Italian Cannone da 149A in 1/72 scale
| Name | Cannone da 149A (1905) [code A089] |
| Producer | Da.Ga. Model – Italy |
| Packing | sturdy cardboard box |
| Type of kit |
resin |
| Quality | very good. This is the second kit of Da.Ga.Model, a promising new firm mainly (but not exclusively, we are told) interested in WW I Italian subjects. The resin pieces are finely cast with only a limited number of air bubbles that have to be filled; the parts are not difficult to detach from the resin sprues, as the cutting lines are cleverly positioned. The building requires a bit of patience and skills, especially for the wheels and their tracks. It must be chosen whether to model the gun in firing or hauling mode (wheels for the limber are provided; it must be remembered that this limber was meant for short distances, otherwise the gun had to be disassembled in two parts). A possible tractor (Fiat 18 BL, code A098) is also available in the Da.Ga.model range, together with a Fiat 15 Ter truck. |
| Instruction sheet | yes, two A4 sheets in two languages (but mostly in Italian). |
| Decals | no |
| General Impression & Note |
The Cannone da 149A (<A> means <acciaio> i.e. steel) was introduced in the Italian Regio Esercito in 1905. It was employed in the First World War against the Austro-Hungarian troops. Though considered obsolete, it remained in service in the Second World War until 1943, when it fought against the Allied troops landing in Sicily with modest success (especially due to the low firing rate and lack of adequate optical instruments). In short, it was the most long-lived heavy calibre of the Italian army. The carriage was rigid and the recoil of the gun was absorbed by two characteristically-shaped wooden wedges put behind the wheels and by a wooden bench. The wheels were endowed with Bonagente tracks whose aim was to give stability when the gun was towed over moderately uneven ground. The calibre was 149 mm., the firing rate one shot a minute and the maximum range 16,5 kilometers. |
