In Box Review of Dragon 1/35th Scale
Jagdpanzer IV L/48 Early Production
Kit no. 9021
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 1996
MSRP: $39.04 from shop in Canada. Also available from 2 shops overseas.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 1996
MSRP: $39.04 from shop in Canada. Also available from 2 shops overseas.
HISTORY:
The Jagdpanzer IV, Sd.Kfz. 162, was a German tank destroyer based on the Panzer IV chassis and built in three main variants. As one of the casemate-style turretless Jagdpanzer (tank destroyer, literally "hunting tank") designs, it was developed against the wishes of Heinz Guderian, the inspector general of the Panzertruppen, as a replacement for the Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III).
Guderian objected against the needless, in his eyes, diversion of resources from Panzer IV tank production, as the Sturmgeschütz III was still more than adequate for its role.
Officially, only the L/48-armed vehicle was named Jagdpanzer IV. The L/70-armed vehicle was named Panzer IV/70. In this article, both versions are referred to in general as Jagdpanzer IV, except in the variants and surviving vehicles section.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Tank destroyer
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
Produced: December 1943 – April 1945
No. built: about 2,000
Mass: 25.8 tons (28.4 short tons; 25.4 long tons)
Length: 8.5 m (27 ft. 11 in)
Width: 3.17 m (10 ft. 5 in)
Height: 1.85 m (6 ft. 1 in)
Crew: 4 (driver, commander, gunner, loader)
Armor: 10–80 mm (0.39–3.15 in)
Main armament: 1x 7.5 cm Pak 42 L/70 with 55 rounds
Secondary armament: 1x or 2x 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 42 with 600 rounds
Engine: Maybach HL120 TRM of 300 PS (296 hp. 221 kW)
Power/weight: 11.6 PS (8.6 kW) / ton
Suspension: Leaf springs
Operational range: 210 km (130 mi)
The Jagdpanzer IV, Sd.Kfz. 162, was a German tank destroyer based on the Panzer IV chassis and built in three main variants. As one of the casemate-style turretless Jagdpanzer (tank destroyer, literally "hunting tank") designs, it was developed against the wishes of Heinz Guderian, the inspector general of the Panzertruppen, as a replacement for the Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III).
Guderian objected against the needless, in his eyes, diversion of resources from Panzer IV tank production, as the Sturmgeschütz III was still more than adequate for its role.
Officially, only the L/48-armed vehicle was named Jagdpanzer IV. The L/70-armed vehicle was named Panzer IV/70. In this article, both versions are referred to in general as Jagdpanzer IV, except in the variants and surviving vehicles section.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Tank destroyer
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
Produced: December 1943 – April 1945
No. built: about 2,000
Mass: 25.8 tons (28.4 short tons; 25.4 long tons)
Length: 8.5 m (27 ft. 11 in)
Width: 3.17 m (10 ft. 5 in)
Height: 1.85 m (6 ft. 1 in)
Crew: 4 (driver, commander, gunner, loader)
Armor: 10–80 mm (0.39–3.15 in)
Main armament: 1x 7.5 cm Pak 42 L/70 with 55 rounds
Secondary armament: 1x or 2x 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 42 with 600 rounds
Engine: Maybach HL120 TRM of 300 PS (296 hp. 221 kW)
Power/weight: 11.6 PS (8.6 kW) / ton
Suspension: Leaf springs
Operational range: 210 km (130 mi)
THE KIT:
Dragon is an old prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Jagdpanzer IV moving down a city street lined with battle-damaged buildings. There is a damaged M4 tank to the left of the Jagdpanzer. There are 3 German infantrymen around the tank. On it’s left there are 2 men. Both are dressed in camouflaged-smocks, field grey trousers and black jack boots.
The man in front is bare-headed and has a white bandage around his forehead. He carries a MP38 machine pistol.
The man behind him wears a cloth field cap that is also camouflaged. He is carrying a MG42 machine gun and an ammo belt for it around his neck.
The man on the right of the tank is dressed in a field-grey uniform and steel helmet and black jack boots. He is aiming a Mauser 98K carbine.
The tank is covered in Zimmerit anti-magnetic explosive charges paste. (not included in the kit). The tank is in a camouflage of sand, dark-green and red-brown wave pattern. It carries the black hull number 244 outlined in white and the German cross.
The tank commander is standing in the upper hatch. He wears an all black panzer uniform with a side cap. He has ear-phones on and is talking into a microphone.
One side panel of the box begins with a color box art of Dragon’s 1/35th scale kit no. 9619, a PzKpfw. IV Ausf F2, Sd.Kfz. 161/1. Followed by a CAUTION to not use paint or cement near a flame and be in a well ventilated room. In 6 languages, including English Kit is not suitable for children under 3 because of small ;parts. In multiple languages, including English.
Importer of Dragon kits for Europe is Italeri in Italy and their address there is provided.
Kit is intended for modelers over age 10 and over.
Copyright for the kit is 1996, over Dragon’s street address in Hong Kong, China and kit was made there.
