Bolt Action: Puma Heavy Armoured Car

I have just finished a model of the Italieri SD.Kfz. 234/2 Puma.

The Puma was one of the 234 series of 8-rad (wheeled)  German heavy armoured cars. The turret had been designed for a cancelled leopard light tank and incorporated a 50mm antitank gun. This really was overkill for a lightly armoured vehicle that was intended for reconnaissance but it is fun on the wargames table.

This is a great kit in 1:48 scale. It is modestly priced at around £12-13 and is a little less fiddly than Tamiya so excellent as a wargaming model even if less impressive as a display piece. The kit is more or less vanilla except for some added baggage, a pick axe and brush-hair ariels. I replaced the mg with a more evocative one from Warlord.

I used Tamiya desert spray and brush paints for the hull and Revell Anthracite for the wheels.Camo is with Revel red-brown and GW olive-green.

Key to the finish was the dirtying up procedure. I used Citadel orange-brown textured paint to add mud to the underhull. The car was then washed in Citadel dark brown with air intakes in Citadel black wash.

Rust along the side seams and, especially the rear was made from MIG rust powder mixed with Citadel orange rust dry brush paint.

Highlights were then added with Citadel flesh dry brush paint. This is great for hghlighting all sorts of colour schemes.

Finally the Puma with a Warlord infantryman.