Workplaces for the crew of the Pz.III tank. Medium tank Pz Kpfw III and its modifications Reservation and linear dimensions of the tank PZ 3

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. Barely launched in mass production light tanks Pz.Kpfw.I and Pz.Kpfw.II 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 compared favorably with “ones” and “twos” more powerful weapons And better conditions crew work (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 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 table values armor-piercing projectile The 3.7cm Pzgr 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.

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.

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

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

— new drive and guide wheels were introduced;

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

— the shape of the stern has been changed;

— the side air intakes have been modified;

— modified front tow hooks;

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

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

— modified exhaust system;

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

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

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

Thus, Ausf.D became a kind of prototype for many subsequent modifications. All the improvements made had a beneficial effect on specifications, but the tank’s combat weight 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 in better side. In addition, the weak armor of the first modifications of the Pz.Kpfw.III was indicated. It is not surprising that after 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 educational units, however, after some time they were in demand again. Tanks of the Ausf.D modification had the opportunity to take part in the Norwegian campaign as part of the 40th Tank Battalion, and in October 1940, five Ausf.B served as prototypes for self-propelled gun Sturmgeschutz III.

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.

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

2. Pz crew Kpfw III consisted of five people: a driver and a gunner-radio operator, located in the control compartment, and a commander, gunner and loader, located in a three-seat turret.

3. At the bottom of the photo, on the left, is the driver’s seat, and at the bottom right is the radio operator’s position. A gearbox is installed between them.

4. Driver's mechanic position. The viewing slot has an armored curtain with several positions and is clearly visible in photographs from the outside. The side clutches, thanks to which the tank turns, are painted gray.

5. Radio operator position.

6. View of the fighting compartment from the driver’s seat. The transmission tunnel is painted gray at the bottom, inside of which there is a driveshaft that transmits engine torque to the gearbox. The side cabinets contained stowage shells. The tower is three-seater.

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

Photographer: Moiseenkov Andrey.

We express our gratitude to the staff of the Central Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment for their assistance in photographing.

Modern battle tanks Russia and the world photos, videos, pictures watch online. This article gives an idea of ​​the modern tank fleet. It is based on the principle of classification used in the most authoritative reference book to date, but in a slightly modified and improved form. And if the latter in its original form can still be found in the armies of a number of countries, then others have already become museum pieces. And just for 10 years! Follow in the footsteps of Jane’s reference book and not consider this combat vehicle (very interesting in design and fiercely discussed in its time), which formed the basis of the tank fleet last quarter XX century, the authors considered it unfair.

Films about tanks where there is still no alternative to this type of weapon ground forces. The tank was and will probably remain for a long time modern weapons thanks to the ability to combine such seemingly contradictory qualities as high mobility, powerful weapons and reliable protection crew. These unique qualities of tanks continue to be constantly improved, and the experience and technology accumulated over decades predetermine new frontiers in combat properties and achievements of the military-technical level. In the eternal confrontation between “projectile and armor”, as practice shows, protection against projectiles is increasingly being improved, acquiring new qualities: activity, multi-layeredness, self-defense. At the same time, the projectile becomes more accurate and powerful.

Russian tanks are specific in that they allow you to destroy the enemy from a safe distance, have the ability to make quick maneuvers on off-road, contaminated terrain, can “walk” through territory occupied by the enemy, seize a decisive bridgehead, cause panic in the rear and suppress the enemy with fire and tracks . The war of 1939-1945 became the most ordeal for all humanity, since almost all countries of the world were involved in it. It was a clash of the titans - the most unique period that theorists debated in the early 1930s and during which tanks were used in large numbers by almost all belligerents. At this time, a “lice test” and a deep reform of the first theories of the use of tank forces took place. And it is the Soviet tank forces that are most affected by all this.

Tanks in battle have become a symbol of the past war, the backbone of the Soviet armored forces? Who created them and under what conditions? How did the USSR, having lost most of its European territories and having difficulty recruiting tanks for the defense of Moscow, was able to release powerful tank formations onto the battlefields already in 1943? This book, which tells about the development of Soviet tanks “during the days of testing,” from 1937 to the beginning of 1943, is intended to answer these questions When writing the book, materials from Russian archives and private collections of tank builders were used. There was a period in our history that remained in my memory with some kind of depressing feeling. It began with the return of our first military advisers from Spain, and only stopped at the beginning of forty-three,” said former general designer of self-propelled guns L. Gorlitsky, “some kind of pre-storm state was felt.

