PanzerKampfWagen III

PzKpfw III Ausf. M (1942-43)

Weigth 21,3 tons Crew 5 Weapons 50mm L60 KwK 39 gun with 98 rounds, 2 7,92mm MG 34 with 2550 rounds Armor hull ??-70mm (nose 50mm, front 50mm+20mm, sides and rear 80mm, top ??mm, bottom ??mm); turret 30-77mm (front 57mm+20mm, sides and rear 30mm, top ??mm) Engine 300hp gasoline Maybach HL 120 TRM, 12-cylinders on V, liquid cooled Speed 40Km/h Autonomy 150Km Length (max) 6,55m Width 2,97m Height 2,51m

Advantages: upgradability in both armor and gun, mechanical reliability due to highly experienced chassis

Disadvantages: turret too small to accomodate the long barreled 75mm L43 (as in the PzKpfw IV)

In action...

In 1936 german industry passed to develope a true battle tank using the experiences got with the previous panzers. Panzer III Ausf. E (Sd.Kfz. 141), armed with a 37mm L46 gun (muzzle speed of 762 m/s), appeared in less than a hundred (previous III models included) during the polish campaign. Circa 300 Panzer III were ready for French campaign, too few to fill the Panzerdivisionen's order of battle and so being often replaced by the light PzKpfw 38(t)s, 35(t)s and IIs; this last operation proved the "foolness" of using 37mm gun against the heavy armored tanks such as the Char B1-bis or the british Matildas.

A handful of new Ausf. F, armed with 50mm L42 KwK 38 was tested in the final days of the campaign. Ausf. Fs and heavier armored Ausf. Gs formed the bulk of General Rommel's Afrika Korps when it landed in Libya on 28th February 1941 for reinforcing the Italian anti-tank defence. Experience on the field proved necessity of better tropicalization in both engine filters and turret ventilation.

Panzer III Ausf. F belonging to the 15th Panzerdivision (1941)

In 1940 only 862 Panzer III were built and when Eastern Front took the request for 7,992 tanks for equipping 36 divisions the geman industry, smobilized after the fall of France for a not too high production, was pressed to satisfy the Army's need. Still in 1941 only 1,713 tanks were built and in 1942 numbers passed to 2,605 panzers (1,907 with new long barreled KwK 39 gun).

In Russia the Panzer III while easily handling the soviets T-26s and BTs was overmatched by the T-34s and KVs: only using their better quality troops and equipments (i.e. the 88mm L56 FlaK gun) but also by taking the 105mm and 150mm guns from indirect support to first line, Germans ("helped" by Soviet commands' mistaken use) were able to overrun them and arrive to the gates of Moscow. Autumn-Winter time once proved that the Panzer III (but also IV) was unable to front the large-tracked soviets vehicles in any field.

Early model Panzer III Ausf. J (armed with short 50mm gun) destroyed on the El Alamein front

A new tank design was needed and PzKpfw III upgrade could no longer wait: on January 1942 new Ausf. J with 60mm front armor and 50mm L60 KwK 39 gun was ready for action and other versions were progressing: new gun had a 822 m/s muzzle speed with normal AP ammos and 1,168 m/s using the Panzergrenate 40 (PzGr 40). Later Ausf. M got 70mm armor and from 1943 schurzen began to be added on both side hull and turret.

Late model Panzer III Ausf. M with turret and side schurzen (Photo by Valera Potapov)

In late 1942 and start 1943 new (and last) Ausf. N was out of factory carrying the 75mm L24 gun for an anti-infantry role, some being assigned to Tiger battalions. From mid 1943 Panzer III production was cancelled in favor of the more useful and cheaper StuG III. By the end of the war a total of 15,350 chassis had been built.

Panzer III Ausf. N in Russia (1943)

As final note, Pz. III Ausf. N were also selected and delivered to equip a company of the Armored Group "Leonessa" of the Italian "M" Armored Division. As known these vehicles, along with the Pz. IV Ausf. Gs and StuG III Gs, never saw action under Italian flag as after the armistice they were returned to the Germans to equipe the Herman Goering Division.

PzKpfw III AUSF. N cross-section
1. 7.92mm MG34 TMG 2. Additional 20mm plate 3. Driver cockpit 4. 7,5 cm L24 cannon 5. Gun shield 6. Gun loading system 7. Cooling 8. Anti-recoil shield 9. Cupola sight	10. Emergency door 11. Commander's cupola 12. Gun elevation gear 13. Engine 14. Exhaust pipe 15. Return wheel 16. Sprocket wheel	17. Engine transmission 18. Commander's seat 19. Torsion bar suspension 20. Driver's seat 21. Gear box 22. Command clutch 23. Friction pedal 24. Drive-sprocket wheel 25. Dish brakes

Panzer III was also used for many types of conversions, ranging from Beobachtungspanzer to Munitionschlepper (ammo transport vehicles) and Sturmgeschutz (assault artillery pieces): this was the most extensive use. [see StuG III/IV section]