German tank destroyer Jagdpanzer IV/70 (V) COBI 2668 - World War II 1:28

MODEL JAGDPANZER IV/70 (V) | COBI 2668

A building set with rich accessories in the typical German winter camouflage “Wintertarnung” from the Battle of the Bulge 1944–45. The model of the Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyer, also known as Sd.Kfz.162, features a cannon with adjustable elevation, an axe, a shovel and two spare road wheels mounted on the engine deck. Under the cover lies the Maybach HL120 TRM engine. The upper crew compartment cover can be removed to view the driver’s and gunner’s positions. On the front sloped armor there are several spare steel track links. The set also includes a tank commander figure with headphones and a medic figure with a stretcher. The tank tracks are fully functional and the model can easily move on non-slip surfaces.

Did you know:

The German armament office issued a requirement for a new assault gun in September 1943. The conditions were a low silhouette and a powerful KwK 42L 75 mm gun, but there were not enough of these available in Germany. Thus, a tank destroyer on the PzKpfw IV chassis with a PaK 39 L/48 gun was created. The new vehicle was presented to A. Hitler on his birthday. Only a few people knew that the demonstrated vehicle had a hull made of ordinary steel instead of armor plating. Representatives of the Vomag company took a great risk. Mass production began in January 1944. The front armor was reinforced to 80 mm.

In total, more than 2,000 units were produced in three versions by the end of the war.

Many Hetzer vehicles were deployed during Germany’s last desperate attempt to repel Allied forces, known as the Battle of the Bulge. In the background of this battle, a fight for the salient took place with the deployment of special German sabotage units under the codename Greif. The operation, intended to sow confusion and disrupt Allied communication, was personally commanded by Otto Skorzeny. German soldiers in American uniforms and equipped with American technology managed to infiltrate Allied units and cause chaos in command and mutual distrust among troops. However, the sabotage groups were soon discovered and despite initial success, they had no significant impact on the outcome of the battle.

A well-known event occurred on December 26, 1944, when an American Sherman M4A3E2 tank commanded by Charles Boggess broke through the German defensive line and advanced toward Bastogne. At one of the crossroads, the crew encountered a group of American soldiers engaged in friendly conversation. Boggess ordered the tank to stop to ask for directions. The soldiers willingly pointed the correct way and the tank continued on. The commander’s suspicion that he had encountered a sabotage group was confirmed shortly after the arrival of rear units. The German soldiers in American uniforms could have easily destroyed the tank, but did nothing. They were well aware that the battle was lost and no longer wished to fight.

Technical specifications:

• dimensions: length 6.85 m, width 3.17 m, height 1.85 m
• weight 24,000 kg
• armor: front 80 mm, sides 10 mm, top 10 mm
• power unit: Maybach HL 120 TRM petrol engine with 224 kW output
• maximum speed 40 km/h (25 km/h off-road)
• fuel tank capacity 470 l
• range 210 km (150 km off-road)
• main armament: StuK 42 L/70 75 mm cannon (ammunition load 79–80 rounds)
• secondary weapon: remotely operated MG 34 machine gun, 7.92 mm
• sights: Zielfernrohr 3x8°
• accuracy: 30–40 cm dispersion at 1,000 m
• crew: driver, gunner, loader, commander

From the letters of US Corporal Red Warner:

“At midnight on December 20 we set up anti-tank guns on Malmedy Road and waited for the Germans to arrive. When SS units managed to break through the lines of the 2nd Infantry Division, they turned their attention toward us. In complete darkness the Germans formed an assault group of hunchbacked Jagdpanzers, but we were ready. After we destroyed the first eight tanks with bazookas, the Germans retreated, but it wasn’t over yet. After reorganizing, they came again...”

About the COBI building set:

• the COBI 2668 set is made of 1024 high-quality ABS bricks
• number of figures: 2
• collection World War II
• scale 1:28
• pad printed – no stickers
• highly detailed
• made in the EU
• compatible with other building block brands