PzKpfw IV Ausf. H

[Paul A H]

PzKpfw IV Ausf. H

1:72 Revell

The Panzer IV was one of the most successful military vehicle designs to emerge from Nazi Germany and was the only German tank to remain in production throughout World War II. Early models were intended to serve as infantry support tanks and were armed with a 7.5cm L/24 low-velocity, short-barrelled gun. To make the Panzer IV more effective against enemy tanks, later models, including the Ausf. H, were fitted with the more powerful 7.5cm KwK 40 L/48 gun. The Panzer IV served in North Africa and throughout the European theatre and was exported to a number of other countries. Some Panzer IVs were even used by Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967, more than twenty years after the end of World War II.

Revell’s Panzer IV Ausf. H has been around for just over 10 years but is still a very highly regarded kit, so fans of small-scale armour will no doubt be pleased to see it return to the Revell line up. The kit is comprised of no fewer than 204 parts, giving you some idea of the level of detail Revell have crammed into this model. There are four sprues of beige coloured plastic packed into the usual end-opening box, plus a small decal sheet. The quality of the mouldings is excellent; there is no flash, no sinkmarks and the level of detail is very good indeed.

As is usually the case with military vehicle kits, construction starts from the bottom up. There is plenty of detail to add to the lower hull, including a multi-part exhaust system and various towing hooks. No shortcuts have been taken with the road wheels; these are proper two-part jobbies, which means that there are thirty-two individual tyres to paint! Tracks are of the link and length variety and look very nicely moulded on the sprue. Once the running gear is in place, construction can move on to the upper hull. In keeping with the rest of the model, this is nicely detailed and extra parts such as spare wheels, tracks and pioneer tools are all present and correct. The hatches may also be posed open if desired, although there is no interior.

The 7.5cm gun is fully poseable, although as it is not slide-moulded the muzzle will have to be drilled out in order for it to look more convincing. Those wishing to add a cherry to the top of the cake may want to replace this part altogether with a turned metal barrel instead. A nice AA machine gun is provided for the commander’s cupola and a full set of Schurzen spaced armour for the turret and hull sides is also provided.

Two colour options are provided:

• 20. Pz. Div Stab. Tarnopol, Russia, 1944; and

• 23. Pz. Dic 6. Kompanie, Ungam, 1944.

Both are finished in variations of the familiar dark yellow/green/brown scheme.

Conclusion

It’s easy to see why Revell’s Panzer IV is such a well-regarded kit; it looks excellent on the sprue and should build up into a very nice little model. Definitely recommended for all fans of small-scale armour.

Review sample courtesy of