YOU CAN SEE TOM GRIGAT’S wonderful workmanship again in the video (above). The fascinating subject is a 1:35 scale kit of the one-off Romfell Panzerwagen, built in 1915.
SMN report: The Romfell armoured car consisted of just one vehicle, designed by Hauptmann Branco Romanic and Oberleutnant Simon Fellner of the Austro-Hungarian army in 1915. They named their design the Romfell, and it was first used to defend against a major Russian offensive. After that, the Romfell was moved to enter service on the Italian Front in 1917.
There is little information on how the vehicle actually performed, but its unusual curved lower armour must have helped deflect exploding enemy ordnance. And that curved armour plate is what makes the Romfell unlike anything else in battle at the time, so all in all, it was a unique piece of equipment.
The 1:35 scale kit comes from Copper State Models, and partners with CSM’s other armoured car kits, featuring unusual models from countries as diverse as Canada, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the UK. Nicely sculpted crew figures are also available from Copper State, and these are well worth investigating. There is even a Imperial Russian gunner, depicted while playing his balalaika!