Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale '39-'45
Series Kit No. 6353; 3cm Flak 38/103 Jaboschreck w/Trailer; 240 parts (172 in grey
styrene, 63 etched brass, 5 pre-formed etched brass); price estimated at US $19-22
Advantages: late-war German conversion weapon has interesting configuration; large number
of detail parts
Disadvantages: obscure item; no crew figures
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all late-war German fans and "duck hunters"
As WWII progressed, the Germans found themselves losing air supremacy and as such
switching from being the hunters to being the hunted. The 9th Tactical Air Force in
particular had a field day with retreating German formations, and at least the 3rd US
Armored Division had a cab rank of at least four P-47s on call for each combat command
during daylight hours in 1944.
The trusty 2cm guns were no longer as effective against them unless quadrupled, and the
larger 3.7cm guns were few in number. Apparently the solution the Germans turned to was to
convert aircraft cannon – here the powerful 3cm MK 103, a "lead
slinger" which was very nasty in use by late-war German aircraft, was simply mounted
on a converted 2cm Flak 38 carriage and used against the "Jabos" -
fighter-bombers. The title given this piece - "Jaboschreck" - roughly translates
as "fighter-bomber wrecker." (It should be noted that many free-roaming P-47
pilots only had a four hour combat career in 1945 thanks to weapons such as this and the
quad 2cm weapons.)
DML has now done the same thing, taking its very nice 2cm Flak 38 and making the exact
same conversion that was performed on the actual guns. Two of the sprues (C and D) in the
original kit have been replaced with 34 new parts that replace the unneeded 2cm parts as
well as 68 new etched brass parts, including pre-formed gun shields and cartridge casing
catch bins.
Construction closely follows that of the earlier 2cm gun (kit number 6288, released in
January 2006), and many of those parts are now excess (such as all of the 2cm magazines
and clips) as well as the various dedicated 2cm bits on the Sonderanhaenger 51 two-wheel
carrier trailer. The replacement parts include the MK 103, magazines and a belt of ammo
plus single rounds, and the aforementioned new
brass parts.
The MK 103 has a very complex muzzle brake to cut down on its vicious recoil (which was
rumored to stop German fighters cold in mid air if four of them were fired at once) but
DML has done a yeoman job to replicate it via "Slide Molding" of the parts. The
gun itself consists of some 10 parts; note that the use of etched brass is unfortunately
mandatory for the gun's muzzle brake and shell feed chute. A choice of either styrene or
etched brass gun shields is provided, however.
As with the 2cm gun the modeler is offered one of four fixed elevations: 0, 20, 40 or 60
degrees, and appropriate parts are provided from the 2cm kit for the elevation gear to fix
the gun in one of those positions.
The trailer is the same, with two-part wheels with fair representation of the tread
pattern.
One finishing option is provided, a generic Panzerbraun on the Eastern Front in 1945. A
small but busy Cartograf decal sheet provides a number of options for use on the gun
shield and barrel, such as kill rings, victory silhoutettes, or even Eisenkreuz stencils.
Overall a nice if somewhat obscure antiaircraft gun that should find a home on a number of
dioramas. It is a shame that it, like the 2cm, does not come with a crew set.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue breakdown:
A 88 Flak 38 2cm mount
B 44 Sonderhanhaenger 51
C 12 MK 103 gun
C 6 mount angle adjustment rods
D 22 New parts for MK 103 to Flak 38 mount
MA 5 preformed etched brass
MB 53 etched brass
MB 2 etched brass
MC 2 etched brass
MD 6 etched brass
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