Panzer IIIThe Panzerkampfwagen III, commonly known as the Panzer III, was a developed in the 1930s by, and was used extensively in. The official German ordnance designation was 141.
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It was intended to fight other and serve alongside and support similar which was originally designed for infantry support. However, as the Germans faced the formidable, more powerful anti-tank guns were needed, and since the Panzer IV had more development potential with a larger turret ring, it was redesigned to mount the long-barrelled gun. The Panzer III effectively swapped roles with the Panzer IV, as from 1942 the last version of Panzer III mounted the that was better suited for infantry support. Production of the Panzer III ceased in 1943. Nevertheless, the Panzer III's capable chassis provided hulls for the until the end of the war. Panzer III Ausf. H Fahrgestell)., France (2006)TypePlace of originService historyIn service1939–1945Used byWarsProduction historyDesignerDesigned1935–1937ManufacturerDaimler-BenzProduced1939–1943No. built5,774 (excluding )SpecificationsMass23.0 tonnes (25.4 short tons)Length5.56 m (18 ft 3 in)Width2.90 m (9 ft 6 in)Height2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)Crew5 (, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator/bow machine-gunner)Ausf A-C: 15 mm all aroundAusf D-G: 30 mm all aroundAusf J+: 50 mm all around.
General (standing left in the cupola) in a Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf. E command tank in Greece in 1941. This vehicle is fitted with a dummy 37mm main gun and a dummy MG 34 co-axial machine gun but has an actual ball-mounted MG 34 machine gun on the right side of the turret's mantlet.The Panzer III was intended to fight other tanks; in the initial design stage a 50-millimetre (1.97 in) gun was specified. However, the infantry at the time were being equipped with the 37-millimetre (1.46 in), and it was thought that, in the interest of standardization, the tanks should carry the same armament. As a compromise, the turret ring was made large enough to accommodate a 50-millimetre (1.97 in) gun should a future upgrade be required. This single decision later assured the Panzer III a prolonged life in the.The Ausf.
A to early Ausf. G were equipped with a, which proved adequate during the campaigns of 1939 and 1940. In response to increasingly better armed and armored opponents, the later Ausf. J were upgraded with the, and the Ausf. J¹ to M with the longer gun.By 1942, the Panzer IV was becoming Germany's main medium tank because of its better upgrade potential. The Panzer III remained in production as a close support vehicle.
N model mounted a low-velocity gun - these guns had originally been fitted to older Panzer IV Ausf A to F1 models and had been placed in storage when those tanks had also been up armed to longer versions of the 75 mm gun.All early models up to and including the Ausf. G had two mounted coaxially with the 37 mm main gun and a similar weapon in a hull mount.
Models from the Ausf. F and later, upgraded or built with a 5 or 7.5 cm main gun, had a single coaxial MG 34 and the hull MG34. MobilityThe Panzer III Ausf. A through D were powered by a 250 PS (184 kW), 12-cylinder engine, giving a top speed of 35 km/h (22 mph). All later models were powered by the 300 PS (221 kW), 12-cylinder Maybach HL 120 TRM engine.
Regulated top speed varied, depending on the transmission and weight, but was around 40 km/h (25 mph).The fuel capacity was 300 l (79 US gal) in Ausf A-D, 310 l (82 US gal) in Ausf. E-G and 320 l (85 US gal) in all later models. Road range on the main tank was 165 km (103 mi) in Ausf. A-J; the heavier later models had a reduced range of 155 km (96 mi). Cross-country range was 95 km (59 mi) in all versions.
Combat historyThe Panzer III was used in the German campaigns,. Many were still in combat service in 1944-1945:, and in in the Netherlands. A sizeable number of Panzer IIIs also remained as armored reserves in German-occupied Norway and some saw action, alongside Panzer IVs, in the against Finland in the fall of 1944. A Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. L, formerly on display at the now-defunct in Aberdeen in Maryland, USA.In both the Polish and French campaigns, the Panzer III formed a small part of the German armoured forces. Only a few hundred Panzer III Ausf.
