Tamiya 1/35 StuG IV SdKfz 163

The Sturmgeschütz IV (StuG IV) (Sd.Kfz. 167) was a German assault gun variant of the Panzer IV used in the latter part of the Second World War. It was identical in role and concept to the highly successful StuG III assault gun variant of the Panzer III. Both StuG models were given a tank destroyer role in German formations and tactical planning in the last two years of the war, greatly augmenting the capability of the dwindling tank force available to the German army on the Eastern and Western fronts. Initially consideration was made to stop production fairly early, but the heavy damage of the StuG III factory changed that.

This is one of Tamiya's venerable kits that has been available for decades. Originally the kit was powered and there is space in the hull for the motor and batteries. There are also holes in the hull for a power switch and it is designed for the upper hull to be easily removed for access. Because it was designed to be motorized, all of the road wheels, idler gear, sprocket gear, and return rollers are assembled with vinyl polycaps so they can rotate.

The upper hull detailing is quite good. Tamiya will not frustrate the builder with fiddly bits like you see on some more modern kits, which limits the number of actual parts that are required. The one place this kit could be improved is with a metal barrel, but the two piece version provided can easily be made to look just fine.

The kit provides side panels or schurzen, which was typical of the later variants. Both the schurzen and the mounting brackets are a single piece. The small hooks that fit inside the schurzen are separate, so the modeler could model this without them. It is also possible to separate the panels if one so wishes to make the model a bit more unique.

Most Tamiya military kits include at least one figure and this one is no exception. A commander is provided to set in the hatch. A neat option is for a concrete patch to be installed on the front as the design around the barrel would cause some hits to be funneled to an area that causes a lot of damage. Filling these 'traps' with concrete would cause the incoming round to be deflected off. Finally, the tracks are the 'rubber band' type, which are appropriate for a motorized tank.

Instructions are well done with generic paint information provided during the build. The decal sheet is nicely printed and allows you to build one of several different vehicles by using a chart given just prior to the painting info. The lone subject is in overall panzer yellow, but looking at photos of the type, there are a variety of add on color schemes that could be used.  

For those who are either just getting into 1/35 military vehicles or simply wants something that won't drive one nuts with tiny parts, then this is a good choice. It also helps that it won't break the bank.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmgesch%C3%BCtz_IV

May 2026

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