- Diecast & plastic parts
- Rotating and elevating barrel.
- Pad printed markings.
- Approximate Dimensions: 4.13” L x 1.4” W x 2.16” H
- Package dimensions: 5.2” L x 3.7” W x 3.2” H
- Display model, recommended for hobbyists and collectors 14 years and above
The 8.8 cm Flak 18 (Sfl.) auf Zugkraftwagen 12t (Sd.Kfz. 8) , also known as the Bunkerflak or Bufla, was a German Wehrmacht Half-track self-propelled gun developed before World War II and used in the first half of the war. It was used during the Invasion of Poland but is best known for its use during the Battle of France, where it was the only German self-propelled gun capable of destroying the heavier Allied tanks such as the French Char B1 and the British Matilda II. Remaining vehicles were used on the Eastern Front. The last Bufla was destroyed in 1943.
The 8.8 cm Flak 18 (Sfl.) auf Zugkraftwagen 12t (Sd.Kfz. 8) consisted of a 8.8cm Flak 18 gun mounted on a pedestal in the rear of a Sd.Kfz. 8 half-track heavy artillery tractor ("DB s8" or "DB 9" model). A gun shield was provided for the 88, but the gun crew had no other protection. The driver's cab was replaced by a lower, armored cupola and the engine compartment was lightly (14.5 mm (0.57 in)) armored.
The upper body had a crew compartment with three bench seats, one for the driver and his assistant, and two others for the gun crew. The gun was mounted behind the crew compartment. It could fire directly ahead without any problem, but traverse was limited to 151° to each side by the gun shield. Elevation was between -3° and +15°. The windshield could fold forward and was also removable.
This PMA 1/72 scale model is a replica of the ten “Bufla” that was used by the German Army in the early part of WWII. All ten vehicles were assigned to the first company of the anti-tank battalion Panzerjäger-Abteilung 8 which participated in the Invasion of Poland in 1939, the Battle of France in 1940 and Operation Barbarossa in 1941. The company was redesignated as Panzerjäger-Kompanie ("Anti-Tank Company") 601 in January 1942 and then as the third company of Anti-Tank Battalion 559 the following April. It reported that the last three vehicles had been lost by March 1943
