Eilendorf is a village by the German city of Aachen; it was taken by the US Army in September 1944. I./PzRgt 24 had been attached to 116.Panzer Division to reinforce PzRgt 16 at the time of the fighting in and around Aachen, which took place in September-October of that year.
What do we get with this Cyber Hobby release? What we get is a fairly standard Dragon model (standard strengths and weaknesses) in a standard Dragon box; for the extra price we are given a collector's card, notwithstanding.
The model itself is a very accurate Panther with steel road wheels, albeit of a mixed early-late type - the vehicle has no mantlet chin (early) but is fitted with flame damper exhausts (late) and a raised fan housing on the rear deck (late). This combination of features is definitely incorrect for the alleged unit and period of time. According to sources only "one" Panther with steel wheels (only 24 such vehicles were produced!) fought with PzRgt 24 at Aachen, and that vehicle could not possibly be fitted with these late-type exhausts, which were introduced in January 1945. While the lack of a late mantlet is correct (chins were added starting October 1944), the presence of a raised fan housing on the rear deck is again out of place, as this feature was also introduced from October 1944 onwards.
The Panther photographed at Aachen definitely had plenty of track links around the turret (not included in the model), and an early rear deck without the raised fan tower (new heater system) on the left side (see photo); given the poor quality of the picture nothing can be said on its camo scheme or tactical number (if any).
So Dragon's model is definitely not right for the claimed unit and period; however it most accurately represents a late Panther (yes, some late models still received chinless mantlets well into 1945) somewhere in Germany, sometime during 1945.
