Germany employed a number of towed antitank weapons during WWII. At the start of the war, the most common was the light 3.7cm PaK35/36. Appearing in 1936, the small-caliber Rheinmetall weapon was soon eclipsed by enemy armor when war was joined in 1939. Thus the PaK35/36 was soon being called “door knocker” by its skeptical users. Fortunately, more effective weapons were available, including the 7.5cm PaK40. Also built by Rheinmetall, the first PaK40 examples were being fielded in November 1941. Within a couple of years, it had become the most common antitank towed weapon in German forces, with a total of 23,500 produced. The weapon weighed 1,425kg, and it was capable of taking on any Allied tank it encountered.

Both these towed antitank cannons have been engineered in 1/72 scale by Dragon in its Figure Pro series. Building on successful 1/35 scale kits of these same weapons, the smaller versions retain all the detail and features of their larger brethren. As well as the two separate guns, there is also a crew of five soldiers available to operate the weapons. Wearing standard Wehrmacht uniforms, the crew includes a commander, gunner, loader and two ammo handlers. The figures are beautifully sculpted, and they are outfitted with a complete set of personal gear. The miniature gun kits make wise use of slide molds to ensure maximum detail; the gun barrels possess hollow muzzles, for example. These guns also give modelers the choice of depicting them in travel or combat configurations. This is a versatile set that provides highly accurate antitank cannons and figures in a small scale.