Panzer IIIG x3

with three Panzer III G tanks, two stowage sprues, three stowage bins, open and closed cupolas and Tank Commander figures.

Once Germany threw off the shackles imposed by the Treaty of Versailles; prohibiting them from possessing any form of tracked armoured fighting vehicle. Its designers wasted little time in constructing the Panzer divisions that would prove so effective during the Blitzkrieg campaigns of 1939-41.

The German philosophy called for each battalion to consist of one Heavy Company equipped with larger calibre guns to provide close support for the infantry and three Medium Companies armed with a dedicated anti-tank weapon to engage enemy tanks. These Heavy Companies would be made up of the Panzer IV while the Medium Companies were comprised of the Panzer III.

In the years leading up the start of the Second World War, the German engineers continued to refine their designs and by October 1940 the Panzer III G had reached the battlefield. By now the lessons learnt from the campaigns in Poland and France accelerated the necessity to up gun the 3.7cm KwK L/46.5 gun that armed earlier of the the Panzer III to the 5cm KwK L/42.

While the initial production models of the Panzer III G were armed with the 3.7cm KwK gun, the 5cm KwK L/42 became standard on all vehicles produced from July 1940 onwards. The Panzer III G was also modified for the condition facing the Panzer crews in North Africa; a larger radiator was fitted to aid in cooling and additional air filters made of felt were added to keep sand and dust out of places where it could potentially cause harm.

Extra armour was also added by the means of adding externally mounted plate to any vulnerable areas of the vehicle. However, the extra weight of this added protected meant that the suspension was being pushed beyond the limits of it capabilities. An overhaul of the design of the running gear was needed to handle the additional weight; the upgrade led to the design of what became known as the Panzer III H.

Designed by Evan Allen
Painted by Carlos Tapia