J BEFEHLSWAGON
I am modelling the vehicle in the photo at the top, as this one provides a nice variation with the turret shields and 'field built' stowage boxes on the engine deck.
The J Befehlswagen was an actual 'Gun Tank', as a result of experience in the west in 1940, during the French campaign, after which commanders requested a traversable turret with a 50mm gun. Previous versions of command vehicles in the D, E and H models had fixed turrets and a dummy main gun to make room for the extra radios.
The details:
This is an April 1942 built tank.
- During April 1942 there were 48 Pzr 3J's built with the 50mm/L42 main gun.
- The command tanks were built during the series numbers 73631 - 73763.
- Turrets were built by Daimler-Benz and converted to the Command version.
- The Chassis were completed by Henschel in the 8.series 2(1940-41)
- 300 were built by Henschel in 7. series 73601 - 73900.
- Vorpanzer on the Turret front -Spring '42, chassis front plate March'42.
- Bullet splash defelector still mounted on the turret roof (even though it has the Vorpanzer front plate - common for J command vehicles).
- Late model engine deck with parrallel armoured cooling covers on single piece hatches (standardised April '42).
- rear cooling deflector outlet shields (for deflecting the air from the cooling system away from the ground).
- MG Ball mount deleted and replaced with an MP-Klappe (for use with an Mp40).
- Spare track brace on the front chassis plate (Nov. 1941).
- wooden strips on the turret stowage bin rear to stop antenna interferance.
- Longer late style shock absorbers.
- track-tool box on right fender.
- S- Mine launchers backfitted from May 1943.
This vehicle will have no S-Mine launchers on the turret.
THE MODEL
Here are the completed parts as per their assemblies.
The metal tracks were for an earlier model, so I ended up keeping them for either the E, F or G.
I painted the red primer on the interior just as a base coat and 'ratted' the command antenna and its 'armoured pot' base from my old pzr3 K kit from the late 90's.
The kit will stay like this until the tracks can be attached and painted.
Notice the twin ariels and rear star antenna of the command version.
The stowage boxes were made from sheet plastic and the nuts from an old Grant line set for trains. I used copper wire for the grab handles. The antenna length was made from copper wire also.
The chassis details are very crisp and clean on this kit with lots of details.
The Vorpanzer spaced armour sheet on the front was painted red primer on the back and the opposing original mantlet in grey, as per the rest of the tank. The top sheet is provided as PE. I figured that the side facing the tank would not have got the grey coat as the tank was painted before the Vorpanzer was fitted.
The back side of the Vorpanzer plate even has top and bottom bolt details for attaching to the front plate.
The rear has the late cooling outlet shields and PE chains for the smoke candles.
The turret has some hatches open, so I am still creating enough interior to see through the opening. The turret shield armour is very nice and scaled well, except that fitting them can be a little tricky.
The model is nearly complete except for some small final detals such as the tracks and some small interior parts. The tank assembly parts are still not attached, as seen in the first photo but that will be done once the tracks are completed and painted.
The tracks I will be using will be coming from my Bronco Stug3D 'Donor' kit . These tracks are quite nice and seem to be basically a copy of Modelkasten track and link stug/ Pzr 3 mid-late tracks. The rubber tracks in the kit are well detailed but disintergrate over time, so I won't use those and the individual link were already used with another tank.
That's it for the J, so its now onto the L model for the next installment.
especially from a source that doesn't seem to be in touch with everyday reality.
