The Nuts & Bolts team have released the second of a two part treatise of the Jagdpanzer IV. Even with other great reference works such as the Panzer Tracts for scale plans and production information, this is still a worthy addition to the library and one I eagerly waited to be published. Since the title’s target group includes modelers, I will state that my favorite 1/35th scale kits of the Jagdpanzer IV (except the Alkett) are from Dragon. The Tristar kit is the best for the (A).
As printed, the book has 208 pages not including the heavier covers which also are used and are bound in a glossy heavy paper. The authors are Joachim Baschin and Martin Block but the editor is still Heiner F. Duske. Scale plans by John L. Rue, color artwork by Laurent Lecocq, and models built by Tony Greenland. On a sad note, there is a dedication to John L. Rue who passed away before the book was published. He will be missed.
The images are a mix of color and gray tones. A total of a whopping 393 are provided of which 160 tonal photographs of the subjects in service (not including the many insets showing details close up), 214 color images of museum examples.
Text is included which provide a bibliography, some background in the form of chapters. They cover the deployment, Camouflage and markings, Judgment, a short anecdote, surviving vehicles, and models.
It is worth mentioning that the captions are most informative and all text is in dual English/German languages.
There are scale plans include the various versions (5 view and 4 perspective drawings) and are followed by sixteen color profiles which include an inset with a photograph of the actual vehicle and others clarifying markings. Plans for the Vomag series cover the trial vehicle (side view only), August/September 1944 production (5 plan views), October 1944 production (2 plan views and 4 perspective drawings, October 1944 command (2 plan views), and March 1945 production (5 plan views). The Alkett series are covered with the trial vehicle (2 plan views), October 1944 production (5 plan views and 4 perspective drawings), October 1944 Command tank (port plan view), and Panzer IV/70 (E) (one port plan view). This is followed by two pages with plan view images from the manual then the aforementioned color profiles.
The next section covers components used on the vehicle found in museums and private collections with 214 color photographs and the book ends with a plastic modeling section.
The bottom line is simple, pick up this one as it will be invaluable when tackling either the many 1/35th scale kits with the multiple detail sets available for each. Of course, many of these subjects have been released in other scales.
