Tankopedia
WW2MediumMedium TankGermany

Panzer III

In service 1939 - 1945

Germany's intended main battle tank of the early war and the vehicle in which panzer crews learned their trade.

Built byDaimler-Benz, MAN, Henschel, Alkett

Panzer III
PzKpfwIIIF.Saumur.000a1y8q — User:Fat yankey, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5

Development history

Designed as the tank-fighting partner to the support-oriented Panzer IV, the Panzer III had a three-man turret, a commander cupola and radios throughout - advantages that mattered more in 1940 than raw firepower. It was progressively up-gunned from 37 mm to 50 mm, but its turret ring could not take the long 75 mm, so from 1943 the chassis lived on as the StuG III assault gun. It carried the Afrika Korps through its best months in the desert.

Photo gallery

Period photographs with source and licence details.

1 images

Variants

One canonical record, 5 recorded variants.

  1. Ausf. E-F

    1939

    Torsion-bar suspension standardised; 37 mm KwK 36.

  2. Ausf. G-H

    1940

    Uprated to 50 mm KwK 38 L/42, thicker front plate.

  3. Ausf. J-L

    1941

    Long 50 mm KwK 39 L/60, face-hardened appliqué armour, spaced turret front.

  4. Ausf. M

    1942

    Deep-wading exhaust, side skirts (Schurzen).

  5. Ausf. N

    1942

    Short 75 mm KwK 37 fitted as a close-support tank for Tiger battalions.

Notable actions

  • Battle of France (1940)
  • Operation Barbarossa (1941)
  • Second Battle of El Alamein (1942)
  • Battle of Kursk (1943)