IPMS/USA Reviews

The Kits

You get three 1/72 scale kits and a 54 mm figure in one box here.  The kits are an 8-ton halftrack, (SdKfz 7) an 88 mm FLAK 18, and a Panzer IV ausf F2.  The figure is Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.  There are individual instructions for the vehicles, and the painting and assembly instructions for Rommel are included with the 88 mm FLAK.

I built the kits and figure individually and will go through the process of construction and finishing one at a time.

88 mm Gun, FLAK 18

The T-60 was a light tank designed for scout and reconnaissance missions that was rushed into production a month after the start of Operation Barbarossa.  Over a two-year period, approximately 7,000 of these vehicles were built.  The T-60 scout tank was lightly armored, lightly armed with a 20mm canon a a machine gun, that was roundly hated by the two-man crews who operated it.  The light armor, less than effective gun and poor engine performance lead to its operators naming it the "brother's grave for two".  Although it was intended to be a support or reconnaissance vehicle, it often matched up against more superior German armor where it fared very poorly.  Until factories could be equipped to produce the T-34, Soviet production continued and efforts were made to upgrade the firepower to a 37mm cannon, but these plans were scraped due to a lack in ammunition, and eventually, the armament upgrades were incorporated into the T-70.

The book is one of the Squadron Signal series "in Action". It explores the history and development of the Panther tank and its Variants. I have always loved the Panther design and was very happy to have this book to review. The pictures of the Panther in the book are fantastic.

The book has some extremely interesting and diverse photos of the iconic Panther, there are over 180 photographs included. The photos really show the classic lines and design of this wonderful symbol of the World War 2. The book made me want to build a couple of Panther models out of my stash and start building using the book for valuable reference. The last sections of the variants are an extremely interesting addition to the book.

This book should be in every tank lover's library and I recommend this book to everyone. The great reference photos are ideal for all modeler's.

Thanks go to David Doyle for providing this book to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them.

Around 1970, Monogram Models released a "Panzer IV" kit in 1/32nd scale. There was no mention on the box top as to what version (Ausfuhrung) it was, simply that it was a Panzer IV "with 75mm gun". As military vehicle historians dug deeper into the history of German military vehicles from the Second World War period, they learned that the Panzer IV, for example, was produced in a series of "Ausfuhrung", or versions: Ausf. A, Ausf. B etc. Eventually, model firms figured this out too so that by the early/ mid-1970's, Italeri was producing kits such as their "German Tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf (H)" while Tamiya had their "Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. H".

Background

The most important Soviet tank design of the early post WW2 period was the T-54/T-55 series of tanks, and these tanks were exported in large numbers to Soviet client states including Syria and Egypt. The 1967 and 1973 Arab/Israeli wars were disastrous for the combined Arab armies, and Israeli forces captured hundreds of intact examples of the T-54/55 tanks. Not wishing to look a gift horse in the mouth, the Israeli military developed a procurement program designed to put these captured tanks back into Israeli service. Over the years the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) fielded the Tiran 1, 2, 4 and 5. The Tiran 1 was an unmodified T-54, and the Tiran 2 was an unmodified T-55. The Tiran 4 was a modified T-54 with new jerry can and stowage boxes added to the exterior of the vehicle, as well as a change to the loader's hatch, and the addition of turret mounted exterior machineguns. The Tiran 5 was the same modification program as the Tiran 4, but for the T-55 tank.