Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Steven got me a box of Plastic Soldier Company(PSC) Panthers (WW2V15012) to review. I have had some PSC Halftracks to review, but never any of their tanks. I know Steven loves the T-34s, so I was really looking forward to seeing these guys.

PSC Panther Review

Nice review, I cant wait to receive my 15 panthers.

danli7 wrote:Nice review, I cant wait to receive my 15 panthers.

That's damn near 3000 points worth of German armor--ouch.

olympia wrote:

danli7 wrote:Nice review, I cant wait to receive my 15 panthers.

That's damn near 3000 points worth of German armor--ouch.

Ya lol, I tend to over buy stuff, but its not my fault that PSC stuff are so good.

How are their half tracks? ... nvm, read your review

Good review, It's getting hard not to blow all my birthday money on a German or Russian LW force with PSC's prices and quality...

Damn it you beat me to the punch....



Nice models, cannot wait to paint them.



5 in a box is great (HQ with 2 Tanks, Platoon of 3 and some Panzer IV's nice little tank force).

Heh -- yeah beat you to it. I am getting another box and giving 2 to Steven for his HQ - that will give me 2 platoons plus HQ for under ~$40 -- can't beat it.

My shipment is already 6 weeks late.

@Dirty Jon are you sure about the Ausf A and Ausf D being wrong in the instructions, i'm pretty sure Ausf A didn't have smoke launchers? IIRC the Zemmerit was stopped on vehicles towards the end of the war?

This might be a BIG P question?

On some other points, I have weighted mine with Spackle and bits of sprue and put a piece underneath so I can put a magnet in.







And a size comparison with a BF Tiger 1E, looks good doesn't it?







Excellent, and I would personally say that the 15mm scale infantry is much better represented as the figures are thinner and not balloon figures. I have to agree the Machine guns are much improved!

@mwnciboo: yes, the A and D are wrong. The smoke launchers are just illustrated to show were to put them - I dont think he was trying to show which model/models needed to have them.

Very early and very late Panthers didn't have Zimmerit -- the vast majority in the middle did.

I hope your wrong, because I wanted Panther A's for my Lehr Division not D's and I didn't think to check online, I just followed the instructions...So now I have D's when I wanted A's......



EDIT - I never read instructions, my wife always has a go at me about it, this week I decide to follow them and they are wrong. F*ckin Kharma!

This is indeed very helpful!

Excellent review - the finished models look very nice. I've just ordered a box of these direct from PSC - they said they've shipped them already, so it's a bit worrying to hear that some of you have waited for weeks for theirs to be delivered.

Jon is correct about the instructions being wrong; there was always some overlap between the various models of Panzer, but the Ausf D and Ausf A are definitely mis-identified. Only early models of the Ausf D had smoke launchers. The 'drum' type cupola was only fitted to the Ausf D. The 'letterbox' MG slot in the glacis was a feature of the Ausf D and early Ausf A, and was replaced by a proper ball mounting during the Ausf A's production run. mwnciboo - this means you've built yours as an Ausf D. Panzer Lehr's Panthers were Ausf As.

The omission of Zimmerit from the kit is presumably a problem because of the popularity of the 1944 period of the war. Initial Ausf Ds did not have Zimmerit, so the tanks that took part in 'Zitadelle' did not have Zimmerit. Most if not all Ausf As had Zimmerit (Ausf A production began in August 1943 and Zimmerit was applied from September 1943), as did the inital Ausf Gs produced. Virtually every Panther in the Normandy campaign had Zimmerit. Conversely, most (but not all) Panthers in photos from the Ardennes battle do not have Zimmerit. It's interesting that this seems to be an issue given the small scale of the model - 1:76 and 1:72 scale models have never included Zimmerit, and it's only recently begun to feature on 1:35 scale kits. Arguably, when you get down to 15mm Zimmerit would (if reproduced in scale) be relatively indistinct, so it shouldn't be a big deal. However, BF tanks seem to feature 'heroic scale' Zimmerit, so FoW players expect it on their Panzers.

Judging from the photos of the finished PSC model, it seems to sit a bit high, and there seems to be an oversized gap between the top of the tracks and the upper hull edge. Note that the front mudguards almost never included the hinged extension that's modelled on the kit - you only see this on the initial Ausf Ds before Kursk. It's a good idea to cut this off.

I got mine a couple of weeks ago. They're nice kits, a shame that the barrels are still a bit thin. I made mine up as Gs because I don't like the 'd' style hull MG.

Its easier to model Zimmerit ON to a tank than it is to take it off.

I will post in more detail if anyone really wants to know the anal differences between the various marks (such as the seven different exhaust systems used on Ausf As) but I wanted to make a note before I get my Panther book out regarding Zimmerit.

Factory Application began in December 1943 (with a ordered dated November 1943 referring to the field application of Zimmerit for units already in service) and ended on 9th September 1944 (the order to rescinf field application is date 17th October 1944) due to fears that it was adversely flammable. This was false and the real reason for stopping its use was the lack of magnetic anti-tank mines (really only the Germans themselves used them in any quantity) and also the fact that application and drying times added an uneeded delay to tank production.

This then means that Ausf Ds would only have field application of Zimmerit (production having ceased in September 1943), the vast majority of Ausf As would have recieved it (their production run started in August 1943 and ended in June 1944) with most without likely getting a field application. The Ausf G production started in March 1944 so around 40% of them would have recieved a coating based on monthly production figures.

