JK Resin

German WWII Zimmerit
for Jagdpanzer IV L/48 "Early/Mid Version"

The Jagdpanzer IV L/48 was produced from January 1944 (when Zimmerit was already mandatory) to November 1944 with the following modifications carried out during production [1]:

• Feb '44: Spare tracks moved from glacis to rear; spare wheels moved to engine deck
• Mar '44: left MG port permanently closed with beveled instead of cone-shaped cap. Opening later dispensed with altogether. Some vehicles fitted with Rundumfeuer MG.
• Apr '44: corners of gun mantle beveled; muzzle brake starts to be phased out (only from August '44 onwards according to [2])
• May '44: thicker frontal armor; cut out needed in gun mantle to accommodate larger MG cap
• Jun '44: square instead of beveled box over radiator filler caps
• Sep '44: Zimmerit dropped
• Oct '44: three return rollers instead of 4

Dragon's Jagdpanzer IV L/48, "Early" (7276) has the features that are in bold in the list above (if we follow the instructions). It is thus mostly an April 1944 vehicle (if we sand down the second MG cap). Alternatively, we could use the spare gun mantle of the early type that is included (but that the instructions don't mention and that is used in none of the other Dragon Jagdpanzer IV kits) and easily backdate the kit to a March 1944 vehicle.
In both instances, the lack of Zimmerit in the kit is a nuisance, although it might not be impossible to modify the kit to a late September 1944 vehicle without Zimmerit, as the Dragon kits contains a second gun barrel without muzzle brake (but that, again, the instructions don't mention and that is used in none of the other Dragon Jagdpanzer IV kits).
Surprisingly, the kit comes with late style Schürzen (twice, in PE and in plastic, but the same style). If the latter bother the modeler, they can be left off, as many early Jagdpanzer didn't carry them. Alternatively, they might be used to hide the number of return rollers and pretend the kit represents an October 1944 vehicle.

JK Resin once again comes to the rescue. Note that the "early/mid" on the boxtop probably refers to the real production sequence and not to a Dragon boxing, as (as far as I know) Dragon never released anything else than the Jagpanzer IV L/48 "Early". Dragon's kit is indeed a pre-September 1944 model as it still has four return rollers in each side. Modelers who want to hide the return rollers behind the Schürzen and pretend it is a late, post-Zimmerit version

As the instructions already show, the JK Resin set contains a large number of parts, some in wafer thin resin sheets (to the point of being translucent), comparable to JK's general Zimmerit sheets, and more traditional resin replacement parts.

Below are the wafer thin, pre-cut Zimmerit sheets, which I hardly dare to touch. (Don't handle them when you have a cold.)
I think it would be safest to add them to the Dragon parts using varnish, instead of glue, as the glue might be too thick and spread out unevenly, ruining the quality of the resin parts.
Note that due to the fragility of these parts it will be very easy to replicate damaged or chipped Zimmerit.

I dry fitted a few of the parts and the fit is excellent. The cutouts for the return rollers, etc., are exactly where they should be and the dimensions are spot on. For some parts, I can only be absolutely sure when the kit parts are assembled, though. Note that these resin parts contain some of the small protrusions (fuel filler lids) that the Dragon parts also have, which mean they have to be removed from the plastic Dragon parts before installing the resin Zimmerit (something the instructions don't point out).

Below are the replacement parts. I did not dry fit most of the parts, as the most important parts (for the frontal armor) require surgery on the Dragon resin parts. I did dry fit the front plate of the superstructure and there the fit was excellent. The part is notably thicker than the Dragon, part, though, which can not only be due to the presence of Zimmerit.
Interestingly, JK gives two alternative front plates for the superstructure: one with a cone shaped MG port (and partially omitted Zimmerit for it to operate) and one with the flat, fixed plate (and continuous Zimmerit), hence the "Early and Mid" on the boxtop. Both, however, have the original mantlet, meaning that the resulting vehicle will be either a February or March 1944 version. This is all the more interesting as JK gives us a very nice optional barrel without muzzle brake, but with the thread still in place. Muzzle brakes were only dropped after the gun shield was altered, but pictures in [2] show vehicles with the early mantlet (and even with the functional second MG port), which means the removal of the muzzle brake must have been done retroactively.
What is also interesting is that JK still allows the modeler to position the starboard MG port in the open position, showing the small slots that are normally covered behind the dome. (Dragon allows both sides to open.)

Note that the parts above also contain a fire extinguisher that JK released as a set and comes with a PE part and decals, which is something that raises the detail of the kit to a new level.

Conclusion

I am not easily impressed, but this set has left me in awe. I can only hope that JK continues to provide Zimmerit for all the kits out there that are bereft of these little striations. Perhaps one day we might even see a set for a French Sherman.

(Readers who doubt my objectiveness, because this was a free review set, are free to prove me wrong about the quality of the set.)

References

[1] Jagdpanzer, Jagdpanzer IV, Panzer IV/70 and Panzer IV/70(A), Panzer Tracts 9-2, T.L. Jentz, H.L. Doyle

[2] Jagdpanzer IV Part 1 - L/48, H.F. Duske, T. Greenland, D. Terlisten, Nuts & Bolts 37

Review sample kindly provided by JK Resin.

JK Resin kits can be purchased from

Article Last Updated:
21 March 2019