III. Workplaces for the crew of the Pz.III tank The structure of the commander's cupola of the T 3 tank
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 sheet of armor 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.
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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. A few tanks were used in the September 1939 invasion of Poland, although it was mostly 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. In parallel, it was introduced new type commander's cupola, the same as on the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A tank, and at the stern, five smoke bombs could be installed in special pockets. 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 some kind of unification individual elements Pz.Kpfw.III and the future Pz.Kpfw.IV - now each side had eight road wheels, 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.
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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 /
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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.
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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.
1937 |
1938 |
Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.G 1940 |
Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.L 1941 |
Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.N 1942 |
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| COMBAT WEIGHT | 15900 kg | 16000 kg | 20300 kg | 22700 kg | 23000 kg | |
| CREW, people | 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 | |
| Ground 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 75 mm 7.5cm KwK L/24 cannon and one 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun | ||
| AMMUNITION | 120 shots and 4425 rounds | 90 shots and 2700 rounds | 99 shots and 2700 rounds | 64 rounds 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 | ||
| RESERVATION | body forehead - 14.5 mm body side - 14.5 mm hull rear - 14.5 mm turret forehead - 14.5 mm turret side - 14.5 mm turret feed - 14.5 mm superstructure roof - 10 mm bottom - 4 mm |
body forehead - 30 mm hull side - 30 mm hull rear - 21 mm turret 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 side - 30 mm hull rear - 50 mm turret 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 |
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| ENGINE | Maybach HL108TR, carburetor, 12-cylinder, 250 hp. at 3000 rpm. | Maybach 120TRM, carburetor, 12-cylinder, 300 hp. at 3000 rpm. | ||||
| TRANSMISSION | ZF SGF 75 mechanical type: 5-speed gearbox (5+1), planetary steering mechanism, side differentials | ZF SSG 76 mechanical type: 6-speed gearbox (6+1), planetary steering mechanism, side differentials | Variorex SRG 328-145 mechanical type: 10-speed gearbox (10+4), range indicator, planetary rotation mechanism, side differentials | Maibach SSG 77 mechanical type: 6-speed gearbox (6+1), planetary steering mechanism, side differentials | ||
| CHASSIS (on one side) |
5 track rollers with suspension on vertical spring springs, 3 support rollers, front drive and rear idler wheels, fine track with steel tracks | 8 dual road wheels with leaf spring suspension, 3 support rollers, front drive and rear idler wheels, fine track with steel tracks | 6 dual road wheels with torsion bar suspension, 3 support rollers, front drive and rear idler wheels, fine track with steel tracks | |||
| SPEED | 32 km/h on the highway 18 km/h on terrain |
35 km/h on the highway 18 km/h on terrain |
40 km/h on the highway 18 km/h on terrain |
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| POWER RESERVE | 165 km by highway 95 km terrain |
155 km by highway 95 km terrain |
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| OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME | ||||||
| Elevation angle, degrees. | 30° | |||||
| Wall height, m | 0,6 | |||||
| Fording 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 | FuG5 radio with whip antenna, TPU and flashing device | |||||
Description
The development of the Panzer III medium tank has been carried out since 1934 by such well-known German concerns as Friedrich Krupp, MAN, Daimler-Benz and Rheinmetal Borsing. Each manufacturer presented its own sample of the tank. As a result, the military gave preference to the Daimler-Benz project. The tank was put into production in 1937 and received its final name - "Pz.Kpfw.III". The first modification of the "Panzer III Ausf.A" had only 14.5 mm bulletproof armor and a 37 mm caliber gun. The tank was quickly improved and refined. Modifications A,B,C,D and E were released in small quantities. The first large batch (435 units) was produced of the Panzer III Ausf.F tank. Most of the F modification tanks were already armed with the 50 mm KwK 38 L/42 cannon. The reinforced frontal armor was now 30mm. The tank continued to be improved, making various design changes, increasing armor and strengthening weapons. Thus, the frontal armor of the Panzer III Ausf.H was already increased to 60mm. For the late 30s, early 40s, this was very good anti-ballistic armor. Work on the tank.jpg)
continued during the first major victories of the Wehrmacht in the West, and then during the war with the Soviet Union, where the Panzer III was already the main tank of the German army. The combat value of the most widely produced Pz.III can be compared with the Soviet T-28 medium tank in terms of firepower and armor, since after the Finnish War the 30mm armor of these Soviet tanks was increased to 50-80mm. Light tanks of the Red Army, such as the T-26 and BT-7, could fight on equal terms with the Pz.III only under very favorable conditions, such as sudden fire from an ambush at very close range, but as a rule, the three were superior to the light ones soviet tanks due to the best tactical and technical characteristics, primarily the armor and guns, as well as thanks to excellent guidance devices, excellent optics and the division of duties of a crew of five people, each of whom did his own thing, while, for example, Soviet crews of three people The T-26s were overloaded with work. Comfortable working conditions for the crew significantly increased the effectiveness of the Pz.III in combat. And yet, with all its advantages, the troika could not fight on absolutely equal terms with the new types of Soviet combat vehicles - the T-34 and KV. Only at a very close range was the fire from the Pz.III cannon effective against these tanks - weak weapon at that time it became the most serious drawback of this wonderful combat vehicle. Soviet tanks had the ability to penetrate the armor of the Panzer III while being at a fairly large distance outside the effective zone of destruction of the latter. The only thing that prevented Soviet tankers from fully realizing their advantages in battle was the lack of radio communications, problems with the T-34 and especially the KV transmission, as well as poor visibility from the tank. In this, the “troika” had advantages, but these shortcomings on the T-34 were eliminated during the war, which completely negated some of the superiority of the Pz.III. "Panzer III" was assigned the role of the main tank in the Eastern Campaign of 1941, and an unpleasant surprise for the Germans was its poor maneuverability in the war against the USSR - too wide caterpillar tracks made it difficult for the tank to move along Russian off-road conditions. The commander of the third German tank group, Hermann Hoth, noted that the lack of roads hampered the advance of his tanks, which were moving through Belarus to Moscow, almost more than the Soviet armies. 
Assessing the latest modifications of the Panzer III tank, namely "Ausf.J", "Ausf.L" and "Ausf.M", it is worth saying that in the late 30s, early 40s this would have been simply an excellent tank, however At the time of the deployment of truly mass production of these tanks of the latest series, Germany’s opponents already also possessed good examples of armored vehicles, in no way inferior, and in a number of characteristics even superior to the German tank. The British could oppose the German Pz.III with their Matilda with 78mm frontal armor, as well as the well-armored Valentine infantry tank. Soviet Union mass produced medium T-34 tanks, and the Americans began sending M4 Sherman tanks to the allies under Lend-Lease. The maximum potential of the Panzer III design was achieved during the development of modifications L and M. It was not possible to further strengthen the armor and install a more powerful gun on the "troika". The Soviet Union, Britain and the USA continued to improve the characteristics of their combat vehicles and it was no longer possible to bring the Panzer III to their level. By that time, Germany had long had a more advanced tank - the Panzer IV, which it finally decided to rely on after the obvious impossibility of further modernizing the Panzer III. No one at the Krupp plant in 1936 could have imagined that this massive vehicle, equipped with a short-barreled infantry support gun and considered auxiliary, would be so widely used in the 1936. With a final total of 9,000 units, it became the most mass tank, ever produced in Germany, the production volumes of which, despite the shortage of materials, grew until the very last days of World War II in Europe.
Wehrmacht workhorse
Despite the fact that they appeared combat vehicles, more modern than the German T-4 tank - “Tiger”, “Panther” and “Royal Tiger”, it not only accounted for most weapons of the Wehrmacht, but was also part of many elite SS divisions. The recipe for success was probably the large hull and turret, ease of maintenance, reliability and robust chassis, which allowed for an expanded array of weapons compared to the Panzer III. From the Model A to the F1, early versions using a short 75 mm barrel were gradually replaced by the "long" ones, F2 to H, with a very effective high-velocity gun inherited from the Pak 40, which could cope with the Soviet KV-1 and T -34. In the end, the T-4 (photo presented in the article) completely surpassed the Panzer III both in numbers and in its capabilities.
Krupp prototype design
It was initially assumed that the German T-4 tank, the technical characteristics of which were determined in 1934 by the Waffenamt, would serve as an “accompanying vehicle"to hide his true role, prohibited by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Heinz Guderian took part in the development of the concept. This new model was to become an infantry support tank and be deployed in the rearguard. It was planned that at the battalion level one such vehicle should be for every three Panzer IIIs. Unlike the T-3, which was equipped with a variant of the standard 37 mm Pak 36 gun with good anti-tank performance, the short barrel of the Panzer IV howitzer could be used against all types of fortifications, blockhouses, pillboxes, anti-tank guns and artillery positions.
Initially, the weight limit for a combat vehicle was 24 tons. MAN, Krupp and Rheinmetall-Borsig created three prototypes, and Krupp received the main contract. The suspension was initially completely new, with six alternating wheels. Later the Army required the installation of rod springs, which provided better vertical deflection. Compared to the previous system, this made the ride smoother, but the need for a new tank stopped further development. Krupp returned to a more traditional system with four twin-wheel bogies and leaf springs for easier servicing. A crew of five was planned - three were in the turret (commander, loader and gunner), and the driver and radio operator were in the hull. The fighting compartment was relatively spacious, with improved sound insulation in the rear engine compartment. The inside of the German T-4 tank (photos in the material illustrate this) was equipped with an onboard communication system and radio.
Although not very noticeable, the Panzer IV's hull is asymmetrical, with the turret offset 6.5 cm to the left and the engine 15 cm to the right. This was done in order to directly connect the turret ring to the transmission for faster rotation. As a result, the ammunition boxes were located on the right.
The prototype, designed and built in 1936 at the Krupp AG plant in Magdeburg, was designated by the Armament Directorate ground forces as Versuchskraftfahrzeug 622. However, in the new pre-war nomenclature it quickly became known as Pz.Kpfw.IV (Sd.Kfz. 161).
The tank had a Maybach HL108TR gasoline engine with a power of 250 hp. s., and a SGR 75 gearbox with five forward and one reverse gears. The maximum speed tested on a flat surface was 31 km/h.
75 mm gun - low-velocity Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 37 L/24. This weapon was intended for firing at concrete fortifications. However, some anti-tank capability was provided by the Panzergranate armor-piercing projectile, whose speed reached 440 m/s. It could penetrate a 43 mm sheet of steel at a distance of 700 m. Two MG-34 machine guns completed the armament, one coaxial and the other at the front of the vehicle.
