I haven’t been since the controversial modifications of the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth were completed, but friends tell me they have ripped the guts out of the old place. I loved the big hall with aircraft hanging from the ceiling and a Polaris missile reaching up to the skylight. There used to be a fine display of armoured vehicles on show and one these was a Jagdpanther which had been given a modicum of cutaway treatment to show the interior. As far as I am aware these vehicles are no longer on display.
You can see a Jagdpanther at the Tank Museum along with a lot more besides, but the thing is, seeing these German monsters really is a very special experience if you like your tanks (etc). Alternatively you could always build your own.
This neat book is not the first of its kind I have reviewed. Aimed at model makers it offers a detailed walk round of the chosen subject backed up by plan drawings, some nice artworkby Arkadiusz Wrobel and excellent 3d CAD illustrations. It includes a selection of archive photos and views of some of the Jagdpanthers in preservation including the vehicle formerly displayed at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Even if you don’t plan getting glue on your hands any time soon, this is an impressive piece of work and I enjoyed looking at the illustrations and making the most of the limited but carefully produced text. The book does have other uses; for artists and other clever people, perhaps. You might be someone who just likes looking at mantlets, sprockets and widgets. The book has been around a while and I have taken my time getting to it, but I am glad I made the effort. It really is a case of asking what’s not to like? Not a lot as far as I can tell.
Reviewed by Mark Barnes for War History Online.
JAGDPANTHER
By Lukasz Gladysiak, Adam Rejmak and Krysztof Mucha
Kagero
ISBN: 978-83-62878-83-3