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RyeField: New Panzer IV
varanusk
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ARMORAMA
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain / España
Joined: July 04, 2013
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Posted: Sunday, August 04, 2019 - 07:02 PM UTC


Rye Field Model has announced a new series of Panzer IV.

Read the Full News Story

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
Pak_40
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Minnesota, United States
Joined: August 12, 2003
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Posted: Sunday, August 04, 2019 - 09:10 PM UTC
I have so been looking forward to this.

YAY!
firstcircle
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: November 19, 2008
KitMaker: 2,249 posts
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Posted: Sunday, August 04, 2019 - 11:00 PM UTC
Appears to be three turret bases - two on one sprue, one on another.
Also, those two cones...
jfeenstra
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: April 24, 2014
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Posted: Monday, August 05, 2019 - 01:24 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Appears to be three turret bases - two on one sprue, one on another.
Also, those two cones...



The two cones are probably a form to properly shape the Sternantenna D (i.e. star antenna) for a Befehslpanzer IV. The rest of that sprue appears to have only antenna parts on it.
bill_c
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MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: January 09, 2008
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Posted: Monday, August 05, 2019 - 02:34 AM UTC
I would be thrilled with a complete engine compartment, forget the full interior!
Bravo1102
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
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Posted: Monday, August 05, 2019 - 03:20 AM UTC
There are turret interior bits on one of those sprues. The three turret bottoms have subtly different patterns on the top. Those guide lines and recessed bolts indicate the possibility of an interior just like their Sherman did.
joepanzer
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: January 21, 2004
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Posted: Monday, August 05, 2019 - 11:57 AM UTC
Which one is the first to have the turret skirts?

F?
m4sherman
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Arizona, United States
Joined: January 18, 2006
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Posted: Monday, August 05, 2019 - 01:22 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Which one is the first to have the turret skirts?

F?


I think G from the factory with the earlier tanks being upgraded in the field workshops. The sprues seem to indicate H to me, but that's a guess.
hanb7323
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Daejeon, Korea / 대한민국
Joined: October 06, 2014
KitMaker: 408 posts
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Posted: Monday, August 05, 2019 - 03:49 PM UTC
We can see the some Ni-werke ausf.H or J parts.
Hohenstaufen
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: December 13, 2004
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Posted: Tuesday, August 06, 2019 - 03:09 AM UTC
Not clear which Ausf this is - looks late. The cones could be pistol ports fitted to the rear of some versions, but these wouldn't go with the turret schurtzen...
ctkwok
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Alabama, United States
Joined: May 21, 2018
KitMaker: 197 posts
Armorama: 183 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 06, 2019 - 03:28 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I would be thrilled with a complete engine compartment, forget the full interior!



You seem to get your wish with them showing a CAD of the Maybach engine, though not clear if it's included or separate add on.

http://www.moxingfans.com/new/news/2019/0806/6134.html
Taeuss
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Manitoba, Canada
Joined: January 03, 2016
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Posted: Tuesday, August 06, 2019 - 03:52 AM UTC
As to which first had schurtzen: the time line shows the Ausf "G" (late) to be the first with all subsequent "H" variants being so equipped as parts stock were available; in the same way all tanks returned for major rebuilds were usually brought up to the current standards so Ausf "F" kits would soon have it as well. It also seemed to depend on which theatre that AFV came from. I have yet to see any period photos showing any German tanks carrying Schurtzen in North Africa. Probably thought that there was no need. No Zimmerit either.
Nate_W
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Missouri, United States
Joined: April 13, 2012
KitMaker: 395 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, August 06, 2019 - 06:25 AM UTC
Fantastic news! I've built every Ausf H offering of Dragon's and I've been wanting a full styrene Panzer IV H or J for a decade. A company like Takom or RFM is perfect for this. I'm definitely seeing interior pieces as well which is a great sign. I'll be very eager to see what the schurzen skirt mounts and brackets look like. whether it's an H or J I hope they give us the option of early, mid and lates.
brekinapez
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Georgia, United States
Joined: July 26, 2013
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Posted: Tuesday, August 06, 2019 - 08:25 AM UTC
In response to Frank:

Yeah, none of that in Africa as the threat they were meant to encounter wasn't present. As far as schurzen in the ETO I believe procedure was to put plates on vehicles heading to Russia to counter their AT rockets, which was not an issue in Western Europe. Obviously I can't say the moving of units around the map caused some schurzen tanks to end up on the West. But it is possible, I would imagine. I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of schurzen on anything but Russia-bound tanks.
maartenboersma
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Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Joined: October 10, 2010
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Posted: Tuesday, August 06, 2019 - 10:20 AM UTC

m4sherman
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Arizona, United States
Joined: January 18, 2006
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Posted: Tuesday, August 06, 2019 - 10:37 AM UTC

Quoted Text

In response to Frank:

Yeah, none of that in Africa as the threat they were meant to encounter wasn't present. As far as schurzen in the ETO I believe procedure was to put plates on vehicles heading to Russia to counter their AT rockets, which was not an issue in Western Europe. Obviously I can't say the moving of units around the map caused some schurzen tanks to end up on the West. But it is possible, I would imagine. I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of schurzen on anything but Russia-bound tanks.