In the first batch of Type A tanks, the thickness of the hull armor did not exceed 15 mm and the turret armor did not exceed 20 mm. Although it was hardened steel, such protection could only withstand light firearms, light artillery and grenade launcher fragments.
Early "short" preliminary episodes
The German T-4 A tank was a kind of preliminary series of 35 units produced in 1936. The next was the Ausf. B with a modified commander's canopy, a new Maybach HL 120TR engine developing 300 hp. pp., as well as a new transmission SSG75.
Despite the extra weight, top speed has increased to 39 km/h and protection has been enhanced. The thickness of the armor reached 30 mm in the front inclined part of the hull and 15 mm in other places. In addition, the machine gun was protected by a new hatch.
After the production of 42 vehicles, production switched to the German T-4 C tank. The thickness of the armor on the turret increased to 30 mm. The total weight was 18.15 tons. After delivery of 40 units in 1938, the tank was improved by installing a new Maybach HL 120TRM engine for the next hundred vehicles. It is quite logical that modification D followed. The Dora can be distinguished by the machine gun newly installed on the hull and the embrasure placed outside. The thickness of the side armor increased to 20 mm. A total of 243 vehicles of this model were manufactured, the last of which was at the beginning of 1940. Modification D was the last pre-production one, after which the command decided to increase the scale of production.
Standardization
The German T-4 E tank was the first large-scale series to be produced during the war. Although many studies and reports point to the lack of penetration of the Panzer III's 37mm gun, replacing it was not possible. Looking for a solution to conduct testing on one prototype Panzer IV Ausf. D, a modification of the Pak 38 medium-velocity 50 mm cannon was installed. The initial order for 80 units was canceled after the end of the French campaign. In tank battles, in particular against the British Matilda and the French B1 bis, it finally became clear that the thickness of the armor was insufficient and the penetrating power of the gun was weak. In Ausf. E retained the short-barreled KwK 37L/24 gun, but the thickness of the front armor was increased to 50 mm, with 30 mm steel plate overlays as a temporary measure. By April 1941, when this modification was replaced by Ausf. F, its production reached 280 units.
The last "short" model
Another modification significantly changed the German T-4 tank. Characteristics early model F, renamed F1 when the next one appeared, changed due to the replacement of the front cover plate with a 50 mm plate and an increase in the thickness of the side parts of the hull and turret to 30 mm. The total weight of the tank increased to over 22 tons, which forced other changes such as increasing the width of the tracks from 380 to 400 mm to reduce ground pressure, with a corresponding change in the two idler and drive wheels. The F1 was produced in 464 units before its replacement in March 1942.
The first "long"
Even with the armor-piercing Panzergranate round, the Panzer IV's low-velocity gun was no match for heavily armored tanks. In the context of the upcoming campaign in the USSR, a decision had to be made on a major upgrade of the T-3 tank. The now available Pak 38L/60 gun, the effectiveness of which has been confirmed, was intended for installation in the Panzer IV turret. In November 1941, the prototype was completed and production was scheduled. But during the first battles with the Soviet KV-1 and T-34, production of the 50 mm gun, also used in the Panzer III, was discontinued in favor of a new, more powerful model from Rheinmetall based on the 75 mm Pak 40L/46 gun. This led to the development of the KwK 40L/43, a relatively long caliber equipped to reduce recoil. The initial velocity of the Panzergranade 39 projectile exceeded 990 m/s. It could penetrate 77 mm armor at a distance of up to 1850 m. After the creation of the first prototype in February 1942, mass production of the F2 began. By July, 175 units had been produced. In June, the German T-4 F2 tank was renamed T-4 G, but for the Waffenamt both types were designated as Sd.Kfz.161/1. In some documents the model is called F2/G.
Transitional model
The German T-4 G tank was an improved version of the F2 with changes to save metal through the use of progressive frontal armor, thicker at the base. The frontal glacis was reinforced with a new 30mm plate, increasing the thickness to a total of 80mm. This was enough to successfully counter the Soviet 76 mm gun and 76.2 mm anti-tank gun. At first they decided to bring only half of production to this standard, but in January 1943 Adolf Hitler personally ordered a complete transition. However, the weight of the car increased to 23.6 tons, revealing the limitations of the chassis and transmission.
The German T-4 tank has undergone significant changes inside. Turret inspection slits have been eliminated, engine ventilation and ignition at low temperatures improved, additional holders for spare wheels and brackets for track links on the glacis were installed. They also served as temporary protection. The headlights were updated, the armored dome was strengthened and modified.
Later versions in the spring of 1943 added side armor on the hull and turret, as well as smoke grenade launchers. But most importantly, a new, more powerful KwK 40L/48 gun has appeared. After the production of 1,275 standard and 412 improved tanks, production shifted towards the Ausf.H model.
Main version
The German T-4 N tank (photo below) was equipped with a new long-barreled KwK 40L/48 gun. Further changes concerned ease of production - the side inspection slots were removed, and spare parts common to the Panzer III were used. In total, until the next modification of Ausf. J in June 1944, 3774 vehicles were assembled.
In December 1942, Krupp received an order for a tank with fully sloped armor, which due to the additional weight required the development of a new chassis, transmission and possibly engine. However, production began with an updated version of the Ausf.G. The German T-4 tank received a new ZF Zahnradfabrik SSG-76 gearbox, a new set of radio stations (FU2 and 5, and internal communication). The thickness of the frontal armor increased to 80 mm without overlay plates. The weight of the H reached 25 tons in combat gear, and the maximum speed was reduced to 38 km/h, and in real combat conditions to 25 km/h, and much less over rough terrain. By the end of 1943, the German T-4 N tank began to be coated with Zimmerit paste, the air filters were updated, and an anti-aircraft machine for the MG 34 was installed on the turret.
Latest simplified model
The last tank, the German T-4 J, was assembled at the Nibelungwerke in St. Valentin, Austria, as Vomag and Krupp now had other tasks, and was subject to simplifications aimed at greater mass production and which rarely found support among the crews. For example, the electric drive of the turret was removed, aiming was done manually, which made it possible to increase the volume of the fuel tank by 200 liters, increasing the operating range to 300 km. Other modifications included the removal of the turret's viewing window, loopholes and anti-aircraft gun in favor of mounting a smoke grenade launcher. "Zimmerit" was no longer used, as were the Schürzen anti-cumulative "skirts", replaced by cheaper mesh panels. The engine radiator housing has also been simplified. The drive has lost one return roller. Two mufflers with flame arresters appeared, as well as a mount for a 2-ton crane. In addition, the SSG 77 transmission from the Panzer III was used, although it was clearly overloaded. Despite these sacrifices, due to constant Allied bombing, deliveries were in jeopardy, and in total only 2,970 tanks were built out of a planned 5,000 by the end of March 1945.
Modifications
German tank T-4: tactical and technical characteristics
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I must say that big number The Panzer IV tanks that survived the Second World War were not lost or scrapped, but were used for their intended purpose in countries such as Bulgaria and Syria. Some of them were equipped with the new Soviet heavy machine gun. They took part in the battles for the Golan Heights during the 1965 war and in 1967. Today, German T-4 tanks are part of museum displays and private collections around the world, and dozens of them are still in working order.
History of the creation of the tank
By the mid-30s. The Wehrmacht command came to the final conclusion that the Third Reich needed two main types of tanks - light and medium. At the same time, the base of the armored forces was to be made up of light, maneuverable tanks armed with a 20-mm gun. Heavier and slower vehicles, protected by thicker armor, were assigned the role of the main force in close combat. It was assumed that light tanks would fight enemy military equipment and be used for reconnaissance purposes, while medium vehicles would focus on the task of destroying deeply echeloned enemy anti-tank weapons. However, the very first experience of combat operations made significant adjustments to these calculations. Firstly, the German light tanks that existed at that time did not live up to the hopes placed on them. Weak armor and poor weapons made these vehicles completely unsuitable for the role of the Wehrmacht strike force. Secondly, none of the German tanks that existed at that time could lay claim to the role of a full-fledged medium tank.
On the agenda was the question of the immediate creation of a fundamentally new combat vehicle that would combine the maneuverability of a light tank with enhanced armor protection and the combat power of a medium tank. The new tank required a weapon capable of hitting most enemy combat vehicles and anti-tank guns. According to Heinz Guderian, chief of staff of the armored forces inspection, such a weapon could be a 50-mm long-barreled gun, but the Army Weapons Department, citing accepted standards for infantry anti-tank guns, insisted on maintaining the 37-mm caliber. All attempts by Guderian to convince the command that defeating the thick armor of enemy vehicles required much more powerful weapons were in vain - the “father of German tanks” had to give in. The only thing he managed to insist on was increasing the radius of the turret ring. Thus, the basis for the future equipping of the tank with more powerful weapons was preserved.
It was also decided that the new medium tank(which from 1936 began to be designated as Zugfuhrerswagen - a platoon commander's combat vehicle) (later this vehicle received a new name - the PzKpfw III medium tank) in all main parameters should be similar to the heavier tank of the battalion commander (Batailon-fuhrerswagen). This meant that the tank was originally designed for a five-man crew (commander, turret gunner, loader, driver and gunner-radio operator serving the front-mounted machine gun). The commander was located between the shooter and loader in the turret; his place was slightly raised and equipped with battlefield observation devices. Communication with the rest of the crew was carried out using a special microphone connected to a tank radio.
In 1935, after the development of the basic project, the military-industrial concerns Friedrich Krupp AG, Rheinmetall-Borzig, MAN, and Daimler-Benz received an order to produce a prototype of the future medium tank. A year later, based on the test results, a special commission selected a project from Daimler-Beitz AG. In 1936, the first modification of the new tank appeared - SdKfz 141 (PzKpfw III Ausf A) or 1/ZW (Zugfuhrerswagen - platoon commander's vehicle). In the period between 1936 - 1937. Daimler-Benz AG is producing 10 experimental tanks of this modification. "According to domestic sources, in 1936-1937, Daimler-Benz produced 15 PzKpfw tanks 111 AusF A so-called zero series. See. Panzer III. History of creation and application. M. Eastern Front. 1995.
The armament of the new combat vehicle consisted of the same 37-mm KwK L/46.5 cannon and three machine guns - with two twin MG-34s located in the turret, and the third in the hull. If the design of the hull and turret remained generally unchanged, then the design of the chassis had a number of significant differences from previous models. The chassis (one side at a time) consisted of five double large-diameter road wheels; in the front part of the body there were cast drive wheels, and in the rear there were guide wheels (sloths) with a caterpillar tensioning mechanism. On top the caterpillar lay on two support rollers. The Maybach HL 108 TR engine allowed the 15.4-ton tank to reach speeds of up to 32 km/h. The thickness of the bulletproof armor did not exceed 15 mm. In 1936, these tanks were transferred to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd tank divisions for military testing, after which they were rejected.
