Tag Archives: panzer iv

German Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausf. F (Tamiya)

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This is the Tamiya 35 374-4000 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausf. F’.

German Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausf. F

History

In service throughout WWII, the Pz.Kpfw.IV was a durable servant to the German Army.

The Ausf. F was the last variant to utilize a short-barreled gun: the L/24 7.5cm KwK37, and was also equipped with wider tracks to cope with the increasing thicknesses of armor.

470 Ausf. F Pz.Kpfw.IVs were manufactured between May 1941 and February 1942, mainly seeing action on the Eastern Front and in North Africa and taking on enemy armor such as the Soviet KV tanks and the British Matilda.

Source: Tamiya website

Manufacturer

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German Brummbär (Late production) (Tamiya)

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This is the Tamiya 35 353 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Brummbär (Late production)’.

German Brummbär (Late production)

History

Developed for infantry support during WWII, the Assault Tank IV married the trusty Pz.Kpfw.IV chassis with a simple fighting compartment featuring 100mm of front and 50mm of side armor, plus a high-powered 15cm gun that could defeat 160mm of 30-degree armor from 5km.

Its variants can largely be grouped into early, mid and late production types, the latter of which was most numerous with 160 examples manufactured between May 1944 and March 1945. Feedback from crews of earlier Brummbärs had led to new a fighting compartment design and cupola, plus partial use of steel road wheels.

Brummbärs were assigned to their own dedicated Assault Tank Battalions and fought on the Eastern Front and in Italy as the war drew to its conclusion.

Source: Tamiya website

Manufacturer

German Bergepanzer IV, Recovery Vehicle (Trumpeter)

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This is the Trumpeter 00389 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Bergepanzer IV, Recovery Vehicle’.

German Bergepanzer IV, Recovery Vehicle

History

The Panzer IV was the workhorse of the German tank corps, being produced and used in all theatres of combat throughout the war. The design was upgraded repeatedly to deal with the increasing threats from enemy forces.

Bergepanzer IV : A recovery vehicle, essentially a turretless Panzer IV chassis fitted with a crane. In May 1944 Bergepanzer 36 stared being built.

Source: Trumpeter website

Manufacturer

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German Panserkampfwagen IV, Ausf. E (Zvezda)

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This is the Zvezda 3641 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Panserkampfwagen IV, Ausf. E’.

German Panserkampfwagen IV, Ausf. E

History

The Panzerkampfwagen IV (PzKpfw IV), commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a German medium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161.

The Panzer IV was the most widely manufactured German tank and the second-most widely manufactured German armored fighting vehicle of the Second World War, with some 8,500 built.

The Panzer IV chassis was used as the base for many other fighting vehicles, including the Sturmgeschütz IV assault gun, Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyer, the Wirbelwind self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, and the Brummbär self-propelled gun.

Source: Wikipedia

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German Flakpanzer IV, Wirbelwind (Tamiya)

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This is the Tamiya 35 233-3000 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind’.

German Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind

History

The Flakpanzer IV “Wirbelwind” (Whirlwind in English) was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun based on the Panzer IV tank. It was developed in 1944 as a successor to the earlier self-propelled anti-aircraft gun Möbelwagen.

The Panzer IV’s turret was removed and replaced with an open-top, nine-sided turret that housed a quadruple 2 cm Flakvierling 38 L/112.5. A closed-top design would have been preferable, but this was not possible due to the heavy smoke generated by the four anti-aircraft guns. The shape of the turret earned it the nickname Keksdose (“Biscuit Tin”).

The combination of armor and rapid fire from the four guns of the Wirbelwind made it very effective against lightly armoured ground targets such as trucks and armored cars; infantry were particularly vulnerable.

Source: Wikipedia

Where I got it

German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D/Tauch (HobbyBoss)

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This is the HobbyBoss 80132 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D/Tauch’.

German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D/Tauch

History

For “Operation Sealion”, the planned invasion of Britain, the Commander of the Army originally requested 180 underwater tanks. On August 1, 1940 there were 90 Panzer III tanks with 3.7cm KwK guns, 10 Panzer III with 5cm KwK and 28 Panzer IV ready for service. In addition, twelve Sturmgeschutz were available.

On August 19, 1940 there were 152 Panzer III and 48 Panzer IV in all ready for the four special Panzer units. After “Operation Sealion” was given up, the vehicles divided among Eutin, Putlos, Bremen and Hamburg were almost all assigned to the 18th Panzer Division.

The Tauchpanzer IV D were converted for the underwater version. Additional sealing was provided for the engine air-intakes, and the exhaust was fitting with non-return valves in place of the normal mufflers. The mantlet and MG mountings were all covered with waterproof fabric. The driver’s visor was made watertight by special metal cover with a visor block. An inflatable rubber tube was also used to seal the turret ring.

