Hi Gents.,

Are there any photos or references on Panzer IV H in service without the "schurzen" attached to the vehicle. Somebody gave me an Academy kit without them and am planning to build it soon.

Thanks in advance.

i think they were ursed withoud those schurtzen to, but i have found a foto here:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b19/gibsonfndr/panzer%20IV%20Ausf%20J/panzerIVpourdario-4.jpg
i think this is the ausf.H, but it could be the ausf.J to.

jan.

That is an H I believe, as it doesn't have the small box to the left of the muffler. Several deal options for dragon's new panzer IV Hs do not have schurtzen, but they all have the schurzen brackets however

Hi
I Think it's a J, because they didn't have the auxillery mufler.
Jacob

Thanks for the replies gentlemen...

Hi Tony

I am also researching into this subject, as i have an old tamiya panzer iv H that i am planning to rebuild...the schurzen is missing too!

IMHO, its quite plausible to have a panzer iv H without the side schurzen, but as Jon pointed out, you have to include the mounting brackets. I believe those are installed at the factory. It also seems that all version H have the turret schurzen mounted at all times.

Since mine is missing the side schurzen (I still have the parts for turret schurzen and side mounting brackets), I may either go for a version H, or I might want to just drop the schurzen altogether and backdate it to a late version G...

Cheers!
Lawrence

The schurzen was installed at the factory for the H and J versions so these tanks as issued would all have the brackets on the turrets and hulls as well as the flat anti-bazooka plates. Because the hull plates were hung from the brackets and were removable for maintainence they were easily lost in combat. The drivers were moving around difficult terrain inside a closed up tank with only a narrow vision slit to see out off and thus it was extreamly hard to judge where the sides of the vehicle were in relation to buildings,trees,etc plus the distractions of your commander yelling in the head phones and people from the other side trying to kill you! So a lot of these plates were left behind after an action.
There is a story about the tanks in LSSAH losing their skirts because they had to pass through some stone gates in Normandy.
Bottom line,if your kit is missing the skirts then the kit is like most German combat vet tanks! It was,however,rare for the turret skirts to be missing.
J