The Jagdpanzer IV/70 was based on the reliable Panzer IV chassis but armed with the deadly 75mm gun from the Panther tank. In the last months of World War II, its low-slung design and hard-hitting gun made it a deadly opponent on the battlefield.
Tamiya’s new Jagdpanzer IV was a great surprise. It’s something of a reprise of one of Tamiya’s classic kits from the 1970s. The molding of the dark yellow plastic, typical of Tamiya’s German armor, is clean and faultless. The kit features two crew figures and movable hatches. Tamiya sells a separate detail set with gun-breech details and a metal gun barrel.
Following the instructions, I started by installing the suspension parts in the lower hull. Tamiya’s engineered a neat system in which the upper hull can be attached later. The fit of the upper and lower hull is so good it almost didn’t need cement. In fact, I wouldn’t cement the hull top in place until the end of construction. This will allow you to install the figures, hatches, and the commander’s scissor sight more easily. I pre-painted the hull top and installed it in the final step of assembly.
The gun mount moves realistically. It’s cleverly designed so the gunsight and armored cover move in unison.
Bogie wheels assemble from four parts. Each has a vinyl keeper, which makes for a snug connection between the wheel and the axle. The kit features standard rubber-tire bogies as well as the steel-rimmed resilient versions (installed to cope with the nose-heavy weight of the vehicle).
The one-piece vinyl tracks have excellent detail. They represent the late-war tracks and aren’t borrowed from Tamiya’s other Panzer IV kits. They can be glued with regular liquid cement.
The kit features a comprehensive collection of pioneer tools, which were prominent on these vehicles. After having flown through the assembly of the vehicle’s major components, I was surprised at how much time I spent painting and installing the tools!
I painted my kit with AK Interactive’s 1945 German Late War Colors set.
The decals applied well on a gloss coat with a bit of decal-setting solution. Decals are provided for three vehicles.
My primary reference was Militaria No. 242 Panzer IV/70 by Janusz Ledwoch (Wydawnictwo Militaria, ISBN 978-83-7219-242-4). I also found the Panzerwrecks series (from Panzerwrecks Publishing) very useful, as there are photos of Jagdpanzer IVs sprinkled throughout the various volumes.
I completed my Jagdpanzer in 28 hours. As I expected from a Tamiya kit, it was an enjoyable build.
While this release doesn’t cover new ground as a subject, it’s beautifully detailed and great fun to build.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the April 2015 FineScale Modeler.