FSF:s 1/72 25cm schwerer Minenwerfer (sMW)

The Minenwerfers of different calibres used by the German Army during WW1, were important weapons of support, and they often show up in eye witness accounts from the war, being weapons used in the very frontline, and thus not quite as anonymous as the artillery, which fired their projectiles from very far away, never being seen. Their effect was often tremendous: the reason for this, was that they fired projectiles with an explosive power that was much greater than artillery projectiles of the same calibre.

The German firm of Fine Scale Factory, which has a very fine range of WW1 Artillery, also makes a kit of the big 25cm minenwerfer, the sMW a/A. (The a/A meaning alter Art, or old model. This designation was introduced when a new model of this mortar, with longer barrel, was put into service in 1916.) The kit is pretty simple, containing 10 white metal parts. (Or nine really, as you only need two cranking wheels, but the extra one is a nice spare, thank you.) The moulding is crisp and without any big blemishes, and goes together without any problems.

But, like all FSF artillery kits, and most artillery kits out on the market today, really, this schwerer Minenwerfer lacks in detail. And a lot of it, to be sure. This is the bad news. This you have to supply is: the four lifting rings, you only get the lugs here, the dial sight, and a new sighting assembly altogether, as this one is all wrong, a thicker base plate, axles for the transport wheels, and new mounting for the elevating wheel. The good news is that nothing of this is very tricky, really, and can be added in a couple of sittings. The basic shape of the mortar is very fine, including for instance the raised lip of the barrel. The bottom line is, as with all artillery kits you have to apply a lot of do-it-yourself, but this one is worth it. Recommended.

There is more info on this site on the German 25cm schwerer Minenwerfer a/A . To see a built-up model of this kit, click here!