Of course its really best to base it on the theme of your army. If you are doing a Normandy theme, then Zimmerit should be in abundance... Kursk, no Zimmerit and the same goes for the Ardennes though it is possible to find examples of it.

Now do you want more detail on the differences between the various versions?

I'm game, as the PSC instructions have possibly got me confused and finding definitive sources on the Internet can be hit and miss.

Will write something up.

The main thing to bear in mind with Panther variants is the changes were not globally assinged to certain variants... So the 'upgrades' feature accross the different versions.

Thus you get 'A's with both the ball mount MG and the earlier letterbox flap, and A's with the tri-exhaust and the unarmoured two exhausts. You can also find A's with the D pattern commanders cupola but they could have originally been D's upgraded.

I dont have the PSC kit as they aint released the 20mm version yet (though Will from PSC is bringing me some new 20mm test sprues when he is over for a game at the end of March) so if anyone has a hi-res, large format picture of the sprue I can probably better direct my comments in relation to that, as I notice there is only two rear engine deck patterns which lends me to believe only the angled air intakes and the Late G pattern is produced.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

mwnciboo wrote:I hope your wrong, because I wanted Panther A's for my Lehr Division not D's and I didn't think to check online, I just followed the instructions...So now I have D's when I wanted A's......

Panzer Lehr had 'D's in Normandy too...

Zimmerit can be added to a PSC panther through the following process:

Carefuly apply a very thin layer of liquid poly cement to the area you wish to 'zimmerit'.

Using a fine tool, carefully carve into the softened plastic a grid-like pattern. Alternatively, using the edge of a jewelled CD case (the ridged bit), create a tool and press that in to the surface.

If one is careful, one can zimmerit a naked Panther this way. (But its not easy, so practice on the spare hulls before you knacker up your built kit. )

If you plan to make 'Batlefront' style 'A's use the 'd' hull (with the letterbox MG), chop off the letterbox and glue on the ball MG. Use the mantlet without the 'chin' and the corner exhaust (the one with three pipes together). Use the 'G' style (sliding hatch) cupola.

Don't bother with the cupola AA MG as it is fiddly and the rules don't support it.

Is this good enough Big P?



Instructions are here.



Gotta love the AA MG cupola, just making some home made tobruks...Perfect for the MG position!

Incidentally, does anyone know what the boxes on the deck of the 'G' are. I left them off when I built mine.

The Panther's confusing production order of d then A then G doesn't help beginners pick this up.

George Spiggott wrote:Incidentally, does anyone know what the boxes on the deck of the 'G' are. I left them off when I built mine.

The Panther's confusing production order of d then A then G doesn't help beginners pick this up.

I think those are tool boxes and optional.

The boxes on the rear deck aren't standard. There are photos of Ausf Ds with something similar so you could probably add them to any version. Some Ausf Gs had the tube for the gun-cleaning rods relocated to across the rear of the engine deck, but it seems to have been a field modification.

There are similar minor issues with other PSC kits - the Panzer IV doesn't have all of the right parts for each version provided. I don't think it's a big deal in this small scale.

I used 6-1/4" hex nuts (4-standing and 2-laying flat) to weight my Panther tanks down. My Panzers and Stugs only got 4-1/4" hex nuts each laying flat.

I filled mine with metal sprue offcuts, and then I'll cover that with filler squirted through the top hole using a naso-gastric syringe.
After adding a load of metal stowage (Skytrex and Reiver) they weigh nearly as much as a resin one.

I weigh my PSC tanks down with coins glued on bottom, then based them on BAttle front stands.

It all depends what period or unit you are doing.

From looking at the sprue, none seem correct for Kursk as the air intakes on the D have angular louvres, when the initial D run had straight ones. Hence the overheating and the change to angled intakes to push more air into the engine.

The turrets also dont seem to have the pistol ports.

The letterbox flaps was present on both the D and A, till replaced later in the A series run with the ball mount.

Various types of exhaust were used on all models.

D's can be used in Normandy (Lehr and HJ had them);










The thing to remember is the fitting of upgrades was dependant on factory and availability as seen here with these Ausf As from Panzer Lehr with what seems to be the old mantlet and letterbox MG;






Regarding exhausts...

Ausf D;




Ausf A;




Ausf A with twin exhausts;




Ausf G with exhaust covers;




Early Ausf G with twin pipe exhaust;





So if you are building a specific unit its worth taking the time to research not only the version they had, but also if that was a standard model or one of the hybrid types.

Not all the photos in your post are visible - I'm getting little boxes with question marks. The colour photo is of the Panther that's a runner in Saumur, right? Any idea why only 2 of the exhaust pipes are rusty?

I think the PSC Ausf D version (i.e. the correct Ausf D, not the one that's mis-identified in the instructions) is fine for this scale, even with the detail issues you (and others) have mentioned. But, as I mentioned, the smoke dischargers are a feature of early Ausf Ds and not the Ausf A.

As a completely irrelevant aside, I came across this statistic about the Panther - according to Allied reports from the Normandy campaign, the majority of Panther casualties that were examined were the result of breakdowns or running out of fuel, and not from having been hit. Also, Panthers were almost as likely to burn when penetrated as Shermans - but it took on average 3.24 penetrations to achieve this, while for a Sherman it took only 1.89 penetrations. Panzer IVs burned even more readily than Shermans.