Military Model Scene

Title: TankCraft 6, Panzer IV, 1939-1945

Author: Paul Thomas

Publisher: Pen and Sword Books

ISBN: 978-1-52671-128-1

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A new book in their TankCraft series from Pen and Sword, number 6 in the series.  It provides a handy introduction to the Panzer IV, the most widely used AFV with the German army in WW2.  It was also the one panzer that remained in production right through to the end of the war.

This follows the same basic structure of the series.  It starts with the development and early years of the pre-war years before moving on, through sections on The Blitzkrieg Years, On The Eastern Front, Kursk and Beyond.  Next is a section on Camouflage and Markings, which starts of with 14 pages of fine colour profiles, each with informative captions, and rounded off with some text describing both camouflage and the use of patterned Zimmerit, an anti-magnetic mine coating.  This is followed by a Modellers Showcase, with some nicely finished examples with a 1/16th model and 3 more in 1/35, each by a different modeller.  Staying with the modeller, these lead into a few pages which detail a number of models available in various scales.  Not quite as comprehensive a listing in comparison to other titles in the series, but enough to give the beginner an idea of what is available. The final 2 sections to the book looks at the various Panzerjager and  Flak variants built on the Pz IV chassis, and this also includes a Glossary of the different Panzer Divisions of WW2.  The final section lists the gun tank variants through its' production history, from the Ausf A through to the Ausf J.

Each of the historical sections are well illustrated with archive photos, all well captioned, and provide some useful references for the modellers as well as the Panzer historian.

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Thanks to Pen and Sword for this review copy.

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Robin