Military Model Scene

Title: Panzer III
Author: Thomas Anderson
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4728-4587-0

The latest in the series of books from Thomas Anderson, another first class reference on German armour of WW2, and this time taking the Panzer III as the subject. A 304-page hardback book, though also available in a choice of e-book formats.
This is a challenge, to try and summarise just how much there is to find in this one, focussing very much on the turreted gun tanks. It opens with the early development of the tank in the 1930, and I think usefully includes details of what was happening at the same time in France, the UK, and Russia. The main armament at this time was only a 37mm gun and on the Ausf A, 5 large roadwheels, mounted on swing-arms. That was soon changed, so that on Ausf B, C, and D, we saw 8-roadwheels each side, on a leaf-spring suspension. With detail of engines, armour, radios etc there is coverage of how they fared in combat in both the invasions of Poland and France. With battle experience under their belt, the Pz III went through further developments. With short barrelled 5cm main gun, later changed to a longer barrelled version plus the short barrelled 75mm as an infantry support weapon, along with external mantlets. Extra armour was added, especially from the frontal aspect, and wider tracks, to cope with improvements in the enemy weapons they came up against. There is also inclusion of the 21 trial vehicles of the ZW40, based on the Ausf G chassis, fitted with interleaved road-wheels. They were issued to the Pz Lehr Division. More combat of course, in the Balkans, North Africa and Russia. They were used as Command tanks, including with heavier tanks, such as Tigers, and control vehicles for remote control demolition equipment. Older versions had their turrets removed for use as munition supply vehicles, as recovery vehicles, there were others fitted with flamethrowers, some fitted for deep wading and a few with an armoured superstructure fitted with the sIG 33 15cm gun. With spaced armour, Schurtzen, fitted in the later years of the war, there is so much to see and appreciate about the Pz III.
Not only the informative text but all accompanied by hundreds of archive photos, most of which I had not seen before, and all with useful captioning. For the modeller, there is not just plenty of detail to see but a good number of great diorama ideas, let alone the basic story of the Pz III gun tanks over the course of its' service life. Overall a really first class reference added to this series.
Thanks to Osprey Publishing for our review copy.

Robin