Sd.Kfz.173 Jagdpanther

1. History

(From [1].)
Jagdpanthers were produced between October 1943 and March (April ?) 1945. Worthy of note is that all the Jagdpanthers produced in 1944 were sent to the Western or Italian front.
Most people are probably unaware that there were two different models of Jagdpanthers: the Ausf.G1 and the Ausf.G2. The latter is mainly distinguishable by a longer rear deck and a shorter and steeper rear plate on the fighting compartment.
Even then, modifications during production were numerous:

• October 1943
  • The first Jagdpanthers had the same engine deck as the Panther Ausf. A but with narrower air intake louvres directly behind the superstructure. The antenna base was bolted over as the antenna was fitted on the superstructure. Later this antenna base was no longer present at all.
    
• March 1944
  • fittings for rangefinder installed in front of loader's hatch
    
• April 1944
  • hole for telescoping air tube on engine deck no longer cut in armor plate.
  • two part gun tube gradually introduced
    
• May 1944
  • tow coupling fitted, jack moved as a consequence
    
• June 1944:
  • all vehicles fitted with Nahverteidigungswaffe
  • one driver's visor blanked over and rain guard modifies
  • smaller muzzle brake gradually phased in
  • larger idler wheel (665mm) gradually phased in
  • larger mantlet with external bolts phased in
  • Pilzen fitted on roof (also retrofit)

• July 1944:
  • rain guard over driver's visor dropped
  • thicker roof armor
  • extra cooling pipes for exhaust
  • Panther Ausf.G type rear stowage bins

• August 1944
  • eye bolt for gun mantlet
    
• September 1944
  • Zimmerit ended

• October 1944
  • rear stowage bins with vertical stiffeners instead of "X" possible, but rare
  • heat guards around exhaust
  • higher left engine cooling fan housing with pie shaped segments
  • mantlet with thicker lip
    
• November 1944
  • fume extractor moved forward on roof on a small number of vehicles

• December 1944
  • only one opening for driver's periscope
  • field modification consisting of covers for the louvres on the rear deck.
  • Flammentöter exhausts (also as retrofit)

• January 1945 (?)
  • Ausf. G2:
    • Longer engine deck with Panther Ausf.G features;
    • steeper rear of fighting compartment;
    • same overall length as G1;
    • twin cooling pipes no longer needed.

• End of production run:
  • squared bases for exhausts
  • small return roller replaced by skid
  • cast drive sprocket cover

Note that s.Pz.Jg.Abt.654 installed extra stowage boxes on the rear of the fighting compartment

2. Kit features

• two part gun tube (04/44)
• tow coupling fitted (05/44)
• Nahverteidigungswaffe (06/44)
• Pilzen fitted on roof (06/44)
• Panther Ausf.G type rear stowage bins (07/44)
• No Zimmeritt (08/44)
• higher left engine cooling fan housing with pie shaped segments (10/44)
• mantlet with thicker lip (10/44)
• only one opening for driver's periscope (12/44)
• Flammentöter exhausts (12/44)
• Ausf.G2 engine deck (01/45)
• Single exhaust pipes on squared bases (end of production run).
• Standard cover of drive sprocket.

As the list above tells us, Revell's kit is consistent with a very late Jagdpanther. Those that have the kit (or look at the scans of the manual) will also see that Revell tries to give us the option of building it as an early Jagdpanther, with early mantlet, monobloc gun, triple exhaust pipes and low ventilator cover. Unless the modeler wants to change the engine deck and the slope of the rear of the fighting compartment, these are features that are not compatible with an Ausf.G2. (The early mantlet is too square anyway.) It also means that one of the marking options cannot be built from this kit.
What could be used are the early exhausts, if the extra cooling pipes are removed, to give us a somewhat earlier Jagdpanther with a rounded base for the exhausts.

Note that the kit has the fume extractor in the right middle of the roof top, as most vehicles had. It does not have either a skid or a small return roller behind the drive sprocket.

We've not mentioned the idler wheel in the list. It will soon become clear why.

Pictures taken from Henk of Holland, used with permission. Last picture are marking options of 2010 re-release.

3. Accuracy

Many people have discussed the scale accuracy of the kit, even going as far as saying that the boxtop says "1/72" so it must be 1/72 or that it must be correct because it is the same size as other kits marketed as 1/72.
To dispel rumours, myths and slander, the kit was extensively measured against plans in [1], generally considered as the most accurate available. We've carefully verified that measurements were made at exactly the same spot.
If our conclusions are not correct, we would like to hear them from our readers, preferably by sending us a message. (We don't read every forum, bulletin board or Facebook page on a daily basis, and it's just that bit more polite.) We guess that the people from Panzer Tracts would like to hear these conclusions as well, as they take the accuracy of their work (and especially their drawings) VERY seriously.

As can be read from the table, the kit is, in general, 1/72 to 1/76. The most noticeable scale error is the idler. (It's even too small for the earlier, smaller idler). The track pitch and height, on the other hand are too big.
While the roof and engine deck length might give the impression that the kit is 1/72, the glacis is too steep, creating a length that is closer to 1/74. The typical angle of the rear of the fighting compartment found in the Ausf.G2 is correct however.
Given that the height of the fighting compartment is too low and the overall length of the hull is too high, the side view of the kit gives a distorted view.

Not mentioned in the table above is that

• In general the layout of the detail is accurate.
• The track faces are accurate.
• The number of bolts on the roadwheels is accurate.
• The sprocket has 14 instead of 17 teeth, due to the oversized track pitch.
• The small return roller or skid is missing behind the sprocket.

A comparison with other kits can be found here.

References:

[1] Panzer Tracts No9-3 "Jagdpanther". T.L. Jentz & H.L. Doyle, 2005

Preview sample purchased by the author.

Article Last Updated: 13 December 2014