I believe zimmerit came out later in 1943, after the DAK surrendered. There are pictures of PZIII in the Salerno area with skirts, and skirts were common on PZ IV in Italy in 1943. Maybe the combat zones got the tanks with the skirts before back areas like France.
HermannB
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Bayern, Germany
Joined: October 14, 2008
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Posted: Tuesday, August 06, 2019 - 10:23 PM UTC
Wikipedia article.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimmerit
varanusk
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ARMORAMA
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain / España
Joined: July 04, 2013
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Posted: Wednesday, August 07, 2019 - 12:02 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Jagdpanzer IV?



Maybe in the future, but three turret bases to use none sounds like a real waste
RLlockie
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United Kingdom
Joined: September 06, 2013
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Posted: Wednesday, August 07, 2019 - 04:21 AM UTC
Cor, not this old chestnut again.

Schuerzen were intended to counter the Soviet anti-tank rifles, which obviously were not found in N Africa. They were nothing to do with anti-tank rockets, as the only type the Red Army used was captured Panzerfauste.

Obviously they did appear in the west too but that was probably more about it being easier to standardise than to design vehicles for one specific front. And obviously units did transfer en bloc between fronts anyway.
Taeuss
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Manitoba, Canada
Joined: January 03, 2016
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Posted: Wednesday, August 07, 2019 - 06:14 AM UTC
Anyways, I'm interested in the "complete interior" part of it as I just recently started kit-bashing together a complete interior for a PZ IV G using the donor-interior from an earlier kit with the new Border kit. I hope to beat this new release to market. And oh, by the way: there is an entire series of pics showing a tank depot in Norway being surrendered to Allied forces that was chock-full of PZ III variants with full schurtzen. In short, they were everywhere. And the Soviet anti-tank rifle from that time period was only effective against vision ports and dummies who stuck their heads out too far. As such Schurtzen would be ineffective overkill on that as they were too thin to do much more than slow the round before it spanged off the armour plate.
Wierdy
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Ukraine / Україна
Joined: January 26, 2010
KitMaker: 570 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, August 07, 2019 - 07:04 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

I would be thrilled with a complete engine compartment, forget the full interior!



You seem to get your wish with them showing a CAD of the Maybach engine, though not clear if it's included or separate add on.

http://www.moxingfans.com/new/news/2019/0806/6134.html



That engine is by Border Model, not RFM.The more the better though!
m4sherman
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Arizona, United States
Joined: January 18, 2006
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Posted: Wednesday, August 07, 2019 - 10:29 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Cor, not this old chestnut again.

Schuerzen were intended to counter the Soviet anti-tank rifles, which obviously were not found in N Africa. They were nothing to do with anti-tank rockets, as the only type the Red Army used was captured Panzerfauste.

Obviously they did appear in the west too but that was probably more about it being easier to standardise than to design vehicles for one specific front. And obviously units did transfer en bloc between fronts anyway.


The US sent the Soviets small numbers of what we call the bazooka, sometime in late 1942 or early 1943. The Soviets also had access to captured panzerschrecks, which was based on the bazooka's captured from the Soviets, and/or the US in Tunisia.
Removed by original poster on 08/10/19 - 06:43:03 (GMT).
Pak_40
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Minnesota, United States
Joined: August 12, 2003
KitMaker: 392 posts
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Posted: Friday, August 09, 2019 - 06:46 PM UTC
I believe the cones are for bending Starr antennae, they look a bit large for Jgpz IV.
Bravo1102
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: December 08, 2003
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Posted: Friday, August 09, 2019 - 09:52 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Cor, not this old chestnut again.

Schuerzen were intended to counter the Soviet anti-tank rifles, which obviously were not found in N Africa. They were nothing to do with anti-tank rockets, as the only type the Red Army used was captured Panzerfauste.

Obviously they did appear in the west too but that was probably more about it being easier to standardise than to design vehicles for one specific front. And obviously units did transfer en bloc between fronts anyway.



You make it a standard piece of equipment on the tank and just send the tank wherever. North Africa just missed the introduction of schurtzen. They surrendered before the first tanks produced got to them. But there were a couple in Sicily and lots at Salerno.

In North Africa the Germans encountered a hollow charge rocket launcher though no skirt equipped tanks made it there. The bazooka.

And don't you know the real reason for schurtzen? To disguise the old Pzkpfw III and IV with sheet metal to imitate the round turret of a Tiger!

That way the Allies will think every German tank is a Tiger!
(Actual rumor recounted by armored division veterans)

Tracks and road wheels, especially when it makes up two thirds of the side silhouette are great targets for high caliber rifles. Some Russians supposedly were experts at breaking the tracks. Maybe another rumor but as an old tank gunner it's what I'd try for.
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