After wrapping up the turret interior scratch build for Das Werk’s 1/16 Panzer III J, I plan to convert a second DW Panzer III j kit to Panzer III K command tank. The K model uses the same 50mm/60 cal gun as the J, But the entire gun is shifted over to the left side of the turret, and the mantlet is truncated. The reposition of the gun is presumable to make room for the commander’s map tables, etc, as well as to make room on right front of the turret for a big armored observation port similar to the driver’s vision port.
The hole for the gun sight on the mantlet is still on the left side of the gun, So the gunner is still on the left side of the gun. But on the J, where the gun is at the centerline, there seems to be no room to move the gun to the left because the gun’s elevation gear would butt into turret traverse gear. Also there is no room to move the gunner’s seat further to the left. How did rearrange the turret interior to enable the gun to be shifted to the left side of the turret?
Does anyone know where I can find any drawings of the layout of the K turret, or know of any interior photos to use as reference?
Didn’t the Pz III ausf K used a modified Pz IV turret?
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The “shell” of the turret was the same type used in the new Panzer IV, as far as I know, but the internal fittings were not.
That illustration on the Dragon kit has the wrong colour. The tank was RAL 8000.
I’ve never seen any diagram concerning the insides of a K, except for an electrical circuit diagram. It would be very, very interesting to see.
David
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It sure did. Border just released a ‘K’ not long ago.
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The bottom of panzer IV turret shell must have been substantially modified to fit in Panzer III turret ring. if I recall, the whole reason why Panzer III was phased out in 1943 in favor of Panzer IV was panzer III’s turret ring was too small to accommodate new 75mm/48 cal gun, and there wasn’t the room in the Panzer III hull to increase turret ring size.
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Getting a trumpeter 1/16 Panzer just for the turret shell is too much. So I will probably scratch turret shell.
Is there any reference about the exact dimension of a Panzer IV turret? Also, the side hatches, vision flaps and pistol ports on the Panzer IV turret seems very similar to those on the Panzer III. Were they identical?
The commander’s copula also look very similar. besides Panzer 4 using a one piece round hatch and panzer III using split hatch with two half circles, were they otherwise identical?
I would think it makes sense to use a common part to fill the same need on two similar tanks, but those were Germans.
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Well, these tanks were designed at the same time, so I would expect many common components.
But, on the other hand : they evolved through several versions over several years. I just did a quick visual check, and I think there were 5 different cupolas used on the Panzer IV.
The internal dimensions of the turret would remain the same all the time, but the walls would get thicker. The armour thickness is documented to have changed.
The plate dimensions of a Panzer IV turret? I don’t know anywhere they are written down. But I did start to figure them out for myself, so I have a few numbers I could give you. It wouldn’t take me very long to get them all.
There are several Panzer IV manuals online, which don’t have dimensions but do have detailed drawings.
David
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Thank you. panzer III K’s cupola definitely had a 1 piece hatch, unlike other contempoary panzer III J cupola. Externally the cupola otherwise seems to very similar to Panzer III J cupola. I assume it would be a Panzer IV H or J cupola, but I have not very familiar with Panzer IV.
BTW, I notice the shot deflector for the turret ring welded to the top of normal Panzer III hull is not there on the Panzer III K, presumably the dimensions of thr Panzer IV turret would not allow the turret to clear the shot deflectors.
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