Alternative History Armoured Fighting Vehicles Part 3

[cortz#9]

Have a lot of spare time on my hands so did some new designs.

Top, VK36.02
A cross between the VK36.01 and PzKpf. VI with VK3001 turret and armed with 7.5 cm 0725 Waffe (Konish) cannon.

My thinking here was the VK36.01 is cancelled earlier than OTL when some in the Panzerwaffe decides that interleaved wheels might be more bother than their worth and so segments from other canceled VK projects and the Pz.IV's suspension are thrown together quickly to come up with a new tank to counter the Soviet KV-1 when the Finns share data about the new Soviet heavy tank garnered from the "Winter War".
Not happy the suspension, will hopefully improve later.

Bottom, Pz.III/IV Ausf. C improved Pz.III/IV with schmalturm turret and Panther-ish exhaust system.
My idea of how the Pz.III/IV might have evolved had it gone into production.

Pz.III Ausf. P
Borrowed the turret from Claymore's Sd Kfz 557-2 Adler and stuck it on a Pz. III, was a good fit.
I got no back story for this one.

I also posted some alternate aircraft over on the "Alternate History Combat Aircraft" thread if anyone's interested.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...-combat-aircraft.457446/page-64#post-20387045

 

[FickleCrossroad]

Have a lot of spare time on my hands so did some new designs.

Top, VK36.02
A cross between the VK36.01 and PzKpf. VI with VK3001 turret and armed with 7.5 cm 0725 Waffe (Konish) cannon.

My thinking here was the VK36.01 is cancelled earlier than OTL when some in the Panzerwaffe decides that interleaved wheels might be more bother than their worth and so segments from other canceled VK projects and the Pz.IV's suspension are thrown together quickly to come up with a new tank to counter the Soviet KV-1 when the Finns share data about the new Soviet heavy tank garnered from the "Winter War".
Not happy the suspension, will hopefully improve later.

Bottom, Pz.III/IV Ausf. C improved Pz.III/IV with schmalturm turret and Panther-ish exhaust system.
My idea of how the Pz.III/IV might have evolved had it gone into production.

Pz.III Ausf. P
Borrowed the turret from Claymore's Sd Kfz 557-2 Adler and stuck it on a Pz. III, was a good fit.
I got no back story for this one.

I also posted some alternate aircraft over on the "Alternate History Combat Aircraft" thread if anyone's interested.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...-combat-aircraft.457446/page-64#post-20387045

One thing I noticed about the attempts of sloping here, there is still a lot of boxiness at the front because the slope doesn't angle directly from the top front of the hull to the bow.

Kinda curious how some Panzer III/IV and IV varients could look with that, as more sloping requires less weight.

Maybe even a Panzer with a pike bow like an IS-3?

Thoughts?

 

[Claymore]

One thing I noticed about the attempts of sloping here, there is still a lot of boxiness at the front because the slope doesn't angle directly from the top front of the hull to the bow.

Kinda curious how some Panzer III/IV and IV varients could look with that, as more sloping requires less weight.

Maybe even a Panzer with a pike bow like an IS-3?

Thoughts?

If I may, may I point you in the direction of my completed models thread (see the link below) and on Page 1 at posts #14 and 19, you will find a Pz IV with sloped armour and a PzIII with sloped armour respectively. Just in case the link is bust, here is a sample of what is on show... (and yes, the PZIV does have different running gear... )

 

[Claymore]

Been doing some work on the Alt Cambodian T-72/Gepard combo... Both donor kits were far more smashed up than I would have preferred (comes from years at the bottom of the spares box), but now once again sort of resemble the originals - well the donor hull and turret do. Having said that, the T-72 model is truly awful - an old Esci kit I think. Frankly, a half-sloshed Gibbon with arthritis could have done a better job with a pile of its own pooh than Esci did! 🙄

Ah well, better than having to buy a new kit I suppose...

 

[Claymore]

Have a lot of spare time on my hands so did some new designs.

Top, VK36.02
A cross between the VK36.01 and PzKpf. VI with VK3001 turret and armed with 7.5 cm 0725 Waffe (Konish) cannon.

My thinking here was the VK36.01 is cancelled earlier than OTL when some in the Panzerwaffe decides that interleaved wheels might be more bother than their worth and so segments from other canceled VK projects and the Pz.IV's suspension are thrown together quickly to come up with a new tank to counter the Soviet KV-1 when the Finns share data about the new Soviet heavy tank garnered from the "Winter War".
Not happy the suspension, will hopefully improve later.

Bottom, Pz.III/IV Ausf. C improved Pz.III/IV with schmalturm turret and Panther-ish exhaust system.
My idea of how the Pz.III/IV might have evolved had it gone into production.

Pz.III Ausf. P
Borrowed the turret from Claymore's Sd Kfz 557-2 Adler and stuck it on a Pz. III, was a good fit.
I got no back story for this one.

