Question about Tiger II engine vent mesh

[Lert]

So I'm working on my Production turret Tiger II. I've got a brass etch set of engine vent mesh, similar to this one:



I've got a question about the two separate pieces, at the bottom of that picture. They're shown fitted on a 1/35 here:



And here they are shown at 1/16 scale, fitted to a frame of sorts:



What was the purpose of doubling up the mesh over the forward engine vents? How common was this? Were they always fitted to a frame like in the second picture?

I'm building a very-late-war, last-ditch-defense type of KT and am trying to decide whether to fit these larger pieces yes or no. I'd have to scratch build a frame but that's not hard.

[HERMAN BIX]

In my travels around the KT, the lates did not have this extra screen.
It was to prevent the insertion of grenades and mines under the turret overhang.
Last ditch lates had no jacks, no jack blocks and different track link storage. Real last oneseven had transport tracks fitted all the time due to the track manufacturing facility being over run .

[General Jumbo01]

You can simply bend the edges over and fit them without a plastic frame - still looks right and just as good. I've used both methods on my four KTs and l actually prefer the non frame method!

[Lert]

In my travels around the KT, the lates did not have this extra screen.
It was to prevent the insertion of greases and mines under the turret overhang.

Thanks, I'll leave 'em off then.

Last ditch lates had no jacks, no jack blocks and different track link storage. Real last oneseven had transport tracks fitted all the time due to the track manufacturing facility being over run .

Well, I'm on a shoe string budget and going to keep it simple-ish. I'll remove the jack and jackblock, but not gonna bother changing the track link storage, and I don't have transport tracks either - plus, I think it look better with the fenders off and wide tracks fitted, just looks more brute-ish.

I'm not a rivet counter anyways, just someone who likes themes and viable what-if's.

Thanks for some excellent information though!

[HERMAN BIX]

I agree with you that a KT looks better with no guards and wide tracks!
The very lates had no mounts for a Jack and no retainers for the jack block either.
Did have 4 tube vents on the engine deck and some , not all, had the altered spare track storage on the turret.
I reckon that a KT with guards fitted over narrow transport tracks would have looked like a bandy—legged Swami
The company of KTs from the very well known period parade footage were all on transport tracks with no guards fitted.
They looked odd I reckon

[Lert]

Did have 4 tube vents on the engine deck

Do you have pictures? That might be something I can do.

[HERMAN BIX]

Not handy but if you check my Octopus KT build you will find it there

[43rdRecceReg]

Slightly off topic- here's a little info on the use of mesh screens from our Tiger (1) guru, David Byrden. In this instance, however, it relates to the Tiger 1, and not the KT:
http://tiger1.info/EN/Mesh-screens.html

[Ragnar]

Great article , perticularly pleased with the inclusion of the information for the Tiger I, that gives us another super detail to add to our tanks.
Thx.
Edit:
On further investigation looking at my Taigen Tiger 1 mid production find those mesh screens already modeled, I’ll be a dirty bird!!