As to Fs were available in these two campaigns, with most being armed with the 37-millimetre (1.46 in) main gun. They were the best medium tank available to the German military at the period of time.Aside from use in Europe, the Panzer III also saw service in North Africa with 's renowned.
Most of the Panzer IIIs with the Afrika Korps were equipped with the KwK 38 L/42 50mm (short-barrelled) tank gun, with a small number possessing the older 37mm main gun of earlier variants. The Panzer IIIs of Rommel's troops were capable of fighting against British Crusader cruiser and US-supplied M3 Stuart light tanks with positive outcomes, although they did less effectively against Matilda II infantry tanks and American M3 Lee/Grant tanks fielded by the British starting from early 1942. In particular, the 75mm hull-mounted gun of the Lee/Grant tank could easily destroy a Panzer III far beyond the latter's own effective firing range, as is true for the US M4 Sherman, which also saw service with British forces alongside Lees/Grants in North Africa beginning in the middle of 1942.Around the time of the beginning of in the summer of 1941, the Panzer III was, numerically, the most important German tank on the frontline. At this time period, the majority of the available tanks (including re-armed Ausf.
Es and Fs, plus new Ausf. G and H models) for the invading German military had the 50-millimetre (1.97 in) KwK 38 L/42 50mm cannon, which also equipped the majority of Panzer IIIs fighting in North Africa.
Initially, the Panzer IIIs were significantly outclassed by the more-advanced Soviet T-34 medium and KV series of heavy tanks, the former of which was gradually encountered in greater numbers by the German forces as the invasion progressed. However, the most numerous Soviet tanks the Germans encountered at the start of the invasion were older infantry and class of cruiser tanks. This fact, together with superior German tactical and strategic skills in armoured clashes, sufficient quality crew training, and the generally-good ergonomics of the Panzer III, all contributed to a favourable kill-loss ratio of approximately 6 to 1 for German tanks of all types in 1941. NDesigns based on chassis.
Panzerbeobachtungswagen III - Forward tank. 262 converted from older Panzer III Ausf.
E to H variants. Bergepanzer III - In 1944, 176 Panzer IIIs were converted to (ARVs). Mostly issued to formations with heavy tanks. Flammpanzer III Ausf.
M / Panzer III (Fl) -. 100 built on new Ausf.
M chassis. Panzerbefehlswagen III - Command tank with long-range radios. D, E and H: variants with dummy main guns; Ausf. J and K: types armed with actual 5 cm gun.
An infantry close-support heavy. Armed with a infantry gun, total of 24 built. 12 used and lost. Assault gun/tank destroyer armed with a 75-millimetre (2.95 in) gun. Was the most produced German armored fighting vehicle during World War II. An SU-76i displayed at the on Victory Park in Moscow, Russia.
The SU-76i assault gun was based on the chassis of captured German Panzer IIIs and StuG IIIs after the in 1943. About 201 of these vehicles, many taken from Stalingrad itself, were converted at Factory No. 37 in Sverdlovsk that same year for service by removing the turret and constructing a fixed casemate in its place, installing a 76.2-millimetre (3.00 in) S-1 tank gun (a cheaper version of the F-34 on the T-34 tank) in a limited-traverse gun mount. The armour was 35 millimetres (1.38 in) thick on the casemate front, 50 millimetres (1.97 in) in the hull front, and 30 millimetres (1.18 in) on the hull sides. It was issued to tank and self-propelled gun units starting in the fall of 1943, and finally withdrawn to training and testing uses in early 1944.
Two SU-76is survive: one on a monument in the Ukrainian town of and a second on display in a military museum on in Moscow. It should not be confused with the similarly-named Soviet assault gun series. Tauchpanzer III - Some tanks were converted to for. Unusually, they were designed to be able to stay underwater rather than to float like most other similar kinds of tanks.
The idea was that they would be launched near to the invasion shoreline and then drive to dry land on the sea-bottom. The tank was totally waterproofed, the exhaust was fitted with a one-way valve and air intake for the engine and the crew compartment was through a hose.
