1/48 Tamiya Pz. IV Ausf. J "Schmalturm" WIP

YariCav

New Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2014
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1
Greetings All,

First time poster here. Thought I'd start off by sharing what I'm currently working on.

The kit is a 1/48 scale Tamiya Pz. IV "Wirbelwind" converted to a Panzer IV Ausf. J "Schmalturm" with some of the optional parts from the kit, and a turret from CMK. I had to add tow points to the turret, since the resin one omitted them. There are photo-etched mesh skirts by Eduard added. I've also used Tamiya figures and fuel cans. I plan to add some more pigments to the tracks, and finish them with a graphite rub-down.

I wanted to model a "paper panzer" Panzer IV mit schmalturm, in a end-of-war camo scheme. The story behind this tank: it was one of the last Panzer IVs to roll off the line, and at the last minute, a Panther turret was dropped onto it in place of a standard Pz. IV turret. The tank was taken by a skeleton crew from the factory, with the intent to drive to Western Allied lines. They scooped up as much fuel as they could carry on the tank, and hoped for the best. In the later pictures, you'll see the turret is pointed backwards. I figured this would reinforce to any Allies the tank came across that they intended to surrender. The soldier on the ground level will be holding a pole with a white flag attached to it while the officer checks a map for their position.

I did not want this tank to have much wear, since it's practically factory fresh, having only been on the road for a matter of days or weeks. I've therefore tried to keep the weathering pretty light. But could you more experienced modelers have a look and let me know if any glaring omissions or weathering mistakes are apparent? I'd like to complete this one the right way so I can move on to the diorama stage.

1. Early in the assembly process
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2. I've decided to use MIG's AMMO set of Late War Camouflages paints
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3. Camo painting is complete
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4. The remaining photos depict how the model looks right now. Assembly is complete and I've done some mild weathering to it. I've put some unpainted figures next to it to give an idea of what I plan to do for the diorama. I could really use some advice about how to proceed with the painting / weathering from this point onwards. Brutal honesty preferred. Thanks a ton folks!
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