Panzer V “Panther” Ausf. G
Hasegawa 1:72 Scale Vehicle Review
The Hasegawa 1:72 scale Panzerkampfwagen V “Panther” Ausf. G medium tank may be built with the semi-circular gun mantlet or the late mantlet, introduced in September 1944, with the characteristic chin at the bottom edge. The so-called chin mantlet was designed to minimize the risk of armour piercing projectiles ricocheting off the mantlet and into the thinner hull roof armour below, a well-know shot trap on the Panther tank.
Contents
- Pz.Kpfw. V “Panther” Ausf. G
- sem-circular gun mantlet
- late gun mantlet (chin mantlet)
- Tank Commander (2)
- Decals
Excellent choice of subject, the “Panther” Ausf. G can be built with either the semi-circular gun mantlet or the later gun mantlet, the so-called chin mantlet. The model is suitable for many interesting camouflage schemes.
The Hasegawa “Panther” Ausf. G is easy to build, it consists of only 66 parts. Unfortunately, the anti-aircraft machine gun on the turret is missing, but the kit includes black and red turret numbers for at least six different vehicles.
The turret and hull are nicely detailed. The “Panther” features a Panzerscheinwerfer on the left track guard, a Notek Abstandsrücklicht, a 20-ton Rack Jack at the rear, two tow cables, C-hooks, bolt cutters, a crowbar, a stowage tube for the detachable sponge, an axe, a sledgehammer, and a starting crank.
The vinyl tank tracks must be carefully welded together with a hot screwdriver or soldering iron, which isn‘t entirely easy. If welding doesn‘t work, the track can be stapled as a last resort. The unsightly seam can be easily hidden behind the Panther‘s track skirts.
The Hasegawa Panzerkampfwagen V “Panther” Ausf. G is great for wargamers who want to field entire tank platoons.