Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf H German Medium Tank Dragon 1/35

It is the Afrika Korps Panzer III. It was built in June 2014.

Recently, I’ve been heavy into a WWII strategic PC game called “Hearts of Iron III,” and it’s a very addictive one. I thought that playing the Japanese military was influenced next model Zero fighter or the Imperial Army tank. But it’s very hot every day, and I decided to make North African front Pz. Kpfw. III Ausf H. By the way, we had the World Cup Soccer match with the Japan team, which we supported, but unfortunately, Japan was defeated… For a change, I’ll make this model.

Now making many small parts and attaching them to the chassis. It’s not the special meaning of the runner tips in the small plate…

Because there are many mistakes in the instruction manual, the indication is unmatching with the pictures and parts numbers. It can be completed if I have little mistakes, but I check them repeatedly. As in the photograph, the plate armor connecting to the gun turret is one of the false indications. The significant part I cut by mistake became a workbench of the photo-etched parts cutting.

Dragon model’s Pz. Kpfw.3 has a strange process of assembly. Firstly left and right fender and upper parts are made and joined to the chassis later.

The backside is reproduced very accurately. After a long time, I touched this kit again; I almost forgot I was in the stage of making panzer III, recently I’ve been watching World Cup Soccer games and playing massive PC simulation games, Hearts of Iron INI, Europe Universalize INI, Skywrite… Addicted…

Commander’s hatch’s 360 degrees periscopes are a good mechanism for these clear parts.

Parts I made it up from imagination here and there, but I think there is not so big a mistake. Dragon Model’s kit has nearly 20 pieces of runner groups like A to U, complex assembling as usual. And another thing is the difficulty in understanding the instruction manual.

The commander hatch is movable. One side is damaged at the root, and I could not make it movable; only one side success. Maybe I fixed it when I displayed it because it’s so fragile.

Very nice parts connection. I’m worried about some big components to finish up to the joint very last stage, but there’s no problem.

I have attached the metal wire for the light cord, these are included in this kit, and it’s perfect. 3 has many variations released from Dragon Models, and many parts remain as many as I can make another tank.
Three is always cool!
(15-July-2014)

I have the remaining tank crews of this German Africa Corps Artillery and Panzer crew kit. I suppose they are a lovely combination with this tank. I have already made the artillery crew in the 5t Diana section; if you have interested in them, please refer to it.

Because each of these heads and caps is not good joint, I use my putty to bury the gap. They have a natural proportion. But the exemplary soldier is a more well-built man.

I restored the hair with putty. As for the soldier who had the booklet such as the map book or tactics plan book, I scratched the side with my needle for real. The expression is quite good with both crews.
(16-July-2014)

Every day so hot as the modeling thinner may self-ignite… My pet rabbit is deep sleeping in the next room where the air conditioner worked nicely, but I opened the window entirely and blew on the surfacer first.
(02-August-2014)

Next, I blew German gray. Why?
(02-August-2014)

Easily explain the hair spray method, coating in order of lacquer paint, hair spray, water-based paint, and to destroy the water-based paint melting the alcohol (water?) based hair spray. Because I’ll try one of the techniques named in Japan, the hair spray method, the situation is that this tank was painted with German gray at first, and the expression came off partially the dark yellow painting. It was a personal sense when I used water to melt; it was like destroying the coating when I used alcohol thinner; it was like melting. This time I mainly rubbed the coating with water.
Initially, European modelers used this technique because they could use only water-based acrylic paint, in some way or another, to try to express the coating peel-off situation.
(02-August-2014)

So I painted dark yellow of the aqueous hobby color. I used water-based paint after ten years. I have devoted myself to Humbrol Enamel for a while; now, I like lacquer paint.
(02-August-2014)

I soaked water on the coating and tore them off little by little. I think a good feeling of irregularity was reflected. Some modelers blow clear on the based color and protect German gray strongly. I didn’t use clear in this example because I think the lacquer paint in German gray was very tough. I hope to get more reality after the washing and dry brushing process.

I completed turret painting using the hair spray method. OVM was almost painted, and I could see the goal at a short distance.
(04-August-2014)

I painted a basic tank crew painting. Considering they are in North Africa, the finished work will be dustier.
(04-August-2014)

Pz.Kpfw.III tanks are the main middle tank that plays an active part in World War II’s early to middle stage. There were from type A to N, simple explanation, Type H, arms 5cm gun 42-caliber and had additional armor. Approximately 300 H types were produced.

Pz.Kpfw.III changed to a long gun barrel and continues being strengthened with a 7.5cm gun. Still, as the tank development competition with the Soviet Union advanced, this tank could not compete with its arms, and the leading role of the tank battle changed to Panter and Tiger I, Tiger II.

Kpfw.III often fights against T-34. For the Soviets, the Union tank has the offensive, and defensive ability exceeded, Kpfw.III covered the weak point as the high-level training and careful planning tactics using radio communication and coordinated tank battle.

From backward, a remaining brush is attached to the wire rope. I need to repaint it later.

The marking is the 15th armor division, which had severe battle experience with the 21st armor division under the control of General Rommel in North Africa. Palm tree marking is a pleasant taste.

The brown box is a jack stand; I think I could paint it well. I used the hair spray method this time, which effectively depicts complex random paint peel-off expressions.

50mm anti-tank gun had enormous power in North Africa and could overthrow almost British armored cars and tanks, but it had a hard time when the M3 medium tank Grant appeared.

I tried the hair spray technique this time. I draw irregular dark yellow paintings falling off by randomly exposing the German gray. While I was washing, I felt the contrast of the peel-off area seem to change softly. Considering it harmonized or blurred? I suppose this level of taste is natural and wholly harmonized.

I attached two desert tank crews. The soldier on the left, holding the strategy book, has slightly too big white eyes. The right soldier seems to like a fight.

It is a backshot. The military uniform, which faded a little, brings up the image of the veteran soldier.

Because microparticle dust entered every gap in the desert, they wound up with scarves around their necks like these men.

Figure height is 4-5cm. I displayed Zippo aside.

Is it such a feeling when I look up at a life-sized glance? Climbing up to a hatch is quite hard. When it is in North Africa, the iron plate is burning. Red and blue scarves are a perfect accent.

After taking photographs, I noticed many things. There are many parts in which I think I should have done more detailed work and many parts of doing well done. It’s hard to get the satisfaction of 100%.

The side of the chassis was flat and monotonous. The metal parts which were rubbed are dry brushed with metallic color. I painted randomly like a marble pattern.

Satisfaction and sense of accomplishment are higher than the III tank I made. Though there are more improvements, it’s generally very cool. Even though the figures are injection plastic, I have much to gain the finish up for expressive facial signals.
(09-August-2014)