Panzer IV (new project) - October 19, 2022
Hello everyone. It's me Antony, back with another blog in 2022. We are now on October 19 - approaching the end of 2022; hoping for the things to get better. Now that I'm working and studying, my time for Blogs decreased to some occasions and some weekends.
For this month and for the next ones, I will focus my attention on my university semester and the new weekly tasks and my job (which are quite stressful but I'm used to. Haha. After that, I think I'll take a break from university and public exams as soon as I settle down for good). I'm not sure what will happen after December 31 - if the mayor, the administrative director and my employer can extend my contract at the public health center further or it will officially end. At least I can rest after that and find other thing to do for a living.
Alright. With nothing else to add, let's go for the Blog. For today, I'm going to bring new project I started recently. Yeah, I had plans of not starting a new project while I have lots of projects to conclude, but I decided to start it anyway. While I revisited the Tiger I project, I decided to make the Panzer IV - Germany's medium tank that became the backbone of the Panzer Battalions. At first, I wanted to start the Panzer III Ausf J1, but I have to find for more blueprints dedicated to that model with few images I downloaded of the M, N and H models. Then I choose the Panzer IV Ausf F2 / G. I keep wondering why I always choose German tanks as the main topic for my Blender projects. I plan to bring an American, a British, a Soviet, an Italian or a Japanese tank in the future.
In case you want to know it, here's a brief story. Prior to WW2, the development of the Panzer III and Panzer IV took a slow pace while the Germans studied to implement the new doctrine of Blitzkrieg (lightning war) by Heinz Guderian. Then Krupp, MAN and Rheinmetall-Borsig presented its prototypes - with Krupp being selected for further development. The original purpose for the Panzer IV was infantry support tank with a 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 howitzer - capable of destroying enemy fortifications and bunkers; while the Panzer III would be relegated to face enemy tanks. However during the Battle of France in 1940, the Germans realized the Panzer III had little firepower to take down the French Char B1 and Somua S35 and the British Matilda I and Matilda II; and with the Panzer I, Panzer II, Panzer 35(t) and Panzer 38(t) in great numbers, the Panzer IV had to be integrated in tank-vs-tank warfare. After the fall of France, the Panzer IV underwent a series of modifications and upgrades. During Operation Barbarossa (the German invasion of the Soviet Union) in 1941, the Panzer IV in its F model outclassed the Soviet T-26 and BT tanks - all light armored vehicles and obsolete as the Soviets needed for more heavy armored vehicles. But when they brought the newly T-34 and KV tanks, the Germans were shocked as their main anti-tank weapons and their Panzer III and Panzer IV had no effective results against the Soviet tanks. Throughout the war, the Panzer IV became the vanguard of the German armored forces - receiving new powerful guns like the 75 mm KwK 40 cannon, new Schürzen spaced armor protecting its turret and side chassis from AT-weapons like the M1A1 Bazooka, PIAT and explosive weapons; while the Panzer III was relegated to infantry support tank in its N model and a considerable number of these vehicles had to return to the factories to be converted to Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) and its turrets being used to build coastal defenses - the same fate for the Panzer I and Panzer II. Despite the Tiger I and the Panther tanks arriving on the battlefield in 1943 to 1945 to answer the T-34, the M4 Sherman, Crusader and Churchill, the Panzer IV remained in service until the end of WW2 - with about 8,553 units including its variants. The major variants of the Panzer IV were the Hummel, Nashorn, Sturmgeschütz IV and Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers, the Sturmpanzer IV - nicknamed by the Allied as Brummbär - for destroying heavy fortifications; the Flakpanzer IV, Möbelwagen, Ostwind and Wirbelwind for anti-air mobile defense; Brückenleger IV for bridge layer tanks and the Bergepanzer IV for recovery damaged / destroyed German tanks. Aside from Germany, other nations like Hungary, Romania, Italy, Finland, Bulgaria, Turkey, Spain, Croatia and Syria received the Panzer IV during WW2, with few units falling to the French army, British and the Soviets.
Let me show you the images of the Panzer IV tank.
Like I said before, I selected the Panzer IV Ausf F2 / G model for making this German medium tank. One of the blueprints didn't helped me by the drawings rotation. But I tried my best to make its chassis, the rubber-rimmed roadwheels, the turret with the storage box and its 75 mm KwK 40 cannon. The cannon was appended from the Tiger I project, along the German color materials.
Then I downloaded several blueprints I found on DeviantArt - especially from Gorto100's main gallery (https://www.deviantart.com/gorto100), so main credits to him for the blueprints.
After that, I readjusted the Panzer IV to the new blueprint.
Looking good so far. I used the Bevel modifier to the turret in order to clean up some subdivisions. Also, I made the middle chassis, the commander's hatch and the top metal plates to link the middle section to the chassis. The wheels were readjusted, with two new duplicates for spare part; including the cannon.
The next components for the Panzer IV are: the hatches, the tracks, the suspension system to link the existing wheels and new wheels, the cannon mantlet, the sights and the coaxial machine guns, the Maybach engine exhaustion outlet, the working tools like axes and shovels, the decals (I can re-use it from the Panzer I), a rework on the chassis, a good painting and rigging the tank.
Well, that's it for now my friends. I hope you enjoy this Blog. In case I have some spare time to enjoy, I'll be working on other things aside from Blender projects and my personal things. Until the time comes, you will be surprised to see them. See you next time.
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