I also posted some alternate aircraft over on the "Alternate History Combat Aircraft" thread if anyone's interested.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...-combat-aircraft.457446/page-64#post-20387045

Nice! Your Alt PzIII is very cool 😎

 

[cortz#9]

Nice! Your Alt PzIII is very cool 😎

Thanx mate.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Been doing some work on the Alt Cambodian T-72/Gepard combo... Both donor kits were far more smashed up than I would have preferred (comes from years at the bottom of the spares box), but now once again sort of resemble the originals - well the donor hull and turret do. Having said that, the T-72 model is truly awful - an old Esci kit I think. Frankly, a half-sloshed Gibbon with arthritis could have done a better job with a pile of its own pooh than Esci did! 🙄

Ah well, better than having to buy a new kit I suppose...

Colour me excited... which also means that since you're doing a kit, I need to get back to plotting the final story in the trilogy.

 

[Claymore]

Colour me excited... which also means that since you're doing a kit, I need to get back to plotting the final story in the trilogy.

Lol 😋
I‘ve actually spent most of my enforced isolation getting back into my strategic war gaming designs - been working on various scenarios post my European War that spawned my Panther III model all those years ago. Always fancied playing them out and writing up how it pans out - a pipe dream perhaps but it’s fun working out all the detail and coming up with possible scenarios. 🤓😉

 

[La Rouge Beret]

That's cool about the strategic war gaming and the Eastern Front in both WW 1 & 2 have exerted a strange fascination for me. The numbers involved over the vast distances and the sheer brutality of the fighting seems to make it an excellent choice for war gaming. The WW 2 Pacific Campaign and the fighting in Papua New Guinea has a similar appeal, except with the latter campaign I have family involved in the fighting.

IIRC you had the superb model conversion where the Germans introduced a MRLS capability on the back of a Tiger.

 

[cortz#9]

Another alternate Pz.V.

 

[mudhead]

Frankly, a half-sloshed Gibbon with arthritis could have done a better job

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Cambodian Empire was one of his lesser-known works.

 

[Hammerbolt]

Another alternate Pz.V.

Not that alternate, I think. Afaik, the Schmalturm was actually designed and (prototype) built for it.

 

[FickleCrossroad]

If I may, may I point you in the direction of my completed models thread (see the link below) and on Page 1 at posts #14 and 19, you will find a Pz IV with sloped armour and a PzIII with sloped armour respectively. Just in case the link is bust, here is a sample of what is on show... (and yes, the PZIV does have different running gear... )

View attachment 534013

View attachment 534014

Those are how they should've looked at the start!

 

[cortz#9]

Not that alternate, I think. Afaik, the Schmalturm was actually designed and (prototype) built for it.

Take another look at the suspension and the schmalturm I used was the one designed for the Pz.IV not the one for the Panther.

 

[Claymore]

That's cool about the strategic war gaming and the Eastern Front in both WW 1 & 2 have exerted a strange fascination for me. The numbers involved over the vast distances and the sheer brutality of the fighting seems to make it an excellent choice for war gaming. The WW 2 Pacific Campaign and the fighting in Papua New Guinea has a similar appeal, except with the latter campaign I have family involved in the fighting.

IIRC you had the superb model conversion where the Germans introduced a MRLS capability on the back of a Tiger.

Happy memories but a few years back now...

 

[Claymore]

Early days of the Cambodian Gepard (Mongoose?) which belays the amount of repair work just to get it to this stage. I'm kind of pleased as to how little of it shows - in particular the barrels are now straight!

The turret is still sporting German markings as I haven't managed to find any decal remover and really don't want to scratch them off. Painting over is the last resort as it invariably leaves evidence of the offending decal. I also still need to get my hands on some undercoat spray paint - my attempts so far to order anything online from US vendors has met with complete failure. Shame as Squadron models looks like a good site. Not only have they failed to deliver but have ignored all my email enquiries... Are they a scam?

Anyhoo, here's where we are so far - not yet decided on the final camo scheme and may not be able to paint it at all until I get back to the UK...

 

[mudhead]

...the Cambodian Gepard (Mongoose?)

The crab-eating mongoose (Herpestes urva) is found in Cambodia, so an appropriate name for an AAA system.

 

[Claymore]

The crab-eating mongoose (Herpestes urva) is found in Cambodia, so an appropriate name for an AAA system.

Lol. As an RAF man, I appreciate the irony!

 

[La Rouge Beret]

The T - 72 / Gepard mash up looks right @Claymore and one thing to think about is that if you paint over the decal. It might give the look of a prototype vehicle or alternatively one that had been converted and sent to the front.

Interesting question about the camo scheme...

 

[cortz#9]

An attempt at best of all worlds (alt. worlds that is).

An alternate design to both the Pz.Kpfw. V and the Pz.Kpfw. VI.

VK30.01 suspension, Panther hull, Skoda designed turret but with schmalturm gun mantlet and KwK. 36 L/56 8.8 cm cannon.