Tanks of the Second World War It was M. Koshkin, almost underground (but, of course, with the support of “the wisest of the wise leaders of all nations”), who was able to create the tank that a few years later would shock the German tank generals. And not only that, he not only created it, the designer managed to prove to these military fools that it was his T-34 that they needed, and not just another wheeled-tracked "motor vehicle." The author is in slightly different positions, which formed in him after meeting the pre-war documents from the Russian State Military Academy and the Russian State Academy of Economics. Therefore, working on this segment of the history of the Soviet tank, the author will inevitably contradict something “generally accepted.” this work describes the story Soviet tank building in the most difficult years - from the beginning of a radical restructuring of the entire activity of design bureaus and people's commissariats in general, during the frantic race to equip new tank formations of the Red Army, the transfer of industry to wartime rails and evacuation.

Tanks Wikipedia the author would like to express his special gratitude to M. Kolomiets for his help in selecting and processing materials, and also thank A. Solyankin, I. Zheltov and M. Pavlov, the authors of the reference publication “Domestic armored vehicles. XX century 1905 - 1941", since this book helped to understand the fate of some projects, which was unclear before. I would also like to remember with gratitude those conversations with Lev Izraelevich Gorlitsky, the former chief designer of UZTM, which helped to take a new look at the entire history of the Soviet tank during the Great Patriotic War Patriotic War Soviet Union. For some reason today it is common for us to talk about 1937-1938. only from the point of view of repression, but few people remember that it was during this period that those tanks were born that became legends of the wartime...” From the memoirs of L.I. Gorlinky.

Soviet tanks, a detailed assessment of them at that time was heard from many lips. Many old people recalled that it was from the events in Spain that it became clear to everyone that the war was getting closer and closer to the threshold and it was Hitler who would have to fight. In 1937, mass purges and repressions began in the USSR, and against the backdrop of these difficult events, the Soviet tank began to transform from “mechanized cavalry” (in which one of its combat qualities was emphasized at the expense of others) into a balanced combat vehicle, simultaneously possessing powerful weapons, sufficient to suppress most targets, good maneuverability and mobility with armor protection capable of maintaining its combat effectiveness when fired upon by the most massive anti-tank weapons of a potential enemy.

It was recommended that large tanks be supplemented with only special tanks - amphibious tanks, chemical tanks. The brigade now had 4 individual battalions 54 tanks each and was strengthened by the transition from three-tank platoons to five-tank ones. In addition, D. Pavlov justified the refusal to form three additional mechanized corps in addition to the four existing mechanized corps in 1938, believing that these formations were immobile and difficult to control, and most importantly, they required a different rear organization. The tactical and technical requirements for promising tanks, as expected, were adjusted. In particular, in a letter dated December 23 to the head of the design bureau of plant No. 185 named after. CM. Kirov new boss demanded that the armor of new tanks be strengthened so that at a distance of 600-800 meters (effective range).

The newest tanks in the world, when designing new tanks, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of increasing the level of armor protection during modernization by at least one stage...” This problem could be solved in two ways: Firstly, by increasing the thickness of the armor plates and, secondly, by “using increased armor resistance." It is not difficult to guess that the second way was considered more promising, since the use of specially strengthened armor plates, or even two-layer armor, could, while maintaining the same thickness (and the mass of the tank as a whole), increase its durability by 1.2-1.5 It was this path (the use of especially hardened armor) that was chosen at that moment to create new types of tanks.

Tanks of the USSR at the dawn of tank production, armor was most widely used, the properties of which were identical in all areas. Such armor was called homogeneous (homogeneous), and from the very beginning of armor making, craftsmen sought to create just such armor, because homogeneity ensured stability of characteristics and simplified processing. However, at the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that when the surface of an armor plate was saturated (to a depth of several tenths to several millimeters) with carbon and silicon, its surface strength increased sharply, while the rest of the plate remained viscous. This is how heterogeneous (non-uniform) armor came into use.

