PzKpfw III or SdKfz 141, Ausf A to N
Type:battle tank.
Crew:5 men.
Armament:Ausf A, B. C and D. a 3.7 cm Kwk L/45 cannon 2 coaxial 7.92 mm MG34 machine guns, one 7.92 mm hull MG34; Aust E. F. G and H a 5 cm Kwk 39 L/42 gun. a 7.92 mm coaxial MG34, a 7.92 mm shell MG34; AusfJ and L a 5 cm Kwk 39 L/60 gun, a coaxial 7.92 mm MG34, a hull MG34 of 7.92 mm, Ausf M and N a 7.5 cm KwK L/24 gun. one coaxial 7.92mm MG34, one 7.92mm shell MG34.
Shielding:Ausf A. B and C minimum 14.5 mm, maximum 90 mm Ausf D to G:minimum 30 mm, maximum 90 mm. Ausf H to N:minimum 30 mm, maximum 80 mm but often with spaced armor
Dimensions:
length:Auxf A and B:5.7m; Ausf R to L:5.4m. Ausf H. 5.52 m; Ausf J to N:6.4 m.
Width:Ausf A to C:2.8 m:Ausf D to G:2.9 m; Ausf H to N:2.95 m.
Height:Ausf A:2.35 m; Ausf B and C:2.55 m; Ausf D to L:2.4 m t Ausf H to N:25 m.
Weight:Ausf A to C. 15t:Ausf D and E:19.4t:Aust F and G
0 3 t, Ausf H 21.6 t; Auxf J a N 22.3 t.
Ground pressure:Aust A to C 0.973 kg/cm2 Aust D 090 kg/cm2 Aust E and Aust H to N 095 kg/cm2 Ausf F and G 0199 kg/cm2
Specific power:Ausf A to C 15 58 hp/t Ausf 16.75 cat; Aust E and from H to N 15.71 ch/t Aust F and G 15 ch/t
Engine:Ausf A to C Maybach HC 108 V-12 in-line water-cooled petrol engine. developing 230 hp at 2,600 rpm:Ausf D' Maybach HL 120 TR developing 320 cf, at 3,000 rpm, Ausf E a N Maybach HL 120 TRM developing 300 hp at 3,000 rpm
Performance:road speed Ausf A to C 32 km/h. Ausf E to N 40 km/h
off-road speed all models 18 km/h. Ausf A to C. 150 km Aust D 165 km_ Aust E to N. 175 km
vertical obstacle. all models 06 m
clean cut Aust A to G 2.3 m:gue Aust A to G 08m Aust L to N 1.3m,
30% slope
Time in service:in the German army from 1939 to 1945 Also employed by Spain and Turkey
By 1935 the Germans had gained enough experience with the manufacture of the small tanks of the time to tackle the specifications of their main battle tanks. The objective, determined by General Guderian, was to arrive at two basic types, the first mounting a cannon with high initial velocity for anti-tank missions, this weapon supported by machine guns, and the second, a support tank for the first, mounting a high caliber gun capable of using high performance HE ammunition. These machines would equip the armored battalions in the proportion of three companies of the first type for a company of support tanks.
The PzKpfw III was the first of these two vehicles and originally the armament was to consist of a 5 cm gun with high muzzle velocity. But as the infantry received at this time the 37 mm anti-tank, it was considered that a healthy standardization imposed to equip the tanks with the same part.
However, the turret tank kept the same dimensions to subsequently accommodate a larger caliber gun; it was a factor of considerable importance. Indeed, there is no doubt that it extended the career of the PzKpfw III by at least two years because, with a turret as small as that of the Matilda, for example. installing a larger gun would have been impossible and the tank would have disappeared from the battlefield as early as 1943. The specification wanted to reduce the weight to 15 t but the industry never succeeded and the upper limit had to be set at 24t; beyond that, the road bridges of Germany could not have carried the tank.
The first prototypes appeared in 1936 and DaimlerBenz was chosen as the prime contractor.
Ausführungen A, B, C and D were all designed during the development period, built in relatively small numbers and all tested to verify various aspects of the design. LAusf E became the production model and was adopted in September 1939 under the designation Panzerkampfwagen (3.7 cm) (SdKfz 141).
The manufacturing was entrusted to several companies, none of which had the slightest experience in the mass production of armored vehicles - a shortcoming which would later be paid for.
The PzKpfw III Ausf E formed from that moment the backbone of the armored divisions of the Wehrmacht. For the invasion of Poland, 98 machines were available and 350 took part in the Battle of France. in May 1940. These tanks were mostly Ausf E but a number of earlier versions remained in service.
On all Ausführungen, the organization of the vehicle took the human factor into account. Each member of the crew had the space necessary for their work and the prominent, “trash can” cupola at the rear of the turret gave the commander an excellent field of vision.
The driver could count on the assistance of a gearbox with pre-selective control which gave him ten forward gears and one reverse gear. Despite its relative complexity and the difficulty of its maintenance, the box allowed an easy change of gears. and made driving much less tiring than on many contemporary tanks. With its 320 hp, the Maybach engine was not precisely generous but was up to its task and the off-road performance was sufficient. Nevertheless, the tank did not give complete satisfaction in combat. The 3.7cm failed to penetrate the armor of British infantry tanks in France and its own 30mm front plates could not stop a 2 pounder shell. The same situation was repeated in North Africa, at the time when the PzKpfw Iii found itself in the ranks of the Afrika Korps but. from the last days of 1939, a new Krupp gun of 5 cm had been produced in all haste to equip the Ausf E to H, This piece was not a complete success because its initial speed was too low but the HE ammunition was effective and the range surpassed that of the British 2-pounder. Ammunition load was 99 rounds of 5 cm and 2,000 rounds of 7.92 mm.
From this year 1939. a program of permanent improvement was applied to the PzKpfw I11. The Aue H featured additional armor bolted to the hull and turret:the tracks were wider to better support the excess weight. Too complex.
the ten-speed box was replaced by a simpler manual change, with six speeds. Earlier models were retrofitted with some of these modifications. The year 1941 saw nearly 1,500 PzKpfw IIIs in service, and the tank enjoyed great success during the first offensives in Russia. But the T-34 and the KV laughed at the 5 cm at low initial speed and the Wehrmacht launched in disaster the manufacture of a piece with greater piercing power.
Nevertheless. this new weapon reacts poorly to combat conditions on the Eastern Front while performing well in the desert. The improved versions of the PzKpfw III then succeeded one another at an accelerated pace. But the production did not reach the expected figure (it was never going to reach it); also, the J version, which carried 78 rounds of 5 cm, was intended to be an easier machine to manufacture, provided moreover with more effective shielding. The Ausf M took a further step down the path of simplification, removing many details such as some hatches and loopholes.
Some 2,600 units left the factory in 1943 but the tank was already going out of fashion. Also the Ausf N mounted a 7.5 cm at low initial speed to offer the support of its high-impact shells to the heavy tank battalions. On this version. the ammunition load was 64 rounds of 7.5 cm and 3,450 rounds of 7.92 mm.