ArmchairSamurai
ACCESS: Confidential
- Joined
- 1 July 2019
- Messages
- 173
- Reaction score
- 231
Hello all.
I found the attached photo on a Polish forum. For those who are unaware, there were some attempts to apply sloped armor to the Panzer IV, as well as attempts to merge the III & IV i.e. Panzer IV projekt W 1466, Panzer IV Vereinfachter Turm & Panzer III-IV Einheitsfahrgestell. There could be more that I am unaware of, but I digress. The attached photo is definitely a Panzer III, with what appears to be sloped armor on the sides, and even an early Schurzen (?). Obviously, this has to be post-Barbarossa, perhaps circa 1942. However, I get the impression this photo actually depicts an improvisation, a field modification. The only reason I came to that conclusion is because of the driver's left-side vision port being only a slit while still retaining the Fahrersehklappe (and the Kugelblende) on a still vertical front superstructure, whereas if it were a prototype of a factory-made sloped superstructure, the left-side vision port would be armored itself and the entire superstructure would be sloped. I think that the left-side vision port is actually concealing the still box superstructure underneath and that the sloper armor was only welded on top. Thoughts?
Cheers.
I found the attached photo on a Polish forum. For those who are unaware, there were some attempts to apply sloped armor to the Panzer IV, as well as attempts to merge the III & IV i.e. Panzer IV projekt W 1466, Panzer IV Vereinfachter Turm & Panzer III-IV Einheitsfahrgestell. There could be more that I am unaware of, but I digress. The attached photo is definitely a Panzer III, with what appears to be sloped armor on the sides, and even an early Schurzen (?). Obviously, this has to be post-Barbarossa, perhaps circa 1942. However, I get the impression this photo actually depicts an improvisation, a field modification. The only reason I came to that conclusion is because of the driver's left-side vision port being only a slit while still retaining the Fahrersehklappe (and the Kugelblende) on a still vertical front superstructure, whereas if it were a prototype of a factory-made sloped superstructure, the left-side vision port would be armored itself and the entire superstructure would be sloped. I think that the left-side vision port is actually concealing the still box superstructure underneath and that the sloper armor was only welded on top. Thoughts?
Cheers.
