Italeri model boxart which adored this 1.35th Sdkfz 234/2 Puma model kit. Puma #1111 belonging to regular German Army ( as indicated by WH license plate ... aka Heer ) can be readily located in postwar photo archives. #1111 nomenclature states 1st Company - 1st Platoon - 11th vehicle in Platoon. Numeral white 11 on fender stowage access panel replicate this 11th vehicle designation.

Another common postwar photo archive Puma was #415, color profile shows soft-edged light tan and medium green camouflage pattern. 5cm gun size is also evident, in contrast with 7.5cm gun barrel depicted in UweM model above.

7.5cm PAK40 anti-tank gun with foliage on front gun shield, its 7.5cm PAK39 tank version used on UweM Puma model. Photo depicts Waffen-SS crew wearing SS Erbsenmuster HBT 44 pattern ( dot camouflage ) winter outfits targeting Soviet armor during early 1945 battle for Hungarian capitol Budapest.

1945 Battle of Budapest | YouTube

SS Erbsenmuster HBT 44 Uniform | TGM

SS Rauchtarnmuster ( autumn, winter ) | KFN

7.5 cm Pak 40 | Wiki

German PAK acronym stands for Panzerabwehrkanone ( tank against cannon, aka anti-tank gun ). PAK term is adopted into common military vernacular among European nations. For US after WW2, German terms FLAK and STUKA were more commonly used than PAK. FLAK ( Flugabwehrkanone, aka aircraft defense cannon ) referred to all anti-aircraft weaponry / ordnance, all be it from 1980s onward common US term is now " Triple A" ( for AAA, antiaircraft armament ).

FLAK - Anti-aircraft warfare | Wiki

Germany STUKA + Japan VAL | STUKA acronym referred to Junkers Ju-87 Sturzkampfflugzeug ( dive bomber ), mainstay of WW2 German Luftwaffe precision aerial artillery arm in WW2 early years, by late war years Ju-87 converted to tank-busting role via famed Kanonvogel ( cannon bird ) version : Junkers Ju-87G armed with 3.7cm anti-tank Bordkanonen ( heavy guns ).

Junkers Ju 87 | Wiki

Junker Ju-87G Stuka vs JS-2 Stalin | YouTube

BTW, in early-1930s when Germany secretly began to rearm her armed forces, Imperial Japan was one of the allied member states overseeing League of Nations ( forerunner of today's United Nations ) WW1 peace treaty enforcement, which specifically forbid creation of German Luftwaffe ( air force ). However, with advancements in German aviation technology, Japan cut a secret deal by which she will covertly inform Germany of any surprise League of Nations inspections ( thereby allowing time to conceal such technologies ). Places where Germany hide such field testing arena and technologies were in Scandinavia and ironically the Soviet Union. In return, Germany shared military research & technologies with her colluding partner nations. Thus, Japan implemented Germany Stuka-design into Aichi D3A " Val " dive-bomber used throughout WW2 Pacific campaign.

Aichi D3A 'Val' dive bomber | Wiki

The League of Nations and the United Nations | BBC

D3A dive-bomber was assigned Allied code name " Val ", almost all WW2 Japanese aircrafts were assigned English nicknames due to difficultly of memorizing romanized Japanese aircraft nicknames. Although Vals commenced Pacific War via Dec 1941 Pearl Harbor - Hawaii Islands air assaults, its first successful ship strike was against British heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall in Indian Ocean, 5 April 1942 ( same Japan air assault which sank British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes off Ceylon ... modern day Sri Lanka ). Last ship strike almost 3 years to the day was against American radar picket destroyer USS Emmons off Okinawa, 6 April 1945 ( same Japan air assault by which 5 kamikazes hit the destroyer, ship was eventually sunk by US Navy to prevent derelict from falling into enemy hands ). In total, Vals contributed to sinking of 22 major Allied ships, including 7 US & UK aircraft carriers and 2 British heavy cruisers.

Yokosuka K5Y1 Trainer model and Japanese Aircraft Designations | UweM

HMS Cornwall (56) | Wiki

USS Emmons (DD-457) | Wiki

First sinking

Send Me Some Stukas ! | US military circles have used STUKA slang for any infantry close-support aircraft as late as April 1972, during North Vietnamese armor assault into South Vietnam at famed An Loc city siege battle, some 60 miles northeast of Saigon-Vietnam capitol. During height of Communist North Vietnam armor assault, US Army advisors commanded by Col. William Miller, defending city streets with man-portable M72 LAW anti-armor rocket launchers, called for radio help via famous request "Send Me Some Stukas ! " ( in this case referencing AH-1G attack choppers with anti-armor Hydra rockets ).

