PZ IV Ausf J Early
Panzerbefehlswagen, Sd.Kfz 267
111° Panzer Brigade, Lorraine 1944
The Panzer brigades are units created in haste at the end of the battle of Normandy, from the remnants of Panzer Divisions to slow down the allied advance towards Germany. The 111th Panzer Brigade, from the remains of the 11th Panzer Division, was launched in the battle in September 1944. From 19 to 22 September, intense fighting took place in the sector of Arracourt - more precisely Juvelise - between Combat Command A of the 4th Armored Division and supporting units of the German Panzer Brigades 111 and 113. Panzerarmee. the Befehlpanzer IV 508 is part of the command company of the second battalion (2/111)
The principal change which affects the panzer IV ausf J is the disappearance of the electric motor allowing the rotation of the turret. This disappearance makes it possible to distinguish an ausf J, because one does not mount any more the auxiliary generator supplying electricity to this engine and thus the specific exhaust pipe to this generator, located at the left of the exhaust system of the main engine. The hole left by the disappearance of the muffler will be first closed by bolting a shielding plate. This modification, which is not really an improvement, aims at simplifying the production and saving resources
In May1944, the shooting hatches still present on the turret and the vision slits on the side hatches are removed, the turret schurzens making them useless
. It should be noted that, with regard to the stocks of parts available, it is not impossible to find PZ IV J end of production with hatches equipped with vision slits. In June, three "pilze" are welded on the turret to allow the autonomous use of a winch of two tons which can be used among other things to change the engine. In July a tank of 200 l is assembled in the space left free by the disappearance of the auxiliary generator, on the left of the engine compartment. This modification will be abandoned thereafter because of technical problems. The roof of the compartment conduit/radio is reinforced by plates of armouring of 16 mm, just like the trap doors of the radio and the pilot. One will assemble nevertheless the normal trap doors until exhaustion of stocks.
.The vehicle is therefore a Panzer IV J early/mid production (the Js are produced from February 44). It was probably transformed on the ground at the time of the creation od the 2/111, by a field workshop starting from a damaged tank because it does not present all the characteristics of the Sd.Kfz 267, equipped in principle with 3 radios : the FuG 8 (star Antenna) and FuG 5 for communication with headquarters and with tanks and the FuG 7 for communication with aircraft). Moreover, on the PZ Befehl IV, the star antenna is rather placed on the rear panel and not on the fender, which seems less practical but surely easier to modify for a field workshop.
Looking at the pictures, it's almost impossible to distinguish if it's an Ausf H or J with certainty, except for one element, the Zimmerit on the sides of the upper hull, not applied on Ausf H, as this part is supposedly protected by the Shurzen. For some Reason, the engineers must have understood that given the lack of durability of the Shurzens, to protect the sides of the body had an interest and some PZ iV received the zimmerit coating on hull side.. The fact that the zimmerit of the upper part of the body sides is applied horizontally and not vertically led to think, that it is a J, which will have an impact on the building of the Revell Kit: Absence of exhaust pipe for the auxiliary engine, rear roller of the late type already introduced at the end of the production of H etc...The presence of Zimmerit excludes a production of September, and besides, the photos were taken in September. In July 1944 the armor of the smoke extractor on the turret saw its armor reinforced, and the picture above clearly show that the 508 does not have this reinforced armor, which would make possible and probable a production of June, or July, if one takes into account the average life of a machine in combat situation, and the possibility that the improvements are not always immediately applied by the factories, either for lack of time, or sometimes, quite simply, to use up the existing stocks of parts.
The revell kit, which allows to realize either an ausf H of end of production, or an ausf J is perfectly suitable to represent the 508.
The Shurzen of the kit are replaced by others thinner, from remains of EP set Eduard and aluminum sheet. The circular armor piece used to block the hole for the close defense weapon (which will be available much later) is added.The kit is over-detailed using a Part EP set, the zimmerit is also produced by Part
The fenders are made thinner and improved with aluminum foil. Their mobile parts at the front, which are absent on the 508 are removed. This step is very important, because in the absence of Shurzen, they are very visible and a particular attention will be paid on this part of the tanK. The support of the FU-8 radio is added on the right fender.
