Military Model Scene

Title: Panzer Tracts No.4-3, Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.H / Ausf. J, 1943-1945
Author: Hilary Louis Doyle, Lukas Friedli & Thomas L. Jentz
Publisher: Panzerwrecks
ISBN: 978-1-915969-00-2

Another of the newly re-printed Panzer Tracts titles, now under the ownership of publishers Panzerwrecks, means this detailed coverage of this book is readily available once more. An 84-page soft-cover book.
There are 8 sections to the book, with the introduction followed by the 2 largest sections, detailing the Ausf.H and then the Ausf.J, before some even more specific sections on the Panzerbeobachtungswagen (observation) variant, the Panzerbefehlswagen (command vehicle), plus notes on firepower and survivability on the battlefield, operational and organisational history and details of those exported to various allies. On the back cover there is a fascinating table showing a summary of the changes made to these variants over the course of their production history, including visible changes and when they were implemented.
As well as the detail in the text, the detail contained in the collection of archive photos used throughout the book plus the huge attraction for armour modellers, as many as 26 pages devoted to scale plans of the variations of these two Pz IV variants which were built in larger numbers than all the Tigers and Panthers ever made, and 2.5 times than all previous Pz IV variants. The scale plans also include some for the wire mesh panels that were used between the spaced armour panels around both the hull and the turret, providing more stowage space for the crews, without obstructing the turret from rotating. All this information takes advantage of original source records rather than some of the guesses from intelligence reports on captured examples which were not always correct. An interesting read and a great resource.
Thanks to Panzerwrecks for the review copy.

Robin