Panzer Tracts no. 5-2
Panzerkampfwagen “Panther” Ausfuehrung A

by Thomas L. Jentz and Hilary Louis Doyle

Panzer Tracts, ISBN 0-9744862-1-3, 140 pages

The Panzer Tracts team gives us just as much here as in No. 5-1 on the Panther D. Highly detailed multi-view 1/35 plans of ausf As from various production batches, even more detailed 1/10 plans of various components, a host of clear photographs including the interior areas – what more could you want to detail a model? This book even includes 1/35 plans of the hull and turret armour components laid flat to show their true sizes and shapes. Not only that, the amount of detail is staggering: did you know there were three different types of torsion bar swing arms? All three are shown in detail both in the plans and in photographs, with notes about which wheel stations got them. The single plate, two-plate and three-plate belly layouts are shown too, and yes, there photographs here proving that some ausf As got the drum cupola – plans of them too.

This is a superb complement to The Quest for Combat Supremacy, which many Panther fans will have. If you have that book, get this one too for its plans and detail. If you don’t have it, you need this one even more! Very, very highly recommended. This is a short review only because I have run out of superlatives!

John Prigent