Source: HobbyBoss website

Manufacturer

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German 3.7cm FlaK 43 Flakpanzer IV – Ostwind (Trumpeter)

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This is the Trumpeter 01520 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German 3.7cm FlaK 43 Flakpanzer IV – Ostwind’.

German 3.7cm FlaK 43 Flakpanzer IV - Ostwind

History

The “Ostwind” was the last of a series of Flakpanzers (anti-aircraft tanks) based on the Panzer IV chassis to enter production, albeit in very small numbers. The “Ostwind” carried a single 3.7cm FlaK 43 gun, which was rather more effective than the less powerful 2cm guns of the “Wirbelwind”, and also needed less space in the turret, as well as only needing a crew of two (gunner and loader) in place of the gunner and two loaders of the quadruple guns.

Like the “Wirbelwind” the “Ostwind” had a distinctive angular turret, this time six sided, and with the gun emerging from a slot in the pointed front of the turret.

After trials in July, on 18 August 1944 Ostbau were given a contract to produce 100 “Ostwind”. Less than half of these vehicles would be produced – the first fifteen of the eventual total of forty-three were completed in December 1944, far too late to have any impact on the war.

Source: Trumpeter website

Manufacturer

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German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. C (HobbyBoss)

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This is the HobbyBoss 80130 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. C’.

German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. C

History

The Panzerkampfwagen IV (Pz.Kpfw.IV), commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a German medium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz.161.

Designed as an infantry-support tank, the Panzer IV was not originally intended to engage enemy armor — that function was performed by the lighter Panzer III. However, with the flaws of pre-war doctrine becoming apparent and in the face of Soviet T-34 tanks, the Panzer IV soon assumed the tank-fighting role of its increasingly obsolete cousin.

The most widely manufactured and deployed German tank of the Second World War, the Panzer IV was used as the base for many other fighting vehicles, including the Sturmgeschütz IV assault gun, Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyer, the Wirbelwind self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon, and the Brummbär self-propelled gun.

Source: Wikipedia

Manufacturer

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German Möbelwagen 3,7cm FlaK auf Fgst Pz.Kpfw.IV (Sf) (Tamiya)

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This is the Tamiya 35 237-3900 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Möbelwagen 3,7cm FlaK auf Fgst Pz.Kpfw.IV (Sf)’.

German Möbelwagen 3,7cm FlaK auf Fgst Pz.Kpfw.IV (Sf)

History

In the latter half of World War II, the Wehrmacht, having lost air superiority to the Allies, turned to the development of anti-aircraft vehicles. The first vehicle to use the chassis of the Panzer IV tank as a base was the Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun Mobelwagen.

The mass-production model started to be manufactured in February 1944. It was equipped with a powerful 3.7 FlaK 43 cannon capable of firing 250 shots/min, and thick armored plates surrounding the upper part of the vehicle, which could be raised or lowered for horizontal firing.

By 1945, a total of 240 vehicles were produced, most of which were deployed to the western front, providing a vicious defense against approaching fighters and bombers of the Allies.

Source: Tamiya website

Manufacturer

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German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B, mit Schneeräumer System Schmidt (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6764 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B, mit Schneeräumer System Schmidt’.

German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B, mit Schneeräumer System Schmidt

History

The Panzer IV Ausf.B – fitted with a snow plow. The Panzer IV Ausf.B still featured a short-barreled 7.5cm KwK37 L/24 main gun and an MG34 machine gun.

A crew of five operated the Sd.Kfz.161 tank, and it saw service in the 1939-40 campaigns in Poland, Norway and France, and also in the Balkans and in Russia from 1941 onwards.

A snow plow was very useful for winter combat in places like the Eastern Front, which was subject to extreme temperatures and large amounts of snow that severely hampered mobility.

Source: Dragon website

Manufacturer

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German Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel/Wespe (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6535 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel/Wespe’.

German Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel/Wespe

History

‘Bumble Bee’ might seem an unusual nickname for a self-propelled howitzer, but that is what the Germans initially called their 15cm sFH 18 L/30 howitzer mounted on a Panzer IV chassis.

The Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel, of which 714 were produced from late 1942 onwards, was created because of an urgent need for artillery that could keep pace with Germany’s panzers during WWII.

Interestingly, the prototype of the Hummel was originally fitted with a 10.5cm leFH18 gun, the weapon that eventually found its way onto the Wespe that was based on the Panzer II chassis.

Source: Dragon website

Manufacturer

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German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D/E Fahrgestell (Trumpeter)

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This is the Trumpeter 00362 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D/E Fahrgestell’.

German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D/E Fahrgestell

History

A total of 13 Munitionsschlepper were produced on Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D, E, and F chassis which had been acquired from the normal Pz.Kpfw.IV production run as reported in May 1941.

There were two Munitionsschlepper for each of the six Gerät 040 Nr. I to VI and one for the experimental Gerät Nr. VII.

Source: Trumpeter website

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