Hello everybody!
I know that many do not like to talk about tank projects that did not materialize.
But I personally find it very interesting what the development of the Pz IV could have become.
In December of 1942, Krupp was ordered to redesign future Ausf H model to have sloped front and side armor. The project was cancelled in February of 1943 due to increase in weight to 28tons that required additional modifications and instead Ausf H based on original hull was to be produced
Because I’m tired of spending hours editing a topic and that topic not being accepted by the moderators.
So I’m just going to put it here, so that if anyone is interested, they can use this to make a suggestion.
Weight problems werent the only problem, but also the war situation. Losses needed to be replaced and they could choose. 1. Stop production, retool for the new designe or 2. Continue as is with 80mm hull to fill the gaps.
They choose the economical solution.
If it has built unique parts, then it could be suggested as an unfinished prototype, that’s your best chance. If it doesn’t have any unique stuff, then yea it won’t be accepted.
I marked the points for the identification on the picture below fitting to the text below:
This is a Pz III Ausf.J with the 20mm HHA Vorpanzer on the Turret and Hull (Tho with less stand off on the hull, to be in line with the side armor aparently), visible with the Fahrersehklappe 50, with a cutout above for the Periscope Peep holes. And the Mushroom Cooling Covers. For the turret visible, by the small amout of gunmantled visible in which the Recoil Cylinders are inside.
The Triangular turret side faces are elongated to a length in line with the Turm Vorpanzer.
Visible by thickness and cince the important Standoff for the sidearmor (would it be like Schützen) is missing and angled inwards, also around 20mm for the side armor, on the turret and hull, (the turret looks similar as the Vorpanzer for Pz IV turrets) and the hull armor similar to the add on side armor for the Pz IV Ausf.E (of course this is a “eagle Eye estimathion” as well as “logical thinking” and could be wrong.)
