"Pz III short barrel suitable colour schemes?" Topic

I have a couple of hundred 15mm WW2 German vehicles to paint. The vehicles are from command decision. I want to paint the whole lot in a faded desert yellow/brown/green 3 colour cammo. There will be a lot of variety in individual paint jobs, just as seen in the field.

I am just a bit concerned as to whether the short barreled Pz III ever appeared in this cammo scheme. Can anyone enlighten me?

If possible I want to keep the whole lot in desert yellow/brown/green. I would rather not have any in panzer gray.

Not many.
Probably some, but grey, desert or tunisia schemes are much more likely.

Which short barrelled Pz III? The ones with 37mms, 50L42s or 75L24s?

The 75s obviously appeared in three colour, some of the short 50s might have if they survived into 1943 but they were fairly rare by then and it is very unlikely for a 37. IIRC I saw one photo of a 37mm Pz III attributed to SS Nordland in 1945, but there are no other distinguishing marks on the vehicle to confirm this.

Martin Rapier wrote:

IIRC I saw one photo of a 37mm Pz III attributed to SS Nordland in 1945

Those dastardly SS, always collaring the best kit for themselves!

All the best,

John.

Skirted Ms are often shown in three tone.

The tanks are Panzer III M/N with two barrel options. One short 75 (N) and one longer thinner barrel (M). The models have side skirts.

I also have some Panzer III J/L models with 50mm long barrel and no side skirts. The same question really applies to them.

Thinking about it I should go and pour over FOW to see which variants I should produce.

Would I be best advised to paint all my Panzer IIIs in desert yellow and then dirty them up? That would make them look interesting while not shifting them into an unusable area of the war. I mean, you could use desert yellow as late as you like and as early as North africa.

Most wargamers have their german tanks in some yellow variant anyway.

I am just a bit concerned as to whether the short barreled Pz III ever appeared in this cammo scheme. Can anyone enlighten me?

It's certainly plausible, that would be more than good enough for me.
-Kle.

The M originally had an "order" for 1,000 placed. Eventually, however, due to using the chassis for other weapons like the StuG, the N model with short 75 and cut backs in production only 250 were completed. The M was most likely to be seen in Russia with Army Group Center or South as replacement vehicles and with panzer units, like Hermann Goring, in Sicily. As a result you cant go wrong with basic dunkelgelb (panzer yellow) which would work with both theaters. As well various cammo would work for at least the East Front vehicles.

The N with short 75 was originally designed to provide close support for the Tiger heavy tank formations. Pleased with the results of testing it was also issued to panzer formations to provide close support. Chamberlain and Doyle list, for example some 155 with Army Group Center and South at the time of Kursk. Once again you cant go wrong with plain Dunkelgelb but certainly have seen a fair number in the 3 color cammo.

Right the M/Ns would certainly have appeared in three colour, but I'd be a bit dubious about the J/Ls.

Even the Ls used at Arnhem were just in plain dunkelgelb, OTOH my 26th Panzer Div has Ls in three colour and no-one has complained so far.

Panzer IIILs were definitely in dark yellow and camo'd. There are plenty of photos in books and the like supporting this. I've seen photos of L's with skirt armor in 3 tone, so vehicles without certainly could have it too.

Damon.

Pz IIIs were used by Artillery FOs even late in the war, I believe.

No skirts in Africa