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SdKfz 234 muffler metal annealed appearance created by brushing Elmers Glue onto surface, sprinkle baking soda, let dry, hand paint Pactra Red Brown acrylic paint, then paint washed via Testor enamel Flat Black. Enamel paints was not used for Red Brown coloring for fear excessive oil-based paint + thinner would dissolve baking soda layer. Muffler exhaust hole drilled out with XACTO knife, painted Testor Flat Black for depth perception.
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Rollover : ( Rollover JPG link ) | SdKfz 234 front section with tow cable made from model ship anchor rope. Driver fender guide antennae came with model kit, being plastic they were also prone easily to breakage. Item could be replaced with after-market metal parts ( which can be an expensive proposition ). Another means is to use clothing pins with circular tips as replacement ( they are alittle larger is scale, by readily passable for 1.35th-scale modeling ). FYI, its white tip is painted in neutral grey color rather than flat white, to give it a default weathering effect.
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Puma from Waffen-SS recon headquarter unit, as indicated by what seems like 021 turret numeral. 0 - headquarter company unit, 2 - 2nd platoon, 1 - 1st vehicle in platoon.
Indication of its Waffen-SS service is its commander in turret hatch wearing SS M44 dot camouflage panzer tunic uniform.
SS 44 Dot Camo Jacket | HAC |
 Puma of 2nd Panzer Division transversing through Paris - France, on its way to Normandy front, July 1944. Its personnel worn standard German Panzer tunic colors of black for commander, and field green for other crewmen. Puma also equipped with full complement of water / fuel jerrycans. on front fenders.
The Panzers and Battle of Normandy | P2T Due to Allied misinformation and intelligence deception, Germans assumed main Allied invasion would be vested at Calais - France ( shortest distance between England and European continent ). Calais | Wiki
Even after Allied Normandy landings, 2nd Panzer ( along with other heavy tank battalions ) were still position at the Somme region ( south of Calais ) in preparation for Allied Calais invasion. It was not until July 1944 that these forces were released for combat in Normandy.
Deception Surrounding Normandy | DDS
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Puma in southwestern France / Germany border, atop mountain road overlooking valley below, probably early Autumn 1944.
Turret numeral 7101 indicates 7th Company - 10th Platoon - 1st vehicle in platoon.
Puma has standard African Yellow base color, no other additional camouflage pattern noted. |
 Puma in Normandy sector, with what seems like turret numeral 023 indicating recon headquarter unit. Don't know if it is Waffen-SS or Heer unit. It has heavily foliage camouflage, rather useless when road traveling during daytime. When encountering Allied aircrafts, Puma will scoot into nearby tree line, thus blending in with surrounding forest.
Note Puma engine deck has mid-WW2 Star antenna array for regimental HQ communication. Star array replaced original Framed array seen in opening WW2 stages. German Star Antenna Set WW-II | SHC leichter Panzerspähwagen (Fu) with Frame Antenna | OWM |
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3 German soldaten " Homeys " in Puma on central Germany proving grounds, probably one of first batch completed for military cross-country test trials. BTW, German word " Kopierschutz " means Copy Protection. :)
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