AH-1G Cobra model + 1972 An Loc city seige battles | UweM

Photos depicts Soviet conquest of western city Buda Jan 1945, as they prepare for battle against besieged German forces in eastern city Pest centered on Buda Castle ( aka Castle Hill ) across Danube river. In foreground, Soviet infantryman preparing to remove tire from destroyed city bus, presumably as replacement for another vehicle. Given Danube river commerce, region had significant German commercial presence ( ex. during Middle Ages era, Buda actually had a German majority population ).

Dec 1944- Feb 1945 Siege of Budapest 1945 | Wiki

Budapest | Wiki - Buda | Wiki - Pest | Wiki

By battle end Feb 1945, German - Hungarian forces lost between 100,000 to 150,000 troops killed, captured, wounded ( sketchy records due to chaos of battle ). Soviets fared no better with 80,000 killed / missing and 240,000 wounded ( these figures made public in mid-1990s after Soviet Union collapse ). Throughout WW2, 3 European capitols were heavily destroyed from street battles : 1) Oct 1944 Warsaw - Poland, 2) Feb 1945 Budapest - Hungary, 3) April 1945 Berlin - Germany.

Soviet Soldier Story Arkadiy Shapiro | NHK

Warsaw Uprising | Warsaw was systematically destroyed almost block-by-block in 2-month duration by retreating German forces as punishment for Warsaw Uprising by Armia Krajowa ( Home Army Polish resistance group ). All be it, what irks today's Polish nationalists even more is constant American media ms-identification of 1944 Warsaw Uprising with 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising by Jewish insurgent groups upon news they were to be shipped to extermination camps in German-occupied southern Poland and eastern Soviet Union. Misconception is probably due to large number of Jewish holocaust survivors residing in US and/or working in America movie industry, hence natural tendency to over-emphasize 1943 Jewish events rather 1944 Polish nationalist events.

1944 Warsaw Uprising | Wiki

Warsaw Rises! | WLC

1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising | Wiki

Paris Uprisings | Side historical note on WW2 uprising in Paris - France and Prague - Czechoslovakia. Allied Supreme Commander Eisenhower originally ordered Free French Forces ( FFF ) not to enter Paris for fear of intense street battles would undermine momentum of Allied advance to German border ( and get US stuck in quagmire of Stalingrad-style battle ). However, when Communist French insurgents initiated Paris Uprising in Aug 1944, FFF simply ignored Eisenhower's orders and headed straight into Paris for battle against German garrison. Given this mutiny, Eisenhower had no choice but change official history by formally granting FFF permission to enter Paris. Thus we have famed photos of US/FFF military parade by Paris Arc de Triomphe on 26 August 1944.

1944 Liberation of Paris | Wiki

Paris liberation 'myth' erases Allies | BBC

Prague Uprising | What irks today's Czech nationalists is almost total ignorance ( if not casual dismissive ) by other Allied nations of May 1945 Prague uprising, 3 days before official Germany WW2 surrender. Before onset of WW2, Czechoslovakia was first conquered by German via infamous 1938 Munich Agreement by which major western democracies ( ex. United Kingdom & France ) abandoned smaller European nations in favor of maintaining status quo with Germany and Italy. Thus, Germany ruled the Czechs as defacto colonial subjects, along with the usual regiment of reprisal killings and slave labor regimes.

1945 Prague uprising | Wiki

Munich Pact September 29, 1938 | Yale

By 1945 with Soviet army at outskirts of Prague, and US forces converging from the west, Czech insurgents initiated uprising against besieged German forces which were thinly stretched, and enacted retributions of their own via rape - pillage - massacre of local German population as consequence. Very little are spoken in modern Czech Republic of these retribution killings against German authorities and ethnic German populace. One surmise if morality and conscience have any influences, after mass orgy of retributions against their German overlords, surviving Czechs realize they are no better that the Germans they just killed as consequence. Any event, 1945 Prague Uprising is never mention on par with Paris or Warsaw Uprisings, more like a historical footnote or curiosity, on par with Oct 1944 Slovakia National Uprising.

1945 Czech Ústí massacre | Wiki

Slovak National Uprising | Wiki

Incognito Rome | FYI, Fascist Italian capitol Rome fell to US forces almost without a shot on 4 June 1944, but with Allied Normandy landings in European theater on June 6th, coupled with " Great Mariana Turkey Shoot " air battles in Pacific theater on June 19th, modern Americans view this Rome conquest as mere historical footnote.

Mariana Islands Campaign and the Great Turkey Shoot | WW2DB

19 June 1944 Marianas Turkey Shoot | VF31

Then again... US have never view Fascist Italy as a worthy enemy given its lackluster military performance in 1941 - 1943 North Africa and Sicily campaigns. Italy switched to Allies side in Sept. 1943 ( so-called Italian Co-belligerent Army ). Co-belligerent title bestowed by Allies to pro-Axis nations who switched sides during WW2 to offset or negate certain legal financial / territorial ramifications via war reparations.

