I've done a fair bit of research into the differences between Pz.kpfw.II ausf.A/B/C and I have struggled. Does anyone know the main differences, particularly the visual differences? Are there any good reference pictures that show these differences? I am asking because I have just received the DML 1/35 pz.kpfw.II ausf.A w/interior and I am hoping to convert it to the ausf.b during the 1939 polish campaing.

Having said that, the reason that I am looking to convert it is because I can find any definitive pictures of the ausf.A during the Polish campaign and so I don't have any realistic turret numbers to use on my model. If anyone has any pictures of the ausf.A during that campaign please share them with me, it would be a great help!

You need Panzer Tracts 2-1, which has all you request.

There were no major changes from A to B but as usual, various changes were introduced during the production run or backfitted later. Examples of the former include adding bullet deflectors, vision ports changed, reinforcing rod across rear hull, angle iron across rear hull and dropping the AA mount. After completion additional armour was fitted to the hull front and a commander's cupola added.

The C had different vision ports again, with hull armour and cupola backfitted later. No other major changes from the B however.

Given this, the vision ports seem to be the best differentiator and a drawing shows the eight different types and the versions in which they appeared. There are also drawings of the various versions, photos printed half page with decent captions and production and unit allocation data. Marked price is USD25.95 on my copy.

It also depends on if you're talking about a,b,c or A,B, C.

Not really as the DML kit in question rules out the so called 'pre-production types' as an option.

It sounds like there are a lot of minor changes that I'll struggle to replicate and seeing I'm going for realism I think my best bet is to continue to search for an Ausf.A in Poland. That book would be brilliant but I don't have the money to purchase it at the moment unfortunately. Been off work for 5 weeks with a fractured ankle.

I believe that I am talking about A/B/C rather than a/b/c because the kit itself is Ausf.A but this is my first Panzer II model and I'm still trying to learn about it so I could easily be wrong.

There were both c and B models in Poland so it is a reasonable bet that there were also A models. Sometimes a lack of photographs can be helpful for modelling as it makes it hard to be proved wrong...

Turret markings on Pz II in Poland are commonly limited to large white crosses, so no need to worry about numbers.

"Two destroyed Pz Kpfw II Ausf. A, with a Pz Kpfw IV in the background, in Sochaczew, Poland, 1939 (1. Panzer-Division)"* :



* the caption is not mine

H.P.