Panther Tanks: German Army and Waffen-SS, Normandy Campaign 1944, by Dennis Oliver, is tailor made for hobbyists. It offers modelers and tank buffs the same successful formula as other books in Pen and Sword’s TankCraft series: 1) the design background of the tank; 2) the detailed operational histories of specific units equipped with the tank; and 3) the range of kits and accessories available to the modeler interested in the tank.

Modelers interested in accurately replicating historical vehicles want to know exactly what they looked like, and to that end this book is full of close-up historical photos, beautifully rendered color illustrations, and professional-grade samples of finished models. Wargamers will find authentic orders of battle and narratives of the actual situations these units faced in Normandy. Even if you aren’t a modeler or a wargamer, you will find much to appreciate in this visual vehicle history.

If you are a modeler like I am, you will undoubtedly savor the nerdy expertise of Mr. Oliver’s review of models and modeling products!

P. 24

My version of the exact same vehicle, as produced by Hasegawa in 1/72 scale. Not a bad looking model, but hardly authentic by the standards of this book. I’m fine with that.

Related Panther posts on Schopenhauer’s Workshop:

“1/72 Panther Tanks”

“The Best Tank of WW2?”

“1/72 Panther Collection”