Italian Co-Belligerent Army | Wiki

Italy a co-belligerent, but Romania not | ACG

Rome Arno Campaign 1944 | HAM

Not all " Axis Switched Sides " nations got this " Co-belligerent " title, especially when dealing with Soviet Union. For example Finland and Romania began WW2 on Germany side, when they switched sides in 1944 to Soviets, they still had to pay reparations ( via territorial losses ) and contribute her armed forces to defeat of Germany. In should be noted when WW2 commenced, Soviet Union and Germany signed secret protocols via 1939 Ribbentrop - Molotov Pact on European sphere of influence partition, thus Soviets possessed blunt intent of seizing both nation's territories, end of WW2 gave Soviets defacto & eventual dejure control of desired regions.

1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact | Wiki

Map of planned and actual division of German-Soviet Europe SVG | Wiki

Although resembling 7.5cm PAK40 anti-tank gun, weapon is 5mm ( 50mm ) PAK38 anti-tank gun, a predecessor to its 7.5cm caliber. Key differentiater is its muzzle brake design and curvature gun shield. Photo depicts German troops in Tunisia - North Africa 1943 during its organized retreat from western desert campaigns.

5 cm Pak 38 | Wiki

German 50mm Pak 38 anti-tank gun, Imperial War Museum ( rear view ) | FKR

Germans entered WW2 with 3.7cm PAK36 anti-tank gun ( 36 indicated 1936 year of military acceptance ), but with muzzle velocity of 2,500 ft/s and effective range of 330 yards, it was derisively called " Heeresanklopfgerät " ( Army Door Knocking Device... or colloquially Door Knocker ) by German troops for its inability to penetrate enemy armor, especially when Soviets introduced KV-1, KV-2, and famed T-34 tanks in 1941. German nomenclature states PAK38 was designed in 1938, but was not rushed into combat until April 1941, specifically to counter Soviet armor forces.

3,7 cm PaK 36 Anti Tank Gun | YouTube

German Armour penetration table | PWN

Note terrain difference between open featureless western desert, versus temperate climate of Tunisia with foliage and mountain outlines. Thus, changes in camouflage base colors from traditional desert tan to olive-drab or light forest green. German gunners are wearing trench coats with sand color camouflage M42 Stahlhelm ( 1942-style steel helmets ), as with all desert-style climates' inability to retain heat in the ground, there are wide swings in temperature between day and night times.

Online Guide to World War II German Helmets | GHC

1943 Tunisia Campaign | HAM

Circa mid-1943 Ostfront, field-modification mounting 5cm PAK38 onto Demag D7 half-track troop carrier, armor shields also designed for radiator air vents and engine hood. Size comparison seen it its German crew and small Russian boy next to vehicle. This conversion was first used during 3rd Battle of Kharkov, Jan - Feb 1943.

The 3rd Battle of Kharkov | TEF

These " technicals " ( via modern American military slang ), converted regular cargo/troop vehicles into self-propelled artillery, thus enabled crew to respond immediately to localized threats without having to run the gauntlet of unhitching a tow gun - move into position - target the enemy - load the shell - fire the weapon. All be it, these " technicals " were still soft-skin vehicles ( aka... very little armor protection for crew ), hence were no match in gunnery duels against enemy tanks. 5cm gun is same caliber used on original Sdkfz 234/2 Puma armor car.

Sd. Kfz. 10 (le. Zgkw. 1 to). Typ D7. | AGO

Pak40 7.5cm Anti-Tank Gun Reviews Index | PMM

Versatility of German 7.5cm PAK40 anti-gun tank gave its mounting on virtually every German WW2 vehicle or transport, from factory conversions like Panzerjäger Marder II ( derived from Panzer II chassis ) in above photo to ad-hoc field modifications such as horse-drawn PAK40 on large wooden platform sleds. German nomenclature Panzerjäger ( tank hunter ) referred to armor vehicles converted to anti-tank role, while Jagdpanzer ( hunting tank ) referred to tank destroyers built from ground-up design.

Panzerjäger Marder II | WW2V

Jagdpanzer IV SdKfz 162 | WW2V

7.5cm gun is same caliber used on up-armed UweM Sdkfz 234/2 Puma armor car model. By late-WW2, German produced large-caliber tow anti-tank guns in 8.8cm to 12.8cm caliber for longer effective range and hitting power. However, larger guns meant increasing difficulty for its crew to manhandle gun into position and tendency to sink into soft ground given its weight. Hence, by 1945 Germans preferred barebone Waffenträger ( weapon carriers, or small fully track platforms ) to give these gun some semblance of mobility.

