Open Source Content Management

Sd.Kfz. 161/2, Pz.Kpfw. IV, Ausf. J, 3. Pz.-Div., Eastern Front, Autumn 1944

When the Germans in 1941 had to face the superior Russian T-34 and KV-tanks, the Pz IV was the very only German tank, which was adequate to carry a pivoting turret with a main gun strong enough to deal with the heavy Soviet armour. Thus the panzer, which was to become the "backbone" of the German tank units until the end of war, started its career as a short-term improvisation to close the time frame until superior weapons would be available. 

Frequent upgrading and a fair amount of improvisations were necessary to face the ever growing challenge of newly designed enemy tanks in the following years until the Pz IV in 1944 reached the limits of its basic design with the final J version, which is represented by the Tamiya-kit. So upgrading and improvisations were the main characteristics I tried to visualize with my model.

A detailed description of this project is featured in the "Tamiya Model Magazine International", issue 163, Mai 2009. Another article has been published in the German "Kit Militär-Modell Journal", issue 3/2009; it was also featured in the Italian "Steel Art" magazine, issue 67 / July 2009. Another article has beeen featured in the Japanese "Armour Modelling", issue 117/July 2009.