Coming soon from MiniArt, a new Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. D/B

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Thanks!

So, I take it this kit represents one of the tiny handful of D's that were fitted with a B turret and sent to Norway?

The question is: did they fix the rear deck for this one?

You guys apparently are way more in the know as to the details surrounding this unusual kit; I was simply pleased that it was offered at all! Looks like an interesting build.

My hope is this was taken care of when they made the correction parts available to owners of the original kits. It would be stupid not to do so, unless they just want you to contact them for the replacements so they can have some emails to read during their lunch break.

IRT Frank

I just googled the name of the vehicle as I didn't know whether or not it might be a typo. I had to wade through a lot of pages to find where it mentioned a number of turrets and chassis were held back for various reasons, and a batch of D's were given some B turrets that happened to be handy and those got sent to Norway along with the Neubaufahrzeug. It never called them D-B's, but it was the closest thing matching the description so until someone with the facts comes along that's what I'm going with.

Panzer Tracts 3-1 (pgs. 3-58, 3-64, 3-66, 3-67) has some info and pics of the Ausf. D/B configuration. Five (all built by Damiliar-Benz) Ausf. D chassis' had Ausf. B superstructures and turrets installed in October 1940. Some, or all 5, were issued to Pz.Abt. z.b.V.40 in Norway.

The early Pz-IIIs used by Pz.Abt.zbv 40 were most likely shipped directly from Germany to Finland in 1941 when two of its three companies were transported by ship from Norway to Finland. They were left behind in Finland in november 1942 when the battalion was withdrawn and were used until mid-43 by a panzer security company when shipped back to Germany. So a fairly long service life for these oldtimers.