Rheinmetall-Borsig Waffenträger mit 12,8cm Jagdtiger Rohr model | N54

Leichter Einheitswaffenträger 8.8cm PaK 43/3 L/71 | AHC

Versatility of German 7.5cm PAK40 also had its airborne version, DML boxart showcase 1.48th-scale Junkers Ju-88P-1 anti-tank attack bomber armed with 75mm PAK 40L gun, "L" referred to Luftwaffe ( air force ).

Luftwaffe Cannons & Machineguns | WWIC

Close-up of Junkers Ju-88P-1 with under-belly 75mm PAK40L aerial anti-tank gun mount, its elongated muzzle brake designed to buffer gun recoil so that airframe would not have to absorb entire recoil shock. Give its limited space, spare tank shells are mounted in 12-round carrousel circular-shaped magazine, which are mechanically rotated during combat. Of all German WW2 medium bomber types, Junkers Ju-88 airframe had most versatility in combat roles & airborne armaments including torpedo bomber, airborne radar picket, radar night fighter, fast liaison transport, etc.

Junkers Ju 88 | Wiki

German designated airborne armaments greater than 30mm as Bordkanon ( BK ) status, which meant Heavy Cannon or Heavy Gun. BK status also denoted upgrade in aerial gun firing mechanism from mechanical shell rotation to electro-pneumatic version.

Lemairesoft 75mm PAK40 versions | LSS

7.5cm PAK40 was also given WW2 German allies, photo shows Hungarian 40/43M Zrinyi assault gun, replaced with PAK40 mount. Technically turret-less vehicles of this type are not tanks, but called assault gun ( for infantry support ) or tank destroyers ( for its high-velocity gun ). Zrinyi developed from Hungarian Turan Type 40 tank chassis, design based on successful German assault gun conceptions, which removed turret mount for lower vehicle silhouette, but also enabled larger gun caliber gun to be mounted onto hull since weight limitations imposed by turret assembly no longer applied.

43/44M "Zrínyi" self-propelled gun | FWH

Hungary Tanks List | FSU

Royal Hungarian Army Assault Gun Battalions | NHO

WW2 Germany allies included Finland, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Baltic States, Vichy France, Italy, and various collaborationist regimes installed after conquests in Norway, Holland, Denmark, etc. Romania and Finland defected to Soviet camp in Autumn 1944 after massive Soviet summer offensive " Operation Bagration " destroyed German Heeresgruppe Mit ( Army Group Center ), with Germans losing over circa 400,000 men KIA - MIA. Both Finns and Romanians wanted to get viable Soviet deal before their bargaining position was negated by German defeat.

Stug III model and 1944 Operation Bagration | UweM

Slovakia attempted same defection via so-called " Slovak National Uprising " against German forces, but her forces were utterly crushed in subsequent German counter-attacks in Oct 1944. Croatia and Baltic States ( Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ) remained German allies to WW2 end, main rationale was to protect national sovereignty and ethnic identity.

Almost forgotten in history was Hungary's collusion with Germany and Italy in carving up Europe during WW2 onset. Being junior partner with Germany, Hungary secured territorial gains during 1938 Czechoslovakia crisis when Germany conquered entire nation in " bloodless " invasion, along with regions in Yugoslavia - Poland - Romania after WW2 commenced. In Oct 1944, Hungary secretly signed armistice treaty with Soviets, but Germans launched covert operation against Hungarian regents at Buda castle and overthrew its government. With German appointment of new right-wing Hungarian regents, Budapest prepared for Soviet invasion by year's end.

Hungary WW2 | CSS

UweM 1.35th model of Raupenschlepper Ost ( RSO ) with 7.5cm PAK40 mount, model showcase rear gun breech / recoil workings of anti-tank gun. Raupenschlepper Ost translates as " Raupen Carrier East ", with Raupen being name of tractor manufacturer company, and weapons carrier designed for Ostfront ( Eastern Front, or Russian Front ) given that region's notorious lack of paved roads outside of major urban areas.

RSO 7.5cm Pak40 model | UweM

Note, Germans classified this self-propelled gun type as Selbstfahrlafette ( self-propelled gun carriage ) rather than Waffenträger ( weapon's carrier ). Another interest point is 7.5cm PAK40 gun itself, entire gun mount taken from 1.35th TAMIYA 7.5cm PAK40 model kit released in early 1980s. When built, gun model parts fit only in recoil position after firing.

German Self-Propelled Guns / SP Guns | PMC

Story has it that when TAMIYA Japanese modeling team went to US Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland - USA to inspect captured German 7.5cm PAK40 gun on field display, that gun was stuck in firing recoil position, hence Japanese team thought this was correct firing position, and modeled the kit after this precise measurement.

AAF American Armoured Foundation Tank Museum | WMM