Panzer III Ausf. J (Tropical version with Spaced Armor)

An early version Pz. III Ausf. J with 50mm L/42 barrel from 21 Pz. Div.. The spaced armor were added on both mantlet and front hull. Moreover, the engine decks of early production Pz. III J were horizontally placed.

The photo was taken in August 1942 after this Pz. III J was knocked out by British forces in first battle of El Alamein. In the photo, we could see a British soldier was inspecting the damages of vehicle and there was a shell hole on the vehicle’s front armor.

 

Same vehicle at the same place, but from a different angle.

The early version Pz. III J’s have been equipped by DAK since July 1941 and most of them were upgraded by adding spaced armor in early 1942. 

The wreck of vehicle 712 which was the second build option in manual booklet. This vehicle was knocked out by British Commonwealth in El Alamein.

This is the also the option I choose to build, however, I do not recreate the jerrycan case as the photo showed.  

Another destroyed Pz. III J in the Battle of El Alamein 

The Pz. III J equipped L/42 barrel with spaced armors in African theater. Its affiliation was unknown. 

The Pz. III J (L/42 barrel) with spaced armor pulled over on the side of desert road. The 20mm armor plate on mantlet was fell off and only framework remained there.

A group of Pz. II could also be seen in the back of Pz. III. 

The crew members were repairing the tracks for Pz. III J.

The opened engine decks indicated the Pz. III J was an early version, the special jerrycan case implied the vehicle served in African campaign. 

The reference photo showed a crew from 8 Regiment shaved his face in front of the fender of a Pz. III J.  

The Pz. III J numbered triple 3 in African campaign. 

The top coat were my homemade RAL 8020 with camouflage of RAL 7027. The formula of my RAL 8020 was 70% - 80% of XF-15 mix with 20% - 30% of XF-64/XF-90. 

The premier I have applied was hull red.  

 

 

 

 

 

Track assembly were completed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spare tracks were placed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One more Finished!  

 

 

Have some beverages and take a relaxation ?