does anyone know if the panzer iii ausf h had the narrow guards along the bottom of the vent boxes fitted it seems that earlier ausf tanks didnt have these http://data3.primeportal.net/tanks/d...i_26_of_69.jpg
i have lots of technical drawings of the ausf h but none of them show this feature clearly

on another note the dragon 1/35 tauchpanzer 3h lacks these strips anyone have a different opinion on this area?

Here'sa couple ofpics of the Panzer III ausf. H from the side andrear. Hope this helps some.

Forget the first one, lol. The turret is turned of to the far side! lol

i think it was present its here on this ausf f

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...01845556eoClIO

makes sense that if was on an f and later tanks it was on the h

a few of the small scale static models of the h lack this part which threw me

What exactly is that guard for? Is that a grill over the exhaust?

i have lots of pictures of this part on later ausfs i think it was simply there to stop mud being trown up from the tracks throgh the gap for the boxes
i thoght it was a armored part first to fill the shot trap under the boxes but it dosent seem to be armored

Might've been to stop things like cables, small bits of equipment, chains, straps etc. from falling down to the track. Would explain why you see very few panzergrenadiers with long necklaces on!

Yeah I have pics that show them as early as E's so i would say they were pretty common.

Are those vent boxes or air intakes? My belief was that they are air intakes...?

If thats what they are, and we are talking about the strip that seals the "air intake" to the mudguard, it makes perfect sense to place them there. Without them, particularly in dusty or muddy environments, I can see dirt and debris being thrown off the track and potentially entering the air intake.

Completely assuming, if they weren't on earlier vehicles, they were likely something realized as being beneficial in certain conditions that were implemented as an improvement.