Panzer III AusF M Medium Tank

Model Description:
This download contains highly detailed models of late production Panzer III AusF M, featuring the 5cm L/60 cannon, skirts, and additional armor plating on the hull. Documentation and references for the real vehicle were rigorously studied to make the model as geometrically accurate as possible, except in the cases where printability would have to be sacrificed (such as the fender thickness).
 
The model is designed for resin 3D printing comes natively in 20mm (1/72) scale and includes a supported version for this size. Furthermore, the files are pre-hollowed, reducing the material requirements, improving the probability of print success, and ensuring no voids are present within the geometry.
 
The file is designed to be detailed enough to hold up well at larger scales however, including the common 28mm (~1/56) scale. Larger scales will have to be manually supported at present, however a future goal of TCR designs is to include supported files for larger scales, as well as a less-detailed version designed to function on FDM (filament) printers.
 
The model at its native scale took roughly 4 hours to print on an "Anycubic Photon Mono 4K" printer and has the following dimensions:
Length - 2.91" (74mm)
Width - 1.58" (40mm)
Height - 1.34" (34mm)

Historical Description:
The Panzer III was originally designed as the primary German battle tank, meant to engage with the opposition's armored units directly. This role was rapidly usurped by the Panzer IV, originally an infantry support tank. The earlier models (A-G) featured the 3,7cm KwK 36 L/45 anti-tank gun. As time went on the vehicle was progressively upgraded with increased armoring and firepower.
 
The Panzer III AusF M was the final version of the vehicle to mount a 50mm cannon, with the later AusF N mounting the 7,5cm KwK 37 howitzer. The AusF M was the pinnacle of battle tank Panzer 3 development, featuring stand-off armor plating on the hull and turret from the AusF L, affording it up to 70mm of frontal protection, in contrast to the 14-30mm found on the early versions. The tank also was equipped with smoke launchers, and side skirts to protect from AT rifles and shaped charge munitions. The Panzer 3 M also had a unique exhaust/muffler configuration compared to its predecessors. The 3 M was not produced in particularly significant numbers, as by the time it entered service the Panzer 3 platform as a whole was mostly obsolete, with production being shifted to StuG III and Panzer III N vehicles.

In Armored Advance:
In armored advance the Panzer III AusF M provides several quality-of-life enhancements over the AusF L, but is still very similar. The extra point of side armor makes the vehicle more resistant to lighter weapons, and the smoke launchers provide some additional survivability. The frontal armor will not stand up particularly well to anything with much penetration power but can allow the tank to bully smaller vehicles. The Cannon on the Panzer III M, like other vehicles equipped with the L/60, has adequate piercing power and can fire quickly, partially making up for the low damage per shot.

Contact Information:
If you face any problems with this vehicle, whether they be related to printability, integrity, or historical accuracy of the model, please contact us at [email protected]. We will do what we can to rectify any issues and improve the quality of the product for everyone.