Dragon is an old prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Jagdpanzer IV moving down a city street lined with battle-damaged buildings. There is a damaged M4 tank to the left of the Jagdpanzer. There are 3 German infantrymen around the tank. On it’s left there are 2 men. Both are dressed in camouflaged-smocks, field grey trousers and black jack boots.
The man in front is bare-headed and has a white bandage around his forehead. He carries a MP38 machine pistol.
The man behind him wears a cloth field cap that is also camouflaged. He is carrying a MG42 machine gun and an ammo belt for it around his neck.
The man on the right of the tank is dressed in a field-grey uniform and steel helmet and black jack boots. He is aiming a Mauser 98K carbine.
The tank is covered in Zimmerit anti-magnetic explosive charges paste. (not included in the kit). The tank is in a camouflage of sand, dark-green and red-brown wave pattern. It carries the black hull number 244 outlined in white and the German cross.
The tank commander is standing in the upper hatch. He wears an all black panzer uniform with a side cap. He has ear-phones on and is talking into a microphone.
One side panel of the box begins with a color box art of Dragon’s 1/35th scale kit no. 9619, a PzKpfw. IV Ausf F2, Sd.Kfz. 161/1. Followed by a CAUTION to not use paint or cement near a flame and be in a well ventilated room. In 6 languages, including English Kit is not suitable for children under 3 because of small ;parts. In multiple languages, including English.
Importer of Dragon kits for Europe is Italeri in Italy and their address there is provided.
Kit is intended for modelers over age 10 and over.
Copyright for the kit is 1996, over Dragon’s street address in Hong Kong, China and kit was made there.
The other side panel shows 3 color walk-around type photos of the model made up in the box art scheme, followed by a repeat of the copyright date and Dragon’s address. The modeler, who built this kit, has added Zimmerit to it.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds 18 medium-grey trees, 3 jet-black trees and the decal sheet in 6 sealed clear cello bags.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 ¼” x 14” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art, over the parts trees illustration.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTIONS about the kit, international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing of Gunze Sangyo brand hobby paints, in 6 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 on through to the top of page 7 gives a grand total of 23 assembly steps.
The bottom of page 7 is a marking and painting guide that shows a 4-view of the Jagdpanzer IV in a wave pattern of sand, dark-green and red-brown. It has a black hull number 313 outlined in white and German cross on its sides.
It was with “LAH” Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler Panzer Division, Normandy 1944.
Page 8 is also a marking and painting guide. It shows two 4-view profiles of the Jagdpanzer Iv.
The top one is overall sandy-brown with hull no. 244 (different scheme from the box art one that shows tank camouflaged), and the German cross on its sides.
It was with an unknown unit, German Proving Ground, 1944.
The bottom one is overall dark-green. It has a white Syrian word on its sides.
It was with a Syrian tank regiment in 1954.
Trees are alphabetized.
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: the hull top sections, fenders etc. (33 parts)
This kit holds 18 medium-grey trees, 3 jet-black trees and the decal sheet in 6 sealed clear cello bags.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 ¼” x 14” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art, over the parts trees illustration.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTIONS about the kit, international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing of Gunze Sangyo brand hobby paints, in 6 languages, including English.
The bottom of page 2 on through to the top of page 7 gives a grand total of 23 assembly steps.
The bottom of page 7 is a marking and painting guide that shows a 4-view of the Jagdpanzer IV in a wave pattern of sand, dark-green and red-brown. It has a black hull number 313 outlined in white and German cross on its sides.
It was with “LAH” Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler Panzer Division, Normandy 1944.
Page 8 is also a marking and painting guide. It shows two 4-view profiles of the Jagdpanzer Iv.
The top one is overall sandy-brown with hull no. 244 (different scheme from the box art one that shows tank camouflaged), and the German cross on its sides.
It was with an unknown unit, German Proving Ground, 1944.
The bottom one is overall dark-green. It has a white Syrian word on its sides.
It was with a Syrian tank regiment in 1954.
Trees are alphabetized.
Medium-grey letter A tree holds: the hull top sections, fenders etc. (33 parts)
Medium-grey letter B is the hull tub (1 part)
Medium-grey letter C tree holds tools etc.(64 parts) Three parts are shaded out in the parts-trees illustrations. Meaning these parts are excess and not needed to complete the model.
Medium-grey letter D tree holds the front and rear walls etc. (7 parts)
Four identical medium-grey letter E trees hold the road wheels and bogies (19 parts ea.)
Two identical medium-grey letter F trees hold: the drive sprockets, idler wheels, final transfer covers (6 parts ea.)
Four identical medium-grey letter H trees hold hub caps etc. (8 parts ea.)
Lettering jumps to the four identical medium-grey letter P trees. They hold return rollers (4 parts ea.)
Medium-grey trees E, F, H and P are co-joined.
Lettering jumps to the four identical medium-grey letter P trees. They hold return rollers (4 parts ea.)
Medium-grey trees E, F, H and P are co-joined.
Three identical jet-black letter G parts trees hold individual track links (80 parts ea.)
There is no Zimmerit on the kit parts, no figures or clear parts are included.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.