SWS Halftrack Rear Views

The line up.  It looks like a perfect strafing set up for a P-47.

Rear view of the first platoon, you can see the shovel and bucket I added to the rear.

The machine guns don't have a shield, but I may add that to some of the others as they get machine guns.

No upgrades to these but I think the camouflage is well done.

An interesting thing about buying used vehicles is they often look more like a real unit because they have many variations in markings, and camouflage.

AA guns from the rear.  I have a lot of the shovels and pickaxs from the Roco Opel Blitz that are surplus and many of them may find there way here.

Rear view of the maintenance van, need a small ladder to enter.
 

SWS Line Up

More SWS Infantry Company.  Here are two SWS 81mm mortar carriers.  I used the Esci hard plastic Africa Korps mortar and an ammo box from that set to make the carriers.  Very basic.

Roco 37mm anti-aircraft guns.  Stock out of the box, whoever painted them did a great job I think.

Maintenance vehicle with a box on the rear.  This is from the Roco US 2 1/2 ton radio van, it has this box as a removable feature and the previous owner did this conversion.  I liked it so well I kept it.

Another view of an infantry plastoon.

 Here is the whole line up.  I put them on a couple pieces of chipboard that sit on my patio table.  I use the chip board as a spray painting surface so it gets painted and in a variety of colors so it looks good as a group surface for photos, usually.  A couple 2x4s along the edge help mask the trees beyond or I can use my sky wallpaper on foamcore board.  Trees are very large, probably 30 yards, away.

More SWS Halftrak Photos

The SWS Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper halftrack was intended as a lightly armored supply vehicle.  They were also used to carry 20mm, and 37mm anti-aircraft guns, as well as 150mm rocket launchers.  Everywhere I look, I find different production numbers for the individual versions but there seem to have been at least 500 manufactured in various configurations, and probably many more.  There was also one with an unarmored cab.

Recently I have posted a few photos of an SWS halftrack that has a camouflage paint job.  The same halftrack has appeared in a number of different set up.  This caused a few people to ask if it is the only SWS halftrack in my collection.  The SWS series is one of the oldest Roco Minitanks ever made.  They come in six versions, but sadly, don't make the unarmed cab version.  They are also some of the oldest vehicles in my collection as I likely have not purchased a new one in the package in at least 20 years.

Here is a company of them employed as armored infantry vehicles.  Two Kubelwagen and one SWS command radio version.  I got this in a collection I purchased forever ago and figured it was too nicely done to change.  This is the original paint job it had when I got it.

I have no evidence that the SWS halftrack was ever used as an armored infantry carrier, and no evidence of even troops simply riding in the back of the vehicle.  Back in olden times we could not get HO scale SdKfz 251 armored infantry carrier halftracks so we use the Matchbox or Eadai / Arii / Grip versions in 1/76th scale.  Even so they were much more expensive than the Roco SWS and so it was not uncommon to improvise and use the SWS instead or in addition to the 1/76th scale versions.

The first platoon, all Roco, the platoon commander has the 37mm anti-tank gun on top, and the three others have light machine guns.  I painted these probably 30 years ago.  One dot at a time with the brush.  I added a few other details that will be seen later.

Second platoon, no machine gun, but I have them ready to install.  These came painted and marked like this.

Third infantry platoon also came like this.  Years ago my wargame group and I purchased two collections that were in excess of a thousand vehicles.   I got a lot of these in that purchase as no one else was interested.
 

SWS Restoration

Right side view of the Roco SWS halftrack.

These old Roco vehicles are great for wargaming.  Their simple construction makes them quick to assemble.  They have been around for 50 years and so they are not hard to find and are often very inexpensive.

Several times in the past I purchased collections and usually got a few of these in the collection.  Often they were damaged, or parts were in a spares box.

The fold down sides are the most prone to break, but a little piece of plastic rod glued on can restore them to full function.

Here is one with my Roco ground mounted Grille 88mm gun.

And here it is with the Kubelwagen.
 

SWS Halftrack

Roco SWS halftrack.  When Eadai made an SdKfz 251 I purchased a lot of them as they were 1/76th scale and there were none in HO 1/87 scale.  Eventually, Paul Heiser Models and Trident made the SdKfz 251 in a variety of versions and so I disposed of my Eadai ones.  I kept the forward machine guns, and mounted them on Roco SWS munitions carrier halftracks.  I use them as ersatz personnel carriers or as an armed munitions carrier.  I also added a bit of track from a Fujimi PanzerJager I model on the side of the cab.  You can also see a Roco shovel on the back, and a Jerry can from somewhere on the side.  All those extras really perk up this old model.

Roco Grille, modified with the earlier 88mm gun.  One of these was produced and saw service in Italy.  This version of the 88 was more reliable but the other was more capable.  Crew are Italeri German anti-tank gun crews and an Odemars WWII German Commanders figure.

It's a two minute conversion and gives me a unique vehicle.

And rather good looking I think.  This probably and Airfix 1/76th scale gun and shield and it might look better with a Roco HO scale 88mm but I don't have a spare one.  I think it looks okay.

Here you can see the front of the SWS.  It was not unusual for them to have a spare tire on the front.  I have done that with a few of them, but obviously not on this one.

The little sign designated the command center for the artillery company.  The fire direction center is located there for the whole company, each firing battery also has their own FDC.  It's hard to see but there is also a supply dump there too.

Commanders watch the action from a tall building.  Observing the fall of shot for indirect fire.

Marx tree in the snow.  Guns at the ready.