PzIV is it a real picture?

[Jake79]

Hi Guy's, on Facebook there's a discussion on this Pz IV pic..no one can quite decide if it's real or not. To me it looks photo shopped, no dust dirt on tank, the guy looks odd like a figure..but theres some swear its real!

17991879_778257135674432_1538261335853146855_n.jpg (32.89 KiB) Viewed 2929 times

[tomhugill]

I would say real, the lack of dust and dirt is probably due to how the pictures been coloured

[Aussie]

I'm going real.
Sure does have some extra track draped over places I haven't seen before.

[jarndice]

Something that has made me wonder over the years is how almost every PZ3 is always carrying spare wheels located wherever there is space for them and yet the PZ4 apart from the spare wheel carrier is rarely seen with them on the rest of the Tank body,
This picture being a rare exception.
That unique feature alone persuades me that it may just be genuine.
Although with the Turret side door open and the Commander upright in the Cupola it leaves me wondering why the Drivers Hatch is closed ?
Shaun.

[HengRong]

I'm pretty sure its a real pic and I reckon i have got a black and white version of it in one of my books. As for spare wheels being fitted on the body of the PzIV's I have noticed that is was most common on Ausf. F's, F2s and early G's. Maybe the introduction of the spare wheel bin put an end to it as a necessary practise?

[Jake79]

I would say real, the lack of dust and dirt is probably due to how the pictures been coloured

Good point Tom, may well just be a dodgy colourisation job.

I'm guessing it would have been in German dark yellow, would it not? looks like they coloured just the background and the commander, not the tank.

[43rdRecceReg]

The tracks appear to be in motion, and simulating that wouldn't be very easy. Ausf. J also had the container/bin for spare wheels. The pic does look strangely staged, but that probably is a consequence of it being colourised, or digitally filtered
later.

[Ad Lav]

Hmm looks a fake.

Can only get two wheels in the spare holder in the side.

[43rdRecceReg]

Hmm looks a fake.

Can only get two wheels in the spare holder in the side.

Normally, yes, but it looks like an extra bit has been added to the bin to cater for an extra wheel. On the Ausf J there seems to be a bracket that would support an extension to the bin.
Here's and Ausf. 'C' sporting three spare wheels, albeit with a different mounting:

Pz IV ausf 'C'

Ausf C with three wheels...jpg (63.43 KiB) Viewed 2825 times

Here's a Finnish Panzer IV 'J' with a potential bracket (or brackets) for an extended spare wheel bin:

Pz IV Ausf J in Finland

If the pic is a fake, you have to ask why someone would add a third wheel, and or, why bother faking it in the first place? I must say the commander looks a tad wooden (though not a match for Painless's 'crazy Joe' ), and his uniform almost looks soviet in character..but then then the pic is also lacking real detail.

[wibblywobbly]

Hmmmm....tracks are moving and blurred at the front but not elsewhere. The spokes on the sprockets/idlers aren't blurred. However the shadows are all facing the same way, and I would say around noon with the sun overhead. The colourisation of a black and white photo will produce anomalies.

If it's a model it's a damned good one, I would take my hat off to whoever made it, but I would err on the side of real.