Bottom Line Up Front: Even though Tamiya’s “new tool” release of the venerable Panzerkampfwagen IV does not disappoint with nice detail, clever engineering, and three figures that are well rendered in unique and interesting poses. Even though this kit uses the hull and suspension from the 1994 Panzer IV releases, the vast majority of the kit is brand new and up to modern standards. This is not merely a reboxing of an old obsolete kit.

History

The Pz.Kpfw.IV began manufacture in 1936 with the Ausf. A, and went through a number of specifications before what was perhaps the definitive short barreled infantry support variant started production in 1941: the Ausf. F. It had reinforced armor and updated hull designs, as well as an L/24 75mm gun. About 460 rolled off of the production lines, mostly serving on the Eastern front but also in North Africa, Italy, and France.

History

The BM-13-16 was the most numerous example of rocket artillery in the Red Army’s arsenal during WWII. The system included 8 rail guides holding 16 RS-132 rockets. It was a formidable weapon that struck terror in the hearts of anyone on the receiving end. The system was often installed on the chassis of trucks delivered to the USSR under Lend-Lease. In this ICM release, the chassis belongs to the British Fordson W.O.T. 8 4x4.

The Kit

Inside the durable cardboard box are twelve dark green styrene runners, one clear runner, one PE fret, and five vinyl tires. There are no decals included in the kit, which is a shame as it would have been nice to at least have some for the instrument panel dials. There is only one scheme offered in the kit for a Russia 1942 Olive Green sample.

The book covers the Tanks that played a key role in the battlefields of World War II and how they were used and utilized. The book goes into great detail of the tank’s role in all the major campaigns of the war, how the tank was used, the way its role evolved over the war, the different locations it was used in. It goes into great details on unit use and tactics which help you understand how it was used. The unit strengths and makeup are very interesting.

This book increased my own knowledge of tank warfare a lot and helped me understand more its role in battle and tactics of all sides in the conflict. The information shows the speed of progress made with tank design and use during this important war.

The images in the book are excellent and inspire diorama ideas for modelers.

I highly recommend this book to everyone with an interest in WWII especially in armor and tank warfare.

Introduction

The company website states:

“This set includes the base colors and products essential for imitating the accumulation and weathering effects produced by mud”.

“With this set, you will be able to replicate different types of effects including dry mud, wet mud, and mud splashes. These sets are the perfect solution for casual modelers and those experienced enthusiasts looking for the most realistic painting options in one convenient box.

One of Kagero’s latest installments in their TOPDRAWING series is booklet # 98 which covers the M4 Sherman – namely the M4, M4A1 and M4A4 Firefly variants. Like the other TOPDRAWING series booklets, #98 describes the differences in the external arrangements of the major variants, through text, line drawings (in the more common modeling scales) and a few color profiles. These booklets are a great reference for scale modelers of any experience level. I would like to thank Casemate Publishers for providing a copy for this review.

As described in the introduction on page 1, the M4 Sherman was the most popular American tank of World War II. There were over 49,000 M4 tanks produced in over a dozen variants between early 1942 and mid-1945. As for the M4 variants covered in this booklet, the major different external features were: