Reservation and linear dimensions of the tank pz 3. Historical information about the development and use of medium tanks PzKpfw III. To start moving on the T-III tank, you need

Not so long ago, the restoration of the German Pz.III tank was completed, about the process of which we have a small photo report:. Now let's look inside and look at the jobs of the tank crew.

2. The crew of the PzKpfw III consisted of five people: a driver and gunner-radio operator, who were in the control compartment and a commander, gunner and loader, who were located in a triple tower.

3. At the bottom of the photo, on the left, is the driver's seat, at the bottom right of the gunner-radio operator. A gearbox is installed between them.

4. Place of the driver's mechanic. The viewing slot has an armored shutter with several positions, clearly visible in the photographs from the outside. Side clutches are painted gray, thanks to which the tank turns.

5. The place of the gunner-radio operator.

6. View of the fighting compartment from the driver's seat. The transmission tunnel is painted gray at the bottom, inside of which there is a cardan shaft that transmits engine torque to the gearbox. In the side lockers were laying shells. Triple tower.

7. Gunner's sight. On the right is the breech of the gun with a stamped year of manufacture, 1941.

Photographer: Andrey Moiseenkov.

We express our gratitude to the staff of the Central Museum of armored weapons and equipment for their assistance in photography.

It is made according to the following layout scheme: the power plant is located at the rear, the fighting compartment and the control compartment are in the middle part of the hull, and the power transmission and drive wheels are at the front. The relatively low body of the tank is welded from rolled armor plates. On modifications A-E, the frontal armor had a thickness of 15 mm, on modifications F and G it was 30 mm, on modification H it was reinforced with additional sheets up to 30 mm + 20 mm, and on modifications J-O it was already 50 -mm+20mm. The multifaceted turret was located in the center of the hull. The gun without a muzzle brake was mounted in the turret using a wide cylindrical mask.

The following modifications of the tank were produced:

• A-E - a tank with a 37-mm gun;
• F-N - a tank with a 50 mm gun;
• M-O - assault tank with a 75-mm howitzer;
• self-propelled flamethrower;
• armored command vehicle;
• armored observation vehicle.

From 1940 to 1942, Pz-III tanks were the main armament of tank divisions. Due to the weakness of armament and armor since 1943, they were used only as special vehicles. In total, the German industry produced 5,700 Pz-III tanks of various modifications.

By 1936, the PzKpfw I light tank was in service with the German tank forces, armed with only a pair of machine guns and having light bulletproof armor. This tank could not be seriously considered as a combat vehicle, its lot was service in training units, and their role on the battlefield was at best limited to reconnaissance and communications. Having come to power, Hitler refused to comply with the restrictions imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, and joined the technological race that had begun in Europe. During the three years preceding the Second World War, German technology made a leap, moving from light tanks PzKpfw I to medium PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV, which were destined to become the main German tanks, which largely predetermined the successes and failures of the III Reich.

Tanks were designed to withstand a direct hit from an armor-piercing projectile.
The frontal armor of the tank could withstand a high-explosive projectile. To fight tanks, special anti-tank guns were used, which had a small caliber, but fired a projectile at high speed. The 37-mm anti-tank gun, which was in service with the Wehrmacht, could penetrate the armor of almost any tank.

When fighting with enemy infantry, high-explosive fragmentation shells with a low initial velocity, but of a larger caliber, were required. Therefore, according to Heinz Guderian, two types of tanks with fundamentally different weapons should have been adopted by tank units. One tank to fight enemy tanks, the other to fight infantry.

The tank with anti-tank weapons was the PzKpfw III, armed first with a 37 mm and later with a 50 mm cannon. The PzKpfw IV was chosen to fight the infantry, armed with a short-barreled 75-mm cannon.

MAN, Daimler-Benz AG, Rheinmetall-Borsing and Krupp participated in the competition to create a 15-ton tank. For reasons of secrecy, the tank was assigned the symbol "platoon commander's vehicle" ("Zugfuehrerwagen", ZW). Prototype tests took place in 1936-1937. at the training grounds in Kummersdorf and Ulm. In comparative tests, the model presented by the company "Daimler-Benz" won, which it was decided to develop.

From the history of the creation of the PzKpfw III tank

Tank PzKpfw III, modifications A, B, C, D

The PzKpfw III tank consisted of four main elements: the hull, the turret, the front part of the superstructure with the turret shoulder strap, and the aft part of the superstructure with the overhead armor plate. The main elements were interconnected by welding, and the details of each element were connected by rivets and bolts. Inside the body of the machine was divided by a bulkhead.

In the front compartment there was a gearbox with a steering mechanism, in the rear compartment there was a combat and engine compartment. The shape of the hull, turret and superstructure, as well as the layout of all five crew members, remained unchanged throughout the entire period of serial production of the PzKpfw III.

The first version of the PzKpfw III Ausf.A was produced in May of 1937. 15 vehicles were built, of which only eight received weapons and until 1939 were part of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd tank divisions. The rest of the tanks were used for testing.

Comparative performance characteristics of tanks

Tank brand	Year creation	Weight, T	Crew, people	Frontal armor, mm	Caliber guns, mm	Speed movements km/h
T-26 arr. 1938
BT-7 arr.1937
LT-35
LT-38
cruiser Mk III
Pz.III Ausf.A

In the same 1937, the PzKpfw III Ausf.V tank went into production. This series was also limited to 15 cars. Several of them took part in the September 1939 campaign. In October 1940, five machines of this series were used to create prototypes of the Sturmgeschuetz III assault guns.

In July 1937, the PzKpfw III Ausf.C tank went into production. Until January 1938, only 15 pieces were produced. Several tanks of this modification also participated in the September battles in Poland.

In January 1938, the production of PzKpfw III Ausf.D tanks began. Until 1939, 55 machines of this type were built. Only 30 of them received weapons, the rest were used to test the suspension, weapons and engines. Several Ausf.D tanks saw action in Poland and Norway.

The first four modifications of the PzKpfw III (Ausf.A, B, C and D) were actually prototypes manufactured by Daimler-Benz. They were not intended for large-scale production, and each subsequent modification was a modified version of the previous one. All tanks of these four modifications were powered by Maybach HL108TR engines with a power of 250 hp. and a 5- or 6-speed "Zahnradfabrik" gearbox. Those tanks that were armed carried a 37 mm KwK35/36 L/46.5 cannon and three MG-34 machine guns (two in the turret and one in the superstructure). The thickness of the armor was only 5 mm-15 mm. This thickness protected only from rifle fire, but the mass of the tank did not exceed 15 tons. The Ausf.A, B and C tanks had a simple drum turret for the commander of the vehicle, while the Ausf.D received a cast turret similar to the one on the PzKpfw IV Ausf.B.

Only a few PzKpfw III tanks participated in the Polish campaign of 1939. The remaining vehicles were used for testing and crew training. Several PzKpfw III Ausf.Ds, together with PzAbt zb V 40 (NbFz VI), took part in the battles in Norway in April-May 1940. Later, these same machines came to Finland, where they served in 1941-1942.

Tactical and technical characteristics

Combat weight, t
Crew, pers.
Overall dimensions, mm:
length with cannon forward
width
height
clearance
Armor thickness, mm
hull forehead
board
stern
roof
bottom
forehead of the tower
board and stern
Max, speed, km/h:
by highway
by terrain
Power reserve, km:
by highway
by terrain
Overcoming obstacles:
elevation angle, deg.
moat width, m
wall height, m
fording depth, m
Support length surface, mm
Specific pressure, kg / cm 2
Specific power, hp/t

Combat weight, t
Crew, pers.
Overall dimensions, mm:
length with cannon forward
width
height
clearance
Armor thickness, mm
hull forehead
board
stern
roof
bottom
forehead of the tower
board and stern
Max, speed, km/h:
by highway
by terrain
Power reserve, km:
by highway
by terrain
Overcoming obstacles:
elevation angle, deg.
moat width, m
wall height, m
fording depth, m
Support length surface, mm
Specific pressure, kg / cm 2
Specific power, hp/t

* Part of the Ausf.D vehicles had armor protection similar to the Ausf.A - C, and, accordingly, a lower combat weight.

Combat weight, t
Crew, pers.
Overall dimensions, mm:
length with cannon forward
width
height
clearance
Armor thickness, mm
hull forehead
board
stern
roof
bottom
forehead of the tower
board and stern
Max, speed, km/h:
by highway
by terrain
Power reserve, km:
by highway
by terrain
Overcoming obstacles:
elevation angle, deg.
moat width, m
wall height, m
fording depth, m
Support length surface, mm
Specific pressure, kg / cm 2
Specific power, hp/t

* Part of the Ausf.D vehicles had armor protection similar to the Ausf.A - C, and, accordingly, a lower combat weight.

Combat weight, t
Crew, pers.
Overall dimensions, mm:
length with cannon forward
width
height
clearance
Armor thickness, mm
hull forehead
board
stern
roof
bottom
forehead of the tower
board and stern
Max, speed, km/h:
by highway
by terrain
Power reserve, km:
by highway
by terrain
Overcoming obstacles:
elevation angle, deg.
moat width, m
wall height, m
fording depth, m
Support length surface, mm
Specific pressure, kg / cm 2
Specific power, hp/t

* Part of the Ausf.D vehicles had armor protection similar to the Ausf.A - C, and, accordingly, a lower combat weight.

Next >

Official designation: Pz.Kpfw.III
Alternative notation:
Started work: 1939
Year of construction of the first prototype: 1940
Completion stage: three prototypes built.

The history of the medium tank Pz.Kpfw.III began in February 1934, when the Panzerwaffe had already entered the phase of actively filling their armored fleet with new types of military equipment. Then no one could have imagined how successful and eventful the career of the famous “troika” would be.

And it all started quite prosaically. As soon as the light tanks Pz.Kpfw.I and Pz.Kpfw.II were put into mass production, representatives of the Armaments Service of the Ground Forces formulated requirements for a combat vehicle of the type ZW (Zurführerwagen)- that is, a tank for company commanders. The specification stated that the new 15-ton tank should be equipped with a 37 mm gun and 15 mm armor. The development was carried out on a competitive basis and in total 4 companies took part in it: MAN, Rheimetall-Borsig, Krupp and Daimler-Benz. It was also planned to use a Maybach HL 100 engine with a power of 300 hp, an SSG 75 transmission from Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen, a Wilson-Cletrac type turning mechanism and Kgs.65/326/100 tracks.

In the summer of 1934, the Ordnance Department issued orders for the manufacture of prototypes, distributing orders among four firms. Daimler-Benz and MAN were to produce chassis prototypes (two and one sample, respectively). At the same time, Krupp and Rheinmetall were ordered to provide a similar number of towers.
The Armaments Directorate gave its preference not to the Krupp machine, which later became known under the designation MKA, but to the Daimler-Benz project. Although this decision then looked somewhat controversial, because the prototype from Krupp was built back in August 1934. However, after testing the chassis Z.W.1 And Z.W.2 Daimler-Benz received an order for the delivery of two more improved prototypes under the designations Z.W.3 And Z.W.4.

The new tank, developed by Daimler-Benz engineers, could rather be attributed to the light class. The first option, designated Vs.Kfz.619(experimental machine No. 619), in fact, was a pre-production machine, on which numerous innovations were tested. Undoubtedly, it favorably differed from the “ones” and “twos” with more powerful weapons and better working conditions for the crew (due to a more massive hull), but then the combat value of the “troika” was not so highly estimated.

The design was based on a completely new chassis of the original configuration. Applied to one side, it consisted of five dual track rollers with coil spring suspension, two small supporting rollers, a front drive wheel and a rear guide wheel. The small-scale caterpillar consisted of steel single-ridge tracks.

The hull of the tank was designed with the expectation of a more spacious fighting compartment and the installation of a powerful engine capable of providing the required driving performance. At the same time, German designers actually abandoned the practice of installing armor plates at rational angles of inclination, preferring the best manufacturability of the design.

The layout of the case was close to the classical one. At the front was a mechanical transmission, which included a 5-speed gearbox, a planetary rotation mechanism and final drives. To service its units, two large rectangular hatches were made in the upper armor plate.

The transmission included a five-speed Zahnradfabrik ZF SGF 75 synchronized mechanical gearbox. The torque from the gearbox was transmitted to the planetary turning mechanisms and final drives. The engine was connected to the gearbox by a cardan shaft passing under the floor of the fighting compartment.

Behind the transmission compartment placed places for the driver (left) and gunner-radio operator (right). The middle part of the hull was occupied by a fighting compartment, on the roof of which a hexagonal three-man tower with an upper inclined armor plate was installed. Inside it were places for the commander, gunner and loader. In the rear of the tower, a high observation tower was installed with six viewing slots and an upper double-leaf hatch. In addition, a periscope device was installed on the roof of the tower, and there were viewing slots with armored glass on the sides.

In general, starting from the "troika", the Germans paid great attention not only to good visibility, but also to the ways of leaving the tank in emergency situations - in total, the tower received three hatches: one upper and two onboard. At the same time, on the prototype and tanks of the first modifications, there were no hatches for the driver and gunner-radio operator.

In the aft part of the hull was the engine compartment. A Maybach HL108TR 12-cylinder V-shaped gasoline engine was installed here, which developed a power of 250 hp. at 3000 rpm. The cooling system is liquid.

The armament of the tank consisted of one 37 mm 3.7 cm KwK cannon with a barrel length of 46.5 calibers. According to the tabular values, the 3.7cm Pzgr armor-piercing projectile weighing 815 grams developed an initial velocity of 1020 m/s and could penetrate a vertically mounted 34 mm thick armor sheet at a distance of up to 500 meters. But in fact, the armor penetration of 37-mm shells turned out to be much lower, which subsequently forced German designers to constantly look for ways to strengthen weapons. Additional small arms consisted of three 7.92 mm MG34 machine guns. Two of them were mounted in a mask to the right of the gun, and the third was in the frontal hull plate. Ammunition for the 37-mm gun was 120 armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation rounds, as well as 4425 cartridges for machine guns.

The first order for 25 "zero series" tanks was issued in December of 1935. At the same time, it was planned to start deliveries from October 1936, so that by April 1, 1937 the entire batch would be transferred to the troops.

After a relatively successful trial on April 3, 1936, the tank received the official designation Panzerkampfwagen III (Pz.Kpfw.III), while according to the end-to-end notation adopted in the Wehrmacht, it was designated as Sd.Kfz.141.

A total of 10 tanks of this modification were produced, which bore the original designation 1.Serie/Z.W.(subsequently) and were the development of Z.W.1. Due to the tight deadlines, a number of temporary measures and solutions had to be taken, which did not allow them to be considered full-fledged combat vehicles. As a result, two tanks had non-armored steel hulls. In addition, the armor protection of the first tanks was too modest. The forehead, sides and stern (both hull and turret) had a thickness of only 14.5 mm, the roof - 10 mm, the bottom - 4 mm. Soviet light tanks T-26 and BT-7 of the 1936-1937 model had similar performance, with more powerful cannon armament.

Almost all built Ausf.A were distributed between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Panzer Divisions, where they were used primarily for crew training. In the winter of 1937-1938. they participated in large winter maneuvers of the Wehrmacht and showed themselves on the good side. Of the significant defects, only an unsuccessful suspension design was noted, which was corrected on other modifications of the tank.

The first combat operation involving the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.A was the Anschluss of Austria and the annexation of the Sudetenland in the spring of 1938. Several tanks in September 1939 were involved in the invasion of Poland, although this was, for the most part, a forced measure, since the tank regiments and divisions had to be staffed as fully as possible.

In addition, the units of the power plant were improved, primarily the turning mechanism and final drives. Other improvements included a redesign of the power compartment vents and exhaust system. At the same time, a new type of commander's turret was introduced, the same as on the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A tank, and five smoke bombs could be mounted in special pockets in the stern. The antenna mount was also moved a little further aft. In total, the improvements carried out made it possible to increase the maximum speed to 35 km / h, although the combat weight increased to 15.9 tons. Deliveries of tanks Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. In the active army began from mid-1937 to January 1938. The next batch of 15 tanks of the “zero series”, with chassis numbers from 60201 to 60215, was called 2.Serie/Z.W.(subsequently Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.B) and was a development of the prototype Z.W.3. The main difference of this modification was the new chassis, instead of the five-roller one on vertical springs that did not justify itself. Apparently, the Daimler-Benz engineers decided to carry out a kind of unification of the individual elements of the Pz.Kpfw.III and the future Pz.Kpfw.IV - now there were eight road wheels on each side, which were blocked in pairs into carts. Each of the carts was suspended on two groups of leaf springs and equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers of the Fichtel und Sachs type. At the same time, the design of the driving and steering wheels remained the same. The upper part of the caterpillar was now supported by three support rollers. The length of the bearing surface of each of the caterpillar chains was reduced from 3400 to 3200 mm.

Modification 3.Serie/Z.W, which became better known under the designation , was also released in an amount of 15 copies. The differences from Ausf.B were minimal - in fact, an attempt was made to modernize the chassis. The first and last bogies had short parallel springs, while the second and third had one common long spring. In addition, the design of the exhaust system was changed, the arrangement of planetary turning mechanisms, and a new type of tow hook was used. Another difference between the Ausf.C modification (as well as the Ausf.В) was the rounded hatches with hinges, which were located on the upper armor of the front of the hull and were intended for access to the steering. After all the modifications carried out, the mass of the tank was 16,000 kg. Ausf.C deliveries were carried out in parallel with Ausf.B until January 1938 inclusive /

In January 1938, the production of the last modification of the tank was launched ( 3b.Serie/Z.W), which still used a 16-roller chassis with leaf spring suspension. True, a new series of changes was made to its design: the front and rear springs were not installed in parallel, but at an angle. The list of other changes was no less impressive:

- New driving and steering wheels have been introduced;

- the shape of the stern and the armor of the power compartment have been improved (access hatches to the nodes are devoid of ventilation shutters);

— changed the shape of the stern;

— Modified side air intakes;

— modified front tow hooks;

— Rear tow hooks were installed in a new place;

- the capacity of the fuel tanks has been increased to 600 liters;

— Modified exhaust system;

- a new six-speed gearbox ZF SSG 76 has been introduced;

- the thickness of the hull and turret armor, in frontal and side projection, has been increased to 30 mm;

- the design of the commander's cupola has been changed (the wall thickness has been increased to 30 mm, the number of viewing slots has been reduced to five).

Thus, Ausf.D became a kind of prototype for many of the following modifications. All the modifications carried out had a beneficial effect on the technical characteristics, but the combat weight of the tank increased to 19800 kg. Apparently, in order to speed up production, several of the first tanks did not wait for 30-mm armor rolling and their hulls were made of 14.5 mm thick armor.

In practice, the introduction of a 16-roller chassis did not change anything for the better. In addition, the weak armor of the first modifications of the Pz.Kpfw.III was indicated. Not surprisingly, after the Polish campaign, it was decided to withdraw Ausf.B, C and D from the combat units. This process was completed in February 1940.

The tanks were transferred to training units, but after some time they were again in demand. Ausf.D modification tanks had a chance to take part in the Norwegian campaign as part of the 40th tank battalion, and in October 1940, five Ausf.B served as prototypes for the Sturmgeschutz III self-propelled gun.

Sources:
P. Chamberlain, H. Doyle "Encyclopedia of German tanks of the 2nd World War." AST \ Astrel. Moscow, 2004
M.B. Baratinsky "Medium Tank Panzer III" ("MK Armor Collection" 2000-06)

PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MEDIUM TANKS Pz.Kpfw.III sample 1937-1942

	1937	1938	Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.G 1940	Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.L 1941	Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.N 1942
COMBAT WEIGHT	15900 kg	16000 kg	20300 kg	22700 kg	23000 kg
CREW, pers.	5
DIMENSIONS
Length, mm	5670	5920	5410	6280	5650 (Ausf.M)
Width, mm	2810	2820	2950	2950	2950
Height, mm	2390	2420	2440	2500	2500
Clearance, mm	380	375	385
WEAPONS	one 37mm 3.7cm KwK L/46.5 cannon and three 7.92mm MG34 machine guns		one 50mm 5.0cm KwK L/42 cannon and two 7.92mm MG34 machine guns	one 50mm 5.0cm KwK L/60 cannon and two 7.92mm MG34 machine guns	one 75mm 7.5cm KwK L/24 cannon and one 7.92mm MG34 machine gun
AMMUNITION	120 shots and 4425 rounds		90 shots and 2700 rounds	99 shots and 2700 rounds	64 shots and 3750 rounds (Ausf.M)
AIMING DEVICES	telescopic sight TZF5a and optical sight KgZF2		telescopic sight TZF5d and optical sight KgZF2	telescopic sight TZF5e and optical sight KgZF2	telescopic sight TZF5b and optical sight KgZF2
BOOKING	hull forehead - 14.5 mm hull board - 14.5 mm hull feed - 14.5 mm tower forehead - 14.5 mm turret board - 14.5 mm turret feed - 14.5 mm superstructure roof - 10 mm bottom - 4 mm		hull forehead - 30 mm hull board - 30 mm hull feed - 21 mm tower forehead - 57 mm turret side - 30 mm turret feed - 30 mm tower roof - 12 mm gun mask - 37 mm superstructure roof - 17 mm bottom - 16 mm	superstructure forehead - 50 + 20 mm hull forehead - 50 + 20 mm hull board - 30 mm hull feed - 50 mm tower forehead - 57 mm turret side - 30 mm turret feed - 30 mm tower roof - 10 mm gun mask - 50 + 20 mm superstructure roof - 18 mm bottom - 16 mm
ENGINE	Maybach HL108TR, carbureted, 12-cylinder, 250 hp at 3000 rpm.		Maybach 120TRM, carbureted, 12-cylinder, 300 hp at 3000 rpm.
TRANSMISSION	ZF SGF 75 mechanical type: 5-speed gearbox (5 + 1), planetary steering, side differentials	ZF SSG 76 mechanical type: 6-speed gearbox (6 + 1), planetary steering, side differentials	Variorex SRG 328-145 mechanical type: 10-speed gearbox (10 + 4), demultiple indicator, planetary steering mechanism, side differentials	Maibach SSG 77 mechanical type: 6-speed gearbox (6 + 1), planetary steering, side differentials
CHASSIS (on one side)	5 track rollers with suspension on vertical springs, 3 support rollers, front drive and rear guide wheels, fine-linked track with steel tracks	8 double track rollers with suspension on leaf springs, 3 support rollers, front drive and rear guide wheels, fine-linked track with steel tracks	6 dual track rollers with torsion bar suspension, 3 carrier rollers, front drive and rear idler wheels, fine-link track with steel tracks
SPEED	32 km/h on the highway 18 km/h on the ground	35 km/h on the highway 18 km/h on the ground	40 km/h on the highway 18 km/h on the ground
POWER RESERVE	165 km on the highway 95 km in terrain			155 km by highway 95 km in terrain
OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME
Climb angle, deg.	30°
Wall height, m	0,6
Ford depth, m	0,80	0,80	0,80	1,30	1,30
Ditch width, m	2,7	2,3	2,0	2,0	2,0
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION	radio station FuG5 with whip antenna, TPU and lighting device

Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. E

Main characteristics

Briefly

in detail

1.7 / 1.7 / 1.7 BR

5 people Crew

88% Visibility

forehead / side / stern Booking

30 / 30 / 20 cases

35 / 30 / 30 towers

Mobility

19.5 tons Weight

572 l/s 300 l/s Engine power

29 hp/t 15 hp/t specific

78 km/h ahead
13 km/h back70 km/h forward
11 km/h back Speed

Armament

131 shells ammo

2.9 / 3.7 sec recharge

10° / 20° UVN

3,600 rounds of ammunition

8.0 / 10.4 sec recharge

150 rounds clip size

900 shots/min rate of fire

Economy

Description

Panzerkampfwagen III (3.7 cm) Ausführung E or Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. E. - German medium tank of the Second World War, mass-produced from 1938 to 1943. The abbreviated names of this tank were PzKpfw III, Panzer III, Pz III. In the departmental rubricator of military equipment of Nazi Germany, this tank had the designation Sd.Kfz. 141 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 141 - Special Purpose Vehicle 141).

The PzKpfw III tank was generally a typical representative of the German school of tank building, but with some significant features inherent in other design concepts. Therefore, in terms of its design and layout solutions, on the one hand, it inherited the advantages and disadvantages of the classic “German type” layout, and on the other hand, it did not have some of its negative features. In particular, an individual torsion bar suspension with small-diameter road wheels was unusual for German vehicles, although it proved to be very good in production and operation. Later "Panthers" and "Tigers" had a less reliable in operation and repair and structurally more complex "chessboard" suspension, traditional for German tanks.

On the whole, the PzKpfw III was a reliable, easy-to-handle vehicle with a high level of crew comfort; its modernization potential for 1939-1942 was quite sufficient. On the other hand, despite the reliability and manufacturability, the overloaded undercarriage and the volume of the turret box, insufficient to accommodate a more powerful gun, did not allow it to stay in production longer than 1943, when all the reserves for turning a "light-medium" tank into a full-fledged medium were exhausted.

Main characteristics

Armor protection and survivability

Booking Pz.III E is not outstanding and does not have rational tilt angles. In view of this, to increase security, it is recommended to put the tank "diamond".

The crew of the tank is 5 people, which sometimes allows you to survive a direct hit on the turret, but penetration into the side or center of the hull with a chamber shell will lead to a one-shot. It is worth noting that the tank has a massive commander's turret, when shooting at it, an enemy tank has a chance to destroy all the crew members in the turret.

The location of the tank modules is good. The transmission in the front of the hull can withstand low-yield chamber shells.

The tank has a lot of ammo racks, and to increase survivability it is recommended to take no more than 30 shells with you.

The layout of the Pz.Kpfw modules. III Ausf. E

Mobility

Good mobility, high top speed and excellent turning on the spot. The tank rides well over rough terrain and keeps the gained speed well, but the tank picks up speed very mediocrely.

Armament

main gun

Barrel length - 45 calibers. Elevation angles - from -10° to +20°. The rate of fire is 15-18 rounds / min, which is a very good indicator. Ammunition consists of 131 rounds.

The 3.7 cm KwK36 is a tank version of the 3.7 cm PaK35/36. KwK36 was installed on early modifications of the Pz.Kpfw. III from Ausf.A to some Ausf.F. Starting from the Aust.F series on the Pz.Kpfw. III began to put 5 cm KwK38.

The gun has the following nomenclature of shells:

• PzGr- armor-piercing chamber shells with a flight speed of up to 745 m / s. It has an average armor effect, however, the high rate of fire of the gun and excellent penetration of the projectile compensates for this. Recommended as the main projectile
• PzGr 40- armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile with a flight speed of up to 1020 m / s. It has excellent penetration, but poor armor action. Recommended for point shots on heavily armored targets.

Machine gun armament

Two 7.92 mm Rheinmetall-Borsig MG-34 machine guns were paired with a 37 mm cannon. The third, the same, machine gun was installed in the frontal sheet of the hull. Machine gun ammunition consisted of 4425 rounds. It can be effective against vehicles that do not have any armor, such as Soviet GAZ trucks.

Use in combat

Classic german entry level tank. The combat rating of 1.7 is quite comfortable for this tank. There are no difficult opponents, it all depends on the ability to accurately shoot and drive in the right direction. A good weapon with a good rate of fire helps in every possible way in battle. Sub-caliber shells are available. Basically, the opponents are lightly armored and there are no special problems for the gun to break through them. If you are going to capture a point, it is best to choose the most direct section and, preferably, not turn, because at the slightest turn, precious speed is lost, which is gained not so quickly. The Pz.Kpfw has the same problem. III Ausf. F. If the battle takes place in realistic mode and the point was captured, then usually there are enough respawn points to take the aircraft. But regardless of the mode, it is better to continue the battle by retreating from the point. The enemy can use Art-Strike, and the armor will not save you from a close hit, and even more so a direct one. In addition, there are opponents who want to recapture the point.

