1:35 Befehlspanzer # 2. Bef.Pz. III Ausf D1/E/H.

Decals for the command Panzer III 1:35, Star Decals

The second part of the range devoted to German command tanks, this time concentrated on the command form of the Panzer III tank in the Ausf D1, E and H variants. The contents are markings for a model that is already built and painted, not plastic parts of the vehicle.

The command Panzer III in practice

While the light command vehicles were adequate only up to the start of the war, with the Panzer III the staffs got a machine that kept pace with the tank battalions even on longer moves. The interior was adapted to extended radio equipment and to map work, which showed on the outside above all in the arrangement of the antennas. The individual forms Ausf D1, E and H differ from one another in hull, running gear and the shape of the superstructures, so the choice of variant decides where the markings will fit on a model.

What to bear in mind when applying them

Lay the layout out before varnishing. On command machines the antennas and their mounts take up part of the sides and the rear, so think in advance about which areas will stay free. It is better to apply smaller designs one at a time and let each settle than to transfer several pieces at once. If a marking carries over an edge or over a bolted joint, it helps to nick the decal gently at the break, so that it settles without folds.

Who the set suits

• Builders of German tank columns, where the command machine has a role of its own
• Modelers who tell the individual forms of the Panzer III apart
• Collectors of staff and signals equipment of the Second World War
• Diorama builders making a scene with a command post in the field