The second pilot batch consisted of 15 units and was produced by Daimler-Benz AG in 1937.
These tanks received the designation 2/ZW, or PzKpfw III B. They had a completely new suspension, this time consisting of 8 twin small road wheels (per side), grouped two by two into bogies, sprung by two semi-elliptical springs. At the same time, the number of support rollers increased to three. The new chassis allowed the tank to reach higher speeds - up to 35 km/h. Like the Ausf A tanks, these experimental “troikas” were tested in Poland, and in 1940 they forever ended their service in the army. PzKpfw III Ausf B were withdrawn from the line regiments and transferred to Wehrmacht training tank units.
On the next 15 experimental tanks 3/ZW, or PzKpfw III C, the chassis remained the same, but the suspension was significantly improved. Now the eight road wheels were interlocked in pairs into four bogies, each of which was suspended on three semi-elliptical leaf springs. The first and last bogies had short parallel springs, and the second and third bogies had one common long spring. In addition, the design of the exhaust system and the design of the planetary rotation mechanisms were changed. Despite all the improvements, this tank suffered the same fate as its predecessors - all 15 Ausf C "triples" were withdrawn from tank units on the eve of the war with France.
The fourth experimental batch of Ausf D (3b/ZW) tanks consisted of 30 units ("According to domestic sources, Daimler-Benz produced 50 medium tanks PzKpfw III Ausf D in 1038. See Forgotten Troika." M., 1994, p. 8. - At", ed.) and was distinguished by minor improvements in the suspension. The PzKpfw III Ausf D differed from the C model in that the small springs of the first and last bogies were installed with some inclination, which made it possible to slightly increase their efficiency when driving along off-road, and also slightly increase their service life. The armor of the hull and turret was also strengthened to 30 mm. In 1938, these tanks entered service with units of the armored forces, managed to fight in Poland, after which they were transferred to tank schools as training vehicles. However, several combat “troikas” of Ausf D stayed in the army a little longer and took part in the occupation of Denmark and Norway as part of the 40th tank battalion.
The first model of the "troika" launched into mass production was the PzKpfw III E. 96 combat vehicles of this modification received reinforced frontal armor (up to 30 mm), a more powerful engine (Maybach HI-120 TR) and an improved chassis design
parts with six rubber-coated road wheels with torsion bar suspension and a new Variorex SRG 328-145 gearbox. In addition, the design of the ball mount of the MG-34 - Kugelblande 30 course machine gun has changed, and the entrance hatches located on the sides of the turret have become double-leaf. Thanks to these changes, the combat weight of the new medium tank reached 19.5 tons.
In September 1939, after military tests, the PzKpfw III tank of this modification was finally approved and recommended for mass production. At the same time, inspectors from the Army Weapons Directorate had to make sure that Guderian’s doubts about the 37-mm gun were fully justified - this weapon turned out to be too weak to fight the enemy’s heavy tanks. We had to urgently switch to equipping the “triples” with 50-mm guns, sacrificing the third machine gun. Since the creation of a large-caliber tank gun took some time, the first PzKpfw III Ausf F tanks continued to be equipped with 37 mm guns, and only the last quarter of the 435 combat vehicles were armed with 50 mm 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 guns. In addition, manufacturers managed to convert some ready-made Ausf E and F “triples” for the new 50-mm KwK 39 L/60 tank gun.
At the same time, seven large tank-building enterprises - MAN, Daimler-Benz, Alquette, Henschel, Wegmann, MHH, MIAG - received a government order for the production of 600 improved Ausf G tanks. On these tanks, the thickness of the rear armor was the first reached 30 mm, and later copies were equipped with an additional commander's turret, the same type as the turret of the PzKpfw IV medium tank.
In October 1940, mass production of Ausf IL “triples” began. These tanks had an improved turret design with enhanced armor protection, due to which the weight of the tank increased significantly, which, in turn, required radical changes to the transmission. The frontal armor of the hull and turret of the tank was additionally reinforced with an armor plate 30 mm thick, which made the turret virtually invulnerable to enemy guns. An additional box for shells was often attached to the rear wall of the turret, which the troops jokingly called “Rommel’s chest.” Due to the increase in the combat weight of the tank to 21.6 tons, it was necessary to use wider tracks (400 mm, despite the fact that on the PzKpfw III Ausf E-G The width of the tracks was 360 mm), and in order to reduce their sagging, the front support roller was moved slightly forward. Other changes include an additional corner profile installed at the base of the turret to protect it from enemy shells.
The next production version of the “troika” was the PzKpfw III Ausf J tank (SdKfz 141/1). Much more of these vehicles were produced than all previous -26 units during the period from March 1941 to July 1942. Initially, tanks of this modification were armed
gun KwK 38 L/42, but starting from December 1941, according to Hitler’s personal order, they began to install a new 50-mm KwK 39 cannon with a barrel length of 60 calibers. About 1,000 units of these improved tanks were produced. The new “troikas” had more powerful 50-mm armor, improved surveillance systems for the driver (Fahrschklappc 50 viewing device and KFF 2 binocular periscope) and a new type of installation of the MG-34 turret machine gun. The combat weight of the new tank was 21.5 tons.
In the second half of 1942, production of PzKpfw III Ausf L tanks began. From June to December of this year, 650 of these combat vehicles were created. Compared to previous versions, the new tanks had enhanced armor on the forehead and hull, which were protected by additional 20 mm armor plates. In addition, the mantlet armor of the 50-mm KwK 39 tank gun was strengthened. All these changes significantly affected the weight of the tank, weighing it down by an additional 200 kg. Medium tanks PzKpfw III Ausf L were used to man the tank regiments of the mobile SS divisions “Adolf Hitler”, “Reich”, “Totenkopf”, as well as the elite division “Grossdeutschland”.
The last version of the “troika” with the 50-mm KwK 39 gun was the Ausf M. The tanks of this model had minor differences from the previous model and were produced from October 1942 to February 1943. The initial order for this tank was 1000 units, but since At this point, the undeniable advantages of the new Soviet medium tanks over all German PzKpfw III became obvious, the order was reduced to 250 units. 100 new “triples” produced by MIAG had to be hastily transferred under special order to the Wegmann plant for conversion into flamethrower tanks and assault guns.
The tanks of the latest production model were designated the PzKpfw-III Ausf N assault tank (SdKfz 141/2). Production of these combat vehicles began in June 1942, but by this time it became clear that even an improved version of the old “troika” would not be able to compete with the new Soviet tanks. The Wehrmacht vitally needed not a partial modernization of old vehicles, but the creation of a fundamentally new version. At this moment, the new heavy tank PzKpfw IV appeared, which became the main offensive weapon of the armored forces. In these conditions, the PzKpfw III Ausf N tanks are assigned an auxiliary role, so their armament was the 75-mm short-barreled KwK 37 L/24 gun, used on the PzKpfw IV Ausf A-F1 tanks. A total of 663 PzKpfw III Ausf N tanks with a combat weight of 23 tons were produced.
For a clear example of the suspension of the PzKpfw III tank and their differences.
Description of the design of the PzKpfw III tank
“PzKpfw III is a cruising type tank. The combat weight is about 22 tons, the armament currently consists of a long-barreled 50 mm cannon (50 mm KwK L/60) and a coaxial MG-34 machine gun located in the turret, and another MG-34 installed in the right frontal tank parts. In addition, the tank has machine guns (submachine guns), hand grenades, a signal pistol, and each crew member is armed with a personal pistol.
Front of the tank
The interior of the tank is divided into three compartments. The front one is intended for the driver; it is located on the left side of the body, exactly opposite the control levers and foot pedals. The gearbox is located directly under the dashboard, the brake is to the left of the driver. Steering and brakes are hydraulic or mechanical.
The driver has at his disposal a viewing slot made of triplex glass block, protected by an armored cover. With the viewing slot closed, the driver can use two surveillance devices installed in specially drilled holes in the frontal armor. If the driver uses a standard viewing slot, these two devices are closed from the inside with a special lid.
Behind the driver’s left shoulder there is another viewing slot, covered with armored glass that can be easily removed if necessary.
In addition to the driver, on the right side of the control compartment there is a place for a radio operator gunner. At his disposal was an MG machine gun mounted in a ball joint.
The viewing slot and telescopic sight are installed in such a way that as soon as the shooter turns his head to aim the machine gun, his gaze automatically concentrates on the center of the target.
The radio station is usually located to the left of the radio operator, above the gearbox, but in some cases it is installed directly in front of the shooter, in a niche under the frontal slope of the hull.
Tank fighting compartment
The fighting compartment, limited by the turret body, is located in the center of the vehicle. There is no floor, the commander's and gunner's chairs are suspended from the inner wall of the tower. There is no seat for the loader, so he stands to the right of the turret gun and, like the rest of the compartment crew, rotates with the turret as it rotates.
The shooter takes a position to the left of the 50 mm gun. Near it there is a lever for manually turning the turret.
On the left side of the turret there is a special viewing slot for the commander. The commander's position is in the center of the turret, behind the gun. The commander's cupola has six viewing slots with bulletproof armored glass and armored covers. The turret hatch is double-leaf.
An auxiliary flywheel for manual rotation of the turret is provided near the loader, which allows for quick rotation if necessary. There is no power steering drive.
Engine compartment of the PzKpfw III tank
The engine compartment is located in the center of the stern and is separated by a partition from the fighting compartment. The engine is located in the center of the compartment, to the left and right of it are located fuel tank and battery.
Behind the engine are two radiators. The driveshaft to the drive wheels is passed above the bottom of the tank, directly under the “floor” of the fighting compartment. There are escape hatches on each side of the hull.
The commander and gunner in the fighting compartment are provided with special means of orientation and aiming of guns, and the driver serves his own gyrocompass for this purpose.”
Radio equipment of the PzKpfw III tank
It is worth noting that German tanks, unlike the famous T-34, were overwhelmingly equipped with radio stations, which gave a huge advantage for conducting combat operations as part of armored units. The standard radio equipment of the PzKpfw III medium tanks was the FuG 5 transceiver, which consisted of two receivers and one transmitter. The radio station was located in the turret, in the fighting compartment of the tank. Both receivers were mounted to the left of the gunner - radio operator, above the gearbox.
The receiver stood directly in front of the radio operator. All external contacts were grounded.
The radio station was powered by tank batteries. Of the five crew members, only the loader and gunner remained without communication, although, starting with the Ausf L triplets, tanks began to be equipped with a special intercom with which the commander could give orders to the gunner. The three remaining crew members were equipped with a microphone and headphones, with the radio operator's headphones being slightly different from the others.
The commander did not have independent access to the radio and could not turn the radio station on or off or tune in to the desired wavelength. All these operations were solely the responsibility of the radio operator. Communication between the commander and the radio operator was carried out through two signal lights - one was installed in the tower, and the second next to the radio operator.
The lights were lit using two different-colored (red and green) buttons. Subsequently, this complex system was replaced by a simpler and more efficient one.
Tank modernization
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf A
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf B
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf C
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf D
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf E
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf F
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf J
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf J1
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf L
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf H
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf M
German medium tank PzKpfw III Ausf N
PzKpfw III command tanks
Command tanks (Pcmzer-befeblswageti) based on the PzKpfw III - in total, approximately 220 command tanks were produced based on the Ausf D, E, and N "triples". These tanks had a fixed turret, a dummy gun to mislead the enemy, as well as a large frame-type radio station mounted in the stern.
The tanks, called Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf D1 (Зс/ZW), were produced in 3 variants - SdKfz 266, SdKfz 267 and SdKfz 268, differing from each other in radio equipment.
However, these tanks did not take root among the troops, since the lack of a tank gun made the officers practically unarmed in front of the enemy.
They had to rely only on service weapon, which made command tanks a very ineffective means. Taking these requirements into account, two more command tanks with reinforced armor and a rotating turret were created.
The first batch of such Panzerbefehlswagen III tanks, armed with the 50-mm KwK L/42 cannon, consisted of 81 vehicles, then another 104 tanks were produced.
They were followed by another 50 command vehicles armed with a 50 mm KwK 39 L/60 cannon (these tanks are known as Pz Bfwg III Ausf K. with a 5 cm Kwk 39 L/60).
The large loop antenna was replaced by a simpler one, making the tank less visible and therefore less vulnerable on the battlefield.
Retired Colonel Hermann Rott at one time commanded the 5th Tank Regiment and was well acquainted with the command tank based on the Troika. Here's what he wrote about this car:
“The first commander’s “troikas” appeared at the headquarters of our regiment no earlier than the spring of 1941. These tanks, equipped with wooden mock-ups of guns and powerful antennas, were designed for five crew members - a commander, a communications officer, two radio operators and a driver. Tin containers for our personal belongings were installed on the armor outside. Unfortunately, on the very first day of the invasion of the Soviet Union, our command tank was disabled by a direct hit in the engine compartment.
It caught fire. We managed to get out of the burning car and moved into a light reconnaissance tank, but rumors spread throughout the regiment about our death. There is a sign that a soldier who is mistakenly declared dead will live until the very end of the war... Apparently this is so. At least all five of us survived."
Combat use of PzKpfw III tanks
Between 1935 and 1945, 15,350 chassis for the PzKpfw III tank (originally called ZW - platoon commander's vehicle) were produced.
First *threes*. 98 vehicles sent to Poland took part in the hostilities. Of course, at that time they constituted only a small part of the enormous force deployed to conquer the eastern neighbor of the Third Reich. According to domestic sources, in May 1940, the German army had 381 PzKpfw III tanks on the Western Front Ausf A-E. However, already during the fighting in France and the Netherlands total PzKpfw III in active units increased to 349 units" and continued to grow steadily. Since by this time the "ones" and "twos" had long exhausted their resource, and the few medium tanks PzKpfw IV were for the time being used only as infantry escort vehicles, "Troika" had to take the place of the main striking force of the German 6non-tank forces, the main fighting vehicle of the Wehrmacht. However, the design flaws of the new tank did not allow it to successfully meet such high expectations. In order to become a truly main combat unit of the Wehrmacht, the PzKpfw III required much thicker armor and more powerful weapons.
And yet the PzKpfw III still managed to fight in both North Africa and Eastern Europe. As expected, by this time it had lost its dominant position in the troops, giving way to the main offensive force, first to the medium PzKpfw IV, and then to the PzKpfw V Panthers. By the time the Panthers appeared, the “troikas” had finally switched to the role of auxiliary support and escort tanks . Brian Perret, the author of a monograph on the PzKpfw III tanks, wrote about it this way: “In the finest hour of the Blitzkrieg, the PzKpfw III tanks were main force and the stronghold of the Wehrmacht's power, and their role can only be compared with Napoleonic grenadiers. The Troikas were not just witnesses, but the true creators of military history - they made it on the bridgehead from the English Channel to the Volga, from the Arctic coast to the deserts of North Africa. It was the PzKpfw III that almost made Adolf Hitler’s worst dreams come true.”
Leaving the Arctic snows alone, let's turn to the desert sands. There is a lot of evidence of the superior firepower of the "troikas" over the tanks of Germany's opponents. As is known, initially the Allies had no doubt that their rapid-fire 2-pounder cannon and the American 37-mm anti-tank gun were far superior to the 50-mm guns of Hitler's "troikas".
Tutorials for Soviet fighters to destroy T-III tanks
Even Liddell Hart himself, the author of an excellent monograph on the Second World War, was at one time convinced of the superiority of British armored vehicles. His conclusions, based on very convincing figures, were included in a fundamental British study on the fighting in North Africa in 1941 -1943. It is characteristic, however, that in the revised and expanded edition of the same work, all of Sir Basil’s figures and conclusions regarding the German “troikas” underwent a radical revision.
IN new edition the superiority of the PzKpfw III tanks, armed with long-barreled 50-mm KwK 39 L/60 tank guns, is clearly proven. The British generals, as well as subsequently British military historians, were misled by the thesis about the fundamental superiority of their tank guns over any armor of German tanks. However, the authors of this thesis did not take into account the fact that since the end of 1941 the Germans had significantly strengthened the armor of their “troikas”. The frontal armor of the PzKpfw III, reinforced with additional armor plates, could easily withstand fire from both British and American anti-tank guns (of course, with the exception of a direct hit at close range). Until the very last moment, British designers and military experts were sincerely convinced that the guns of their tanks were capable of turning any German vehicle into ruins, but this was not the case.
Let us now turn to eyewitness accounts. This time I want to give the floor to the major (later colonel") American army George B. Jarrett, who arrived in the Middle East in February 1942 and had the unique opportunity to become closely acquainted with all the Allied and German tanks that existed at that time. According to Jarot, both British and American anti-tank guns were absolutely helpless against the armor of the German “troikas” and “fours”, while both of these tanks, armed with 50- and 75-mm KwK cannons, easily disabled all Allied combat vehicles , with the exception of the English Matilda infantry tank. Jarrett claims that even at a maximum distance of 2000-3000 yards (1830-2743 m), German tank shells hit the tracks and suspension chassis of anti-fascist coalition tanks.
Of course, there were exceptions. One can imagine how impatiently the Americans, who landed in Northern Tunisia at the end of 1942, awaited their first meeting with German troops. On November 26, 1942, several companies of the 1st Armored Division, which had at their disposal light MZ Stuart tanks, surrounded six German PzKpfw IVs and three PzKpfw IIIs. “Having trapped the enemy in a ring, the Stuarts, armed with 37-mm cannons, opened aimed fire on the sides and rear of the German tanks and disabled all the “fours” and one “troika”*." However, the honesty of the official historian forces the author after the description brilliant victory, make the following postscript: “However, we owed this victory exclusively to quantitative superiority and not to superiority in technology." In addition, in this battle the Allies lost 50% of their tanks. It was precisely this number that ultimately determined the Allied victory in Northern Africa It is worth noting that the Allies often ambushed or hunted German vehicles.
The scale of Allied armored vehicles deployed to the African front grew steadily. The huge number of new American medium tanks MZ Grant and M4 Sherman put the Germans in a hopeless situation, despite the fact that somewhere in mid-1942 Rommel began to receive help from Germany. To Africa, in addition to the “tropical” PzKpfw III models. PzKprw III Ausf J were transferred, with enhanced armor protection and a long-barreled gun, and in mid-June several PzKpfw IVs with a new 75-mm long-barreled gun KwK40 were sent there. whose projectiles had a high initial speed. “This gun was an ominous harbinger of the imminent appearance of the merciless Panther.”
From the many memoirs of the crew members of the legendary "troika", I chose for this book the story of Eustace-Wilhelm Ockelhauser, given in his book of military memoirs "Zogett in das Feld". I want to introduce you to an episode relating to the combat path of the "troikas" in the Soviet Union.
“A new commander has arrived in our company - a reservist, a teacher by profession. The poor fellow was unlucky with his height - the dimensions of our tank were clearly too small for him. First of all, the new commander ordered us to find and recapture a headquarters vehicle with three officers, which went on reconnaissance and stumbled upon a Russian ambush. Judging by the radio signal we received, the car was somewhere outside the city. It was decided to send two tanks, but since the long lieutenant did not yet have his own vehicle, he took command of tank No. 921. It just so happened that it turned out to be my tank.
I sent the loader away and took his place between the gun and the box with shells. Finally we set off. Less than a quarter of an hour had passed from the moment we left our company, through a narrow viewing slot I saw a camouflaged arrangement of Russian infantry. The Russians were just a few meters away from us in a small forest. The lieutenant, apparently, did not notice the dark silhouettes of the infantrymen and continued to serenely survey the surroundings, leaning out waist-deep from his hatch. I punched him under the knees with all my strength and dragged him inside. "What's the matter, cretin?! Damn you!" - he yelled, looking at me in rage. There was no time for an explanation. The next second, burning oil poured into the tower, and the poor lieutenant screamed wildly in pain. I knew well what it was. The Russians threw a Molotov cocktail into the open hatch ", and the burning mixture, flowing from the lieutenant's back and neck, poured into the tank.
My first move was to immediately jump out of the burning tower, but I knew full well that the Ivans were just waiting to finish off the pass on the ground. Damn barely! Looking around frantically, I suddenly saw a fire extinguisher attached to its bracket. I pulled it off the wall. God bless! The fire extinguisher turned out to be full, although I don’t remember the last time I saw such a miracle in a tank. I broke the seal and directed the foaming stream into the flames.
At this time, Run, our gunner, held the legs of the klutz lieutenant with all his strength, who was howling in pain and trying to jump out of the tank. Finally he lost consciousness and slid down helplessly. I thoroughly treated it with foam, extinguishing the remaining fire. With difficulty pushing aside the lieutenant's unconscious body, I climbed into the commander's place and immediately heard the roar of flames above. Two grenades exploded at the stern, and bullets rained down on the sides. Our tank was rushing at top speed. I had absolutely no orientation and could not give any instructions to the driver, because something was lying on the tank’s body, blocking the viewing slots. The hatch covers were wide open. Damn that lieutenant! I always kept them closed. A cloudless summer sky floated overhead.
Rune handed me an object. I took a closer look and recognized the lieutenant’s half-burnt headphones. Luckily for us, the radio was working, and I heard in the headphones the excited voice of Sergeant Major Reitz, the commander of the tank following us. “Stop!!” - he yelled. - 921st, stop! Stop! Where the hell are you going, damn you? Are you blind? There are a lot of Russians here! We're in ambush. Turn, but be careful. We have two Russians lying in front of the tower, and another one is sitting on the tower. Slam the hatch immediately before he throws a grenade inside! Don't worry, I'll try to sleep them off. Turn slowly and let’s go.”
The situation was critical. The Russians sitting on the armor tightly blocked both viewing slots - mine and the driver's. Our blinded tank was moving straight towards the Russians. The headphones worked, but I didn't have a microphone. Pushing aside the lieutenant, who was groaning in unconsciousness, I began to make my way into the compartment to the driver. Rune also did not waste time - I saw how he shot one machine-gun belt after another. When I reached Logo, our driver, I tapped him on his left shoulder. He instantly realized what was happening and began to turn left. The roar of the engine drowned out any words; we had to “talk” using gestures. Suddenly the view in front of the driver became clear. I realized that the Russian blocking him had to hide behind the turret to escape the machine-gun fire that Reitz was raining on our tank. The voice of the sergeant major in the headphones dispelled the last doubts: “Great, guys! Take it steeply - slowly, don’t rush. Now straight ahead. Don’t fly, otherwise you’ll run into trouble. We’ve taken down one “Ivan”, you’ll have to deal with the other two yourself. "
By ourselves... At first I thought about the fans, but the danger that their fragments could get into the ventilation holes of the engine compartment made this option unacceptable. Finally I came up with it. He carefully took the armored glass out of the viewing slot and fired a pistol at the dark mass blocking the hole. Two, three, four shots. I shot the entire clip. The dark mass stirred and froze. But before I had time to catch my breath, the open hatch was blocked by someone’s body. It became completely dark in the tank. Right in front of my face I saw first a sleeve, then a dirty palm, and then a brown shoulder and part of a head. What to do? The store is empty. I rushed down and screamed at the top of my lungs: “Run.” The gunner did not hear, carried away by the shooting. His eyes were glued to the optical sight. In desperation, I threw away my pistol and grabbed the flare pistol. He aimed upward and fired. The rocket hissed out of the barrel. That was all... *I couldn’t kill him, I thought. - He just got angry. Now he’ll take out his Molotov cocktail and throw it here... Or he’ll use a couple of hand grenades-.” Preparing for the worst, I hid in the farthest corner of the loader's position. I was shaking. The hatch still remained dark, and death still did not occur. I don't remember how much time passed. During his
I lost my headphones during the jump and was now left without communication. All we could hear was the machine gun hitting our armor.
Suddenly someone pulled my leg. I turned around and saw the pale face of the radio operator right in front of me. He handed me a loaded pistol. God bless! I stuck my hand back into the hatch and pulled the trigger. Now the damned Russian must free our hatch! Shot... One more. Two more. No changes. The same darkness. And then the tank suddenly stopped. What else happened?! I stood up and looked up. Warm blood dripped onto my face. The Russian was dead.
It didn't take much effort for me to move it off the hatch. What a joy it is to see the sky above your head again!
The fire outside subsided. I quickly stuck my head out of the turret and stared straight into the two black machine-gun barrels of Reitz's tank. It turns out that the turret of the hundred tank was only three meters from ours! Lying at the stern dead Russian, the second one I threw from the tower myself. Damn it - next to him were two bottles of Molotov cocktails and a bunch of hand grenades! The third Russian disappeared without a trace. Reitz carefully stepped back and raised his headphones, which meant that he wanted to contact us immediately. I climbed into the commander’s seat, but awkwardly stepped on the chest of the lying lieutenant. Rune still did not look up from his machine gun and every now and then turned the turret around. I noticed that he managed to shoot another machine-gun belt into the forest. I shouted to the radio operator to look for my headphones, but, of course, he didn’t hear. I had to tap him on the back with an empty pistol. It worked - the radio operator finally turned around and guiltily handed me headphones and even a microphone. Finally I can talk to Reitz!
The sergeant major said that his tank was completely intact and ready to continue carrying out the order. Unfortunately, I could not boast the same and said that we needed to immediately return to the company location, since the lieutenant needed urgent medical attention. Reitz agreed, and we turned around in the opposite direction. Since I decided to bandage the lieutenant, I ordered my driver to simply follow Reitz's tank.
There was a terrible stench in the tower - it smelled of gunpowder, foam and burnt meat. When we arrived at our own place a quarter of an hour later, I jumped out of the tank and rushed into the bushes. I just turned inside out. There I lay, choking on vomit, when our doctor, Rubenser, found me. Without saying a word, he went somewhere, then returned with a large pot in which we cooked food and heated water for washing. The doctor washed me with cold water, like a baby, and bandaged my burned hand. When he finished bandaging my burns, I smiled through my strength, but the doctor said: “The commander is waiting for you. Go and report the results.”
Karl was sitting between the tank tracks. There was a stretcher next to him. I recognized our lieutenant in the long body wrapped in white bandages. I saluted and reported what had happened.
Why didn't you follow the order? It seems you were sent to find a staff car with officers? The easiest way is to turn back. If you ever want to command a tank again, you'll have to learn to follow orders, no matter what the circumstances. It's time to get used to the fact that following orders is always accompanied by difficulties. War cannot be like a ballroom dancing lesson.
- I obey, Mr. Chief Lieutenant!
-Are you seriously injured?
- No, Mr. Chief Lieutenant!
“In that case, you and Reitz will immediately set off on the mission.” Now you know where to look for a car. Take the trouble to follow the order this time.
- I obey, Mr. Chief Lieutenant! - I saluted and turned around. Tears blurred my eyes. God, why am I being sent to this hell again?!
Two tanks were already waiting for us. Reitz waved his hand at me in greeting. I silently grabbed the barrel of the gun and climbed into the hatch. The engine hummed. I discreetly wiped my face with my bandaged hand and took a few deep breaths. It seems to have let me go.^ Now I could get in touch with Reitz without shame.
What's with the walkie-talkie? - the first thing he asked was. - Why is there something squelching in my headphones? I had no choice but to remain silent.
We returned to the same place. I gave the order to use both machine guns. Watering the forest with fire, we carefully approached the place where our headquarters vehicle stood. There were no Russians around. There was something gray lying in front of the car... nearby, in the grass, I saw a dead non-commissioned officer. We drove closer. Reitz climbed out of the tank, carefully approached the body and turned it onto its back to remove the medallion. Then he looked at me and shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment. The officers disappeared without a trace. I carefully examined the dense greenery of the bushes with binoculars. Then I turned my gaze to the village and tried to put myself in the place of the officers. Where would I hide if I were surrounded? Having chosen a suitable place with my eyes, I slowly directed my tank there. The way it is! All three were lying in a shallow ditch. Dead. Colonel, major and boy lieutenant. We put the corpses on the body and went to the unit's location.
I went to report, the rest took care of the dead. The commander was still there, near the tank. The stretcher with the lanky lieutenant disappeared - the poor fellow was transported to the central evacuation point. Karl listened to me in silence, without interrupting. When I finished, silence reigned... I still remember his words:
- If you had followed the order and not returned halfway, these four would be alive now.
I had nothing to answer. The commander was right.
_______________________________________________________________
Data source: Magazine "Armor Collection" M. Bratinsky (1998. - No. 3)
In 1934, the Army Armament Service (Heereswaffenamt) issued an order for a combat vehicle with a 37 mm cannon, which received the designation ZB (Zugfuhrerwagen - company commander's vehicle). Of the four companies that participated 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 Pz.Kpfw.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 on 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 tank mass reached 19.5 tons, and the ground pressure increased from 0.77 to 0.96 kg/cm2 .
In 1938, at the factories of three companies at once - Daimler-Benz, Henschel and MAN - production of the first mass modification - Ausf.E - began. 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 the Pz.III, became standard on all subsequent German medium and heavy tanks. Thus, already from the mid-1930s, the Germans achieved a functional division of duties among crew members. Their opponents came to this much later - only in 1943-1944.
The Pz.IIIE was armed with a 37-mm cannon with a 46.5-caliber barrel and three MG 34 machine guns (131 rounds of ammunition and 4,500 rounds of ammunition). Maybach HL120TR 12-cylinder carburetor engine with a power of 300 hp. at 3000 rpm allowed the tank to develop maximum speed on the highway 40 km/h; The cruising range was 165 km and 95 km on the ground.
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, as indeed of all German tanks of that period, was the uniform strength of the armor plates on all main planes and the abundance of hatches. Until the summer of 1943, the Germans preferred ease of access to units over the strength of the hull.
Deserves positive assessment a transmission 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. To facilitate management and improve average speed movements, equalizers and servomechanisms were used.
Pz.III Ausf.D. Poland, September 1939. Theoretically, the driver and gunner-radio operator could use access hatches to the transmission units to enter the tank. However, it is quite obvious that it was almost impossible to do this in a combat situation.
The width of the track chains - 360 mm - was chosen mainly based on road driving conditions, significantly limiting off-road capability. However, the latter still had to be found in the conditions of the Western European theater of military operations.
The next modification was the Pz.IIIF (440 units produced), which had minor design improvements, including a new type of commander's cupola.
600 G series tanks received 50 mm as their main armament tank gun KwK 38 with a barrel length of 42 calibers, developed by Krupp in 1938. At the same time, the re-equipment of the previously produced E and F tanks with a new artillery system began. The ammunition load of the new gun consisted of 99 rounds, and 3,750 rounds of ammunition were intended for two MG 34 machine guns. After rearmament, the tank's weight increased to 20.3 tons.
The H variant received an improved turret, a new commander's cupola, and later additional 30 mm frontal armor and a new 400 mm track. From October 1940 to April 1941, 310 Ausf.H tanks were produced.
Pz.III Ausf.G tanks of the 5th Tank Regiment of the 5th Light Division before being sent to North Africa. 1941
The Pz.III Ausf.J was protected by even thicker armor. Among the minor improvements, the most significant was the new type of machine gun mounting. The first 1,549 Ausf.J tanks were still armed with a 50-mm KwK 38 cannon with a 42-caliber barrel. Starting in January 1942, the new 50-mm KwK 39 gun with a barrel length of 60 calibers began to be installed on Ausf.J tanks for the first time. 1067 tanks of this modification received such guns.
Front-line experience forced us to move on to the next modification - L, in which the front of the hull and the front of the turret were protected by additional 20-mm armor plates. The tanks also received a modernized mask installation, which simultaneously served as a counterweight to the 50 mm gun. The tank's weight increased to 22.7 tons. From June to December 1942, 653 (according to other sources - 703) tanks of the L modification were manufactured.
Pz.III Ausf.J from the 6th Tank Regiment of the 3rd Tank Division. Eastern Front, winter 1941.
On the M variant, a 1350 kg “eastern” caterpillar appeared. With it, the width of the car increased to 3266 mm. Since March 1943, these tanks were produced with bulwarks - 5-mm steel sheets that protected the vehicle from cumulative shells. The initial order was 1,000 units, but the low effectiveness of 50-mm guns in the fight against Soviet tanks forced the Wehrmacht Ground Forces Armament Service to reduce the order to 250 vehicles. Another 165 already completed chassis were converted into StuGIII assault guns, and another 100 into Pz.III(Fl) flamethrower tanks.
The lack of tungsten in the Reich reduced the effectiveness of the long-barreled 50-mm cannon (its sub-caliber projectile with a tungsten core, which had an initial speed of 1190 m/s, penetrated 94-mm armor at a distance of 500 m); Therefore, it was decided to re-equip some of the tanks with a “short” 75-mm KwK 37 cannon with a barrel length of 24 calibers - for use as assault weapons. 450 L series vehicles were rearmed, and later another 215 M series tanks. The frontal armor of the turrets on these vehicles was increased to 57 mm, and the turret weight was 2.45 tons. These tanks - Ausf.N - became the last modification of the Pz.III, mass-produced.
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 Pz.III Ausf.M with flamethrowers - was completed by Wegmann in Kassel. For a flamethrower with a range of up to 60 m, 1000 liters of fire mixture were required. The tanks were intended for Stalingrad, but only reached the front in early July 1943, near Kursk.
At the end of the summer of 1940, 168 tanks of models F, G and H were converted for movement under water and were to be used in the landings on the English coast. The immersion depth was 15 m; Fresh air It 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”. The Pz.III and Pz.IV submersible tanks and the Pz.II amphibious tanks formed the 18th Tank Regiment, which was deployed into a brigade in 1941, and then into the 18th Tank Division. Some Tauchpanzer III vehicles entered service with the 6th Tank Regiment of the 3rd Tank Division. These units were trained at the Milovice training ground in the protectorate of the Czech Republic and Moravia.
Since July 1944, the Pz.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 for transporting ammunition and engineering were produced. There were prototypes of a minesweeper tank and options for converting it into a railcar.
Pz.III Ausf.J during unloading from a railway platform. Eastern Front, 1942. On the right wing of the vehicle is the tactical badge of the 24th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht.
It should be noted that a significant number of tank turrets released as a result of the conversion were installed as firing points on various fortifications, in particular on the Atlantic Wall and in Italy on the Ready Line. In 1944 alone, 110 towers were used for these purposes.
Production of the Pz.III was discontinued in 1943, after about 6 thousand tanks had been produced. Subsequently, only the production of self-propelled guns on its basis continued.
Pz.III Ausf.N during testing at the NIBT Test Site in Kubinka near Moscow. 1946
It must be said that all German tanks created in the pre-war years had a rather monotonous fate. Like the Pz.IV, the first “troikas” formally entered service with the troops in 1938. But not to combat units! New vehicles were concentrated in Panzerwaffe training centers, staffed by the most experienced tank instructors. Throughout 1938, essentially military tests took place, during which it became clear, in particular, that the chassis of the first modifications was unreliable and futile.
A number of foreign and domestic sources indicate the participation of the Pz.III in the Anschluss of Austria in March and the occupation of the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia in October 1938. However, their presence in the units of the 1st and 2nd Wehrmacht tank divisions that participated in these operations is not confirmed by German sources. Perhaps the Pz.III tanks were delivered there a little later in order to demonstrate the German military power. In any case, the first 10 Pz.III tanks were transferred to combat units in the spring of 1939 and could actually only participate in the occupation of the Czech Republic and Moravia in March of this year.
The total order for tanks of this type was 2,538 units, of which 244 were to be produced in 1939. However, the Armament Service was able to accept only 24 vehicles. As a result, on September 1, 1939, the Wehrmacht had only 98 of the 120 Pz.IIIs produced by that time and 20–25 command tanks at its base. Only 69 vehicles took direct part in the hostilities against Poland. Most of them were concentrated in the 6th Tank Training Battalion (6 Panzer Lehr Battalion), attached to the 3rd Panzer Division, which was part of General Guderian's XIX Tank Corps. The 1st Tank Division also had several vehicles.
Unfortunately, there is no information about combat clashes between Pz.III and Polish tanks. We can only say that the “troika” had better armor protection and maneuverability than the most powerful Polish tank 7TR. Different sources give different figures for German losses: according to some, they amounted to only 8 Pz.IIIs, according to others, 40 tanks were out of action, and irrecoverable losses amounted to 26 units!
By the beginning of active hostilities in the West - May 10, 1940 - the Panzerwaffe already had 381 Pz.III tanks and 60-70 command tanks. True, only 349 vehicles of this type were immediately ready for combat.
After the Polish campaign, the Germans increased the number of tank divisions to ten, and although not all of them had the standard structure with two tank regiments, it was not possible to fully equip them with a regular number of all types of tanks. However, the “old” five tank divisions were not much different from the “new” ones in this regard. The tank regiment was supposed to have 54 Pz.III and Pz.Bg.Wg.III tanks. It is not difficult to calculate that there should have been 540 Pz.III in ten tank regiments of five divisions. However, this number of tanks was not simply physical. Guderian complains about this: “The re-equipment of tank regiments with tanks of the T-III and T-IV types, which was especially important and necessary, progressed extremely slowly due to the weak production capacity of the industry, as well as as a result of the mothballing of new types of tanks by the main command of the ground forces.” The first reason expressed by the general is indisputable, the second is highly doubtful. The presence of tanks in the troops was quite consistent with the number of vehicles produced by May 1940.
Be that as it may, the Germans had to concentrate scarce medium and heavy tanks in formations operating in the directions of the main attacks. Thus, in the 1st Panzer Division of Guderian’s corps there were 62 Pz.III tanks and 15 Pz.Bf.Wg.III tanks. The 2nd Panzer Division had 54 Pz.IIIs. Other divisions had smaller numbers of combat vehicles of this type.
The Pz.III turned out to be quite suitable for fighting French light tanks of all types. Things were much worse when meeting with medium D2 and S35 and heavy B1bis. German 37 mm cannons did not penetrate their armor. Guderian himself also drew personal impressions from this situation. This is what he writes, recalling the battle with French tanks south of Junivville on June 10, 1940: “During the tank battle, I tried in vain to knock out the French tank “B” (B1bis. – Note auto); all the shells bounced off the thick armored walls without causing any harm to the tank. Our 37- and 20-mm cannons were also not effective against this vehicle. Therefore, we were forced to suffer losses.” As for losses, the Panzerwaffe lost 135 Pz.III tanks in France.
Pz.III Ausf.N, knocked out by Soviet artillery in the Sinyavino area. Winter 1943.
Like other types of German tanks, the Troikas took part in the operation in the Balkans in the spring of 1941. In this theater, the main danger to German tanks was not the small number of Yugoslav and Greek tanks and anti-tank guns, but the mountainous, sometimes unpaved roads and poor bridges. Serious clashes, leading to losses, albeit minor, occurred between the Germans and British troops who arrived in Greece in March 1941. The largest battle took place when the Germans broke through the Metaxas Line in northern Greece, near the city of Ptolemais. Tanks from the 9th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht attacked the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment here. The British A10 cruiser tanks were powerless against the Pz.III, especially the H modification, which had 60 mm frontal armor and a 50 mm gun. The situation was saved by the Royal Horse Artillery - 15 German tanks, including several Pz.IIIs, were shot down by fire from 25-pounder guns. However, this did not affect the development of events as a whole: on April 28, the regiment’s personnel, abandoning all their tanks, left Greece.
Pz.III Ausf.J, knocked out in the summer of 1941. The Soviet shell literally broke through the frontal armor of the tower.
In the spring of 1941, the “troikas” had to master another theater of operations - North African. On March 11, units of the 5th Light Division of the Wehrmacht, numbering up to 80 Pz.III, began to unload in Tripoli. These were mainly cars of the G modification in a tropical version (trop) with reinforced air filters and a cooling system. A couple of months later they were joined by combat vehicles of the 15th Panzer Division. At the time of its arrival, the Pz.III was superior to any British tank in Africa, with the exception of the Matilda.
The first major battle in the Libyan desert involving the Pz.III was the attack by the 5th Tank Regiment of the 5th Light Division on British positions near Tobruk on April 30, 1941. The offensive launched by German tank crews after lengthy air preparation was unsuccessful. Especially heavy losses suffered by the 2nd battalion of the 5th regiment. Suffice it to say that 24 Pz.IIIs alone were knocked out. True, all the tanks were evacuated from the battlefield and 14 vehicles soon returned to service. It must be said that the commander of the German Afrika Korps, General Rommel, quickly drew conclusions from such failures, and in the future the Germans did not undertake frontal attacks, preferring the tactics of flank attacks and envelopments. This was all the more important because by the end of the autumn of 1941, neither the Pz.III nor the Pz.IV had such a decisive superiority over the majority of British tanks as in the spring. During Operation Crusader, for example, in November 1941, the British advanced with 748 tanks, including 213 Matildas and Valentines, 220 Crusaders, 150 older cruiser tanks and 165 American Stuarts. production. The Afrika Korps could oppose them with only 249 German (of which 139 Pz.III) and 146 Italian tanks. At the same time, the armament and armor protection of most British combat vehicles were similar to, and sometimes superior to, German ones. As a result of two months of fighting, British troops were missing 278 tanks. The losses of the Italian-German troops were comparable - 292 tanks.
The British 8th Army drove the enemy back almost 800 km and captured all of Cyrenaica. But she was unable to solve her main task - to destroy Rommel’s forces. On January 5, 1942, a convoy arrived in Tripoli, delivering 117 German (mainly Pz.III Ausf.J with a 50-mm 42-caliber gun) and 79 Italian tanks. Having received this reinforcement, Rommel launched a decisive offensive on January 21. In two days, the Germans advanced 120–130 km east, while the British rapidly retreated.
Command tank Pz.Bf.Wg.III Ausf.Dl. Poland, September 1939.
The natural question is: if the Germans had neither quantitative nor qualitative superiority over the enemy, then how can their success be explained? This is the answer to this question given by Major General von Mellenthin (at that time, with the rank of major, he served on Rommel’s headquarters): “In my opinion, our victories were determined by three factors: the qualitative superiority of our anti-tank guns, the systematic application of the principle of interaction combat arms and - last but not least - our tactical methods. While the British limited the role of their 3.7-inch anti-aircraft guns (very powerful guns) to fighting aircraft, we used our 88-mm guns to fire at both tanks and aircraft. In November 1941 we had only thirty-five 88 mm guns, but moving with our tanks these guns caused enormous losses British tanks. In addition, our 50-mm anti-tank guns with a high muzzle velocity were significantly superior to the British two-pounder guns, and batteries of these guns always accompanied our tanks in battle. Our field artillery was also trained to cooperate with tanks. In short, the German tank division was a highly flexible formation of all types of troops, always relying on artillery both in attack and defense. The British, on the contrary, considered anti-tank guns to be a defensive weapon and failed to adequately use their powerful field artillery, which should have been trained to destroy our anti-tank guns.”
Everything said by von Mellenthin, especially concerning the interaction of all types of troops with tanks, was also typical for another theater of military operations - the Eastern Front, which became the most important for the Pz.III, as well as for all other German tanks.
Command tank Pz.Bf.Wg.III Ausf.E and command and staff armored personnel carrier Sd.Kfz.251/3 of the headquarters of the 9th Tank Division. Eastern Front, 1941.
As of June 1, 1941, the Wehrmacht had 235 Pz.III tanks with 37 mm guns (another 81 vehicles were under repair). There were significantly more tanks with 50 mm guns - 1090! Another 23 vehicles were in the process of being re-equipped. During June, the industry was expected to receive another 133 combat vehicles. Of this number, 965 Pz.III tanks were intended directly for the invasion of the Soviet Union, which were distributed more or less evenly among 16 German tank divisions out of 19 that participated in Operation Barbarossa (6th, 7th and 8th Panzer divisions were armed with Czechoslovak-made tanks). So, for example, the 1st Tank Division had 73 Pz.III and 5 command Pz.Bf.Wg.III, the 4th Tank Division had 105 combat vehicles of this type. Moreover, the vast majority of tanks were armed with 50-mm L/42 cannons.
Since the landing on the shores of Foggy Albion did not take place, Tauchpanzer III underwater tanks were also transferred to the east. In the first hours of Operation Barbarossa, these tanks, which were part of the 18th Panzer Division, crossed the Western Bug along the bottom. Here is how the German historian Paul Karel describes this extraordinary event for those years: “At 03.15, in the sector of the 18th Panzer Division, 50 batteries of all calibers opened fire to ensure the crossing of the river by submarine tanks. The division commander, General Nehring, described the operation as a magnificent spectacle, but at the same time rather pointless, since the Russians were smart enough to withdraw their troops from the border areas, leaving only a few units of border guards who fought bravely.
At 04.45, non-commissioned officer Virshin plunged into the Bug on tank No. 1. The infantry watched what was happening in amazement. The water closed over the roof of the tank turret.
“Tankers give in!” They're playing submariners!"
Where Virshin’s tank was now located could be determined by the thin metal pipe sticking out of the river and by the bubbles from the exhaust on the surface that were carried away by the current.
So, tank by tank, the 1st Battalion of the 18th Tank Regiment, led by battalion commander Manfred Count Strachwitz, disappeared to the bottom of the river. And then the first of the strange “amphibians” crawled ashore. There was a quiet bang, and the gun barrel was freed from the rubber plug. The loader lowered the motorcycle camera around the turret ring. They did the same in other cars. The tower hatches opened, from which the “captains” appeared. The battalion commander’s hand flew up three times, which meant “Tanks, forward!” 80 tanks crossed the river under water. 80 tanks rushed into battle. The appearance of armored vehicles on the coastal bridgehead was very opportune; enemy armored reconnaissance vehicles were approaching. Immediately the leading tanks received an order:
“Towers for one hour, load with armor-piercing, range 800 meters, at a group of enemy armored vehicles, rapid fire!”
Panzerbeobachtungswagen III forward artillery observer vehicle. 20th Panzer Division. Eastern Front, summer 1943.
The muzzles of the “amphibious” guns spewed out flames. Several armored vehicles caught fire. The others hastily retreated. The tank fist of Army Group Center rushed towards Minsk and Smolensk."
Subsequently, there were no such episodes of crossing water obstacles, and the Pz.III was used underwater as ordinary tanks.
It must be said that the “troikas” as a whole were an equal opponent of most Soviet tanks, surpassing them in some ways, but inferior in some ways. In three main evaluation parameters - armament, maneuverability and armor protection - the Pz.III was significantly superior only to the T-26. Above BT-7 German car had an advantage in armor protection, over the T-28 and KB - in maneuverability. In all three parameters, the “troika” was inferior only to the T-34. At the same time, the Pz.III had an undeniable superiority over all Soviet tanks in the quantity and quality of observation devices, the quality of sights, the reliability of the engine, transmission and chassis. An important advantage was the 100% division of labor among the crew members, which most Soviet tanks could not boast of. The latter circumstances, in the absence of a pronounced superiority in performance characteristics, generally allowed the Pz.III to emerge victorious in tank duels in most cases. However, when meeting with the T-34, and even more so with the KB, it was very difficult to achieve this - good optics or bad, but the German 50-mm cannon could penetrate their armor only from a very short distance - no more than 300 m. It is no coincidence that that during the period from June 1941 to September 1942, only 7.5% of the population became victims of fire from these guns total number T-34 tanks hit by artillery. At the same time, the main burden of the fight against Soviet medium tanks fell on the shoulders of anti-tank artillery - 54.3% of T-34 tanks were hit by fire from 50-mm Pak 38 anti-tank guns during the specified period. The fact is that anti-tank gun was more powerful than a tank, its barrel had a length of 56.6 calibers, and starting speed armor-piercing projectile was 835 m/s. And she had a better chance of meeting a Soviet tank.
After the turret was dismantled, some of the tanks were converted into Munitionsschlepper III ammunition carriers.
From the above it follows that the most popular Wehrmacht tank at that time, the Pz.III, which also had the greatest capabilities for fighting tanks, in 1941 was in most cases absolutely powerless against the Soviet T-34 and KV. If we take into account the lack of quantitative superiority, it becomes clear how, perhaps without knowing or understanding it, Hitler was bluffing when attacking the USSR. In any case, on August 4, 1941, at a meeting at the headquarters of Army Group Center, he told General G. Guderian: “If I knew that the Russians really have the number of tanks that were given in your book, I would probably I didn’t start this war.” (In his book “Attention, Tanks!”, published in 1937, G. Guderian indicated that at that time the USSR had 10,000 tanks, but Chief of the General Staff Beck and the censorship objected to this figure. - Note auto)
However, let's return to the Pz.III. In six months of 1941, 660 tanks of this type were irretrievably lost, and in the first two months of 1942, another 338. Given the then existing rate of production of armored vehicles in Germany, it was not possible to quickly make up for these losses. Therefore, the Wehrmacht tank divisions constantly maintained a chronic shortage of combat vehicles.
Throughout 1942, the Pz.III remained the main striking force of the Panzerwaffe, including during large-scale offensive operations on the southern flank of the Eastern Front. On August 23, 1942, Pz.III Ausf.J from the 14th Tank Corps were the first to reach the Volga north of Stalingrad. During Battle of Stalingrad and the battle for the Caucasus Pz.III suffered the most severe losses. Moreover, “troikas” armed with both types of guns – 42 and 60 calibers – took part in these battles. The use of a long-barreled 50-mm cannon made it possible to push back the firing distance, for example, from the T-34, to almost 500 m. In combination with the rather powerful armor protection of the frontal projection of the Pz.III, the chances of victory for both tanks were largely equalized. True, the German vehicle could only achieve success in combat at such a distance using PzGr 40 sub-caliber projectiles.
In May 1942, the first 19 Ausf.J tanks with 50 mm L/60 guns arrived in North Africa. In English documents these vehicles appear as Panzer III Special. On the eve of the battle at El Ghazala, Rommel had only 332 tanks, of which 223 were “troikas”. It should be taken into account that the American Grant I tanks that appeared at the front were practically invulnerable to the guns of German tanks. The exceptions were the Pz.III Ausf.J and Pz.IV Ausf.F2 with long-barreled guns, but Rommel had only 23 such vehicles. However, despite the numerical superiority of the British troops, the Germans again went on the offensive, and by June 11 the entire forward line of strong points from El Ghazala to Bir Hakeim was in their hands. Over the course of several days of fighting, the British army lost 550 tanks and 200 guns, and British units began a disorderly retreat to a rear defensive position on Egyptian territory near El Alamein.
Pz.III Ausf.F of the 7th Tank Regiment of the 10th Tank Division. France, May 1940.
Heavy fighting on this line began at the end of August 1942. On the eve of the offensive that Rommel launched at this time, the Afrika Korps had 74 Panzer III Specials. During unsuccessful offensive battles, the Germans suffered heavy losses in equipment, which they could not replace. By the end of October, only 81 combat-ready tanks remained in the German forces. On October 23, 1029 tanks of General Montgomery's 8th Army went on the offensive. By November 3, the resistance of the German and Italian troops was broken, and they began a rapid retreat, abandoning all heavy equipment. In the 15th Panzer Division, for example, by November 10, there were 1,177 personnel left, 16 guns (of which four were 88 mm) and not a single tank. Leaving Libya, Rommel's army, which received reinforcements, was able to stop the British on the Tunisian border, on the Maret Line, in January 1943.
In 1943, a number of Pz.III tanks, mainly modifications L and N, took part in the final battles of the African campaign. In particular, Ausf.L tanks of the 15th Panzer Division took part in the defeat of American troops in the Kasserine Pass on February 14, 1943. Ausf.N tanks were part of the 501st heavy tank battalion. Their task was to protect the Tigers’ positions from attacks by enemy infantry. After the surrender of German troops in North Africa on May 12, 1943, all these tanks became Allied trophies.
The main theater of combat use of the Pz.III in 1943 remained the Eastern Front. True, the main burden of the fight against Soviet tanks passed to the Pz.IV with long-barreled 75-mm guns by the middle of the year, and the “troikas” increasingly played a supporting role in tank attacks. Nevertheless, they still made up approximately half of the Wehrmacht tank fleet on the Eastern Front. By the summer of 1943, the German tank division included a two-battalion tank regiment. In the first battalion, one company was armed with “triples”, in the second – two. In total, the division was supposed to have 66 linear tanks of this type.
The “farewell tour” of the Pz.III was Operation Citadel. The table gives an idea of the presence of Pz.III tanks of various modifications in the tank and motorized divisions of the Wehrmacht and SS troops at the beginning of Operation Citadel.
AVAILABILITY OF Pz.III TANK IN GERMAN TANK AND MOTORIZED DIVISIONS ON THE EVE OF OPERATION CITADEL
In addition to these tanks, there were 56 more vehicles in the 502nd and 505th heavy tank battalions, the 656th tank destroyer division and other units. According to German data, during July and August 1943, 385 “troikas” were lost. In total, during the year, losses amounted to 2,719 Pz.III units, of which 178 were returned to service after repairs.
By the end of 1943, due to the cessation of production, the number of Pz.IIIs in first-line units had sharply decreased. A significant number of tanks of this type were transferred to various training and reserve units. They also served in secondary theaters of war, for example in the Balkans or Italy. By November 1944, a little more than 200 Pz.III remained in the first-line combat units: on the Eastern Front - 133, in the West - 35 and in Italy - 49.
As of March 1945, the following number of tanks remained in the army:
Pz.III L/42 – 216
Pz.III L/60 – 113
Pz.III L/24 – 205
Pz.Beob.Wg.III – 70
Pz.Bf.Wg.IIl – 4
Berge-Pz.III – 130.
Of the line tanks and forward artillery observer vehicles, 328 units were in the Army Reserve, 105 were used as training vehicles, and 164 vehicles located in front-line units were distributed as follows:
Eastern Front – 16
Western Front -
Italy – 58
Denmark/Norway – 90.
German statistics last year the war ends on April 28, and the figures for the presence of Pz.III in the troops on this date are almost no different from those given above, which indicates the practical non-participation of the “troikas” in the battles of the last days of the war. According to German data, from September 1, 1939 to April 10, 1945, the irretrievable losses of Pz.III tanks amounted to 4,706 units.
A few words about export deliveries of Pz.III, which were very insignificant. In September 1942, Hungary received 10 tanks of the M modification. Another 10–12 vehicles were transferred to the Hungarians in 1944. At the end of 1942, 11 Ausf.N vehicles were delivered to Romania. They were in service with the 1st Romanian Tank Division "Greater Romania" (Romania Mage). In 1943, Bulgaria ordered 10 such tanks, but in the end the Germans supplied it with Pz.38(t). Slovakia received 7 Ausf.N in 1943. Several vehicles of modifications N and L were in service with the Croatian troops. Turkey planned to purchase 56 vehicles of the L and M variants, but these plans could not be realized. Thus, only no more than 50 Pz.IIIs entered the armies of Germany's allies.
In battles with the Red Army, the Hungarian army most actively used these tanks.
A number of captured Pz.IIIs were also used by the Red Army, mainly in 1942–1943. On chassis captured tanks About 200 SU-76I self-propelled artillery mounts were manufactured, which were used in battles with German troops until the end of 1943.
In 1967, in his book “Designs and Development of Combat Vehicles,” British tank theorist Richard Ogorkiewicz outlined an interesting theory of the existence of an intermediate class of “light-medium” tanks. In his opinion, the first vehicle in this class was the Soviet T-26, armed with a 45-mm cannon. In addition, Ogorkevich included in this category the Czechoslovak LT-35 and LT-38, the Swedish La-10, the British “cruisers” from Mk I to Mk IV, the Soviet tanks of the BT family and, finally, the German Pz.III.
One of 135 Pz.IIIs destroyed during the French campaign. Judging by the image of the buffalo on the side of the turret, this Pz.III Ausf.E belongs to the 7th Tank Regiment of the 10th Panzer Division. May 1940.
It must be said that Ogorkevich’s theory makes a certain sense. Indeed, the tactical and technical characteristics of all these combat vehicles are quite close to each other. This is all the more important since these tanks have become opponents on the battlefield. True, by 1939 their performance characteristics had changed slightly, mainly in the direction of strengthening the armor, but the main thing remained the same - all these combat vehicles, to a greater or lesser extent, were a kind of overgrown light tanks. They seemed to have stepped over the upper bar of the light class, but did not reach the full-fledged intermediate class.
Nevertheless, in the 1930s, thanks to a successful combination of the main parameters of armament and mobility, “light-medium” tanks were considered universal, equally capable of supporting infantry and performing the functions of cavalry.
Pz.III Ausf.G from the 6th company of the 5th tank regiment in battle. North Africa. 1941
However, accompanying infantry required movement at the speed of an infantryman, and such vehicles, which had relatively weak armor protection, became easy prey for anti-tank artillery, as was clearly demonstrated in Spain. The second function, which was confirmed already at the very beginning of World War II, they also could not perform independently; they had to be supported or ultimately replaced by tanks with more powerful weapons, for example, with a 75-mm cannon, capable of not only hitting enemy equipment, but also to conduct effective fire with high-explosive fragmentation shells.
The march to the East has begun! A Pz.III unit of the 11th Panzer Division advances deep into Soviet territory. In the background is a burning BT-7. 1941
However, the need to combine “light-medium” tanks with tanks armed with a 75-mm cannon was realized already in the mid-1930s. They just solved this problem in different ways: the British installed parts of their cruiser tanks with 76-mm howitzers in the standard turrets instead of 2-pounder guns, the USSR produced several hundred BT-7A artillery tanks with a 76-mm cannon in an enlarged turret, while the Germans went with the most radical and least simple way to create two tanks.
In fact, in 1934, four German firms received an order to develop two different tanks under the mottos ZW (“company commander’s vehicle”) and BW (“battalion commander’s vehicle”). It goes without saying that these were only nominal mottos. The technical specifications for these machines were close. Base weight, for example, 15 and 18 tons, respectively. There were significant differences only in armament: one vehicle was supposed to carry a 37-mm gun, the other – a 75-mm cannon. The similarity of the technical specifications ultimately led to the creation of two vehicles almost identical in weight, dimensions and armor, but differing in armament and completely different in design - Pz.III and Pz.IV. At the same time, the layout of the second one was clearly more successful. The Pz.IV has a lower hull that is narrower than that of the Pz.III, but the Krupp builders, having expanded the turret box to the middle of the fenders, increased the clear diameter of the turret ring to 1680 mm versus 1520 mm for the Pz.III. In addition, due to the more compact and rational layout of the engine compartment, the Pz.IV has a noticeably larger control compartment. The result is obvious: the Pz.III does not have landing hatches for the driver and radio operator. What this can lead to if it is necessary to urgently leave a damaged tank is clear without explanation. In general, with almost identical overall dimensions, the reserved volume of the Pz.III was less than that of the Pz.IV.
Pz.III Ausf.J, knocked out by a tank unit of Colonel Khasin's guard. Southwestern Front, 1942.
It should be emphasized that both machines were created in parallel, each according to its own technical specifications, and there was no competition between them. It is even more difficult to explain the appearance of such similar technical specifications and the subsequent adoption of both tanks. It would be much more logical to accept one tank, but with two weapon options. Such a solution would entail significantly lower costs in the future. It is quite obvious that by launching into mass production two tanks that were practically identical in all respects, but differed in armament and different in design, the Germans made a mistake. However, we should not forget that we are talking about 1934–1937, when it was difficult to guess the path that tank building would take.
Pz.III Ausf.L tanks in Tunisia. December 1942.
In its category of “light-medium” tanks, the Pz.III turned out to be the most modern, having to the least extent inherited the shortcomings characteristic of light tanks. After its armor and armament were strengthened, and its weight exceeded 20 tons, which practically made the “troika” a medium tank, its superiority over its former “colleagues” increased even more. It was strengthened many times over by the superiority in tactical methods of using tank units and formations. As a result, the German command in the first two years of the war had no particular reason to worry about the combat qualities of the Pz.III.
A Pz.III Ausf.M from the SS motorized division "Reich" capsized as a result of unsuccessful maneuvering. Kursk Bulge, 1943.
The situation changed completely in 1941, when the Germans encountered the T-34 on the Eastern Front, and the Grant in Africa. The Pz.III also had certain advantages over them. In particular, the T-34 was superior in the quantity and quality of observation and aiming devices, crew comfort, ease of control and technical reliability. The Grant was fine with surveillance devices and reliability, but in design and layout it was inferior to the Troika. However, all these advantages were negated by the main thing: both of these vehicles were designed within the framework of the promising concept of a “universal” tank, designed to replace both “light-medium” and support tanks. In the USSR, they came to understand the need for such a replacement as a result of a long evolution of “light-medium” tanks. There was no evolution at all in the USA, but the Americans made quick and, most importantly, correct conclusions from the experience of others. What about the Germans? Apparently, by mid-1941 they fully realized the seriousness of the mistake they had made. On September 6, 1941, Hitler was presented with a report that substantiated the benefits of the “unification” of the Pz.III and Pz.IV. The matter was set in motion, and several companies were tasked with developing various versions of Panzerkampfwagen III and IV n.A. (n.A. neue Ausfuhrung - new version).
Pz.III Ausf.N, knocked out during Operation Citadel. Judging by the emblems, this vehicle is from the 3rd Tank Regiment of the 2nd Tank Division of the Wehrmacht. Oryol direction, August 1943.
The Krupp company built two prototypes, which were Pz.III with a new chassis intended for Pz.III/IV. The road wheels were staggered and the suspension was torsion bar. Both vehicles were tested at various testing sites for quite some time. Other suspension and chassis options were also tested. Design and testing led at the beginning of 1942 to the creation of a unified Geschutzwagen III/IV chassis (“gun chassis”), in which the road wheels, suspension, support rollers, idler wheels and tracks were borrowed from the Pz.IV Ausf.F tank, and the drive wheels, engine and gearbox - for Pz.III Ausf.J. But the idea of a “single” tank never came to fruition. This project was buried in March 1942, after a 75-mm cannon with a 43-caliber barrel length was installed in the Pz.IV Ausf.F, turning the support tank into a “universal” one overnight and without hassle.
It was impossible to apply such a solution to the Pz.III. An indispensable condition for creating a “universal” tank was the presence of a long-barreled gun with a caliber of at least 75 mm, which could not be installed in the Pz.III turret without significant alterations in the design of the tank. And with a 50-mm cannon, even with a length of 60 calibers, the Troika remained the same “light-medium” tank. But she has no “colleagues” or opponents left. The removal of the Pz.III from production in the summer of 1943 was the only and, it must be said, belated solution.
As a result, the “universal” “four” was in mass production until the end of the war; the Geschutzwagen III/IV chassis was actively used to create various self-propelled guns...And what about the “troika”? Alas, the mistake made by the customer when choosing the type of tank devalued the work of the designers and manufacturers. In the Panzerwaffe tank “palette” the “troika” turned out to be superfluous.