Horse drawn Field Kitchen KP-42

Plastic model kit for building a Soviet KP-42 field kitchen in a horse-drawn vehicle with a driver

• 1:35 scale
• 240 parts
• Field kitchen with limber
• 1 figure, 2 horses
• not built/not painted
• Paint and glue not included

The KP-42 was a single-axle, two-wheeled field kitchen with a predominantly metal construction, though it also incorporated numerous wooden elements. Its typical features included a large central cooking kettle with a chimney and two additional side containers for water or food. The kitchen was usually fueled with wood or charcoal. The design was robust, relatively easy to maintain, and specifically engineered for the rigors of frontline use. While the field kitchen was often towed by a truck, horse-drawn transport was very common, especially in difficult terrain or by supply units lacking sufficient motorized resources. In this configuration, the kitchen was typically pulled by one or two horses, which proved particularly advantageous on the Eastern Front with its poor road conditions and long supply routes.

Visually, the KP-42 appears almost archaic – precisely for this reason, it remains an iconic symbol of Soviet frontline logistics to this day. Many original vehicles survived the war or remained in service for decades afterward. The basic design proved so practical that similar field kitchens continued to be used in Russia and other Eastern European countries long after the war. As a result, the KP-42 remains very popular in the model-making and reenactment scene to this day.