For all fans of the most produced German Tank of WWII, the Panzer IV, Michaէ Kuchciak and the folks of Kagero have put out a wonderful book on the final three variants of the tank. The 80 pages are filled with line black and white photos, drawings, eight pages of color side view lithographs, and an enclosed lithograph of an Ausf. H vehicle. Filled with history and technical details, I can highly recommend this new offering from Kagero in their in-Combat line!

During the summer of 1944 a series of massive Soviet offensives threatened to destroy the entire German army on the Eastern Front. As the Wehrmacht scrambled to hold what ground it could many formations simply disappeared and the available armored units were used to plug the gaps in the front line. One of the most important elements of the defense was the newly raised IV.SS-Panzerkorps which contained the veteran Totenkopf and Wiking divisions. Although both were well equipped their real striking power lay in the battalion of Pzkpfw V Panther tanks with which each was outfitted, perhaps the most effective armored fighting vehicle produced by Germany during the Second World War.

It is arguably safe to assume that most modelers who visit the IPMS Reviews website know a thing or two about assembling models, at least. I think it is also safe to assume that most Armor modelers know that you don’t need to start painting until well into the assembly process, many times not until the very end of the build. That is where Mig Jimenez’s recent offering starts – he takes the armor modeler from an assembled kit through to the finish line.

The Illustrated Weathering Guide to WWII Late War German Vehicles takes a dive into finishing ten iconic late-war German AFV’s, and while no can argue that (one) goal of this book is to market Ammo products, the information contained between the covers is still both valuable and informative. Let’s face it – Ammo by Mig produces (or re-brands) many of the very best products available to modelers, and a ‘how-to’ book using those very products makes for an excellent great quick-reference guide.

This book covers the story if the Soviet introduction and use of Tanks in World War two and the battles and politics around them.

Chapters

• A Tank Aficionado
• Lost Advantage
• Stalin’s Mechanical Corps
• Desperate Counter-Attacks
• Tank City Falls
• The T-34 Escapes
• The Stalingrad Flank
• Save the Oil
• New Tank Armies
• Other Peoples Tanks
• Triumph at Kursk
• Battles for Kharkov
• Victory in the Crimea
• Stalin’s Armoured Steamroller
• Punishing Traitors
• Stopped Before Warsaw
• The Road to Hungary
• Beneath the Brandenburg Gate
• Heroes of Socialist Labour

The book goes into extreme detail on the full history of the Soviet formation of the tank units and their use in WWII.

Summary

This appears to be a re-issue of an older kit. While the level of detail is okay, the details themselves are a bit soft. The parts layout and build sequence is simple and straight forward. Anyone with a kit or two experience should not have any troubles with the few issues I encountered.

Background

The Opel Blitz was the "working mule" of the Wehrmacht during World War II. It was deployed on all fronts in multiple variations. Thanks to the sturdy frame, robust rigid axles with leaf springs and twin back wheels the Opel Blitz could carry a payload of over 3 tons. While the most popular version was a rear-wheel-drive 4x2, a 4x4 version was operated in both Russia and North Africa. A model with the rear wheels replaced with tracks also saw action in the Russian and European theaters.

This kit depicts the 4x2 mobile command post with radio communications for battlefield management of ground troops.