Takom’s Jagdpanther G2 Blitz kit in 35th size…

It seems that Takom is super serial about their new Blitz build kits. This Jagdpanther G2 kit is 100% new, including metal, link and length tracks. It speeds up assembly without losing too much detail. We will look at the real thing and what this Ausf.G2 Jagdpanther in 35th scale offers.

Jagdpanther Ausf G2

German Tank Destroyer Sd.Kfz.173

From Takom

Product No. #3502

1/35th Scale

Six different marking options included

Link and Length tracks

Metal Main Gun Barrel included

The Jagdpanther in real life

The Jagdpanther was one of the most iconic tanks destroyers during World War 2. The famous tank destroyer, based on the Panther chassis was produced between 1943 and 1945. It was mechanically more reliable than both the Ferdinand/Elephant tank and Koningstiger. Armed with the 88mm Pak 43 “Panzerknacker” and up to 100mm of frontal armor (on the mantlet), this tank was a formidable foe for any other at the time. Over 400 tanks were built and saw action on the Eastern as well as Western European fronts. The French Army used captured Jagdpanthers, Panthers, and other German tanks up until the 1950s. Overall,the Jagdpanther was a great mix of mobility, firepower, and armour.

Jagdpanther in action–France

The Jagdpanther mainly saw action on the Western front from its deployment in March 1944, with deployment to the Eastern front only occurring from January 1945 onwards. The first unit to receive the new Jagdpanther was the Schwere Panzerjager-Abteilung 654. The 654th couldn’t be fully staffed before June 1944. The Jagdpanthers’ first engagement was with a squadron Churchill tanks, near St. Martin de Bois. Three Jagdpanthers took out 11 Churchill tanks in a two minute action before an extra squadron Churchills came to their aid. The 6th Guards Tank brigade captured two Jagdpanthers that had been left due to track damage. This encounter, however, showed the strength and potential of the new tank-destroying vehicle, which helped to cement its reputation for being a serious threat to any tanks that came into contact with it. Three of the five units had already been deployed to the front, and were therefore not at full combat strength. Due to supply problems, only 27 of the 56 planned Jagdpanthers made it to the battalions before the start of the offensive, with only 17 of them being operational.

Eastern front

Many of the tanks that were sent to the Eastern Front weren’t destroyed by Soviet troops, but at the hands of their crew. Lack of spare parts and fuel were the main problems for the Panzer divisions. They also faced delays in production that prevented them from delivering more Jagdpanthers to the front. In January 1945 the 563rd s.H. Pz.Jg. Abteilung was able to destroy 53 tanks while only losing four Jagdpanzers IVs and one Jagdpanther due to enemy fire. Their losses are largely due to the fact that they blew up tanks in order to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. In the 563rd, for example, 12 Jagdpanthers were destroyed and 17 Jagdpanzers IVs. The rapidly deteriorating situation meant that many of the Jagdpanther crews sent to the front in 1945 had received little or no training, which reduced the already impaired effectiveness of the tank destroyer battalions.

The Jagdpanther Ausf. The G2 Jagdpanther was based on a Panther Ausf. The G engine deck was bolted to the outside of the gun mantlet (to reduce production time?) A two-piece KwK.43/4L/71 gun. Because the changes were made gradually, and because spare parts were scarce, some Jagdpanthers became hybrids. Zimmerit was used on G1s until September 1944. It was then removed for safety reasons and to accelerate production. The early Jagdpanthers had two driver vision openings, while the late versions only had one. In the beginning, the main gun had a monobloc barrel. However, from May 1944, it was gradually changed to a two-part gun barrel. This was more cost effective as barrel wear wasn’t even. Today, only 10 of the Jagdpanthers are left, spread across various museums worldwide.

Takom’s earlier Jagdpanther G2 (full interior) kit:

The CADs of this new tooled kit:

This 100% new-tooled kit is designed to fit into Takom’s “Blitz” series of simplified but still detailed kits. This kit can be built without any tools. Only the most intricate parts of the kit, which are difficult to reproduce in plastic with scale accuracy, will be covered in phoito etch. The engine is replesents as exposed if you like, with a single cast piece replacing a long, full construction.

We also have link and length tracks with those joined-together roadwheels, which you either love or hate, but they seem to work very well on these multi-wheeled kits. The barrels can be posed for both the main and MG guns. With this kit, you can also leave the side skirts off or on.

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