Panzerkampfwagen III Sd.Kfz. 141 | |
---|---|
![]() Panzer III Ausf. F at Musée des Blindés, France | |
Type | Medium tank |
Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
Service history | |
In service | 1939–1945 |
Used by | Germany Hungary Romania Slovak Republic Croatia Norway Turkey |
Wars | World War II |
Production history | |
Designer | Daimler-Benz |
Designed | 1935–1937 |
Manufacturer | Daimler-Benz |
Unit cost | 103,163 ℛ︁ℳ︁ (Ausf. M) |
Produced | 1939–1943 |
No. built | 5,774 (excluding StuG III) |
Specifications | |
Mass | 23.0 tonnes (25.4 short tons) |
Length | 5.56 m (18 ft 3 in) |
Width | 2.90 m (9 ft 6 in) |
Height | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) |
Crew | 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator/bow machine-gunner) |
Armour | Ausf A-C: 15 mm all around Ausf D-G: 30 mm all around Ausf J+: 50 mm all around |
Main armament | 1 × 3.7 cm KwK 36 Ausf. A-G 1 × 5 cm KwK 38 Ausf. F-J 1 × 5 cm KwK 39 Ausf. J¹-M 1 × 7.5 cm KwK 37 Ausf. N |
Secondary armament | 2–3 × 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun |
Engine | 12-cylinder Maybach HL120 TRM petrol engine 300 PS (295 hp, 220 kW) |
Power/weight | 12 hp (9.6 kW) / tonne |
Suspension | Torsion-bar suspension |
Fuel capacity | 300–320 L (66–70 imp gal; 79–85 US gal) |
Operational range | Road: 165 km (103 mi) Cross-country: 85 km (53 mi)[1] |
Maximum speed | Road: 40 km/h (25 mph) Off-road: 20 km/h (12 mph) |
The Panzerkampfwagen III, commonly known as the Panzer III, was a medium tank developed in the 1930s by Germany, and was used extensively in World War II. The official German ordnance designation was Sd.Kfz. 141. It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and serve alongside and support the similar Panzer IV, which was originally designed for infantry support.
Initially the Panzer III had the same 3.7 cm gun as the infantry used for anti-tank work but later models were given 5 cm gun. This was the largest gun that could be fitted within the limitations of the turret ring and but was insufficient against Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks. The Panzer IV, which had a larger turret ring, was redesigned to mount the long-barrelled 7.5 cm KwK 40 gun and became the main German tank instead. From 1942 the last version of the Panzer III (Panzer III N) mounted the short barrelled 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 which was used on the first Panzer IVs, meaning the Panzer III and the Panzer IV had effectively swapped roles.
Production of the Panzer III ceased in 1943 but the Sturmgeschütz III assault gun which had been developed from the Panzer III chassis continued in production until the end of the war.