A niche Panzer III question - Ausf.IIIN mantlet armor...

So this is going to be a pretty niche question but I wonder if anyone here knows something?

Some time back I built a scale Panzer III Ausf.N with the stubby little 75mm L/24 gun. At that time I did some digging, found a very few photos, and wound up putting it together with the spaced gun mantle armor.

Since then I have seen, again, very few depictions of the Ausf.N fitted with this armor, and most publications take time out to specifically say that it was NOT fitted, yet I still occasionally see photos of tanks with it.

If this just a somewhat common field modification?

Der_Hans wrote:So this is going to be a pretty niche question but I wonder if anyone here knows something?

Some time back I built a scale Panzer III Ausf.N with the stubby little 75mm L/24 gun.  At that time I did some digging, found a very few photos, and wound up putting it together with the spaced gun mantle armor.

Since then I have seen, again, very few depictions of the Ausf.N fitted with this armor, and most publications take time out to specifically say that it was NOT fitted, yet I still occasionally see photos of tanks with it.

If this just a somewhat common field modification?

Серійно  Pz-IIIN не комплектувався  додатковою бронею маски гармати, тому що гармата "7.5см KWK-37" (490кг )- важча за гармату "5см KWK-39 L60" (400кг) + додаткова броня (вага екрану маски гармати  150кг).
В військах можливо іноді ставили додаткову броню маски гармати з танків Pz-IIIL(M)

As standard, the Pz-IIIN did not come with additional gun mask armor, as the "7.5cm KWK-37" (490kg) gun is heavier than the "5cm KWK-39 L60" (400kg) gun + additional armor (150kg gun mask shield weight).
The troops may have sometimes put extra armor on the Pz-IIIL (M) gun mask

That's what I expected it was.

Thanks for the information!

Der_Hans wrote:Some time back I built a scale Panzer III Ausf.N with the stubby little 75mm L/24 gun.

Could you present some photos?

mechanic wrote:

Der_Hans wrote:Some time back I built a scale Panzer III Ausf.N with the stubby little 75mm L/24 gun.

Could you present some photos?

Of the model or of the uparmored 3N's?

The model is buried somewhere in a box, and I think it wasn't a very good job. I think it was an old 1/72 scale ESCI kit and I butchered it pretty badly during assembly...

Der_Hans wrote:Of the model or of the uparmored 3N's?

Any

I will search for the model.  I think I still have it, but it may be packed in a box from moving!  I built is years ago, maybe 20 or 25 years ago, and sadly I did a rather poor job.  It was my first attempt at building scale model tanks, I usually do planes.

As for the real deal, these are the best photos I've found.  It appears it was common enough to be photographed, but beyond that I'm not sure how many were done like this. I know that it has been a common point of argument among certain gamers lol

Der_Hans, thank you for the shared pictures.

Trophy Pz.III