Here there is a Dragon Panzer IV turned into a Command version and includes many aftermarket parts. The model was done by my friend Cristi Atanasiu.

The crew is Warriors' "U-Boat Crew Set1" but utilised here as ground troops and were painted by me.

I hope you will enjoy both the vehicle and the unconventional crew...

Cristian Florescu

Christian,

You have done a very nice job on the Dragon Panzer IV and thanks for sharing your work with the community. I presume that you used an aftermarket PE set? The Zimmerit looks quite well done, considering the scale. You did a great job of contouring it around the bow machinegun but it looks a bit thick on the right fender in the third picture.

How did you find the kit to build? There are two members in my local model club that have had lots of problems with parts fit with Dragon Panzer IV's. The "U-Boat" crew is definitely different. They do add interest to the scene but I wonder how long it would be before their commanders had a problem with the facial hair! Keep up the good work and hope to see more of it in the future.

Cheers,
Jan

I think it is right that some Hitler Jugend panzer crews did use U-Boat clothing; some photos showing this are in Bruce Quarrie's Panzers in North Eastern Europe. I do think beards are out though.

In that second to last picture, the one with the beard and the little hat, and then there's the one with the binoculars, and also the blonde one - isn't that U2??

On a more serious note, it's good to see the art of applying zimmerit by hand to a tiny kit isn't lost completely in this luxurious age of modelling.

Hello Jan,

Thank you very much for the message and indeed for the kit there were used some PE sets, if I remember correctly, Part ones.
I have not build this kit, but my friend Cristi Atanasiu, I only put together and paint the figures....

For this reason I am sorry that I cannot answer to your question on how it was the kit build and at the moment I am not in the country to ask my friend about.

As regards the beards, you are right, at Panzer troops those were quite rare...
Except U-Boats crews, also at infantry units there were more often and there are some reference images attesting it. That is why the officer with beard does not belong to Panzer units but to Panzer Grenadier unit (it is a light green Waffenfarbe at his cap but it is hard to spot). Maybe he mounts on the vehicle to establish the tactic with the other officer),,,,,:)

The other with small beard and strange cap could be an excentric Panzer trooper....

Of course, in order to depict Panzer troops, it is much better to replace the heads with beards, but I have so many conventional ones that few diversity is welcome.

Still, I will post soon a more conventional crew with a Panther....the scaled down Dragpn kit with crew dressed in 1941 HBT uniform....

I think you will like them more....

You caught me....indeed it is U2 featuring a guest star on a new stage.....

Likewise, you are right XII SS as well as other divisions received the Italian leather jackets, also sent to Uboat personnel after 1943. There are many reference images showing that as well as some other non conventional attire worn by Panzer crews.... One example could be the motorcyclist rubberised protective coat, that Panzer crewman having and a small beard....I wish to do a conversion after that image in the future.....