Can anyone identify this box on Firewall Panzerjäger Nashorn

[John Mohnen]

Hi
I am currently building Cyberhobbies Nashorn (Command Version) and am planning to fit an interior as accurate as possible in the kit.
I found this picture of the firewall between Driver's and Engine Compartment on Mike Kendall's AFV Interior Website.

hum23.jpg

I don't know what the function of the box is in the right bottom corner and hope someone can identify it.
Initially I had thoughts it could have been the Main Battery Switch to isolate the electrics from the battery but in some books about Tiger 1E
I saw a similar box being described as the "Petrol Primer" or "Cold Start Fuel Injector" (Anlasskraftstoff Einspritzvorrichtung).
Believe this was a switch to switch on the electrical fuel pump to prime the carburettors before starting the engine.
Would be interested in any information or thoughts about the box.
I am also trying to find where the 2 batteries were located, looking at the layout I suspect somewhere in the engine compartment below the Fans.
Any info about Batteries or main Battery Switch will be appreciated.
The electrical system will be similar to the PzIII or PzIV chassis.
Looking forward to your responses.

[Tim Coulson]

John,

I don't know what it is or its function but it would seem it was common to most Panzer engines as it was also fitted to the Wespe firewall (Pz II Chassis)

A fuel primer makes the most sense to me.

http://www.fahrzeuge-der-wehrmacht.de/B ... a_04-1.jpg

Tim

[John Mohnen]

Just looking in Panther Fibel Page 87 "Vor dem Start" and there is a similar box in the illustration.
It is described a Pump which needed to be filled with 1 litre of Petrol and then 10 pump strokes to prime the petrol.
Maybe the petrol was filled in the box where the knurled cap is shown and the lever shown on the other outer side could be to prime the pump 10 times.
Know that the Nashorn had two mechanical pumps fitted on the side of the engine and 1 electrical pump.
If the panther fibel describes the box as a pump I don't see the connection to the electrical pump if the thing had to mechanical primed with 10 strokes.
Maybe anyone knows something more about this matter.