Panzer III Ausf M

[flags_of_war]

Picked up two of these on here. Where they ever used in France and if so what colour scheme would they have been?

This is the one.
http://www.blacktreedesign.com/uk/product.php?productid=25019&cat=2532&page=2

[moiterei_1984]

No... the PzKpfw. III Ausf. M was built from 1942 to 1943.
The only variants used in France were A to F propably some minor numbers of G and H versions were deployed also, but realy not sure about that.
For the colour sheme I would they during the campaign in Poland and France and the early stages of barbarossa it was the well known "Panzergrau" or tank-grey.

[flags_of_war]

Thanks moiterei_1984. The Eastern Front doesn't appeal to me. Even more so as i have a load of Yank Airborne that i want to paint. I had thought i might get some action with the tanks. A quick google search shows alot of Desert camo scheme. I take that it would ok for North Africa then?

[moiterei_1984]

Sorry thought you're speaking of the invasion of france (fall rot) by the wehrmacht. When you're talking 'bout yank airborne I assume you ment the fighting in france after the invasion of the normandy? I think it's possible that the Panzer III Ausf.M were used on the western front, though they were already withdrawn at this time for training purposes and more rarely garrison duties.

Northern Africa is absolutely ok I think...

[flags_of_war]

Yeah sorry i should have said it was for Normandy. I have a load of Fallschirmjager and US Airborne. The guys in the club have started using Bolt Action and think some small action would be good.  Just wondered if i could get away with using the Panzers i picked up.

[V]

Several units had them in Normandy as they appear on the unit returns for 1st and 8th June 1944.

21st Panzer Division hadsome Panzer III M in Normandy.

4 of them in the HQs of Panzer-Regiment 22 and its 1st Abt. along with 2 Panzer III Befehlswagen.

116th reported 11 of various models, Panzer-Ersatz und Ausbildungs Abt 300 had one. While 9th SS, 10th SS and 12th SS all report Panzer III Befehlswagens.

In total around 30 Panzer IIIs took part in the Normandy campaign.

[flags_of_war]

Danke for the great info guys. I guess ill paint them and use them for some Normandy action rather than start North Africa.

[forrester]

I have a vague memory about some of them still being around at Arnhem, where training units were stationed.

[NTM]

As well as the units listed by Piers above Panzer Ersatz und Ausbildungs Abteilung 100 had 3 Pz III and they fought the US Airborne at La Fiere. Forrester is correct there were some at Arnhem in Panzer Company Mielke part of Kampfgruppe Knaust.

[V]

http://www.defendingarnhem.com/Kampfknaust.htm