6474 - Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. N w/Schurzen

DML 6475 Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. N with Schurzen

1/35 injection plastic kit with decals and photo etch

The Ausf N was the final version of the Panzer III series and marked the tank’s transition from a tank to tank role to a support role. The Ausf N was typically assigned to provide close support to the heavy Tiger tank units or infantry support with the Panzer Grenadiers. The Ausf N was armed with the short-barreled 7.5cm KwK37 L/24 gun which had been previously fitted to the early production Panzer IV. In production from 1942 to 43 the Ausf N were largely built on converted Ausf J chassis or the Ausf M chassis.

This new kit features the schurzen side armour often seen in photos and is built on an Ausf M hull which includes the rear muffler designed for wading and corresponding cover plates for the engine deck air intakes, and has full Smart Kit tooling.

This is the first Smart Kit Panzer III to have schurzen. This kit’s hull schurzen are fresh tooling with PE shields that have a realistic in scale effect and can be bent to depict frontline service. With each panel being separate it is easy to depict a Panzer missing the odd panel. The panels correctly have cut outs where the schurzen were attached to the mounting rails and this offers the benefit of simplifying assembly. The mounting rails are plastic with angled supports.

Photo etch (often optional) is provided for upper fender supports (angled plate), centres for the idler wheels, top and side of frontal spaced armor, and small detail such as the rear convoy light and parts of the rear fender flaps. The few injection marks are placed so that they are hidden on the finished kit. The gatefold instructions have 25 steps of line drawings that are clearly laid out.

TURRET

The turret includes new and revised tooling to depict the Ausf N with the 75mm cannon and schurzen. The gun shield is new for this kit and the mantlet has a choice of a slide-molded MG34 in its protective sleeve or an empty sleeve. The gun sleeve has fine detail around the screw holes and the gun has rifling.

The turret is based around a 3-directional slide molded shell, which is revised to have holes for the schurzen brackets and has the countersunk holes on the roof finely reproduced and realistic weld marks on plate joins.

The Panzer IV commander's cupola indicates a later production date. The cupola has internal detail with five vision blocks (clear plastic), and a hinged hatch with a lock mechanism. The side hatches have internal detail and can be modelled open. The toothed turret ring is integrated with the turret’s base and the commander’s seat is attached to it. The turret has separate parts for the varying handles, commander’s sight, lifting hooks etc, while the rear stowage bin which can be modelled open and has plenty of small detail such as counter sunk screw holes.

Inside the turret there is the gun breech, guard and spent shell catcher, providing a complete gun assembly. The turret has the option of smoke dischargers which were fitted to most Ausf N including many with schurzen, but were dropped on new Panzers from mid 1943.

The turret schurzen and support brackets are made from plastic with some PE small detail...

UPPER HULL & ENGINE DECK

The engine deck and upper hull front has revised tooling to depict the features of an Ausf N built with an Ausf M type hull.

The slide-molded engine deck is new and has separate parts to allow the hatches to be modelled open (supply your own engine) as well as crisp detail for the hinges, weld detail etc. The air intake/vent covers on the engine deck hatches are built from two parts to capture the lower detail and there are separate parts for the water tight covers on the side intakes. Two new parts provide the pair of tow cables (one part per cable) which have closed clamps and guides integrated into it allows for a realistic look which captures the twisted strands of wire nicely. Alternatively the tow cables can be left off and alternative parts fitted to model the empty clamps and guides.

The front upper hull has the supplementary spaced armour with PE used for a few parts and injection plastic for the main frontal armour which benefits from plastic’s ability to depict the bolt head sharply. The front plate has new tooling to represent the cowling for the brake cooling. Spare tracks are mounted on a front rack and the tooling has captured small details such as counter sunk screw holes. The hull MG 34 is a Gen-2 tooling and features the ball mount and the internal detail such as the grip and ammunition bag.

The side fenders are new and have anti-skid pattern on the upper surface and underside and integrated front fender flaps. The holes for the tools are predrilled. The tools have the brackets and clamps cast on for ease of assembly and the jack is built from six parts plus separate parts for the brackets. Two Bosch head lamps are included and mounted on the fenders (an Ausf M hull feature), while the barrel cleaning rod has a choice of two types for the 75mm gun.

LOWER HULL

The lower hull is well detailed and consistent with an Ausf M hull built for use with schurzen does not have side escape hatches. This kit has the rear muffler designed for wading and has the distinctive top floating valve built from three parts to provide crisp detail. The muffler has a choice of U shaped pipes and mounting bars. The underside of the hull overhand has been revised to include the water tight covers used for wading.

The attention to detail is also evident in the weld seams, drain plugs on the bottom and counter sunk holes. Most of the bump stops and mountings for the return rollers are integrated into the one piece hull tub. The suspension arms are separate parts and their angle can be adjusted to provide flexibility in dioramas. The rear idlers have photo-etched rims. The road wheels have the tyre and rim as one piece, and the return rollers feature Continenta(U) on the sidewalls.

The tracks are Magic Tracks where each link comes loose, and for most modellers will require no clean up. These links are the 40cm wide type with open guide horns and no chevrons on the outer faces. There is a separate set for each side to reflect the way the track pins were fitted and each side is separately packed with its own shade of grey.

DECALS

The instruction sheet profiles five Ausf N each of which is supported by three view plans plus a colour profile on the side of the box. The decals are by Cartograf and all tanks have a dark yellow base with green or green and brown camouflage spray painted on.

The first three Panzers are from Kursk 1943 and have schurzen fitted. They are:

2nd Panzer Division, (box art) with unit insignia of double headed eagle, tactical markings, Balkan Crosses and optional turret numbers. Photos of a similar Ausf N from 2nd PD reveals smoke dischargers and confirm the late production features of this kit.
2nd Panzer Division with tactical markings, Balkan Crosses and white outline turret numbers.
18th Panzer Division with white outline Balkan Crosses and small white outline turret numbers... A photo of this tank abandoned on the battlefield indicates that it too had smoke dischargers and confirms this kit’s features.

The other two tanks have no markings and are placed as Panzer Brigade Norwegen in Norway 1945 and Panzer Abteilung 212 Western Front 1944 which does not have schurzen.

RECOMMENDATION

Dragon’s new Panzer III Ausf N provides a comprehensive and accurate model of the final version of the Panzer III. The addition of the schurzen significantly adds to its appeal and allows for an impressive model to be built straight out of the box. Highly recommended.

- Neville Lord