This is the second volume of Kagero's Photosniper series to cover the Panzer IV ausf H/J series of tanks. The first volume took care of the development history of the tank and the differences in the variants. This edition starts off covering the battle history.

It begins by discussing how the tank is used. During the course of the war the way AFVs operated in the German Army changed. Battle often shows that what was initially considered to be the proper tactical use of a specific piece of equipment, such as a tank, did not work as well as hoped or it was discovered that there needed to be some sort of change in procedures to make it more effective.

In this case, it was decided that a mix of Panzer IV and Panther tanks would make up the best regimental unit. Those troops assigned to operate with and protect tanks from enemy soldiers were renamed Panzergrenadiers and were allotted more vehicles so they could remain as mobile as the tanks. The book then goes into the Panzer IV's use in the major battles of the war starting with Kursk. Not surprisingly, most of the concentration is on Eastern Front events, though the Normandy and Battle of the Bulge are also included.

The next section is pretty interesting. It consists of a bevy of photos of the recent excavation of a Panzer IV from a bog in Poland. This includes the amount of work done since the original excavation to bring the tank back into reasonable condition. This section also includes an external walk-around of an Ausf J on display in Slovakia.

The final section of the book consists of page after page of superlative 3D artwork. This includes all of the various components of the tank. Seeing the complete engine, for instance, is a lot clearer with this method of illustration than dark photos peering into an engine compartment. No assembly is left untouched and this is a great section for the modeler. Another nice addition to this part of the book are several pages of full color profiles of the different variants and camouflage schemes.

In all, this second volume makes a perfect companion to the first and is one of those 'must have' books for enthusiasts and modelers alike.

July 2017

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