unknown panzer 3 hatch

[Bob Gould]

Can anyone shine sone light on this pic from a panzer 3 please

[Stephen White]

Looks like we've got a whole new competition section developing - guess the bit.....

My first reaction was that there was nothing on the photo I could associate with a Pz III but the tread plate looks familiar. My starter for ten is that you're looking at the hull floor and this is a hatch in the hull bottom plate to discard rubbish such as empty shell cases when closed down. The Pz III turret didn't have a turntable so the hull floor is accessible.

Have a look at this diagramme in Panzer Tracts, which may show the outside location:



But I may well be wrong.

Regards

Stephen

[Christian Steinhauer]

Hello,

I don't know if there was a change between the hulls for this hatch but on the Munster Pz.III I can't see this hatch.

[Per Sonnervik]

Stephan won the first competition - it´s a hatch in the hull floor for throwing out spent casings. It´s behind the M.G./R.O. seat and you can see three bolts securing the hinge and one for the lock - all tie in with Doyle´s drawing, see photo below;




/Per

[Christian Steinhauer]

Hello Per,

which Modell/Typ is this on the photos.

[Per Sonnervik]

Hello Christian,

The photos are from the booklet "AFV super detail photo book Vol. 6 Pz Kpfw III Ausf J/L" by Model Art. These particular photos must be from the Bovington Tank Museum´s Panzer III Ausf. L.

Hope that helps.

Per

[Bob Gould]

Hi thank you for the info. These pics are private pics taken from ukrain a few years ago when they found a panzer 3 in a bog and i was one of the people in a funding project to bring it to the uk. Our proposal fell through though due to an exuberant price. I have many more pics of the clean up both internal and outside if you would like them

[Christian Steinhauer]

Ok, I only knew pictures with white interrieur of the Bovington Pz.III, however
maybe this hatch was a victim by simplification of the Wanne started in late L
version.

[Bob Gould]

Some equipment pics

[Bob Gould]

Internals

[Bob Gould]

I have posted the rest on my Tank Detail thread under Panzer III

[Christian Steinhauer]

Hello Bob,

thanks for sharing the pics, very nice details. Am I right, the interieur pics are
from after after the restauration or are these original colours? Can you tell us more?

[Bob Gould]

Thanks for the info guys, yes thats def the hatch. Do you think it should be on the armortek versions?

@ Christian: The tank was in a peat bog and was apparently in extraordinary good condition. I would say the images are post painting though but I can be sure as I didn’t see it it RL as our negotiations fell through before a site visit