Book Review of Jagdpanzer IV, L/48 and L/70
Author: Krzysztof Mucha
Kagero Publishing
ISBN: 978-83-66148-68-0
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $24.95
Copyright December 27, 2019
ISBN: 978-83-66148-68-0
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $24.95
Copyright December 27, 2019
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
Production history
Produced
December 1943 – April 1945
No. built
about 2,000
Specifications (Jagdpanzer IV/70(V)[1])
Mass
25.8 tonnes (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
55 rounds
Secondary
armament
1x 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34
600 rounds
Engine
Maybach HL 120 TRM
300 PS (296 hp, 221 kW)
Power/weight
11.6 PS (8.6 kW) / tonne
Suspension
Leaf springs
Operational
range
210 km (130 mi)
THE BOOK:
Kagero Publishing is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 20 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It comes in a clear self-sealing cello bag.
The cover art shows a color side view of a Jagdpanzer IV L/70 (V) that was captured by the Red Army, probably during the struggle for Pommem in February 1945. The vehicle has non-standard winter camouflage of medium green with a white no. 69 that was added later by the Soviets. This appears again on top of the rear cover.
Below it is another color side view of a Jagdpanzer IV L/48 of SS Panzerjager-Abteilung 3, 3rd SS Panzer Division “Totenkopf”, Poland, November 1944. It is in a base of light sand, with red-brown and dark green wave pattern and the red number 67 outlined in white on its sides. This profile is repeated in the book.
Both side views are posed atop a jet black background that has 2 white line drawings showing the top of a Jagdpanzer IV.
The book contains 167 illustrations.
For line drawings there are: two 4-views in 1/72nd scale, one 4-view in 1/48th scale, one 3-view in 1/35th scale, five 2-views in 1/35th scale and one 5-view in 1/48th scale.
There are 8 color side view profiles (including the 2 on the back cover).
There is a 2-view of the road wheels, 3 illustrations of various turrets and muzzle brakes, 25 illustrations of bogies, suspension parts, idler wheels and return rollers etc., 4 illustrations of drive sprockets, 6 illustrations of head and tail lights each, 3 illustrations of various antenna, 6 illustrations of storage boxes, 49 illustrations of tools and the jack and 12 illustrations of tracks and 1 illustration of the rear deck.
This is one neat book. It will be of great interest to modelers that are planning a build of a Jagdpanzer IV, and also of interest to armor historians.
I want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample and the folks at Kagero. Casemate is the North American distributor of Kagero books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
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
Production history
Produced
December 1943 – April 1945
No. built
about 2,000
Specifications (Jagdpanzer IV/70(V)[1])
Mass
25.8 tonnes (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
55 rounds
Secondary
armament
1x 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34
600 rounds
Engine
Maybach HL 120 TRM
300 PS (296 hp, 221 kW)
Power/weight
11.6 PS (8.6 kW) / tonne
Suspension
Leaf springs
Operational
range
210 km (130 mi)
THE BOOK:
Kagero Publishing is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 20 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It comes in a clear self-sealing cello bag.
The cover art shows a color side view of a Jagdpanzer IV L/70 (V) that was captured by the Red Army, probably during the struggle for Pommem in February 1945. The vehicle has non-standard winter camouflage of medium green with a white no. 69 that was added later by the Soviets. This appears again on top of the rear cover.
Below it is another color side view of a Jagdpanzer IV L/48 of SS Panzerjager-Abteilung 3, 3rd SS Panzer Division “Totenkopf”, Poland, November 1944. It is in a base of light sand, with red-brown and dark green wave pattern and the red number 67 outlined in white on its sides. This profile is repeated in the book.
Both side views are posed atop a jet black background that has 2 white line drawings showing the top of a Jagdpanzer IV.
The book contains 167 illustrations.
For line drawings there are: two 4-views in 1/72nd scale, one 4-view in 1/48th scale, one 3-view in 1/35th scale, five 2-views in 1/35th scale and one 5-view in 1/48th scale.
There are 8 color side view profiles (including the 2 on the back cover).
There is a 2-view of the road wheels, 3 illustrations of various turrets and muzzle brakes, 25 illustrations of bogies, suspension parts, idler wheels and return rollers etc., 4 illustrations of drive sprockets, 6 illustrations of head and tail lights each, 3 illustrations of various antenna, 6 illustrations of storage boxes, 49 illustrations of tools and the jack and 12 illustrations of tracks and 1 illustration of the rear deck.
This is one neat book. It will be of great interest to modelers that are planning a build of a Jagdpanzer IV, and also of interest to armor historians.
I want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample and the folks at Kagero. Casemate is the North American distributor of Kagero books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at: