Tank pz 3 all modifications. Historical information about the development and use of medium tanks PzKpfw III

It is designed according to the following layout: the power plant is located at the rear, the fighting compartment and control compartment are in the middle part of the hull, and the power transmission and drive wheels are located in the front. The relatively low hull 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+20-mm. A multifaceted tower was located in the center of the building. The gun without a muzzle brake was installed in the turret using a wide cylindrical mantlet.

The following modifications of the tank were produced:

• A-E - tank with a 37 mm cannon;
• F-N - tank with a 50 mm cannon;
• 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 have been used only as special vehicles. In total, the German industry produced 5,700 Pz-III tanks of various modifications.

By 1936, the German tank forces were armed with the PzKpfw I light tank, 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 destiny was to serve 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 the light tanks PzKpfw I to the medium tanks PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV, which were destined to become the main German tanks, which largely determined the successes and failures of the Third Reich.

The tanks were designed to withstand a direct hit from an armor-piercing shell.
The frontal armor of the tank could withstand a hit from a high-explosive shell. To combat 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 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, tank units should have adopted two types of tanks with fundamentally different weapons. One tank is for fighting enemy tanks, the other is for fighting infantry.

The PzKpfw III, armed first with a 37 mm and later with a 50 mm cannon, acted as a tank with anti-tank weapons. To fight infantry, they chose the PzKpfw IV, arming it with a short-barreled 75 mm cannon.

The companies MAN, Daimler-Benz AG, Rheinmetall-Borsing and Krupp took part in the competition to create a 15-ton tank. For reasons of secrecy, the tank was given the designation "platoon commander's vehicle" ("Zugfuehrerwagen", ZW). The prototypes were tested in 1936-1937. at the training grounds in Kummersdorf and Ulm. In comparative tests, the model presented by Daimler-Benz won, and it was decided to develop it.

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 ring, and the rear part of the superstructure with an over-engine armor plate. The main elements were connected to each other by welding, and the parts of each element were connected with rivets and bolts. Inside, the car body was divided by a bulkhead.

The front compartment contained a gearbox with a steering mechanism, and the rear compartment contained the combat and engine compartments. The shape of the hull, turret and superstructure, as well as the arrangement 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 tank was produced in May 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 remaining tanks were used for testing.

Comparative tactical and technical characteristics of tanks

Also in 1937, the PzKpfw III Ausf.B 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 vehicles 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 took part in the September battles in Poland.

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

The first four modifications of the PzKpfw III (Ausf.A, B, C and D) were actually prototypes produced by Daimler-Benz. They were not intended for large-scale production, and each subsequent modification was a modified version of the modification of the previous one. All tanks of these four modifications had 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 armor thickness was only 5mm-15mm. 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 vehicle commander, while the Ausf.D had a cast turret similar to the one on the PzKpfw IV Ausf.B.

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

Performance characteristics

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

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

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

Panzerkampfwagen III is a German medium tank from World War II, 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 was designated Sd.Kfz. 141 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 141 - special purpose vehicle 141). In Soviet historical documents and popular literature, the PzKpfw III was referred to as "Type 3", T-III or T-3.

Captured tank Pz.Kpfw. III from the Soviet 107th separate tank battalion. Volkhov Front, April 1942.

These combat vehicles were used by the Wehrmacht from the first day of World War II. The latest records of the combat use of PzKpfw III in regular Wehrmacht units date back to mid-1944; single tanks fought until the surrender of Germany. From mid-1941 to early 1943, the PzKpfw III was the backbone of the Wehrmacht's armored forces (Panzerwaffe) and, despite its relative weakness compared to its contemporary tanks from the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, made a significant contribution to the successes of the Wehrmacht of that period. Tanks of this type were supplied to the armies of Germany's Axis allies. Captured PzKpfw IIIs were used by the Red Army and the Allies with good results. On the basis of the PzKpfw III, self-propelled artillery mounts (self-propelled guns) for various purposes were created in Germany and the USSR.

German soldiers around a medium tank Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.J stuck in the mud with tail number 201 from the 17th Panzer Division (17.Pz.Div.) of the Wehrmacht. Eastern front. A flag is attached to the roof of the tower for identification by its aircraft.

History of creation and production

Zugführerwagen

Although Germany, which was defeated in the First World War, was prohibited from having armored forces under the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty, work on the creation of armored vehicles had been carried out since 1925. The first tank eventually launched was the light tank PzKpfw I, then known under the code designation “small tractor” (German: Kleintraktor), which had been in development since 1930. At the same time, the shortcomings of the PzKpfw I, which had a crew of two, machine gun armament and bulletproof armor, were obvious even at the design stage, so soon the Reichswehr Armament Directorate formulated the need to develop heavier tanks. According to documents from the Krupp company for 1933, the Armament Directorate planned to create two tanks - somewhat larger than the PzKpfw I and armed with a 20-mm cannon, the future PzKpfw II, the development of which was entrusted to Daimler-Benz and armed with a 37-mm cannon and a tank weighing about 10 tons, the development contract for which Krupp planned to receive. The final decision to begin the development of these two vehicles was made after a meeting of the leadership of the Armament Directorate on January 11, 1934 to determine priority programs in the face of a lack of funding. Formal permission to begin work on the tank (German: Gefechtskampfwagen) was issued to the Armored Inspectorate on January 27 of the same year.

German tank Pz.Kpfw. III from the 24th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht (24. Panzer-Division), knocked out at Stalingrad

In February 1934, the Armament Directorate organized a competition to develop a new tank, codenamed “platoon commander’s tank” (German: Zugführerwagen) or Z.W. After researching the capabilities of various companies, four companies were invited to participate in the competition: Daimler-Benz, Krupp, M.A.N. and Rheinmetall. Technical requirements for the tank included:

— weight about 10 tons;
— armament from a 37-mm cannon in a rotating turret;
— maximum speed of at least 40 km/h;
— use of the HL 100 engine with a power of 300 hp. With. manufactured by Maybach, SSG 75 transmission from Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen, Wilson-Cletrac type turning mechanism and Kgs.65/326/100 tracks.

After studying the preliminary designs submitted by Daimler-Benz, M.A.N. and Rheinmetall, the Armament Directorate issued orders for the production of prototypes in the summer of 1934:

— “Daimler-Benz” - two chassis prototypes;
- M.A.N. - one prototype chassis;
— “Krupp” - two prototypes of the tower;
— "Rheinmetall" - one prototype of the tower.

Based on the results of testing prototypes, the Daimler-Benz chassis was chosen, the first copy of which was assembled in August 1935. In addition to the first chassis, designated Z.W.1 and Z.W.2, Daimler-Benz was contracted to build two more improved prototypes, the Z.W.3 and Z.W.4. Two prototypes of the Krupp turrets were completed back in August 1934, but they were finally selected only after comparative tests of them along with the Rheinmetall turrets on chassis prototypes.

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. A, B, C and D

The order for the production of the “zero series” of 25 tanks, intended for military testing, was issued by the Armament Directorate in December 1935, while the release of the first tanks was scheduled for October 1936 in order to transfer all 25 vehicles to the troops by April 1, 1937 of the year. By that time, the designation of the tank had changed several times, until by order of April 3, 1936 it was established in the final version - Panzerkampfwagen III.

The contract for the production of the first pre-production batch (1.Serie/Z.W.) of 10 vehicles was awarded to Daimler-Benz, while the turrets for the tanks were to be supplied by Krupp. In addition to them, a number of other companies were involved in production, producing individual units and components of the tank. Thus, the armored hulls and turret armor were manufactured by Deutsche Edelstalwerke; a number of other companies supplied optical instruments and components of the power plant and chassis. Ten vehicles of this series, later designated Ausführung A (Ausf. A - “model A”), were a development of the design of the Z.W.1 prototype. A characteristic feature of this modification was the chassis, with five large-diameter road wheels with individual suspension on vertical springs and two support rollers on each side. Mass Ausf. A was 15 tons, but the maximum speed was lower than the customer’s requirements and amounted to only 35 km/h. Daimler-Benz planned to complete the assembly of the two chassis by November 1936, but the actual start of production of the Ausf. A dragged on until 1937. The exact dates of production of vehicles of this modification are unknown, but their approximate period is known - between May 1, 1937, when, according to reports, not a single tank had yet been accepted, and October 1 of the same year, when 12 PzKpfw IIIs were already in service.

German tank landing on a T-III tank, 1941.

The second order, issued by Daimler-Benz and Krupp, provided for the production of a second pre-production batch (2.Serie/Z.W.) of 15 cars, which were a development of the Z.W.3 prototype and designated Ausf. B. From Ausf. And they were distinguished primarily by the chassis, which had 8 small-diameter road wheels on each side, interlocked in pairs into bogies, suspended on two groups of leaf springs and equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers. In addition, a number of less significant changes were made to the design of the tank. Five Ausf chassis. B were redirected for the production of the zero series of Sturmgeschütz III self-propelled guns, so as tanks, according to German documentation, only 10 of them were completed, although many sources nevertheless say 15 tanks of this modification were produced. After testing, all 5 vehicles of the zero series Sturmgeschütz III were used for training purposes until 1941. Production of tanks of this modification began after the completion of work on vehicles from the Ausf batch. Ah, and the latest Ausf tanks. B were delivered to the troops by the end of November - beginning of December 1937.

An order for the third pre-production batch of PzKpfw III (3.Serie/Z.W.) of 40 tanks was also issued to Daimler-Benz and Krupp, and a number of both previous and new subcontractors for individual units and components of the tank were also involved in the production. 3.Serie/Z.W. included two parties - 3a.Serie/Z.W. of 15 vehicles and 3b.Serie/Z.W. of the 25 vehicles designated, respectively, Ausf. C and Ausf. D. Structurally Ausf. C tanks were different from Ausf tanks. First of all, a modified suspension, 8 rollers of which on each side were now arranged into three bogies - the outermost rollers of two and the middle of four rollers, still suspended on leaf springs, and the outer bogies also on shock absorbers. In addition, the power plant units were improved, primarily the turning mechanism and final drives. Produced by Ausf. C was conducted from mid-1937 to January 1938.

German tank PzKpfw III Ausf. H

The last pre-production modification of the PzKpfw III was the Ausf. D. Tanks of this modification were distinguished by a modified rear hull and a new commander's cupola design, as well as changes in the power plant and suspension elements. Many features of Ausf. D, for example, the design of the rear part, was subsequently adopted into production vehicles. Historians have differing opinions regarding the armor of tanks of this modification. The traditional version is about 30 mm vertical armor Ausf. D, as on the tanks of the first production modifications, according to various sources, all, or all except for the first 5 vehicles, Ausf. D. However, this version is disputed by historian T. Jentz, who points out that these data, like many others, come from British intelligence reports written during and shortly after World War II and are merely erroneous assumptions. Jentz himself, based on German documents from that period, claims that the armor of all Ausf tanks. D remained unchanged compared to previous modifications, and only the new commander's cupola had 30 mm armor. Produced by Ausf. D began in January 1938, immediately after the completion of the Ausf. C. According to German documents, in the report for July 1, 1938, 56 Ausf tanks were listed in service. A - Ausf. D, but, according to historians, the last Ausf. D were issued back in June or July 1938. Initial order Ausf. D amounted to 25 vehicles, however, due to the fact that 5 Ausf chassis. B were previously allocated for the construction of self-propelled guns, the upper parts of the hull and turret already made for them remained unclaimed, and the Armament Directorate ordered Daimler-Benz to manufacture 5 additional chassis in 3b.Serie/Z.W. (No. 60221-60225). However, by that time the production of subsequent series of PzKpfw III had already become a priority, so the assembly of these five vehicles, designated in some documents as 3c.Serie/Z.W., took place only in October 1940. It was these 5 tanks, which entered the 40th Special Purpose Tank Battalion in Norway, that took part in the beginning of Operation Barbarossa in northern Finland. In total, 30 tanks of the Ausf modification were manufactured. D, although some sources also give figures of 29 or even 50 cars.

German tank Pz.Kpfw. III, hit and overturned on the Eastern Front.

Production

Modifications

At the end of the summer of 1940, 168 Panzerkampfwagen III tanks of versions F, G and H were converted for movement under water and were to be used during the landings on the English coast. The immersion depth was 15 m; fresh air was supplied by a hose 18 m long and 20 cm in diameter. In the spring of 1941, experiments were continued with a 3.5-m pipe - a “snorkel”. Since the landing in England did not take place, a number of such tanks from the 18th Panzer Division crossed the bottom of the Western Bug on June 22, 1941.
Most of the 600 tanks of versions F and G built before the end of 1941 were armed with a new 50 mm cannon and, accordingly, could withstand the armor of the T-34 (sides) at distances of less than 500 meters. And partially KV (bottom of the forehead of the hull).

Tauchpanzer III

Design

The PzKpfw III had a layout with the engine compartment located in the rear, the transmission compartment in the front, and the control and fighting compartments in the middle part of the tank. The crew of the PzKpfw III consisted of five people: a driver and gunner-radio operator, located in the control compartment and a commander, gunner and loader, located in a three-seat turret.

Armament

The armor-piercing effect of armor-piercing shells was not always effective since the projectile was severely damaged; sub-caliber shells generally have an unpredictable armor-piercing effect. This further reduces the effectiveness of the fire. Taking into account the caliber, these factors were of sufficient importance (caliber of the level of a hand-held offensive (light) grenade). On the other hand, in a confined space and dense layout, any action causes damage. By the end of the war, with an increase in calibers, the effect of shells on armor reached a destructive effect (the IS-2, after a number of hits without penetration, lost the strength of its hull and began to fall apart; under the influence of its larger-caliber shells, the German armor, which had become fragile, was destroyed even from the first hit in large volumes (turret shift from the shoulder strap by 20 cm or more)).

Surveillance and communications equipment

All PzKpfw III tanks were equipped with a FuG 5 radio station, located above the gearbox, to the left of the radio operator. Range - 6.4 km by telephone and 9.4 km by telegraph. Internal communication between crew members was carried out using a TPU and a signaling device.

Red Army soldiers inspect German Pz tanks. Kfpw. III, knocked out near Mogilev. The vehicles were hit by units of the 388th Infantry Regiment.

Engine and transmission

All modifications were equipped with twelve-cylinder gasoline carburetor Maybach engines. Modifications Ausf.A-Ausf.D - HL108TR engine with a volume of 10.8 liters and a power of 250 hp. Modifications Ausf.E-Ausf.N - HL120TR engine with a volume of 11.9 liters, power 300-320 hp. Structurally, the second motor was a development of the first; The engines differed in cylinder diameter and compression ratio.

Gearboxes: modifications Ausf.A-Ausf.D - six-speed (+5;-1); modifications Ausf.E-Ausf.G - fourteen-speed (+10;-4); modifications Ausf.H-Ausf.N - seven-speed (+6;-1). The fourteen-speed gearbox of the Ausf.E-Ausf.G modifications was a rare type of the so-called shaftless preselective gearbox of the Maybach Variorex model.

The rotation mechanism is single-speed planetary. It consisted of two identical differential gearboxes, one for each side, which performed a dual function - the function of the turning mechanism itself and the function of one of the reduction stages of the main gear. Each differential gearbox had its own rotation brake. The turning mechanism is controlled by two levers, each of which is connected both to its own turning brake and to the stopping brake of its side. Group drive of stopping brakes - pedal.

The main gear had three stages of reduction. The first stage consisted of a bevel gear reducer for transmitting torque from the gearbox to the common drive shaft of the turning mechanism. The second is from a pair of differential gearboxes of the rotation mechanism. The third is from a pair of onboard spur gearboxes. The general gear ratio on different modifications is 7-9 depending on the engine and gearbox type.

Chassis of various modifications of the tank

Chassis

The chassis of the tank was distinguished by significant diversity. There were still common features - the traditional arrangement of the drive wheels in front for German tank building and the idlers in the back, the presence of support rollers. The road wheels were rubberized. The modifications (German: “Ausfuehrung” or “Ausf.”) differed in the number of rollers, their sizes, and shock-absorbing structure. It should be noted that during the course of evolution, three fundamentally different depreciation options were used.

Ausf. A: the only modification with a spring suspension (a spring for each roller), two support rollers (all others have three), five support rollers of increased diameter.

Ausf. B, C, D: eight reduced-size road wheels, spring suspension. At Ausf. B two semi-elliptic springs rested with their ends on rollers interlocked in pairs, Ausf. C, D already had three springs, and the latter had springs located at an angle.

Ausf. E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N: torsion bar suspension, six medium-sized road wheels. The modifications differed from each other mainly in the sizes of the rollers and rubber tires, the design and design of the drive wheel and idler.

Flammpanzer III (Sd.Kfz. 141/3), Eastern Front 1943/1944.

Vehicles based on Panzerkampfwagen III

On the basis of the linear PzKpfw III, specialized tanks and armored vehicles were built:

in Germany:

— Panzerbefehlswagen III - command tank;
— Flammpanzer III - flamethrower tank;
— Tauchpanzer III - underwater tank;
- Artillerie-Panzerbeobachtungswagen III - observation armored artillery vehicle (vehicle of advanced artillery observers);
— Sturmgeschütz III - self-propelled guns;
— Sturmhaubitze 42 - self-propelled guns;
- Sturm-Infanteriegeschütz 33 Ausf.B;

in the USSR (based on captured tanks):

— SU-76i - self-propelled guns;
— SU-85i - self-propelled guns;
— SG-122 - self-propelled guns.

StuG III Ausf. G Finnish Tank Division

Combat use

Invasion of the USSR

By the time of the invasion of the USSR, the PzKpfw III was the main weapon of the Wehrmacht tank units. As of June 22, 1941, there were about 1,000 vehicles of this type in divisions sent to the USSR, which amounted to 25 to 34% of the total number of tanks sent to the USSR.

The PzKpfw III tank battalion included light tank companies (three platoons of five tanks of this type, plus two such tanks in the control platoon. There are two such companies in the tank battalion). Thus, a typical Wehrmacht tank division during the invasion of the USSR with one tank regiment of two battalions had 71 PzKpfw III units for combat purposes plus 6 special commander units for control. In fact, the division into light and medium tank companies in 1941 was formal. Since the end of 1940, the tank divisions were reorganized (instead of a two-regiment tank brigade, they were left with one regiment of two or three battalions) and the Pz III became the main vehicle of a light tank company (17 Pz III and 5 Pz II in each), and the main vehicle of a light tank company was Pz IV (12 Pz IV and 7 Pz II). Thus, each tank battalion had 34 Pz III tanks. Another 3 Pz III tanks were in the regimental command platoon. So a typical tank division (not equipped with Czech tanks) had from 71 to 105 Pz III tanks, depending on the number of tank battalions in the tank regiment.

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

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

And it all started quite prosaically. Having barely launched the Pz.Kpfw.I and Pz.Kpfw.II light tanks into mass production, representatives of the Armament Service of the Ground Forces formulated the 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 thick armor. The development was carried out on a competitive basis and a total of 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 Armament Directorate issued orders for the production of prototypes, distributing orders among four companies. Daimler-Benz and MAN were to produce chassis prototypes (two and one prototype, respectively). At the same time, Krupp and Rheinmetall were obliged to provide a similar number of towers.
The Armament 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 seemed 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 supply 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 classified as a light tank. The first option, designated Vs.Kfz.619(experimental vehicle No. 619), in fact, was a pre-production vehicle on which numerous innovations were tested. There is no doubt that it differed favorably 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 assessed so highly.

The design was based on a completely new chassis of the original configuration. For one side, it consisted of five double road wheels with coil spring suspension, two small support rollers, a front drive wheel and a rear idler wheel. The small-link caterpillar consisted of steel single-ridge tracks.

The tank's hull was designed with a more spacious fighting compartment in mind 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, giving preference to better manufacturability of the design.

The layout of the hull was close to classical. In the front part there 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 Zahnradfabrik ZF SGF 75 five-speed mechanical synchronized gearbox. The torque from the gearbox was transmitted to the planetary turning mechanisms and final drives. The engine and gearbox were connected by a driveshaft running under the floor of the fighting compartment.

Behind the transmission compartment there were places for the driver (on the left) and the gunner-radio operator (on the right). The middle part of the hull was occupied by the fighting compartment, on the roof of which was installed a hexagonal three-man turret with an upper inclined armor plate. Inside there were places for the commander, gunner and loader. At the rear of the tower there was a high observation turret with six viewing slits 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 in the sides.

In general, starting with the “troika”, the Germans paid great attention not only to good visibility, but also to ways to escape the tank in emergency situations - in total, the turret received three hatches: one on the top and two on the side. At the same time, the prototype and tanks of the first modifications did not have hatches for the driver and radio operator.

At the rear of the hull there was an engine compartment. A 12-cylinder V-shaped gasoline engine Maybach HL108TR was installed here, developing a power of 250 hp. at 3000 rpm. The cooling system is liquid.

The tank's armament consisted of one 37-mm 3.7cm KwK cannon with a barrel length of 46.5 calibers. According to the table values, the 3.7cm Pzgr armor-piercing projectile weighing 815 grams developed an initial speed of 1020 m/s and could penetrate a vertically mounted armor plate 34 mm thick 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 the mantlet to the right of the gun, and the third was located in the front hull plate. The ammunition for the 37-mm cannon was 120 armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation rounds, as well as 4,425 rounds of machine gun ammunition.

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

After relatively successful testing on April 3, 1936, the tank received the official designation Panzerkampfwagen III (Pz.Kpfw.III), while according to the end-to-end designation system 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.(later) and were a development of Z.W.1. Due to the tight deadlines, it was necessary to take a number of temporary measures and solutions, 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 turned out to be too modest. The forehead, sides and rear (both hull and turret) were only 14.5 mm thick, the roof – 10 mm, and the bottom – 4 mm. The Soviet light tanks T-26 and BT-7 of the 1936-1937 model had similar performance, with more powerful cannon armament.

Almost all Ausf.As built were distributed among the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Panzer Divisions, where they were used primarily for crew training. In the winter of 1937-1938. They took part in the big winter maneuvers of the Wehrmacht and showed themselves well. Of the significant defects, only poor suspension design was noted, which was corrected on other modifications of the tank.

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

In addition, the power plant units were improved, primarily the turning mechanism and final drives. Other modifications included changes to the design of the power compartment vents and exhaust system. At the same time, a new type of commander's cupola was introduced, the same as on the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A tank, and five smoke bombs could be installed in special pockets at the rear. The antenna mounting location was also moved a little further to the stern. In total, the improvements made made it possible to increase the maximum speed to 35 km/h, although the combat weight increased to 15.9 tons. Deliveries of Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. tanks to the active army began from mid-1937 to January 1938. The next batch of 15 “zero series” tanks, with chassis numbers from 60201 to 60215, was called 2.Serie/Z.W.(later Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.B) and was a development of the Z.W.3 prototype. The main difference of this modification was the new chassis, instead of the five-wheel one on vertical springs, which did not justify itself. Apparently, Daimler-Benz engineers decided to carry out a kind of unification of individual elements of the Pz.Kpfw.III and the future Pz.Kpfw.IV - now there were eight road wheels on each side, which were locked in pairs into bogies. Each of the bogies 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 drive and guide wheels remains the same. The upper part of the track was now supported by three support rollers. The length of the supporting surface of each track chain has been reduced from 3400 to 3200 mm.

Modification 3.Serie/Z.W, which became better known under the designation, was also released in 15 copies. The differences from the 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 bogies had one common long spring. In addition, the design of the exhaust system, the design of the planetary rotation mechanisms were changed, and a new type of tow hook was used. Another difference between the Ausf.C modification (as well as the Ausf.B) was the rounded shape of the hinged hatches, which were located on the upper armor of the front part 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. Deliveries of Ausf.C were carried out in parallel with Ausf.B until January 1938 inclusive /

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

— new drive and guide wheels were introduced;

— the shape of the stern and the armoring of the power compartment have been improved (the access hatches to the units do not have ventilation shutters);

— the shape of the stern has been changed;

— the side air intakes have been modified;

— modified front tow hooks;

— the rear towing hooks were installed in a new location;

— the capacity of the fuel tanks was increased to 600 liters;

— modified exhaust system;

— a new six-speed ZF SSG 76 gearbox was introduced;

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

— the design of the commander’s cupola was changed (the wall thickness was increased to 30 mm, the number of viewing slots was reduced to five).

Thus, Ausf.D became a kind of prototype for many subsequent modifications. All the modifications carried out had a beneficial effect on the technical characteristics, but the combat weight of the tank increased to 19,800 kg. Apparently, in order to speed up production, the first few tanks did not receive the 30 mm rolled armor and their hulls were made of 14.5 mm thick armor.

In practice, the introduction of a 16-wheel chassis did not change anything for the better. In addition, the weak armor of the first modifications of the Pz.Kpfw.III was indicated. It is not surprising that 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 in demand again. Tanks of the Ausf.D modification took part in the Norwegian campaign as part of the 40th Tank Battalion, and in October 1940, five Ausf.Bs 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” (“Armor collection MK” 2000-06)

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MEDIUM TANKS Pz.Kpfw.III model 1937-1942.

Pz Kpfw III (T-III)

Until the summer of 1943, the Germans divided theirs into light, medium and heavy weapons. Therefore, with approximately equal mass and armor thickness of the Pz. III was considered average, and Pz. IV - heavy.
However, it was the Pz. III was destined to become one of the concrete embodiments of the military doctrine of Nazi Germany. Not forming a majority in the Wehrmacht tank divisions either in the Polish (96 units) or in the French campaign (381 units), by the time of the attack on the USSR it was already being produced in significant quantities and was the main vehicle of the Panzerwaffe. Its history began simultaneously with other tanks. with which Germany entered the Second World War.
In 1934, the Army Weapons Service issued an order for a combat vehicle with a 37-mm cannon, which received the designation ZW (Zugfuhrerwagen - company commander). From four companies. participating in the competition. only one - Daimler-Benz - received an order for the production of a pilot batch of 10 cars. In 1936, these tanks were transferred to military testing under the army designation PzKpfw III Ausf. A (or Pz. IIIA). They clearly bore the mark of the influence of W. Christie's designs - five large-diameter road wheels.
The second experimental batch of 12 Model B units had a completely different chassis with 8 small road wheels, reminiscent of the Pz, IV. On the next 15 experimental Ausf C tanks, the chassis was similar, but the suspension was noticeably improved. It should be emphasized that all other combat characteristics of the mentioned modifications remained essentially unchanged.
This cannot be said about the D series tanks (50 units), the frontal and side armor of which was increased to 30 mm, while the mass of the tank reached 19.5 tons, and the specific armor increased from 0.77 to 0.96 kg/cm2.
In 1938, at the factories of three companies at once - Daimler-Benz, " " and MAN - production of the first mass modification of the Troika began - Ausf. E. 96 tanks of this model received a chassis with six rubber-coated road wheels and a torsion bar suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers. which was no longer subject to significant changes. The combat weight of the tank was 19.5 tons. The crew consisted of 5 people. This number of crew members, starting with PzKpfw III. became standard on all subsequent German medium and heavy tanks. Thus, already from the mid-30s, the Germans achieved a functional division of duties among crew members. Their opponents came to this much later - only by 1943-1944.
The PzKpfw III E was armed with a 37 mm cannon with a 46.5 caliber barrel and three MG 34 machine guns (131 rounds and 4,500 rounds). 12-cylinder carburetor Maybach HL 120TR with a power of 300 hp. at 3000 rpm it allowed the tank to reach a maximum speed on the highway of 40 km/h; The cruising range was 165 km on the highway and 95 km when driving over rough terrain.
The layout of the tank was traditional for the Germans - with a front-mounted transmission, which shortened the length and increased the height of the vehicle, simplifying the design of control drives and their maintenance. In addition, the prerequisites were created for increasing the size of the fighting compartment.
Characteristic of the hull of this tank is... however, for all German tanks of that period, there was equal strength of the armor plates on all main planes and an abundance of hatches. Until the summer of 1943, the Germans preferred ease of access to units over the strength of the hull.
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 ensured by a “shaftless” gear mounting system. In order to facilitate control and increase the average speed of movement, equalizers and servomechanisms were used.
The width of the caterpillar tracks - 360 mm - was chosen based mainly on road traffic conditions, while off-road capability was significantly limited. However, in the conditions of the Western European theater of operations, off-road conditions still had to be looked for.
The PzKpfw III medium tank was the first truly combat tank of the Wehrmacht. It was developed as a vehicle for platoon leaders, but from 1940 to early 1943 it was the main medium tank of the German army. PzKpfw III of various modifications were produced from 1936 to 1943 by Daimler-Benz, Henschel, MAN, Alkett, Krupp, FAMO, Wegmann, MNH and MIAG.
Germany entered the Second World War armed with, in addition to the light tanks PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II, medium tanks PzKpfw III versions A, B, C, D and E (see chapter "Tanks of the interwar period. 1918-1939", section " Germany").
Between October 1939 and July 1940, FAMO, Daimler-Benz, Henschel, MAN and Alkett produced 435 PzKpfw III Ausf tanks. F, which differed slightly from the previous modification E. The tanks received armor protection for the air intakes of the braking system and control system, access hatches to the control system mechanisms were made of two parts, and the base of the turret was covered with special protection so that if a projectile hits the turret, it would not jam. Additional side lights were installed on the wings. Three running lights of the "Notek" type were located on the front of the hull and the left wing of the tank.
PzKpfw III Ausf. F were armed with a 37-mm cannon with a so-called internal mantlet, and 100 vehicles of the same version were armed with a 50-mm cannon with an external mantlet. In 1942-1943, some tanks received a 50-mm KwK 39 L/60 cannon, the first 10 vehicles with The 50 mm gun was built back in June 1940.
Production of version G tanks began in April - May 1940, and by February 1941, 600 tanks of this type had entered the Wehrmacht tank units. The initial order was 1,250 vehicles, but after the capture of Czechoslovakia, when the Germans put many Czechoslovak LT-38 tanks into service, which received the designation PzKpfw 38 (t) in the German army, the order was reduced to 800 vehicles.
On the PzKpfw III Ausf. G the thickness of the stern armor increased to 30 mm. The driver's inspection slot began to be closed by an armored flap. An electric one in a protective casing appeared on the roof of the tower.
The tanks were supposed to be armed with a 37 mm cannon, but most of the vehicles left the assembly shops with the 50 mm KwK 39 L/42 cannon, developed by Krupp in 1938. At the same time, the re-equipment of previously produced tanks of models E and F with a new artillery system began. The new gun consisted of 99 rounds, and 3,750 rounds were intended for two MG 34 machine guns. After rearmament, the tank's weight increased to 20.3 tons.
The location of boxes with spare parts and tools on the fenders has changed. The roof of the turret had a hole for launching signal flares. An additional equipment box was often attached to the rear wall of the turret. received the humorous name "Rommel's chest".
Tanks of later production were equipped with a new type of commander's cupola, which was also installed on the PzKpfw IV and was equipped with five periscopes.
Tropical tanks were also built. They were designated PzKpfw III Ausf. G (trop) and featured an improved cooling system and air filters. 54 units of these vehicles were produced.
The G version tanks entered service with the Wehrmacht during the French campaign.
In October 1940, from MAN, Alkett. Henschel, Wegmann, MNH and MIAG launched mass production of tanks of the N version. By April 1941, 310 (according to some sources 408) vehicles were built out of 759 ordered in January 1939.
The thickness of the armor of the rear wall of the turret of the PzKpfw III Ausf tanks. H increased to 50 mm. The applicated frontal armor was reinforced with an additional 30 mm thick armor plate.
Due to the increase in the mass of the tank and the use of 400 mm wide tracks, special guides had to be installed on the support and support rollers, which increased the diameter of the rollers by 40 mm. To eliminate excessive track sag, the front support roller, which on version G tanks was located almost next to the spring shock absorber, had to be moved forward.
Other improvements include changes in the position of the fender lights, tow hooks, and the shape of the access hatches. The designers moved the box with smoke bombs under the canopy of the rear plate of the power compartment. An angular profile was installed at the base of the tower, protecting the base from being hit by a projectile.
Instead of the Variorex gearbox, version H vehicles were equipped with the SSG 77 type (six forward gears and one reverse). The design of the turret was changed in such a way that the crew members in it rotated with the turret. The tank commander, as well as the gunner and loader, had their own hatches in the side walls and roof of the turret.
Baptism of fire tanks PzKpfw III Ausf. H received during Operation Barbarossa. In 1942-1943, the tanks were re-equipped with a 50-mm KwK L/60 cannon.
The next production version was the PzKpfw III Ausf. J. They were produced from March 1941 to July 1942. The front and rear of the vehicle were protected by 50 mm armor. The armor on the sides and turret was 30 mm. The armor protection of the gun mantlet has increased by 20 mm. Among other minor improvements, the most significant was the new type of installation of the MG 34 machine gun.
Initially the PzKpfw III Ausf. J were armed with a 50 mm KwK 38 L/42 cannon, but starting in December 1941, they began to be equipped with a new 50 mm KwK 39 cannon with a barrel length of 60 calibers. A total of 1,549 vehicles with the KwK 38 L/42 cannon and 1,067 vehicles with the KwK 38 L/60 cannon were built.
The appearance of a new version - PzKpfw III Ausf. L - due to unsuccessful installation work on the PzKpfw III Ausf. J of the standard turret of the PzKpfw IV Ausf G tank. After the failure of this experiment, it was decided to begin production of a new series of tanks with the improvements provided for the L version and armed with a 50 mm KwK 39 L/60 cannon.
Between June and December 1942, 703 tanks of the L version were produced. Compared to previous versions, the new vehicles had reinforced armor for the cannon mantlet, which simultaneously served as a counterweight to the elongated barrel of the KwK 39 L/60 gun. The front of the hull and turret was protected by additional 20 mm armor plates. The driver's viewing slot and the MG 34 machine gun's mantlet were located in holes in the frontal armor. Other changes concerned the mechanism for tensioning the tracks, the location of smoke bombs at the rear of the tank under the bend of the armor, the design and location of navigation lights and the placement of tools on the fenders. The loader's viewing slot in the additional armor of the gun mantlet was eliminated. At the top of the armor protection of the mask there was a small hole for inspection and maintenance of the mechanisms of the gun's recoil device. Besides. the designers eliminated the armor protection of the turret base, which was located on top of the tank’s hull, and the viewing slots on the sides of the turret. One L version tank was tested with the KwK 0725 recoilless rifle.
Of the ordered 1000 PzKpfw III Ausf. L, only 653 were built. The rest were converted to N version tanks, equipped with a 75 mm caliber gun.
The latest version of the PzKpfw III tank with a 50-mm cannon was the M. Tanks of this modification were a further development of the PzKpfw III Ausf. L and were built from October 1942 to February 1943. The initial order for the new vehicles was 1,000 units, but given the advantages of Soviet tanks over the PzKpfw III with a 50 mm cannon, the order was reduced to 250 vehicles. Some of the remaining tanks were converted to Stug III self-propelled guns and PzKpfw III (FI) flamethrower tanks, and the other part was converted to the N version, installing 75-mm cannons on the vehicles.
Compared to the L version, the PzKpfw III Ausf. M had minor differences. NbKWg smoke grenade launchers of 90 mm caliber were installed on both sides of the turret, a counterweight to the KwK 39 L/60 gun was mounted, and evacuation hatches were eliminated in the side walls of the hull. All this made it possible to increase the ammunition load from 84 to 98 rounds.
The exhaust system of the tank allowed it to overcome water obstacles up to 1.3 m deep without preparation.
Other improvements concerned changing the shape of towing hooks, navigation lights, installing a rack for mounting an anti-aircraft machine gun, and brackets for attaching additional armored screens. The price of one PzKpfw III Ausf. M (without weapons) amounted to 96,183 Reichsmarks.
On April 4, 1942, Hitler ordered a study into the feasibility of rearming PzKpfw III tanks with a 50-mm Pak 38 cannon. For this purpose, one tank was equipped with a new cannon, but the experiment ended unsuccessfully.
The tanks of the latest production version were designated PzKpfw III Ausf. N. They had the same hull and turret as the L and M versions. For their production, 447 and 213 chassis and turrets of both versions were used, respectively. The main thing that distinguished the PzKpfw III Ausf. N from its predecessors, this is the 75-mm KwK 37 L/24, which was armed with the PzKpfw IV tanks of the A-F1 versions. The ammunition load was 64 rounds. PzKpfw III Ausf. N had a modified gun mantlet and a solid commander's cupola, the armor of which reached 100 mm. The viewing slot to the right of the gun was eliminated. In addition, there were a number of other minor differences from earlier versions of the car.
Production of N version tanks began in June 1942 and continued until August 1943. A total of 663 vehicles were produced, another 37 tanks were converted to the Ausf standard. N during the repair of machines of other versions.
In addition to combat, so-called linear tanks, 5 types of command tanks were produced with a total of 435 units. 262 tanks were converted into artillery fire control vehicles. A special order - 100 flamethrower tanks - was completed by Wegmann. For a flamethrower with a range of up to 60 meters, 1000 liters of fire mixture were required. The tanks were intended for Stalingrad, but only reached the front at the beginning of July 1943 - near Kursk.
At the end of the summer of 1940, 168 tanks of versions F, G and H were converted for movement under water and were to be used during the landings on the English coast. The immersion depth was 15m; fresh was supplied with a hose 18 m long and 20 cm in diameter. In the spring of 1941, experiments were continued with a 3.5-m pipe - a “snorkel”. Since the landing in England did not take place, a number of such tanks from the 18th Panzer Division crossed the bottom of the Western Bug on June 22, 1941.
Since July 1944, the PzKpfw III was also used as an ARV. At the same time, a square wheelhouse was installed in place of the tower. In addition, small batches of vehicles were produced for transporting ammunition and carrying out engineering work. There were prototypes of a minesweeper tank and options for converting a linear tank into a railcar.
PzKpfw IIIs were used in all theaters of war - from the Eastern Front to the African desert, enjoying the love of German tank crews everywhere. The amenities created for the crew's work could be considered a role model. Not a single Soviet, English or American tank of that time had them. Excellent observation and aiming devices allowed the Troika to successfully fight the more powerful T-34, KB and Matildas in cases where the latter did not have time to detect it. Captured PzKpfw IIIs were favorite command vehicles in the Red Army precisely for the reasons listed above: comfort, excellent optics, plus an excellent radio station. However, they, like other German tanks, were successfully used by Soviet tankers for their intended combat purpose. There were entire battalions armed with captured tanks.
Production of PzKpfw III tanks was discontinued in 1943, after approximately 6,000 vehicles had been produced. Subsequently, only the production of self-propelled guns based on them continued. Encyclopedia of technology