If I wanted to buy a 1/72 model of a PzKpfw III suitable for the 5th Light Armoured Division in March 1941. Say an Ausf F, which brand would you suggest?

Thanks in advance,
David.

I suggest Ken Overby's Pz III E wich is an excellent base for a Pz III E/F/G/H. (see my post below in the weekly update) I do not know about the detail on the models by Attack but the drive and idler wheels look very useful.

From working on the PzBef III E (and K/H) I learnt that when making a correct Pz III variant you need to have a very clear pic of the original and stick with all the details you can find on that particular vehicle. Even the basic variants like the E/F/G and H were updated over-and-over again with lots of details and parts cross-over !
I have looked over well known pics 10 times over and missing a crucial detail, only to see it the 11th time I looked...(but I may need better glasses for that matter...)

Can you show me a picture of the one you want to build ? I may be of more help with that.

Regards, Alfred

Alfred.

Thank you for your input.

I don't have a specific example in mind yet. I am just at the preliminary stage, and am collecting photographs, and seeking advice on a good kit to buy, as the Ausf F does not seem as well served in the 1/72 scale as many of the other MkIII types.
In the past I have sourced G, H & L.
J is tricky too.

I'd go with the G myself... Or convert an E to a command tank with dummy gun, antenna, etc.

I have already built a "G" and a Bef "E".

Panzer III G is you rbest bet even Geaorge Bradford claims there were fs in africa that were originally destined to the 3rd panzer and were diverted to the 5th Light. I have no photo evidence of Fs but then my DAK reference is lacking. see below 3 example pics of Gs in Africa.














the pic below is my PZ-III E that I ended up scraping because I did not like how the Forward top plate and Transmission hatches turned out, which I had to stratch build . this was a little too much of a project for my skill level. I used 3 kits to build this. Attack - I used the turret and drive sprockets and gun , revell PZ IIIM - I used the fenders, modified the copula, the rear grated bins,tracks antenna base and Side turret hatches. Trumpeter Stug III - I used the return rollers, Idler wheel, bogies, the entire rear and chassis,the antenna trough I used a PZ IV Photo etch set. And I based my build off of a 1/35th scale Dragon smart kit instructions. I also used line drawings from George Bradford and scale them down to 1/72nd, I cut out the hatch opening on the one side of the turret for the gunner. So this was no small project it took a year to complete then I cut the top of my index finger off with exacto blade towards the end of the project and really never finished it. But in the end I did not like the forward part where I had to scratch build. the other problem is my figure building and painting skill is much better then my modelling skill because I spent the last 30 years painting and building 1/35th scale to 15mm figures so my modelling skill has to catch up.





I suggest you try to find a dragon 1/35th scale PZ-III G Desert version instruction and base it off that. the PZ-III g used in Africa has different rear deck air intakes as well and has a rear deck rack for jerry cans.


If I decide to try to tackle an F or an E again I look into getting the conversion that is made by a german company which comes with metal 37mm barrel and look into the Dragon PZ-III and use the Attack turret since it is Hollow, I received trumpters early PZ-III Drive Sprockets from a friend that came with his Nashorn kit which i will incorporate as well.

Sorry for the long winded response

On the trumpter stug I had to reposition the return rollers to be evenly spaced and I added photo etched anti skid plate on the fenders

You probably have to rework the sprockets as the Nashorn used the later 40cm track and the Panzer III E/F/G with the early sprocket would have had the early narrow track. I went through some work in 1/35 with Dragon's Panzer III G as they gave a new sprocket and track but things didnt line up with the roadwheels.

For an Ausf G either First Air or MR Model might be a good starting point:

http://www.onthewaymodels.com/reviews/Firstair/RHael_Firstair_PzIII_build.htm
http://www.onthewaymodels.com/reviews/MrModels/DShowellPz3Grev.htm


HTH
R

Guys,
Just to clarify....
I understood that the earliest arrivals in N.A with 5th Leichte were both Ausf F & G. If correct, I wanted to build the "F", as I already have built an Attack "H".

I personally would not build an f in DAK without reference I have never seen any. but supposedly there was some there according some authors


So there you go

Jim brings us back nicely to my original question of "who makes the best 1/72 Ausf F?"

I will not build without references, that would be folly.
Perhaps someone has a refernce photo, or reliable text?
I shall keep looking.

Especially in 1/72... differences are minimal

The gun mantlet seems to be the obvious one.

Late F tanks would have the same mantlet as the G. Otherwise the E/F and G are all fairly similar. I built Dragon's 1/35 E and G and they were 95% the same. The reissue of the E has two new parts and will now build an E or F. There are minor differences in things like the sights and signal ports on the turret roof, engine deck vents etc. Nothing difficult to change

Im not sure any F gun tanks were used in Africa either. I'd still go for the G

David.

I have already built a "G"

So I am looking to build an "F" gun tank, assuming we can prove their presence in N.A. Which is proving more difficult than I ever imagined!

Bruce Quarrie's book Panzers in the desert has a photo captioned "Ausf F" on P65, but I have my doubts, as I think it might be a dummy gun mounted Bef "E". This is as close as I can find in any of my books.
My copies of Jentz & Chamberlain & Ellis are both out on loan at the moment.

The Bruce Quarrie book has so many errors in it that I wouldn't put much stock in the captions. To be somewhat fair, its a pretty old book. AFAIK no E or F gun tanks were used in N. Africa and the few you see in photos are mis captioned Befehlspanzers. You might (if you havent already) do a search or ask on the main Axis forum as this has been discussed a few times. I know I had asked about it a year or more back. I would think also if any were used they would be the later type with the normal G style external gun mantlet and not with the early internal mantlet

Thanks for the tip.
I'll do a search, but I'm beginning to think that I may have been wrong about this for more years than I care to admit!

I originaly started my project as an F in the balkins so these pics portrays an F I eventualy turned into an E the only difference is the external brakes thingys. This photo is before I had to rework the lower half because I noticed that the return rollers are supposed to be evenly spaced on the actual tank.


I had to do alot of work on the attack manlet i filed and hollowed it out and rescratched the rest.




















this is why its a crime that dragon has not made an PZ-III e/f or PZ-IV C/D

Which blows my mind it would up being one of the most sold models they can produce at this point in braile that has not been made yet. But they still come out with stuff thats not as popular. Its border line conspiracy.