Military Miniatures in Review (MMIR) is one of only about a half-dozen high-end armor-based magazines, and my favorite go-to source for finishing and weathering armor models and figures. Regular publication has been spotty in the past; otherwise I would have sprung for a subscription long ago. That said, I try to pick up every new issue, and those that I miss I can purchase (at a discount) from their website.

As of right now, Ampersand does not offer MMIR in digital format, but even if it did I’m not sure I’d switch from the hardcopy version. The quality of the materials used and the sheer number of crystal-sharp images included in each issue makes these magazines stand out among their peers.

Background

With increasing Allied air dominance in the European Theater in World War II, German armored forces found themselves in need of mobile and survivable anti-aircraft defenses to cover and protect their operations on all fronts. Originally equipping wheeled and half-tracked vehicles as self-propelled anti-aircraft platforms, the requirement for a more robust solution was quickly recognized. The solution came in the form of salvaged chassis from damaged Panzer IV variants retrofitted with anti-aircraft armament. One of the final variants to see combat operations was the Flakpanzer IV "Ostwind" (“East Wind”). The Ostwind’s single rapid-firing 3.7cm Flak 43 and increased armor was a marked improvement over its “Wirblewind” predecessor’s quad 2 cm mount. Of the 100 Ostwinds originally ordered, only 44 were completed by March 1945.

Background

Based on requirements laid down in 1934, and first seeing production in 1937, the Panzer III was fielded as the primary battle tank of the Wehrmacht at the outset of World War II. Upon engaging the Red Army’s T-34’s and KV-1’s it was evident the Panzer III was at a significant disadvantage. The E-, F-, and G- models were retrofitted with a larger 50mm main gun, which became standard on the –H model along with additional armor bolted to the rear, glacis and front superstructure of the hull. The Ausf. H also received an improved transmission and redesigned sprockets and idlers. Of an initial order of 759 Ausf.H’s, only 308 were produced until April 1941.

The AFV

The PanzerKampfWagen IV Ausf H was designed to be an improved version of earlier PZKw IVs. The 75mm KWK/40 L48 main gun was supposed to be the same 50mm gun used in the IV Ausf F, but the shock of discovering how hard it was to deal with the Russian T-34s and KV-1s necessitated the upgrade to a 75mm gun. The particular version in this kit has the standoff armor (Schűrzen = aprons). The standoff armor is to protect the hull from shaped-charge weapons like the bazooka or Panzerfaust. The boxart shows extra tracks carried on the front glacis plate, but these are not included in the kit.

The Kit

The Bronco offering of the Valentine tank comes fully packed in a sturdy box. Inside you will find 17 grey sprues, one clear sprue, 18 track sprues (12 links per sprue), two decal sheets, two photo etched frets (including an addendum instruction for the smaller fret), a box sized color poster of the Valentine tank, and a very well done instruction booklet. With a couple of exceptions the sprues are individually bagged. It should be noted there are no figures included with the kit.