Panzer III

[cyberia]

Pz. III Ausf. G moving through a French town, 1940

With the official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen III the
Panzer III was developed in the 1930s as the new Wehrmacht's main medium tank. It was intended to fight other AFVs and serve alongside the infantry-support Panzer IV. However, it soon became obsolete in this role and for most purposes was supplanted by Panzer IVs with more powerful guns, though some Panzer IIIs would continue to be used for infantry support until late in the war.

A Pz. III Ausf. H giving a lift to infantry on the Eastern Front, 1942

With an average weight of 22 tonnes and length of 5.52 m, the Pz. III had a Crew of 5 and variants sported a wide range of weapons:

• Panzer III Ausf A, B, C, D - pre-production models in 1937-1938. 75 produced.
• Panzer III Ausf E, F - Production models 1939]]-1940. Armed with 3.7 cm KwK 36 L/46.5 (later 5 cm KwK 38 L/42) guns. 531 produced.
• Panzer III Ausf G - More armour on gun mantlet. Armed with 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 gun. 600 produced in 1940-1941.
• Panzer III Ausf H - Minor modifications. Bolt-on armor added to front and rear hull (30 mm + 30 mm plates). 308 produced in 1940-1941.
• Panzer III Ausf J - The hull was lengthened. Front armor modified again (50 mm single plate). 482 produced in 1941
• Panzer III Ausf J/1 - longer/more effective 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 gun. 1067 produced in late 1941 to mid 1942.
• Panzer III Ausf L - Uparmored to 50 mm + 20 mm plates. 653 produced in 1942.
• Panzer III Ausf M - Minor modifications such as deep-wading exhaust and schurzen; 250 produced in 1942-1943.
• Panzer III Ausf N - Armed with a 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 gun. 700 re-equipped J/L/M models in 1942-1943.

All early models up to and including the Ausf F had two 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 machine guns mounted coaxially with the main gun, and a 7.92 mm MG34 in the hull. Models from the Ausf G and later had a single coaxial MG34 and the hull MG34.

A Pz. III Ausf, G in the Western Desert, 1942

Other variations of the Pz. III included:
• Tauchpanzer III - Some tanks were converted to "diving tanks" for Operation Sealion.
• Panzerbefehlswagen III - Command tank. Heavier armor, dummy gun, and long-range radios.
• Artillerie-Panzerbeobachtungswagen III - Forward artillery observer tank. 262 produced.
• Flammpanzer III Ausf M/Panzer III (F1) - Flamethrower tank. 100 converted from existing Panzer III M.
• Bergepanzer III - In 1944 some Panzer IIIs were converted to armoured recovery vehicles.
• Sturmgeschütz III - Assault gun with 75 mm StuK.

A Pz. III H operating in Italy, 1943

The Panzer III models A through C were powered by a 230 hp, 12-cylinder Maybach HL 108 TR engine, giving a top speed of 32 km/h (20 mph) and a range of 150 km (95 mi). All later models were powered by the 320 hp, 12-cylinder Maybach HL 120 TRM engine. Top speed varied among models, depending on the transmission, armor, and gun, but was around 40 km/h (25 mph). The range was generally around 150 km (95 mi).

[Gotthard Heinrici]

I think they were obsolete once they came up against the Russian tanks in 1941 but they had a longer lifespan in Africa. Good tank for its time though.

[cyberia]

The T-34s put a hurtin' on them. But I have read some accounts where Pz.IIIs did mange to hold their own even though outclassed.

[Gotthard Heinrici]

Once the 50mm was put into it, the tank could still be a useful asset on the Battlefield especially against the British Tanks in the Desert but after Kursk, well it became a death trap. I believe some were actually used in Citadel.

[residentzombie]

just caught a show about these on the war channel two nights ago (fancy cable television rocks!). didn't really understand how different the tanks were. in school growing up they taught you that all tanks were the same. just big and deadly. nice to find out the differences. some can be a bit more deadly.

[cyberia]

Evolution is the same for weapons as it is for creatures of nature. Survival depends on becoming faster or stronger. It is staggering how quickly armor developed during the Second World War:

Panzer I - 1939




Tiger II - 1945

[Pirate-Drakk]

Originally Posted by Gotthard Heinrici

I think they were obsolete once they came up against the Russian tanks in 1941 but they had a longer lifespan in Africa. Good tank for its time though.

Not so fast:

"Panzer III Ausf J/1 - longer/more effective 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 gun. 1067 produced in late 1941 to mid 1942."

This 50 mm L/60 gun was as good or better then the original 76.2 mm gun on the T-34 and KV-1 for armor piercing. Of course the high explosive round wasn't as large, but the Panzer III was not designed as an infantry support tank. That was the role of the Panzer IV until the model Panzer IV F2 came along with the high velocity 75 mm.

On the other hand, the original 37 mm gun on the Panzer III was definitely junk and many of those were in use during the early stages of Barbarossa.

As a side note, the Panzer III Ausf J is sometimes refered to as the "Panzer III Special" in the older WWII literature.

[Gotthard Heinrici]

Originally Posted by cyberia

Evolution is the same for weapons as it is for creatures of nature. Survival depends on becoming faster or stronger. It is staggering how quickly armor developed during the Second World War:

Panzer I - 1939




Tiger II - 1945

If you want Technological progress then a world war is yer only man!

[Pirate-Drakk]

Originally Posted by Gotthard Heinrici

If you want Technological progress then a world war is yer only man!

No kidding! Just think, it was only a decade between the development of those two tanks (Pnz I - VIB).

[cyberia]

Two photos of a "tauch" (diving enabled) Panzer III...