For military tanks, the use of heterogeneous armor was very important, since an increase in the hardness of the entire thickness of the armor plate led to a decrease in its elasticity and (as a consequence) to an increase in fragility. Thus, the most durable armor, all other things being equal, turned out to be very fragile and often chipped even from explosions high-explosive fragmentation shells. Therefore, at the dawn of armor production, when producing homogeneous sheets, the task of the metallurgist was to achieve the maximum possible hardness of the armor, but at the same time not to lose its elasticity. Surface-hardened armor with carbon and silicon saturation was called cemented (cemented) and was considered at that time a panacea for many ills. But cementation is a complex, harmful process (for example, treating a hot plate with a jet of illuminating gas) and relatively expensive, and therefore its development in a series required large expenses and improved production standards.

Wartime tanks, even in operation, these hulls were less successful than homogeneous ones, since for no apparent reason cracks formed in them (mainly in loaded seams), and it was very difficult to put patches on holes in cemented slabs during repairs. But it was still expected that a tank protected by 15-20 mm cemented armor would be equivalent in level of protection to the same one, but covered with 22-30 mm sheets, without a significant increase in weight.
Also, by the mid-1930s, tank building had learned to harden the surface of relatively thin armor plates by uneven hardening, known from late XIX century in shipbuilding as the "Krupp method". Surface hardening led to a significant increase in the hardness of the front side of the sheet, leaving the main thickness of the armor viscous.

How tanks fire video up to half the thickness of the slab, which was, of course, worse than cementation, since while the hardness of the surface layer was higher than with cementation, the elasticity of the hull sheets was significantly reduced. So the “Krupp method” in tank building made it possible to increase the strength of armor even slightly more than cementation. But the hardening technology that was used for thick naval armor was no longer suitable for relatively thin tank armor. Before the war, this method was almost not used in our serial tank building due to technological difficulties and relatively high cost.

Combat use tanks, the most developed for tanks was the 45-mm tank gun model 1932/34. (20K), and before the event in Spain it was believed that its power was quite sufficient to perform most tank tasks. But the battles in Spain showed that a 45-mm gun can only satisfy the task of fighting enemy tanks, since even shelling of manpower in the mountains and forests turned out to be ineffective, and it was only possible to disable a dug-in enemy firing point in the event of a direct hit . Firing at shelters and bunkers was ineffective due to the low high-explosive effect of a projectile weighing only about two kg.

Types of tanks photos so that even one shell hit can reliably disable an anti-tank gun or machine gun; and thirdly, to increase the penetrating effect of a tank gun against the armor of a potential enemy, since in the example French tanks(already having an armor thickness of about 40-42 mm) it became clear that the armor protection of foreign combat vehicles tends to be significantly strengthened. There was a sure way for this - increasing the caliber of tank guns and simultaneously increasing the length of their barrel, since a long gun larger caliber fires heavier projectiles with greater initial speed to a greater distance without correcting the aiming.

The best tanks in the world had a large-caliber cannon, and also had big sizes breech, significantly more weight and increased recoil response. And this required an increase in the mass of the entire tank as a whole. In addition, placing large-sized rounds in a closed tank volume led to a decrease in transportable ammunition.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that at the beginning of 1938 it suddenly turned out that there was simply no one to give the order for the design of a new, more powerful tank gun. P. Syachintov and his entire design team were repressed, as well as the core of the Bolshevik design bureau under the leadership of G. Magdesiev. Only the group of S. Makhanov remained in the wild, who, since the beginning of 1935, had been trying to develop his new 76.2-mm semi-automatic single gun L-10, and the staff of Plant No. 8 was slowly finishing the “forty-five”.

Photos of tanks with names The number of developments is large, but mass production in the period 1933-1937. not a single one has been accepted..." In fact, none of the five air-cooled tank diesel engines, work on which was carried out in 1933-1937 in the engine department of plant No. 185, was brought to series. Moreover, despite the decisions At the very top levels of the transition in tank building exclusively to diesel engines, this process was restrained by a number of factors. Of course, diesel had significant efficiency. It consumed less fuel per unit of power per hour. Diesel fuel less susceptible to fire, since the flash point of its vapor was very high.

New tanks video, even the most advanced of them, the MT-5 tank engine, required a reorganization of engine production for serial production, which was expressed in the construction of new workshops, the supply of advanced foreign equipment (they did not yet have their own machines of the required accuracy), financial investments and strengthening of personnel. It was planned that in 1939 this diesel would produce 180 hp. will go to production tanks and artillery tractors, but due to investigative work to determine the causes of tank engine failures, which lasted from April to November 1938, these plans were not implemented. The development of a slightly increased six-cylinder gasoline engine No. 745 with a power of 130-150 hp was also started.

Brands of tanks had specific indicators that suited tank builders quite well. The tanks were tested using a new technique, specially developed at the insistence of the new head of the ABTU D. Pavlov in relation to combat service in war time. The basis of the tests was a run of 3-4 days (at least 10-12 hours of daily non-stop movement) with a one-day break for technical inspection and restoration work. Moreover, repairs were allowed to be carried out only by field workshops without the involvement of factory specialists. This was followed by a “platform” with obstacles, “swimming” in water with an additional load that simulated an infantry landing, after which the tank was sent for inspection.

Super tanks online, after improvement work, seemed to remove all claims from the tanks. And the general progress of the tests confirmed the fundamental correctness of the main design changes - an increase in displacement by 450-600 kg, the use of the GAZ-M1 engine, as well as the Komsomolets transmission and suspension. But during testing, numerous minor defects again appeared in the tanks. Chief designer N. Astrov was suspended from work and was in custody and under investigation for several months. In addition, the tank received a new turret with improved protection. The modified layout made it possible to place on the tank more ammunition for a machine gun and two small fire extinguishers (previously there were no fire extinguishers on small tanks of the Red Army).

US tanks as part of modernization work, on one production model of the tank in 1938-1939. The torsion bar suspension developed by the designer of the design bureau of plant No. 185 V. Kulikov was tested. It was distinguished by the design of a composite short coaxial torsion bar (long monotorsion bars could not be used coaxially). However, such a short torsion bar did not show enough in tests good results, and therefore the torsion bar suspension did not immediately pave the way for itself in the course of further work. Obstacles to be overcome: climbs of at least 40 degrees, vertical wall 0.7 m, covered ditch 2-2.5 m."

YouTube about tanks, work on the production of prototypes of D-180 and D-200 engines for reconnaissance tanks are not being carried out, jeopardizing the production of prototypes." Justifying his choice, N. Astrov said that a wheeled-tracked non-floating reconnaissance aircraft (factory designation 101 or 10-1), as well as a variant of an amphibious tank (factory designation 102 or 10-1 2), are a compromise solution, since it is not possible to fully satisfy the requirements of the ABTU. Option 101 was a tank weighing 7.5 tons with a hull-like hull, but with vertical side sheets of cemented armor 10-13 mm thick, since : “The inclined sides, causing serious weighting of the suspension and hull, require a significant (up to 300 mm) widening of the hull, not to mention the complication of the tank.

Video reviews of tanks in which the tank’s power unit was planned to be based on the 250-horsepower MG-31F aircraft engine, which was being developed by industry for agricultural aircraft and gyroplanes. 1st grade gasoline was placed in the tank under the floor of the fighting compartment and in additional onboard gas tanks. The armament fully corresponded to the task and consisted of coaxial machine guns DK 12.7 mm caliber and DT (in the second version of the project even ShKAS is listed) 7.62 mm caliber. Combat weight tank with torsion bar suspension was 5.2 tons, with spring suspension - 5.26 tons. Tests took place from July 9 to August 21 according to the method approved in 1938, and Special attention was given to tanks.

Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. E

Main characteristics

Briefly

Details

1.7 / 1.7 / 1.7 BR

5 people Crew

Mobility

19.5 tons Weight

10 forward
4 ago checkpoint

Armament

131 rounds of ammunition

10° / 20° UVN

3,600 rounds of ammunition

150 shells clip size

900 rounds/min rate of fire

Economy

Description

Panzerkampfwagen III (3.7 cm) Ausführung E or Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. E. is a German medium tank from World War II, mass-produced from 1938 to 1943. The abbreviated names of this tank were PzKpfw III, Panzer III, Pz III. In the departmental rubricator of military equipment of Nazi Germany, this tank was designated Sd.Kfz. 141 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 141 - machine special purpose 141).

The PzKpfw III tank was in general typical representative German school of tank building, but with some significant features characteristic of other design concepts. Therefore, in its design and layout solutions, on the one hand, it inherited the advantages and disadvantages of the classical layout " German type", and on the other hand, it did not have some of its negative features. In particular, an individual torsion bar suspension with small-diameter road wheels was unusual for German cars, although it has proven itself very well in production and operation. Later “Panthers” and “Tigers” had a “checkerboard” suspension, which was less reliable in operation and repair and was structurally more complex, traditional for German tanks.

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

Main characteristics

Armor protection and survivability

The armor of the Pz.III E is not outstanding and does not have rational angles of inclination. In view of this, to increase security, it is recommended to install the tank in a diamond shape.

The tank's crew consists of 5 people, which sometimes allows it to survive a direct hit to the turret, but penetrating the side or center of the hull with a chamber shell will lead to a one-shot. It is worth not forgetting that the tank has a massive command turret, when fired at, the enemy tank has a chance to destroy all crew members in the turret.

The layout of the tank modules is good. The transmission in the front of the hull can withstand low-power chamber projectiles.

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

Layout of Pz.Kpfw modules. III Ausf. E

Mobility

Good mobility, high maximum speed and an excellent turn on the spot. The tank drives well over rough terrain and maintains its speed well, but the tank picks up speed very mediocrely.

Armament

Main weapon

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

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

The gun has the following range of shells:

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

Machine gun weapons

The 37 mm cannon was paired with two Rheinmetall-Borsig MG-34 machine guns of 7.92 mm caliber. A third, identical machine gun was installed in the front plate of the hull. The machine guns' ammunition consisted of 4425 rounds. Can be effective against vehicles that do not have any armor, such as Soviet GAZ trucks.

Use in combat

Classical german tank entry levels. A combat rating of 1.7 is very comfortable for this tank. There are no difficult opponents, it all depends on the ability to shoot accurately and drive in the right direction. Good weapon with a good rate of fire helps in every possible way in battle. Available sub-caliber shells. Mostly the enemies are weakly armored and the gun has no particular problems in penetrating them. If you are going to capture a point, then it is best to choose the most direct section and, preferably, not turn, since at the slightest turn, precious speed is lost, which is not gained so quickly. The Pz.Kpfw also has the same problem. III Ausf. F. If the battle takes place in realistic mode and the point was captured, then usually there are enough revival points to capture the plane. But regardless of the mode, it is better to continue the battle by retreating from the point. The enemy can use an Art Strike, but armor will not save you from a close hit, much less a direct one. In addition, there will be opponents who want to recapture the point.

• Also using high speed it is possible and necessary to use flanking moves to go behind enemy lines.

If you successfully bypass the flank, or in some other way, you should not immediately rush into battle shooting at everything in sight. You need to choose the highest priority goal. Firstly, these are singles or vehicles in the rearguard (bringing up). When firing, remember that the 37mm cannon has a very weak armor effect, so you need to deliver targeted strikes on vital modules.

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

• Open combat (shootout) is not recommended since the frontal armor is only 30 mm and can be penetrated by all opponents. Shrapnel is especially dangerous at close range. Essentially ensures one-shot death.

A tank ambush is a very common and familiar tactic. We choose any place you think is suitable for an ambush and wait for the enemy. It is advisable that the ambush location ensures shooting at the enemy's side. In addition, an ambush must be set up in places unexpected for the enemy; the main thing in an ambush is surprise, to take the enemy by surprise.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• Good mobility.
• Small tank dimensions.
• Good accuracy.
• Rapid fire gun

Flaws:

• Slow turret rotation speed.
• Low firepower.
• Slow acceleration

Historical reference

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

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

The PzKpfw III Ausf.E tanks were equipped with a Maybach HL120TR engine with a power of 300 hp. and a 10-speed Maybach Variorex gearbox. Weight tank PzKpfw III Ausf.E reached 19.5 tons. From August 1940 to 1942, all issued Ausf.E underwent rearmament, receiving a new 50-mm KwK38 L/42 gun. The gun was paired not with two, but only with one machine gun. The frontal armor of the hull and superstructure, as well as the aft armor plate, was strengthened with 30-mm armor. Over time, some Ausf.E tanks were converted to the Ausf.F standard. 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 transmission, which was characterized by a large number of gears in the gearbox with a small number of gears: one gear per gear. The rigidity of the box, in addition to the ribs in the crankcase, was ensured by a “shaftless” gear mounting system. To facilitate management and improve average speed movements, equalizers and servomechanisms were used. The width of the track chains - 360 mm - was chosen mainly based on road driving conditions, significantly limiting off-road capability. However, the latter was quite difficult to find in the conditions of the Western European theater of operations.

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Medium tank Pz Kpfw III
and its modifications

A total of 5,922 Pz Kpfw III tanks were produced between 1937 and August 1943. various modifications, of which 700 units were produced with a 75-mm cannon and more than 2,600 with a 50-mm cannon. Other combat vehicles were also produced on the basis of the Pz Kpfw III: assault guns, flamethrower and command tanks. Some of the tanks in 1943-1944. was converted into armored observer vehicles and ARVs.

The crew consisted of 5 people. This number of crew members, starting with the Pz Kpfw III, became standard on all subsequent German medium and heavy tanks. This number determined the functional division of duties of the crew members: commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator.

All Pz Kpfw III battle tanks were equipped with the FuG5 radio.

Medium tanks Pz Kpfw III Ausf A, B, C, D(Sd Kfz 141)

Pz Kpfw III Ausf B Pz Kpfw III Ausf D

Combat weight - 15.4–16 tons. Length - 5.67...5.92 m. Width - 2.81...2.82 m. Height - 2.34...2.42 m.
Armor 15 mm.
Engine - Maybach HL 108TR. Speed ​​- 40 km/h. Cruising range is 165 km on the highway and up to 95 km on the ground.
Armament: 37 mm KwK L/46.5 cannon and three 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns (two in the turret).

Pz Kpfw III Ausf A: 10 cars were produced in 1937.

Pz Kpfw III Ausf B: 15 cars were produced in 1937.

Pz Kpfw III Ausf C: 15 vehicles were produced at the end of 1937 and January 1938.

Pz Kpfw III Ausf D: 30 vehicles were produced from January to June 1938.

The Pz Kpfw III Ausf A tanks had five large diameter road wheels. In the following modifications B and C, the chassis was completely different. These tanks had 8 small road wheels and 3 support rollers. On the Pz Kpfw III Ausf D tanks, the shape of the commander's cupola, which had five viewing slots, was changed, and its armor was increased to 30 mm.

Tanks Pz Kpfw III Ausf A, B, C, D participated in the Polish campaign. Pz Kpfw III Ausf A and Ausf B were withdrawn from service in February 1940 combat personnel. Pz Kpfw III Ausf D tanks took part in the occupation of Norway in April 1940, then were withdrawn from service.

Medium tank Pz Kpfw III Ausf E(Sd Kfz 141)

96 tanks were produced from December 1938 to October 1939.

Medium tank Pz Kpfw III Ausf E

Pz Kpfw III Ausf E - the first mass series. They used a new 12-cylinder carburetor engine "Maybach" HL 120TR (3000 rpm) with a power of 300 hp. With. and a new gearbox. The frontal and side armor was increased to 30 mm, while the mass of the tank reached 19.5 tons, and the pressure on the ground increased from 0.77 to 0.96 kg/cm 2. The hull was made from solid armor plates instead of composite ones, as on previous models. Emergency hatches were made on both sides, and a radio operator's viewing device was installed on the right side of the hull. Chassis The tank of this modification had six rubber-coated road wheels and an individual torsion bar suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers, which was not subject to significant changes in subsequent modifications.

Combat weight - 19.5 tons. Length - 5.38 m. Width - 2.94 m. Height - 2.44 m.

Many vehicles were re-equipped with a 50-mm cannon from August 1940 to 1942. At the same time, the frontal and rear parts of the hull were shielded with 30-mm armor plates.

Production was carried out at the factories of three companies - Daimler-Benz, Henschel and MAN.

Medium tank Pz Kpfw III Ausf F(Sd Kfz 141)

435 vehicles were produced from September 1939 to July 1940.

The Pz Kpfw III Ausf F tank had the same dimensions and armor as the Pz Kpfw III Ausf E and minor design improvements, including a new type of commander's cupola. Added air intakes on the roof.

Combat weight - 19.8 tons.
Armor: turret, front and sides of the superstructure and hull – 30 mm, rear of the superstructure and hull – 21 mm.
Engine - Maybach NL 120TR. Speed ​​- 40 km/h. Cruising range - 165 km.
Armament: 37 mm KwK L/46.5 cannon and three 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns (two in the turret).
The gun's ammunition capacity is 131 shots.

The last 100 tanks were armed with the 50 mm KwK38 L/42 cannon, and later most of Previously released tanks of this series were also rearmed with these guns. At the same time, additional armor plates 30 mm thick were installed.

The last Pz Kpfw III Ausf F were in full service in June 1944.

Medium tank Pz Kpfw III Ausf G(Sd Kfz 141)

600 vehicles were produced from April 1940 to February 1941.

Tanks of the Pz Kpfw III Ausf G modification received the 50-mm KwK38 L/42 tank gun, developed by Krupp in 1938, as their main armament. At the same time, the re-equipment of previously produced tanks of modifications E and F with a new artillery system began. The ammunition load of the new gun consisted of 99 rounds. The thickness of the rear hull armor was increased to 30 mm. The tank's mass reached 20.3 tons. The turret design was changed: an exhaust fan was installed on the roof and a new commander's cupola was installed. A rotating driver's viewing device is used.

Combat weight - 20.3 tons. Length - 5.41 m. Width - 2.95 m. Height - 2.44 m.
Armor of the turret, superstructure and hull – 30 mm.
Engine - Maybach NL 120TR. Speed ​​- 40 km/h. Cruising range - 165 km.

Medium tank Pz Kpfw III Ausf H(Sd Kfz 141)

308 vehicles were produced from October 1940 to April 1941.

The Pz Kpfw III Ausf H received a new transmission, an improved turret, a new commander's cupola, additional 30-mm armored front and rear hull screens and frontal superstructures (30+30 mm). In 1941, the frontal armor of the Pz Kpfw III Ausf H tank was not penetrated by Soviet 45-mm shells anti-tank guns model 1937, American 37 mm M5 guns and English 40 mm guns.

Combat weight - 21.8 tons. Dimensions are the same.
Armor of the turret, superstructure and hull – 30 mm, additional armor plates on the forehead and rear of the hull and on the forehead of the superstructure – 30 mm.
Armament: 50 mm 5cm KwK38 L/42 cannon and two 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns.
The gun's ammunition capacity is 99 rounds.

Medium tank Pz Kpfw III Ausf J(Sd Kfz 141)

1549 vehicles were produced from March 1941 to July 1942.

Pz Kpfw III Ausf J with short-barreled 5cm KwK38 L/42 cannon

Armament: 50 mm 5cm KwK38 L/42 cannon and two 7.92 mm MG34 machine guns.
The gun's ammunition capacity is 99 rounds.

The Pz Kpfw III Ausf J tank was protected by even thicker armor - 50 mm. A new type of installation for the radio operator's machine gun has been introduced - ball. The first 1,549 tanks were armed with a 50-mm short-barreled KwK38 L/42 cannon. Beginning in December 1941, the new 50-mm long-barreled gun KwK39 L/60 began to be installed on Pz III Ausf J tanks for the first time.

The first Pz Kpfw III Ausf J tanks with a short-barreled gun entered service with a separate tank regiment sent to the Eastern Front in September 1941. The rest went to make up for losses on the Eastern Front and North Africa.

Medium tank Pz Kpfw III Ausf J(Sd Kfz 141/1)

1067 vehicles were produced from December 1941 to July 1942.

Pz Kpfw III Ausf J with 5cm KwK39 L/60 long-barreled gun

These tanks were equipped with a more powerful 50-mm long-barreled KwK39 L/60 gun. The need for this arose from the experience of fighting on the Eastern Front. In tanks with new gun L/60 ammunition capacity was reduced due to the new cartridge (shot) length from 99 to 84 pieces.

Combat weight - 21.5 tons. Length - 5.52 m. Width - 2.95 m. Height - 2.50 m.
Armor: front and rear of superstructure and hull – 50 mm, turret and sides – 30 mm.
Engine - Maybach NL 120TR. Speed ​​- 40 km/h. Power reserve - 155 km.
Armament: 50 mm 5cm KwK39 L/60 cannon and two 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns.
The gun's ammunition capacity is 84 rounds.

Pz Kpfw III J tanks with a 50-mm L/60 long-barreled gun entered service with five new tank battalions formed for and. The rest came to make up for high losses on the Eastern Front. Tanks with the L/60 gun fought very successfully in North Africa with British tanks, but were ineffective in combat with Soviet T-34 and KV.

In June 1942, there were about 500 Pz Kpfw III Ausf J tanks with a 50 mm cannon at the fronts and in reserve. Before the start of the offensive near Kursk, 141 Pz Kpfw III Ausf J were located as part of Army Groups “Center” and “South”.

Medium tank Pz Kpfw III Ausf L(Sd Kfz 141/1)

653 vehicles were produced from June to December 1942.

Medium tank Pz Kpfw III Ausf L

Combat weight - 22.7 tons. Length - 6.28 m. Width - 2.95 m. Height, m ​​- 2.50 m.
Frontal armor of the turret – 57 mm, superstructure – 50+20 mm, hull – 50 mm. The armor of the sides and stern of the turret and the sides of the superstructure and hull is 30 mm. Armor of the stern of the superstructure and hull – 50 mm.
Engine - Maybach NL 120TR. Speed ​​- 40 km/h. Power reserve - 155 km.
Armament: 50 mm 5cm KwK39 L/60 cannon and two 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns.

The first Pz Kpfw III Ausf L tanks entered service, and and.

Medium tank Pz Kpfw III Ausf M(Sd Kfz 141/1)

250 vehicles were produced from October 1942 to February 1943.

Performance characteristics similar to Pz Kpfw III Ausf L.

Three grenade launchers for smoke grenades were installed on the sides of the turret. The width of the vehicle with the eastern caterpillar increased to 3.27 m. When installing screens on the sides of the hull, the width of the tank reached 3.41 m.

Medium support tank Pz Kpfw III Ausf N(Sd Kfz 141/2)

663 vehicles were produced from June 1942 to August 1943. Another 37 vehicles from Pz Kpfw III J were converted.

Performance characteristics are the same as modifications L, M.

Armament: 75mm 7.5cm KwK L/24 cannon and two 7.92mm MG 34 machine guns.

Intended to provide support to the Tigers or to perform functions in tank regiments that were performed by tanks Pz Kpfw IV with a short-barreled 75 mm cannon.

Medium flamethrower tank Pz Kpfw III (F1)(Sd Kfz 141/3)

100 vehicles were produced from February to April 1943. Created on the basis of the Pz Kpfw III Ausf M tank.

Crew – 3 people.
Combat weight - 23 tons.
Armament: flamethrower (1000 liters of fire mixture) and 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun.
Flame throwing range – up to 60 m.

Command tanks based on Pz Kpfw III

Medium command tank Pz Bef Wg(Sd Kfz 141)

81 vehicles were produced from August to November 1942.

This tank is based on the Pz Kpfw III Ausf J tank. The frontal machine gun was removed and the gun's ammunition load was reduced to 75 rounds.

Armament: 50 mm 5cm KwK L/42 cannon and 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun in the turret.
Radio stations – FuG5 and FuG7 (or FuG 8).

Medium command tank Pz Bef Wg Ausf K

50 vehicles were produced from December 1942 to February 1943. This command tank is based on the Pz Kpfw III Ausf M tank.

Armament: 50mm long-barreled 5cm KwK39 L/60 cannon and 7.92mm MG 34 machine gun in the turret.
Radio stations – FuG 5 and FuG 8 (or FuG7).

In the period from June 1938 to September 1941, command tanks of the D, E, H series with one machine gun in the turret (a mock-up instead of a cannon) were also produced. A total of 220 vehicles of these series with various radio stations were built.

Combat use of medium tanks Pz Kpfw III

By the beginning of the invasion of the USSR, the Wehrmacht and SS troops had about 1,550 Pz Kpfw III tanks. The troops intended to attack the USSR numbered 960 tanks Pz Kpfw III Ausf E, F, G, H, J.