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Tuesday, 6 December 2011

The Panzer III Production Line Continued ...

Inside the heart of the Reich, Albert Speer's industrial war machine turns up a gear and starts churning out Panzer III's on a mass scale (see below, one HaT and two Frontline models) as Hitler's attention turns east towards the Soviet Union and his idealogical enemy Stalin:


A closer look at the "duo" of the 1/76 Pz III Ausf E's armed with the "37mm door-knocker" picked up at SmoggyCon (see below). It's always nice to paint a convention purchase asap:


My definition of "industrial" when it comes to kit creation is three plus ;)


The 1/72 Pz III Ausf G "short 50mm" (see back left above) shows the rapid pace of the evolutionary arms race in comparison to the 1/76 Pz III Ausf E "37mm door-knocker" (see rear right and foreground above). Two major marks of the Pz III were released within months of each other, the Pz III Ausf E becoming effectively obsolete by the start of the Russian 1941 Campaign (Barbarossa):



The Light Companies of the "Barbarossa 1941" Panzer Battalion and its Light Companies (see above). Each comprised of:
  • 2 x Pz III Ausf G + 1 Pz III Ausf E
The "Command Tanks" to be nominated as needed, rather than being 'special models'. The two light companies 'spread' over the plain of my painting table (see below):


Shiny tracks, varying shades of German Grey and rusting rear radiator exhausts


Germans all done now, all I need is some Soviet opposition:


Finally its time to reappraise my "Panzer Grey Project", is it finished?


I think so, until spring 1942 when the Pz III "special" long 50mm tank (Ausf J2) appears. Technically I may need six Pz III Ausf G's models by the end of 1941, but combat attrition meant that 'full battalions' were rarely fielded and I can safely use the Pz III Ausf E's as nice ways of spotting/differentiating the "Command Tanks" on the tabletop.


Besides at this point I have also reached the bottom of the Tamiya XF-63 paint pot!
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8 comments:

  1. Tim Gow6 December 2011 at 20:22

    Impressive production rate! On can't help but think that if Albert had been able to access Armourfast and Frontline kits he'd have been able to churn out rather more Panzers than he did! Serves him right for buying Esci kits.

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  2. Geordie an Exiled FoG6 December 2011 at 22:59

    lol

    Yes

    The German fascination for technical complexity meant that they outdid themselves is the end ;)

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  3. Paul7 December 2011 at 03:39

    Fairly wonderful progress Geordie.

    I think you should by some more though!

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  4. Al7 December 2011 at 05:31

    Great work Geordie, some holiday time approaching?

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  5. Geordie an Exiled FoG8 December 2011 at 00:16

    Al, strangely enough I see another two weeks of hard work ahead from "the oppressive capitalists of the real world" which gives me an excuse for an hour a night 'wind down' painting and "de-angsting" with the occasional glass of lager (for medicinal purposes)

    Paul, there is plenty more in my Panzer Grey kit collection still to come ;)

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  6. Paul8 December 2011 at 05:49

    Whoo Hoo!

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  7. Al8 December 2011 at 09:50

    Hang in there mate. You've got that grey spot on I reckon

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  8. Geordie an Exiled FoG8 December 2011 at 21:02

    Cheers Al ;)

    Practise makes perfect with grey paint lol.

    There's an old saying, "There's only one thing worse than too much work, and that is no work at all" so I am happy and looking forward to Xmas

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