Despite the output of Germany’s massive armaments industry, the thirst for more weapons throughout WWII proved insatiable. One solution was to employ captured weapons, and this is exactly what the Wehrmacht did with the French Canon de 75 modèle 1897 field gun. Hundreds of these cannons manufactured by Schneider were captured during the Polish and French campaigns in 1939-40, and were pressed into German service as howitzers.

However, faced with well-armored Soviet tanks in 1941, there was a desperate need for antitank weapons. Until more 7.5cm PaK 40 cannons could be produced, an expedient solution was to place gun barrels from the French Canon de 75 modèle 1897 onto the more modern carriage of a PaK 38. Fitted with a muzzle brake, the resulting weapon was called the 7.5cm PaK 97/38. This hybrid weapon could be used in the antitank role because it primarily fired HEAT rounds, which didn’t rely on velocity. A total of 3700+ PaK 97/38 cannons were produced in 1942-43, and it soldiered on until late in the war.

Dragon has produced its own 1/35 scale version of this important German antitank weapon. As a Premium Edition kit, it offers numerous improvements over the previously released kit of the cannon. The gun itself is better detailed, with a shield that possesses a true-to-scale thickness, and movable gun trails. Another innovation is a complete gun crew offered in vivid action poses. They are supported by various accessories such as realistic-looking aluminum ammo rounds, and Gen2 weapons and personal equipment. This new kit is ready to take on any type of enemy armor, and constitutes an instant diorama.