Panzerkampfwagen IV

Not as glamorous or as heavily armed as the Tiger I, the Panzer IV proved a versatile tank. Constantly modified, the tank was produced throughout World War II and served on every front on which the German army fought.

That history and service is the focus of David Doyle’s Panzerkampfwagen IV — The Backbone of Germany’s WWII Tank Forces. Like the other books in Schiffer’s Legends of Warfare series, the 112-page hardcover provides a visual survey of the subject.

After a short introduction that traces the PzKpfw IV’s conception, each chapter covers one of the major production models, known as Ausführung or Ausf for short. They include the short-run Ausf A-F models with the short-barreled gun and each of the definitive variants the Ausf F2/G, Ausf H, and Ausf J.

In addition to numerous wartime photos that supply plenty of ideas about stowage and weathering, color photos of surviving tanks reveal more details. Terrific captions accompany the images providing dates and places.

If you are looking for information to help you build a Panzer IV, this book is a good resource.