DESCRIPTION

German Tank Crew France 1944 Year WWII Plastic Model Kit 

MA35252

1:35 Scale

Manufacturer: MiniArt

Material: Plastic

Condition: New in original packaging

Historical reference

The German tank forces were a success especially due to tactical innovation. Using so-called "Blitzkrieg" ("lightning war") tactics, Heinz Guderian, Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist and other field commanders such as Erwin Rommel broke the hiatus of the Phoney War in a manner almost beyond the comprehension of the Allied - and , indeed, the German - High Command. Basically, as a coherent unit, the combined arms tactical of the "blitzkrieg" shocked the Allies.

Despite this, the German Panzer forces at the start of World War II appeared not particularly impressive. Only 4% of the defense budget was spent on armored fighting vehicle (AFV) production. Guderian had planned for two main tanks: the Panzer III and the Panzer IV, with production starting in 1937 and 1936 respectively. The design work for the Panzer IV had fled in 1935 and trials of prototypes were undertaken in 1937, but by the time of the invasion of Poland only a few hundred 'troop trial' models were available. Development work was then halted and limited production was fled by Krupp in Magdeburg (Grusonwerk AG), Essen and Bochum in October 1939 with 20 vehicles built. However, even that low number could not be sustained, with production dropping to ten in April 1940. Such low production numbers were due to tanks being given a low priority for steel relative to the more conventional needs of an army, such as artillery shells.

Nevertheless, the number of available Panzer IVs (211) was still larger than that of the Panzer III (98). There were also technical problems with the Panzer III: it was widely considered to be under-gunned with a 37 mm KwK L / 45 gun and production was split among four manufacturers (MAN, Daimler-Benz, Rheinmetall-Borsig, and Krupp) with little regard for each firm's expertise, and the rate of production was initially very low (40 in September 1939, 58 in June 1940), taking until December 1940 to reach 100 examples a month. The panzer force for the early German victories was a mix of the Panzer I (machine-gun only), Panzer II (20 mm gun) light tanks, and two models of Czech tanks (the Panzer 38 (t) and the Panzer 35 ( t)). By May 1940 there were 349 Panzer III tanks available for the attacks on France and the Low Countries. Despite the German tanks appeared numerically and technically inferior to the Anglo-French armored forces, equipped with a greater quantity of medium and heavy vehicles, German crews were trained and experienced in the new combined tactics of tanks, anti-tank guns and dive bombers, being able to exploit the advantages of the Panzer III, in particular the modern radio communications system and the deployment of three men in the turret resulting in greater efficiency in the field, winning the Battle of France. 

German Panzer II with 20 mm (0.79 in) Flak 30 AA gun and 7.92 mm machine-gun in rotating turret.

The objects to the limited gun armament of the Panzer III were recognized during its conception, and its design was altered to include a large turret ring to make it possible to fit a 2250 ft / s (656 m / s) 50 mm KwK L / 42 gun on later models. In July 1940, too late to see action in the final weeks of the Battle of France, the first 17 of these models were produced. Designated the Panzer III Ausf. F, the other changes included an upgraded Maybach engine and numerous minor changes to ease mass production.

The Ausf. F was quickly supplanted by the Ausf. G with an up-armored gun mantlet, which was the main tank of the Afrika Korps in 1940–41 and also saw action in Yugoslavia and Greece. Around 2,150 Panzer IIIs were produced, of which around 450 were the Ausf G. These tanks were still under-gunned, poorly armored and mechanically overly-complex in comparison to equivalent British tanks. After fighting in Libya in late 1940 the Ausf. H was put into production with simpler mechanics, wider tracks, and improved armor. In April 1941 there was a general "recall" of the Panzer III to upgrade the main gun to the new 50 mm L / 60, with the new Panzergranate 40 projectile, and muzzle velocity was pushed to 3875 ft / s (1,181 m / s ). New tanks produced with this gun were designated Ausf. J.

A German Panzer III tank, belonging to the 13th Panzer Division, during the first days of Operation Barbarossa

The invasion of the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa signaled a very important change in German tank development. In June 1941 Panzer III tanks first encountered the Soviet T-34. Initially the Germans had 1,449 Panzer III tanks ready for combat, about 950 of which were versions equipped with the 50 mm L / 42 gun, which constituted the Wehrmacht's main tank force.  In July 1941 36 panzer and motorized infantry divisions were assigned to the invasion, fielding over 3000 AFVs.

While German tanks were inferior in armor, armament and numbers, [6] the Soviet armored forces were almost completely annihilated during the first months of the campaign by the German panzer divisions, which proved to be much more experienced and efficient: over 17,000 Soviet tanks were destroyed or abandoned. The Soviets complained of serious mechanical deficiencies and design flaws in their T-34 tanks. Also, the crews were inexperienced and the logistical support was insufficient. On the battlefield, the Panzer III's 50 mm gun was able to seriously damage T-34 tanks and at the typical combat distances — 500 meters (1,600 ft) to 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) —the German tank was not really inferior. It was more difficult for Panzer III tanks to counter KV-1 heavier tanks with their armor being nearly impenetrable at the front. 

During the North African campaign Panzer III tanks, especially older models, had troubles in direct fights against Matilda II British tanks, due to the superiority of their armor and powerful Ordnance QF 2-pounder gun. [8] Despite this, the Panzer III tanks managed to obtain important victories, such as in the Battle of Gazala, where the tank, skilfully employed by experienced German crews and supported by anti-tank formations, achieved the most brilliant results of its deployment in Africa, despite some difficulties against the Allied heavy tanks. The British armored forces, on the other hand, were almost completely destroyed. 

The Panzer III's armor was upgraded to 70 mm by additional plates, and spaced armor was introduced to protect against hollow charge (a.k.a. high-explosive anti-tank) attacks. 

With love from Ukraine