Axis Armored Vehicles Quiz

[SIS 5]

Hi Ian,

could it be a Panzerkampfwagen III/IV with a Famo-Schachtellaufwerk and a turret with a 50mm gun l/42?

Best regards

Bert

[Alanmccoubrey]

Bert, the cupola and gun confused em as well, I was expecting the Schachtellaufwerk tank to have an E cupola at the very least.

[brano]

Pz III with Schachtellaufwerk or Z.W.40.

First, a prototype was built on the platform Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.G (Fgst.Nr.65462) equipped with a standard tower 6.Z.W which was mounted on the version of Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.G.
Later was built a series of 20 pieces of Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.G (Fgst.Nr. 65531 - 65550), the last 20 tanks from the order for the Ausf.G version of Alkett). It was a combination of platforms Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.G and towers of the next version Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H (7.Z.W.).

[hesh1380]

Well I'm completely confused on that, the running gear looks like a Pz2 J... But the turret doesn't match, and it might be slightly too long...
Could be a "zombie" tank, repaired with any parts they could get...

[hesh1380]

Hi Ian,

could it be a Panzerkampfwagen III/IV with a Famo-Schachtellaufwerk and a turret with a 50mm gun l/42?

Best regards

Bert

Don't mean to derail your thought, but didn't the III/IV have an angled front glacis plate?

[SIS 5]

Hi hesh1380,

I only found a drawing of this prototype in the book "Die deutschen Panzer 1926 - 1945" by F. M. von Senger und Etterlin with the comment, that prototypes of the "Panzer III/IV" with tracks and suspension made by Famo and with the turret of the Panzer III with the 50mm gun L/42. Also these tracks and wheels were not satisfactory, because they were too complicated. In autumn 1944 the plan to produce this vehicle was finally dropped.

Regards

Bert

[hesh1380]

Hi Bert,
Actually that looks spot on, I forgot the III/IV was a prototype from multiple different companies...

Regards
Hesh

[arminfreitag]

Hi everybody,
Bert's picture is definitely not a PzKpfw III/IV, which was a project of 1944 with components of Pz III and IV.
It should have an angled front glacis plate as Hesh1380 already wrote and a Pz IV Ausf J turret.
Also it was planned to have a comletely different suspension system, made up of 6 medium sized
rubber-saving road wheels. This suspension was actually tested on 5 PzKpfw IV and 5 PzJäger Hornisse.
It was planned that production of PzKpfw III/IV should start at Krupp Grusonwerk in Feb 45, but it never happened.
Source for this information is the book Begleitwagen PzKpfw IV by Spielberger, Doyle and Jentz.
To the vehicle concerned to this quiz it is one of the 20 built with Ausf H turret. Bert's picture is the Versuchsstück
with Ausf G turret. Brano already gave the correct answer and a detailed explanation.
Here additional pictures of the Hornisse with Einheitslaufwerk, the Versuchsstück and the short series.
Regards
Armin

[arminfreitag]

Hi
here some more interesting pictures. 1 of the Versuchsstück, 2 with Nebelkerzen at the turret,
1 with Stadtgas Antrieb and 1 from the back.
Best regards
Armin

[hesh1380]

The Pz III/IV i was thinking of was the paper project from WoT...

3-4.PNG

[hesh1380]

However the Pz III G/H Famo looks about right...

3famo.PNG

[arminfreitag]

Hi Hesh 1380 and everybody,
that paper project is the PzKpfw. III/IV as described in the above mentioned book Begleitwagen.
In your picture you can also see the new suspension system.

Since Brano found the correct answer first, it should be his turn for a new question, to keep the quiz going.

Regards
Armin

[arminfreitag]

Hi everybody,
since such along time passed I would like to bring this thread back to life if nobody objects.
Here my question. Please identify this vehicle.

Regards
Armin

[Alanmccoubrey]

That looks very like the rear end of an SdKfz 252 to me but no doubt someone will spoil my Christmas by telling me that it is in fact the little know Czech prototype of the steam driven APC.

[arminfreitag]

Hi Alan
I'm sorry it's neither a Sdkfz 252 nor a Czech prototype.
Regards and merry christmas
Armin