Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. M/N

Italeri 1/72 Scale

Reviewed by Glen Porter

Summary

FirstLook

The Panzer III was the third tank designed for the German Army in the 1930s and meant to be their Main Battle Tank but it was overtaken by events and the Panzer IV plus later models. It stayed in production until August 1943, going through many up-grades of both armour and weapons and its chassis was later used for the successful Stug III self-propelled gun. Originally designed with a 37mm gun, the Ausf M was given a 50mm and the N a short 75mm.

This is, of course, the ex-Esci kit, re released by Italeri along with a lot of others. As is usual with these Esci kits, there is a very high parts count (144) which means quite a lot of detail even with link and length tracks being included in that number. It can be built as either the Ausf M with 50mm canon or Ausf N with the short 75mm as used in the early Panzer IV. There is also the option of turret and/or hull schurtzen for both models. Pioneer tools are a bit of a mixed bag in so far as some are moulded on and some (axe and shovel), are not. Oddly, they give you two 50mm gun barrels, one long and thin and the other shorter and fatter but not as short as the 75mm.

 

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

While the schurtzen is not bad, a bit thick, the mounts are considerably over scale and should either be replaced by scratch built items or at leased thinned down some what. Similarly, the three smoke grenade launchers on either side of the turret are very poorly moulded and should be replaced.

The decals, as we've come to expect from Italeri, are excellent and cover four vehicles, two Ms, one with schurtzen and one without, one in Russia and one in Italy plus two Ns, the same with the schurtzen, Russia and Nth Africa and all in 1943.

Generally speaking, this is a good kit and should build into a nice little representation of the Panzer III. However, unfortunately, it is some what overshadowed by the very nice Revell kits of both the M and the L which are better detailed and much more refined in their moulding. One of them is not currently available but several other 1/72 scale manufacturers are promising new moulds in the future.

Regardless, this is still a good kit and I for one am glad to see it back.

Recommended.

Thanks to Italeri for the review sample.