Anti Tank Gun M42
Crimean Offensive, April 1944

The 76-mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3) was a Soviet 76.2 mm divisional field gun used during World War II. ZiS was a factory designation and stood for Zavod imeni Stalina ("factory named after Stalin"), the honorific title of Artillery Factory No. 92, which first constructed this gun. Soviet soldiers liked the ZiS-3 for its reliability, durability, and accuracy. The gun was easy to maintain and could be used by novice crews. The light carriage allowed the ZiS-3 to be towed by trucks, heavy jeeps, or even hauled by the crew. ZiS-3 had good anti-armor capabilities. Its armour-piercing round could knock out any German light or medium tank. The frontal armor of later tanks, like the Tiger I and Panther, were immune to the ZiS-3. Late in the war this gun was also used in the massed artillery barrages used to disrupt the German defenses.

This was a nicely detailed kit from Italeri. If you build the gun carefully it will operate including stowing the gun for travel and having the gun recoil. The crew, shells and equipment came from the kit. I built the diorama from a wood plaque, wall spackle, woodland scenics grass and trees and Mig Pigments for mud. I highly recommend this kit.