COBI Panzer III Ausf.J Set 2289

COBI's Panzer III Ausf. J is built from 590 blocks and can be assembled two ways: extra parts let you choose the short-barrelled or the long-barrelled gun. The turret rotates, the barrel moves, the hatches open, the tracks and wheels run, and a service hatch at the rear lifts to reveal a brick-built engine. A Hungarian soldier figure and a printed nameplate are included.

Why there are two barrels in the box

The choice of gun is the story of the whole tank. The Panzer III was designed as Germany's main battle tank, with the Panzer IV alongside it as a short-barrelled support vehicle for firing explosive shells at obstacles. The III fought the enemy's tanks; the IV helped the infantry.

The T-34 ended that arrangement. The III's 50 mm gun could not reliably beat it, and the long-barrelled 50 mm in this set — the upgrade the Ausf. J received — was not enough either. The problem was structural: the turret ring was too small to take anything bigger. The Panzer IV had a wider hull and a larger ring, so it could be given a long 75 mm and become the tank the III was supposed to be.

So the roles swapped. Panzer III production ended in 1943, the chassis went on making Sturmgeschütz assault guns, and the support tank became the mainstay. Around 5,700 Panzer IIIs were built, and the type served on every European front and in North Africa.

Specifications

Pieces: 590 · Figures: 1 Hungarian soldier · Two guns to choose from
Model dimensions: 18 × 8 cm (7.1 × 3.1 in)