The Panzerbefehlswagen Ausf. K mit 5 cm Kwk 39 L/60 or
Panzerbefehlswagen Ausfuhrüng Ausf. K mit 5 cm Kwk 39 L/60 or abbreviated to
Pz.Bef.Wg. III Ausf. K mit 5 cm Kwk 39 L/60
Maj Franz Bake in front of his Pz. Bef. Wg. III Ausf. K command tank
(whose markings are unknown, though by regulation it should have been numbered
'R01' or 'R00'). He displays the Oak-Leaves awarded on 1 August 1943 as
regimental commander of Pz Regt 11. Of special interest are the three badges
for single-handed destruction of an enemy tank worn on his right sleeve. On 11
July, during the Kursk offensive, 6.Pz Div was serving with Army Detachment
Kempf as part of the northwards drive towards Prokhorovka. Bake was leading a
tank column (headed by a captured T-34, for deception) in an attempt to seize a
vital bridge over the Donets River. Surrounded after dark by a number of Soviet
tanks, Bake left his command tank (which had no main gun) and led a successful
attack on foot using Haft-HI 3 'Panzerknacker' magnetic anti-tank charges,
personally destroying three T-34s.
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The Pz III K was a factory built version, it used the Pz IV turret on an
M chassis, although at least one hull still had the escape hatches in the sides
along with the M exhaust (this vehicle was issued to GD).
Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf.K (8a/ZW, Sd.Kfz. 266 was equipped with the
Fu 6 and the Fu 2, Sd.Kfz. 267 with a Fu 6 and Fu 8, Sd.Kfz. 268 with a Fu 6
and Fu 7). So far as I know, 50 of them were produced by Daimler-Benz, Berlin
Marienfelde. They were indeed based on a Panzer III chassis (chassis-number
70201-70400) and equipped with a Panzer IV turret. The 5cm L/60, KWK 38 was
shifted to the left, thus creating space for some extra radio equipment and a
map table.
I do not think the photo with Franz Bake shows a pz.bf.wg III Ausf K. The pz.bf.wg III ausf K did not have the kugelblende 50 as the tank in the photo shows. The pz.bf.wg III ausf K was instead fitted with an MP-Klappe.
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