• Also, using high speed, you can and should use flank bypasses with an approach to the rear of the enemy.

With a successful detour from the flank, or in another way, you should not immediately break into battle, shooting at everything that is visible. You need to choose the highest priority target. Firstly, these are singles or cars in the rearguard (closing). When shooting, remember that the 37mm cannon has a very weak armor effect, so you need to deliver pinpoint strikes on vital modules.

For example, when meeting with a tank, you can shoot at the turret, thereby damaging the breech or knocking out the gunner (or maybe both options at once), which will give time to reload and deliver a second shot, preferably in the ammunition area or in the MTO (immobilize the enemy). If the enemy catches fire, we quickly look around in search of a second target, if there is no one, we finish off. Then we act according to the situation. If we meet with an enemy self-propelled gun, then the first module needs to knock out the engine, thereby making the self-propelled gun helpless and calmly finish it off. When attacking two opponents at once, the chances of winning are significantly reduced. But even here there are nuances. For example, if this is an SPG, then with the first shot we try to knock out the engine and only then open fire on the tank. Of course, this is just a scenario, and not a 100% rule. We carefully monitor the surroundings.

• Open combat (firefight) is not recommended since the frontal armor is only 30 mm and is pierced by all opponents. Shrapnel is especially dangerous at close range. In fact, it provides death with one shot.

Tank ambush is a very common and familiar tactic. We choose any suitable, as you think, place for an ambush and wait for the enemy. It is desirable that the ambush site provides shooting at the enemy's side. In addition, an ambush must be arranged in places unexpected for the enemy, the main thing in an ambush is surprise, to take the enemy by surprise.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• Good mobility.
• The small size of the tank.
• Good accuracy.
• rapid fire gun

Disadvantages:

• Slow turret traverse speed.
• Small firepower.
• Slow speed up

History reference

Modification PzKpfw III Ausf.E went into production in 1938. Until October 1939, 96 tanks of this type were built at the Daimler-Benz, Henschel and MAN factories. PzKpfw III Ausf.E became the first modification to go into a large series. A feature of the tank was a new torsion bar suspension designed by Ferdinand Porsche.

It consisted of six road wheels, three support rollers, driving and steering wheels. All road wheels were independently suspended on torsion bars. The armament of the tank remained the same - a 37 mm KwK35/36 L/46.5 cannon and three MG-34 machine guns. The thickness of the reservation was increased to 12 mm-30 mm.

The PzKpfw III Ausf.E tanks were equipped with the "Maybach" HL120TR engine with a power of 300 hp. and a 10-speed "Maybach Variorex" gearbox. The mass of the PzKpfw III Ausf.E tank reached 19.5 tons. From August 1940 to 1942, all Ausf.Es produced were re-equipped with a new 50-mm KwK38 L / 42 cannon. The gun was paired not with two, but with only one machine gun. The frontal armor of the hull and superstructure, as well as the aft armor plate, were reinforced with a 30-mm appliqué. Part of the Ausf.E tanks over time went through a rework to the Ausf.F standard. The layout of the tank was traditional for the Germans - with a front-mounted transmission, which reduced the length and increased the height of the vehicle, simplified the design of control drives and their maintenance. In addition, prerequisites were created for increasing the dimensions of the fighting compartment. Characteristic for the hull of this tank, as, indeed, for all German tanks of that period, was the equal strength of the armor plates on all main planes and the abundance of hatches. Until the summer of 1943, the Germans preferred the convenience of access to the units to the strength of the hull. The transmission deserves a positive assessment, which was characterized by a large number of gears in the gearbox with a small number of gears: one gear per gear. The rigidity of the box, in addition to the ribs in the crankcase, was provided by a “shaftless” gear mounting system. In order to facilitate control and increase the average speed of movement, equalizers and servo mechanisms were used. The width of the track chains - 360 mm - was chosen mainly based on road traffic conditions, significantly limiting off-road patency. However, the latter in the conditions of the Western European theater of operations was quite difficult to find.

Media

see also

Links

Family Pz.III
3.7 cm KwK 36