A panzergrenadier platoon had one 251/10 as a command vehicle. This mounted a 37mm anti-tank gun in the place of the front machine gun.

Here you see a full platoon of 251s. The 251/10 is clearly visible in the centre. I'll get to the command vehicle in a moment. First, a few comments on the others in the platoon. For wargaming purposes, I wanted them to be identifiable as belonging to the same platoon. Accordingly, though each has been painted in a different pattern, each shares the same proportion of colours. The three colours are the standard three: reddish brown, sand, and dark green. Late Hanomags were painted in a base coat of dark green, but most had sand as the base colour. On the left, you see a 251/1 with front mudguards removed, which was common, a towing cable wrapped round the front hooks (thick linen thread), sand bags in front of the MG (again, not uncommon), open driver's visor, and opened rear doors. The 251/1 on the right has a small fascine mounted on the front, which I saw in a photograph (wire bound with thread - heavier than the rest of the model). It also has big bits of wood (matchsticks) and a spare front wheel carried on the side. It also has the most effective camouflage scheme I have ever painted - transverse zigzags of the darker colours, with small dashes of lighter colour - disguises the shape of the vehicle amazingly. The furthest of the 251/1s has spare track carried on the nose, and you can clearly see one of the doors to the side storage bins, which has been cut off, bent, and glued back on as if hanging loose.

The 251/10 platoon command vehicle has a gun taken from a normal anti-tank gun kit for a German 37mm, mounted with a couple of added details like control wheels, with a scratch-built shield. This is the latest of the shield styles, with its scalloped top edge, rivets, and missing right hand half. This was made with two pieces of plastic card cut to shape and glued on at an angle to each other. The edge of this card was painted with a dark line to represent the gap between the front and rear thicknesses of the real shield. Under the vehicle roof, was glued more plastic card to represent the mounting for the gun (not shown). The 251/10 is a C version - note the altered nose.

Crew for the vehicles by Skytrex, Wargames Foundry, SHQ, and Matchbox. In the background, you can see some ruins, looking much redder than in life, made from the brick walls which come with the Matchbox 251 kit. You can also see some dragons' teeth which were sold to me by Faust Studios as 6mm scale! Immediately behind the furthest 251 is a section of wall from the Matchbox Char B kit. I had two of these and glued them back to back to give me a proper double-sided wall. On one wall you can see the Waffen SS recruitment poster which used to come with the 251 kit, but which now has been replaced by a more PC poster.

Here you see a 251/10 in "ambush" camouflage scheme. It has the middle-period gun shield, which is low, but double-sided. This is the Fujimi 251 kit, and the gun came with the kit as an alternative part. I just cut the top section off the shield. Note the hatch on the front bonnet which is slightly ajar, and the open vision ports (easy to do with this kit, since the parts come as separate). In the background is an SHQ Kettenkrad and trailer, and an old Bellona pillbox.

Crew by SHQ and Esci. The Esci man is firing the rear MG. He is from the soft-plastic German infantry set, and fits perfectly.

Early 251/10, painted in panzer grey. This one has the same shield as the infantry version of the gun. Note that the doors I have glued open (having cut them out from the kit parts), and I have made hinges for them. The kit has a lot of mud on it, which turned dark and slimy-looking when I varnished over the top of it. You can see some on the interior floor. There are lots of other little tweaks: additions of various bits of kit here and there, and the viewing ports opened.

The 251/10 you have already seen, with the one-piece crew cartridge (figures are Matchbox, SHQ, Fujimi). Note the standing commander who is in mid-air, and the seated soldier with rifle who sits on nothing. These, when in the 251, are supported by the seats.

251/10 complete: the same vehicle, with the crew cartridge in place. Remove the crew and replace with hamster bedding (to represent dirty smoke) when the vehicle is destroyed. These last three pictures were taken with a digital camera, as opposed to the good old-fashioned film type. I know which I prefer, but digital cameras are improving fast.