takes a look at a D-Day: German anti-aircraft vehicle platoon.
The latest in our fast-growing line of plastic Bolt Action vehicles is now available, and it can be built in one of Five Variants! The Panzer III was one of the main battle tank for the Third Reich during the early- and mid-war years, and our kit has stacks of options for you!
Our plastic Panzer III kit can be assembled to represent either the J, L, M, N or M/N variants.
The Panzer III was one of the most numerous German tanks of the war, and was the mainstay of German armored forces when they invaded the Soviet Union. It was well armored, and equipped with the 5cm KwK 38 L/42 cannon – an effective anti-tank weapon for the time. The Panzer III set the benchmark for many future designs, both in the German arsenal and that of the Allies.
The Panzer III was one of the first tanks to have a three-man turret; this freed up the tank commander to focus on the battle, thus, giving the German tankers a greater advantage in command and control, something that the Allies looked to catch up with later in the war.
By 1942, the Panzer IV was taking over as Germany's main medium tank with its better upgrade potential; the Panzer III, however, remained in production as a close-support vehicle – in the form of the Ausf N, mounting a 7.5cm KwK 37 L/24 cannon – the same used by the early Panzer IV Ausf A to Ausf F models.
By the end of June 1942, ahead of the German Summer offensive in the Soviet Union, around 600 Pz III variants mounting the 5cm KwK L/60 were ready for action at the front. Ausf L were issued to the newly-formed panzer regiments of the 1st Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, 2nd Das Reich and 3rd Totenkopf SS-Panzergrenadier Divisions, and the Panzergrenadier Division, Grossdeutschland.
The Ausf. A to early Ausf. F were equipped with a 3.7cm KwK 36 L/45, which proved adequate during the campaigns of 1939 and 1940 (up against the likes of the A10 Cruiser), but the later Ausf. F to Ausf. J were upgraded with the 5cm KwK 38 L/42 and the Ausf. J to M with the longer 5cm KwK 39 L/60 gun in response to increasingly better armed and armored opponents, such as the T-34.
The Ausf J, L, and M variants had an additional 20mm offset armor homogeneous steel plate in front of the driver and bow machinegunner positions, as well as many also having 20mm spaced armor on the gun mantlet. Early in the production run, the hull escape hatches on the hull side, the loader's vision port on the gun mantlet, and the turret side ports were done away with.
The addition of protective schürzen plates made the existing Ausf L and later variants a little less susceptible to the newer Russian tanks and anti-tank equipment.
Many of these Panzer III variants could still be found in use in limited numbers during the battles in Normandy, at Anzio, during Operation Market Garden, and even in the Finnish army…
Key Upgrades:
- Panzer III Ausf J
- Hull and turret front armor increased to solid 50mm plate. Some were produced with 5cm KwK 39 L/60 gun and later redesignated Ausf L
- Panzer III Ausf K
- Panzerbefehlswagen command tank variant with a modified turret. Carried actual main armament rather than a dummy gun as found on other Panzer III command versions. (Could be a great conversion idea.)
- Panzer III Ausf L
- Redesignated Ausf J – equipped with long 5cm gun, 20mm stand-off armor plates on hull and turret front
- Panzer III Ausf M
- Minor modifications of the Ausf L, such as deep-wading exhaust and Schürzen side-armor panels
- Panzer III Ausf N
- nfantry support tank, armed with a short-barrelled 7.5cm KwK 37 L/24 gun
In Bolt Action:
Damage value: 9+ (medium tank)
Ausf J – 156pts (inexperienced) 195pts (regular) 234pts (veteran)
1 turret mounted medium anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and 1 forward facing hull-mounted MMG
(Ausf J) Treat hits against the rear armor as hits against side armor (i.e. +1 penetration modifier rather than +2)
Ausf L, M – 195pts (regular) 234pts (veteran)
Add Schürzen for +10pts
1 turret mounted medium anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and 1 forward facing hull-mounted MMG
Ausf N – 175pts (regular) 210pts (veteran)
1 turret mounted light howitzer with co-axial MMG and 1 forward facing hull-mounted MMG
- Why Not:
- Try out rules for Tank Crew from Tank War page 40 – Ernst Barkmann. With the Special Skills:
- Motivational leader
- Deadeye
- Push Through
- Quick Reflexes
Play him in a Panzer III as he strives to earn his command of the Panther that he would earn his reputation in!
Our plastic Panzer III kit can be assembled to represent either the J, L, M or N variants and, as with all of our plastic tanks, we're also releasing the Panzer III Zug – which contains three of these plastic kits at a great price. Ideal for Tank War!
Time to Get Painting, Soldier!
