AFV Modeller - Issue 02 - 1 - Panzer IV ausf A

OFFENSIVE Coree 1:35th scale

PANZERIV ausf A By David Parker

There can be few worse dilemmas than

that it was good. In the end I dithered and l

misshapen, and one was so badly

having only twenty minutes to look around

didn’t buy it and of course instantly

damaged as to need a new section of rim

a well stocked model shop filled with all

regretted my decision. I didn’t repeat my

added to repair it. This was a difficult

manner of rare delights. This was the

mistake and the next time I saw one I

procedure and I was forced to hide my

situation that I found myself in during a

snapped it up.

repair as best I could by positioning the affected area up under the tracks.

unscheduled visit to the Azimut shop in

2

Paris during a family holiday. During my

Coree give you a full resin kit and include

panicky attempts to examine everything in

an etched brass fret as well. Assembly

I decided not to use the resin tracks

the shop I came across the Coree Panzer

was fairly straightforward and I began with

supplied but to replace them with a set of

IV Ausf A. Immediately I felt the need to

the lower hull and running gear. The road

Model Kasten working tracks. Assembling

own one and although I couldn’t open the

wheels are exquisite, but I had problems

these proved to be more time consuming

box I could tell from the photos on the box

with the idlers as they were both badly

than cleaning up the resin ones, and they

3

OFFENSIVE proved to be extremely delicate and liable to break which was something of a problem during painting.

Moving to the upper hull the quality of the master and the castings is very apparent, but I encountered some problems with the fit of the front glacis plate and the upper hull. I had to fiddle around and add spacers to get a sucessful fit. The only other problem I had was the fit of the trackguards, which were not long enough. I replaced them with a set of Aber track guards (the newer versions) which I was slightly wary of, but in fact, they fell together and are well worth the effort. They add a level of detail and finesse to the finished model which is most impressive.

The hull is supplied with open front hatches, but I chose to close one to show the well executed detail on both sides of the hatches wich is excellent. The kit supplies excellent tool stowage and there was very little need to enhance or improve parts. The brass fret supplies all the latches and wing nuts that are required. One improvement that i

4

A very rare picture of an Ausf A in combat, presumably during the French campaign. White turret numbers and a horizontal rhomboid are visible on the side of the turret. Also highly visible are the white recognition panels painted on the rear of the Sdkfz 251’s in the background. Unusually, all the crew wear grey sidecaps. (Photo: Akira Takiguchi)

made was to rebuild the pivoting machine

avoid the tell tale line along the joint.

gun mount on the hull side because the kit

I added new grab rails to the turret roof and

part was flimsy and distorted. I built a new

a handle onto the cupola hatch mechanism.

one from plastic rod and added new

My only other additions were some etched

catches from spare brass fret, and detailed

chains for the towing points at the front and

the folding step next to it in the same way.

rear.

The turret is superb, with subtly represented

I painted the model using enamels with a

weld seams, crisp hatches with detailed

base coat of panzer grey lightened with

interiors. The only tricky parts are the vision

some No.72. and the running gear and

ports on the cupola which are made from a

tracks were given a good dusting of pure

brass strip which must be wrapped around

No.72. Once this had dried thoroughly I

the resin cupola. As you might expect, the

painted on all the markings having muted all

two ends do not join exactly, so obtaining a

the colours by mixing in some Humbrol

good joint required careful trimming of the

No.72 to them. An oil wash was then

brass and care in aligning the vision ports

applied to pick out all the details and once

with the front of the turret. The joint area

again the model was left to dry. I applied

was then carefully filled before sanding to

some very delicate dry-brushing in a pale

5

grey, but this was extremely minimal. After the other fixtures and tools had been picked out, I applied several delicate applications of pastels to the model, working the dusty colours into all the corners and around the raised details. Darker pastel tones were used to add shadows and water staining down vertical surfaces. On the tracks and parts of the running gear the pastels were mixed with acrylic solvent and painted on to give a Above Detail of the smashed fencing under the tracks of the tank

thick textural finish. The same method was used to finish the exhaust mufflers, with black pastel dusted on to create the soot stains.

The figures are a mixture, with the infantry coming from the Dragon ‘Advance to Stalingrad set’, whilst the crew are a mixture of different body parts whoes exact origin is now a mystery. The commander has a new sculpted outstretched arm and all the figures have had their heads replaced with Hornet items. All the figures were finished in enamels. Above Close up of the detailed Machine gun mount and step arrangement

The groundwork was kept deliberately simple, with the tank having driven through a fence, conveying a sense of invasion. The fencing itself was made from model shipbuilding timber and sections were assembled and painted before being broken and added to the base. I especially wanted to show the difference between the old weathered wood and the fresher wood that is visible once the timber is broken. It took some time to arrange the composition and to get the vehicle to sit convincingly into the ground and run down the slope. Hanging basket liner was used to make the grass and it was trimmed to recreate the path of the vehicle through

Above The turret hatch in detail Below view of the engine deck and spare tracks

the grass. The whole base was airbrushed and edged to complete the scene.

6

OFFENSIVE

7