Panzer III Ausf. H Fahrgestell)., France (2006)TypePlace of originService historyIn service1939–1945Used byWarsProduction historyDesignerDesigned1935–1937ManufacturerDaimler-BenzProduced1939–1943No. built5,774 (excluding )SpecificationsMass23.0 tonnes (25.4 short tons)Length5.56 m (18 ft 3 in)Width2.90 m (9 ft 6 in)Height2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)Crew5 (, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator/bow machine-gunner)Ausf A-C: 15 mm all aroundAusf D-G: 30 mm all aroundAusf J+: 50 mm all around.The Panzerkampfwagen III, commonly known as the Panzer III, was a developed in the 1930s by, and was used extensively in. The official German ordnance designation was 141. It was intended to fight other and serve alongside and support similar which was originally designed for infantry support.
However, as the Germans faced the formidable, more powerful anti-tank guns were needed, and since the Panzer IV had more development potential with a larger turret ring, it was redesigned to mount the long-barrelled gun. The Panzer III effectively swapped roles with the Panzer IV, as from 1942 the last version of Panzer III mounted the that was better suited for infantry support. Production of the Panzer III ceased in 1943. Nevertheless, the Panzer III's capable chassis provided hulls for the until the end of the war.
General (standing left in the cupola) in a Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf. E command tank in Greece in 1941.
This vehicle is fitted with a dummy 37mm main gun and a dummy MG 34 co-axial machine gun but has an actual ball-mounted MG 34 machine gun on the right side of the turret's mantlet.The Panzer III was intended to fight other tanks; in the initial design stage a 50-millimetre (1.97 in) gun was specified. However, the infantry at the time were being equipped with the 37-millimetre (1.46 in), and it was thought that, in the interest of standardization, the tanks should carry the same armament.
As a compromise, the turret ring was made large enough to accommodate a 50-millimetre (1.97 in) gun should a future upgrade be required. This single decision later assured the Panzer III a prolonged life in the.The Ausf.
A to early Ausf. G were equipped with a, which proved adequate during the campaigns of 1939 and 1940. In response to increasingly better armed and armored opponents, the later Ausf.
J were upgraded with the, and the Ausf. J¹ to M with the longer gun.By 1942, the Panzer IV was becoming Germany's main medium tank because of its better upgrade potential. The Panzer III remained in production as a close support vehicle. N model mounted a low-velocity gun - these guns had originally been fitted to older Panzer IV Ausf A to F1 models and had been placed in storage when those tanks had also been up armed to longer versions of the 75 mm gun.All early models up to and including the Ausf. G had two mounted coaxially with the 37 mm main gun and a similar weapon in a hull mount.
Models from the Ausf. F and later, upgraded or built with a 5 or 7.5 cm main gun, had a single coaxial MG 34 and the hull MG34. Mobility The Panzer III Ausf.
A through D were powered by a 250 PS (184 kW), 12-cylinder engine, giving a top speed of 35 km/h (22 mph). All later models were powered by the 300 PS (221 kW), 12-cylinder Maybach HL 120 TRM engine. Regulated top speed varied, depending on the transmission and weight, but was around 40 km/h (25 mph).The fuel capacity was 300 l (79 US gal) in Ausf A-D, 310 l (82 US gal) in Ausf. E-G and 320 l (85 US gal) in all later models. Road range on the main tank was 165 km (103 mi) in Ausf.
A-J; the heavier later models had a reduced range of 155 km (96 mi). Cross-country range was 95 km (59 mi) in all versions. Combat history The Panzer III was used in the German campaigns,. Many were still in combat service in 1944-1945:, and in in the Netherlands.
A sizeable number of Panzer IIIs also remained as armored reserves in German-occupied Norway and some saw action, alongside Panzer IVs, in the against Finland in the fall of 1944. A Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.
