IPMS/USA Reviews

For history buffs and modelers interested in artillery warfare during WWII, the folks at Pen and Sword have come through with an offering that provides extensive coverage of all manners of artillery.  The different types of artillery, including the gun, howitzer, and mortar are covered in detail for all participants in the war as well as rockets that were used.  Over 400 photographs and illustrations are contained in the book so that nearly every page contains one or more photographs or black and white drawing, all of which are well produced.

About the Author

Dennis Oliver is the author of over twenty books on Second World War armored vehicles including Tiger I and II Tanks, German Army and Waffen-SS, Eastern Front 1944, Panther Tanks, German Army and Waffen-SS, Normandy Campaign 1944, Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer, German Army, Western Europe 1944-1945, and Tiger I and Tiger II Tanks, German Army and Waffen-SS, and The Last Battles in the West, 1945.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Normandy Battlefield

Camouflage & Markings

Model Showcase

Technical Details and Modifications

Summary

About the Author

Ian Baxter is a much-published author and photographic collector whose books draw an increasing following. Among his many previous titles in the Images of War series are Hitler's Boy Soldiers, Nazi Concentration Camp Commandants, German Army on the Eastern Front - The Advance, Germany Army on the Eastern Front- The Retreat, The Crushing of Army Group (North) and the SS Waffen Division series including SS Leibstandarte Division, SS Totenkopf Division At War.  He lives in Chelmsford, Essex.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter One: Eastern Front Battles, 1943
Chapter Two: Italian Warfare, 1943-44
Chapter Three: Eastern Front, 1944
Chapter Four: The Last Year of the War, 1944-45
Appendix I:  Panther Tank Specifications
Appendix II:  Panther Variants, 1943-45

The R35 was a small, light infantry tank that was originally designed by Renault for the French Army.  After the fall of Paris, many of these tanks were captured and pressed into service by the German forces.  These were used as either second line tanks or they were modified for other rolls.  The particular vehicle covered by this new kit from Hobby Boss covers a vehicle that has been modified to carry the 3.7cm Pak 35/36. 

M1 IP Abrams MBT

The M1 IP (Improved Performance) Abrams was produced briefly in 1984 and was a transitional tank to the M1A1. Some of the upgrades included a new "long" turret with thicker frontal armor--upgraded from 650mm to line-of-sight thickness of 880mm. 894 M1 IP tanks were manufactured for the US.

First Impression

This PANDA kit was released in 2018 and is a re-issue with new parts from the original kit which came out in 2017. The box contains one clear sprue, PE, one waterslide decal sheet, brass wire, upper & lower hull pieces, and seven sprues (four of them dedicated to the tracks). The parts are molded in dark yellow plastic. The detail is fair. This kit has a large amount of injector pins and injector pin remnants attached to parts. Some parts had a moderate amount of flash which required cleanup.