Knocked-out Ausf. H

[Angus Tura]

Hi. I'd like to add another 1/72 scale Panzer III.

 

I've been slightly obsessed with Russian heavy tanks since the VE/VJ-day GB last year, which lead me to this book,

 

 

which contains a single photo of a recently knocked-out Panzer III, the KV-1E which has done the knocking out, and some Russian chaps in greatcoats. It would make a good diorama. I don't think I'd better post the photo from a copyright point of view. Please let me know if that's wrong; it's frustrating.

 

I have made this very zoomed in copy, which I think will be OK as it could be practically anything!:

 

 

I think this shows the driver's hatch open and I've outlined that with my Samsung-pen in the second image. The arrow is pointing at some other thing which represents damage, I think. I don't know what it is.

 

I think the tank has been hit on the starboard/right side and the driver has been able to get out. There's no sign in the full image that any of the turret hatches is open. So, I thought it wouldn't take too long to open up and detail the driver's hatch but leave the tank otherwise intact apart from one or two penetration points. So, I further thought I'd need to know what's under the driver's hatch:

 

 

This has as much detail as anyone could ever want, I think. There's a photo straight down into the driver's hatch but the annotation of that says, "Don't listen to anyone who tells you that the front hull hatches were for the crew...there is obviously insufficient space for even the smallest crewman to get in or out." Which came as a bit of a blow! However this tome,

 

 

which I bought a lot of years ago, calls the hatch "Einsteigluke", which is to say "entry-hatch". It also has a photo of a man standing up in the hatch: he clearly hasn't read the Haynes manual.

 

Here is the UM PzKpfw III ausf.H and some etch, actually designed for the Revell ausf.L, which might add something.

 

 

Do please let me know if I can post photos of the photos. If anyone knows the photo in the Zaloga book, do they know which units are portrayed? 

 

Thanks,

 

Alan

 

[Jasper dog]

Hi Alan, interesting project,  and welcome to the GB.

 

I'm afraid Haynes is right, the two hatches on the front are for accessing the transmission. That's not to say some sort of contortionist couldn't get his feet in to stand up but the hatches are for maintenance. 

 

Good luck with the build.

 

Atb

Darryl 

[Ozzy]

Welcome to the build Alan, as Darryl said looks an interesting project.

[PlaStix]

Hi Alan. First off - welcome to the GB. Great to see another 1/72nd project. And it looks like it should be a fascinating project too. Good luck!  

Kind regards,

Stix