History:

The Panzer III N was introduced in June 1942 in an attempt to mount the stronger 7,5 cm KWK 37 in the turret of the Panzer III, to give it a stronger impact on enemy tanks. Around 700 vehicles were built until August 1943 when the production ceased in favour of the Panzer IV. One of the most well known tasks of that tank was to be used as a companion to the Tiger I in the Schwere Panzerabteilungen.

Especially well known and well documented is their use in North Africa with the Schwere Panzerabteilung 501. It was well liked with the troops and some of them even survived until the end of the war, for example in Norway, where they were handed over to the Allies in May 1945.

The kit:

The conversion kit consists of some 39 parts, which are devoted to the gun of the vehicle, it’s commanders cupola, the smoke dischargers and the barrel cleaner with its bracket. It’s very well cast and rather easy to assemble so that also beginners can use this set to create an early Panzer III N as used, for example, in North-Africa.

The conversion kit is designed for the Tamiya Panzer III L, but could also be used to improve the Dragon Panzer III N. The commander's cupola is a beauty in itself and the folks at TMD have been quite wise to sell it separately. It could only be improved with vision blocks cast in transparent resin, but again Tiger Model Designs has already heard that wish and it is on their to-do list for the future.

The smoke dischargers are very nicely made and with the single smoke grenades which can be added or left aside it’s a great idea to give the model a bit more of life.

The instructions, often a weak point with aftermarket sets, are nicely drawn and easy to understand with a side on the history of the tank, so that also those, who don’t have a big library, will know what they are building.

All in total, a very nice set which is highly recommended to everyone intending to build an early Panzer III N and who isn’t able to get his hands on a Dragon kit of that tank. For those who still have one of those rare Dragon kits they have to decide if they want to improve their kit or build it straight from the box.

For the future, TMD also plans to bring out a conversion kit for the Panzer III N late, the one with the Schürzen.