WaPrüf Fest IV produced a pair of drawings showing the turret assembly from a German Pz.Kpfw.III tank on wooden bases. Drawing no.826 "Holzsockel f.Pz.Kpfw.-Turm III" dated 24.1.1945 and drawing no.844 "Fundament für Holzsockel für Pz.Kpfw.-Turm III (Schnelleinbau)" dated 29.1.1945. The wooden platform consisted of two parts. The upper one (Holzsockel) was probably made of 85 mm x 140 mm prisms. The lower part (Fundament) was made of logs about 300 mm in diameter, which were hewn into a square shape measuring 250 mm x 250 mm. The prisms had 60 mm recesses at the ends into which the individual prisms fitted. This created a sort of interlocking joint. The top of the platform supported the turret and the armour plate forming the turret's pivoting base. The eight-sided armoured base was bolted to the prisms. The entrance to the bunker was at the rear of the wooden platform. The exit was situated in the area of the trench. A chute was formed in the right part of the wooden platform, through which empty cartridges were ejected. A separate pit (2 m x 1 m x 1.6 m) was dug for them.
A test prototype of the Pz.Kpfw.III turret armed with the 7.5 cm L/24 gun stationed at Hillersleben is probably stored on just such a wooden base.
On 9 March 1945, 11 turrets with the 7.5 cm L/24 gun and one turret with the 5 cm L/42 gun, supplemented by another 10 turrets with the 7.5 cm L/24 gun, were sent to Bruck a.d. Leith. Seven turrets with 5 cm L/42 gun were sent to Reisa/E on 28.3.1945. However, a report dated 9.4.1945 states that none of these turrets arrived either at Reisa/E or at Bruck a.d. Leitha, therefore they could not even be mounted in combat positions. The whole project thus remained only with the prototypes at Hillersleben.
In addition to this version of the turret being mounted on a platform made of wooden beams, there was also a proposal for the turret to be mounted on the ceiling of a reinforced concrete bunker (Pz.Kpfw.-Turm III (Bauform 245)).
*Source:
Thomas L.Jentz, Hilary Louise Doyle - Staende mit Pz.Kpfw.Tuermen (Panzer Turrets on Concrete and Wood Stands) Pz.Kpfw.-I to F.Pz.D.T.4814, Panzer Tracts No.21-1, year of publication 2004, ISBN: 0-9744862-6-4
A test prototype of the Pz.Kpfw.III turret armed with the 7.5 cm L/24 gun stationed at Hillersleben is probably stored on just such a wooden base.
On 9 March 1945, 11 turrets with the 7.5 cm L/24 gun and one turret with the 5 cm L/42 gun, supplemented by another 10 turrets with the 7.5 cm L/24 gun, were sent to Bruck a.d. Leith. Seven turrets with 5 cm L/42 gun were sent to Reisa/E on 28.3.1945. However, a report dated 9.4.1945 states that none of these turrets arrived either at Reisa/E or at Bruck a.d. Leitha, therefore they could not even be mounted in combat positions. The whole project thus remained only with the prototypes at Hillersleben.
In addition to this version of the turret being mounted on a platform made of wooden beams, there was also a proposal for the turret to be mounted on the ceiling of a reinforced concrete bunker (Pz.Kpfw.-Turm III (Bauform 245)).
*Source:
Thomas L.Jentz, Hilary Louise Doyle - Staende mit Pz.Kpfw.Tuermen (Panzer Turrets on Concrete and Wood Stands) Pz.Kpfw.-I to F.Pz.D.T.4814, Panzer Tracts No.21-1, year of publication 2004, ISBN: 0-9744862-6-4