails attached above the hood e windshield, protecting the crew against thin wires strung across the road by Franctireur guerillas.

Contenuto

• Mercedes Benz Torpedo Kübelsitzer con open o closed top
• Tipo: Civilian Touring Car
• Lunghezza: 4.45 m
• Larghezza: 1.75 m
• Altezza: 1.83 m
• Velocità: 150 km/h
• Year: 1913

Valutazione

• Excellent choice of subject, the Mercedes Benz Torpedo is an attractive vehicle, it makes a great staff car per un comandante tedesco o turco.
• Scale model con cast-on detail like door hinges, exhaust pipes, springs, e headlights. The vehicle is ready for the campaign, but some equipaggiamento personale might be stowed inside to add more detail. The Mercedes looks e feels like an antique, it’s a must-have.
• Easy to assemble, only 19 parts. The model can be put together in 30 minutes o less, the parts practically fall into place. Painting the Torpedo was a delight, its elegant lines provided a welcome diversion from the tanks, trucks, e jeeps of later periods.
• Choice of open o closed top. The open version really calls for soldatini dell’equipaggio.
• The entire vehicle is cast in soft metal. The parts are much sturdier than resin parts, e they were very easy to remove from the sprue. Parts can be bent into shape easily. Of course, if the vehicle is dropped, some part will be mangled. The editor accidentally dropped the Torpedo from table height, but the vehicle survived in one piece. Damage to the front fender, e left headlight actually looked very convincing, except that the pneumtic tire did not burst like the real thing would have. It was possible to bend the parts back into shape without the use of tools.
• Assembly instructions are easy to follow, there is no danger of confusing the parts. Attaching the rear license plate required tweezers, e some patience.
• Good casting quality. Flash e mold lines were very easy to remove con a scalpel.
• Compatibile con Fine Scale Factory cannoni e veicoli.

• Cast in soft metal, containing lead. The vehicle is very heavy, considered an advantage by some, ed a transportation problem by others.
• Decalcomanie are not included. Some motor cars had white letters stencilled on the hood, e these may be difficult to paint by hand. License plates can be painted quite easily.
• Crew soldatini are not included. A guidatore e commander figure wearing the Pickelhaube would have been a wonderful accessory. It may be possible to use soldatini plastici from Revell o Airfix.
• The cover photo shows the Mercedes Benz Torpedo painted as a civilian vehicle. In military service, the car would be painted field grey. Unfortunately, no painting instructions for the versione turca of the staff car are available.

Utilizzo Storico

• Staff Car dell’armata tedesca, 1914–1918
• Staff Car dell’armata turca, 1914–1918

Conversione

• Armata tedesca Staff Car con wooden, o metal wheels 1916–1918

The Mercedes Benz Torpedo was a fast touring car which was taken into army service as a staff vehicle. The Torpedo has elegant lines, ed it will make a nice addition to any armata tedesca o turca della prima guerra mondiale. The model is very easy to assemble e lots of fun to paint. We highly recommend it.

Reviresco Modellismo

Domande più frequenti

Per ulteriori informazioni, per favore contatta la redazione di Rivista Military Miniatures nel Miniatures Forum.

Soldatini della Prima Guerra Mondiale

– Pubblicato: 27.10.1997 – Aggiornato: 15.08.2008
© 1997-2012 by IDL Software GmbH, Darmstadt, Germania. Tutti diritti reservati.