Kagero Publishing Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.G/H/J In Combat (ISBN: 9788366673182)

[Mike]

Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.G/H/J In Combat

German Medium Tank (9788366673182)

Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK

 

 

The vehicle that was to become the Panzer IV began life as a semi-secret rearmament project of the newly minted Nazi regime, and at the time it was intended to be a Platoon Leader’s tank, which was heavily armed and armoured to make way for the other lighter tanks such as the Pz.II and Pz.III when they encountered heavy resistance.  Production began with the tank fitted with a short barrelled 75mm gun in 1937 as the Ausf.A.  By the time war broke out in Western Europe, they were already using the Ausf.D, which needed appliqué armour during its service life to cope with the larger calibre rounds it was receiving by then.  The Ausf.E took this and rolled it into a single plate of 50m frontal armour and an additional 20mm on the turret and sides.  The Ausf.F saw armour increase again, but by then the gun was considered underpowered, so some later examples were fitted with the new long-barrelled gun from the factory, while others were retro-fitted later.  In mid-1942 the Ausf.G was manufactured in substantial numbers, but it was seen as over-complicated, an issue that beset many of their projects, but that was intended to be remedied by the Ausf.H, the extension of which was also the goal of the last variant, the Ausf.J.  By this time the home situation was getting worse, and it was paramount to run the production lines as fast and efficiently as possible in between devastating bombing raids.

 

 

 

This new book from Kagero Publishing is the fourth in a series, this one from author Michał Kuchciak.  The book is soft bound, and runs to 80 pages in a portrait-oriented form.  The book initially concentrates on the development of the type through the early stages in a potted history of the variants that led to the later marks that are the actual subject of the book.

 

The various chapters are laid out as follows:

 

• Bataillonführerwagen
• Versions armed with a short-barrelled 75mm gun
• Re-arming Panzerkampfwagen IV with long-barrel guns
• Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F2/G (Sd.Kfz.161/1)
• Towards a simplified design – Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H (Sd.Kfz.161/2)
• Final version – Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.J (Sd.Kfz.161/2)
• Organisation of Panzer units and brief combat history
• Camouflage and markings
• Export
• Conclusion
• Selected bibliography
• End notes

 

 

 

Given the scope of the book, it is a fairly detailed overview of the type, with photos and drawings, plus several pages of profiles, plans and isometrics of the Ausf.J in various scales and some greyscale 3D cut-aways of the interior.  In the latter half of the book, there are a lot of candid photos of the type in action, during downtime and maintenance in all kinds of weather, which will no doubt provoke some diorama ideas.  A few useful tables are included too, especially table 5 near the back of the book that shows the various statistics and features of the three variants in a side-by-side “top-trumps” manner that shows the progression toward the ultimate Panzer IV.

 

 

 

As a bonus, you will find a glossy A4 print of the cover artwork in landscape, focusing closely on the panzer in the foreground.

 

 

Conclusion

If you’re interested in the Panzer IV, this is an excellent book to broaden your knowledge and prime you for a potential deep-dive later into weightier tomes.  Some great pictures and really nice profiles.

 

Highly recommended.

 

At time of writing, this book is currently on discount with casemate

 

Review sample courtesy of