ITALERI 37501 - FERDINAND

The construction of this vehicle is perfect for the beginner. The instruction are easy to follow and there is not an excessive amount of small part. The track will be easy to install if you manage to keep the drive sprocket spinning freely after the installation to the chassis.

----- HISTORY ----- The Elefant (German "elephant") was a "Schwerer Panzerjäger" (heavy tank-destroyer) of the German Wehrmacht, initially built under the additional name Ferdinand, after their designer Ferdinand Porsche, before it was changed to Elefant. All except 2 Ferdinand/Elefant (89) saw battle in 1943 in Operation Citadel. Most of the units were not destroyed in battle, but abandoned and blown up by their own crews. After the battle the remaining 48 vehicles were pulled out of service and given an overhaul. This included a ball-mount machine gun in the front along with a commander's cupola. The name Elefant was decided during the refit. Nevertheless, the Ferdinand/Elefant might well have been the most successful tank destroyer employed during the war, with a kills to losses ratio of a approximately 10:1.