L, formerly on display at the now-defunct in Aberdeen in Maryland, USA.In both the Polish and French campaigns, the Panzer III formed a small part of the German armoured forces. Only a few hundred Panzer III Ausf. As to Fs were available in these two campaigns, with most being armed with the 37-millimetre (1.46 in) main gun. They were the best medium tank available to the German military at the period of time.Aside from use in Europe, the Panzer III also saw service in North Africa with 's renowned.
Most of the Panzer IIIs with the Afrika Korps were equipped with the KwK 38 L/42 50mm (short-barrelled) tank gun, with a small number possessing the older 37mm main gun of earlier variants. The Panzer IIIs of Rommel's troops were capable of fighting against British Crusader cruiser and US-supplied M3 Stuart light tanks with positive outcomes, although they did less effectively against Matilda II infantry tanks and American M3 Lee/Grant tanks fielded by the British starting from early 1942. In particular, the 75mm hull-mounted gun of the Lee/Grant tank could easily destroy a Panzer III far beyond the latter's own effective firing range, as is true for the US M4 Sherman, which also saw service with British forces alongside Lees/Grants in North Africa beginning in the middle of 1942.Around the time of the beginning of in the summer of 1941, the Panzer III was, numerically, the most important German tank on the frontline. At this time period, the majority of the available tanks (including re-armed Ausf. Es and Fs, plus new Ausf. G and H models) for the invading German military had the 50-millimetre (1.97 in) KwK 38 L/42 50mm cannon, which also equipped the majority of Panzer IIIs fighting in North Africa.
Initially, the Panzer IIIs were significantly outclassed by the more-advanced Soviet T-34 medium and KV series of heavy tanks, the former of which was gradually encountered in greater numbers by the German forces as the invasion progressed. However, the most numerous Soviet tanks the Germans encountered at the start of the invasion were older infantry and class of cruiser tanks. This fact, together with superior German tactical and strategic skills in armoured clashes, sufficient quality crew training, and the generally-good ergonomics of the Panzer III, all contributed to a favourable kill-loss ratio of approximately 6 to 1 for German tanks of all types in 1941. NDesigns based on chassis. Panzerbeobachtungswagen III - Forward tank. 262 converted from older Panzer III Ausf. E to H variants.
Bergepanzer III - In 1944, 176 Panzer IIIs were converted to (ARVs). Mostly issued to formations with heavy tanks. Flammpanzer III Ausf. M / Panzer III (Fl) -. 100 built on new Ausf. M chassis.
Panzerbefehlswagen III - Command tank with long-range radios. D, E and H: variants with dummy main guns; Ausf. J and K: types armed with actual 5 cm gun.
An infantry close-support heavy. Armed with a infantry gun, total of 24 built. 12 used and lost. Assault gun/tank destroyer armed with a 75-millimetre (2.95 in) gun.
Was the most produced German armored fighting vehicle during World War II. An SU-76i displayed at the on Victory Park in Moscow, Russia. The SU-76i assault gun was based on the chassis of captured German Panzer IIIs and StuG IIIs after the in 1943. About 201 of these vehicles, many taken from Stalingrad itself, were converted at Factory No. 37 in Sverdlovsk that same year for service by removing the turret and constructing a fixed casemate in its place, installing a 76.2-millimetre (3.00 in) S-1 tank gun (a cheaper version of the F-34 on the T-34 tank) in a limited-traverse gun mount. The armour was 35 millimetres (1.38 in) thick on the casemate front, 50 millimetres (1.97 in) in the hull front, and 30 millimetres (1.18 in) on the hull sides. It was issued to tank and self-propelled gun units starting in the fall of 1943, and finally withdrawn to training and testing uses in early 1944.
Two SU-76is survive: one on a monument in the Ukrainian town of and a second on display in a military museum on in Moscow. It should not be confused with the similarly-named Soviet assault gun series. Tauchpanzer III - Some tanks were converted to for. Unusually, they were designed to be able to stay underwater rather than to float like most other similar kinds of tanks. The idea was that they would be launched near to the invasion shoreline and then drive to dry land on the sea-bottom.
The tank was totally waterproofed, the exhaust was fitted with a one-way valve and air intake for the engine and the crew compartment was through a hose.