Panzer III Ausf.B w/Crew

Plastic model kit for a Panzer III Ausf.B with crew

• Scale 1:35
• including corrected and revised components
• including 5 figures
• Clear and photo-etched parts included
• workable single link tracks
• Precise turret interior
• All hatches can be open or closed
• 5 marking options
• not built/not painted
• Paint and glue not included

The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. B was the second pre-production variant of the Panzer III and was manufactured in small numbers in 1937.

Compared to the Ausf. A, it featured a completely redesigned suspension system with eight small road wheels per side, suspended in pairs on leaf springs. The aim of these changes was to improve the vehicle's handling and suspension reliability, although this system also failed to prove entirely satisfactory in field service. The tank was armed with a 3.7 cm KwK 36 L/45 gun and three MG 34 machine guns. Its armor was a maximum of 15 mm thick, offering protection only against infantry weapons and shrapnel. Weighing approximately 15.9 tons, the tank was powered by a 250 hp Maybach HL 108 TR engine, enabling a top speed of around 35 km/h.

Of the 15 vehicles originally ordered, only ten were completed as combat tanks; five chassis served as the basis for developing the first *Sturmgeschütz* (assault gun) prototypes. The Ausf. B took part in the 1939 Polish campaign but was withdrawn from frontline units as early as 1940 due to its weak armor and immature suspension, subsequently being used primarily for training purposes.

Despite the small number produced, the Ausf. B played a significant role in testing technical solutions that were incorporated into the further development of the Panzerkampfwagen III and, later, the *Sturmgeschütz* III.