Panzer III Tank

1. Lead

The Panzer III (Panzerkampfwagen III) was the main battle tank of the German Army in the first half of the Second World War, and the tank that led the Blitzkrieg in Poland, in France and in the Soviet Union. Designed in the mid-1930s as a medium tank, armed at first with a 37 mm gun and later with a 50 mm gun, it was the standard tank of the Panzer divisions in 1939 and 1940, and it remained the main German tank until 1942, when it was replaced by the Panzer IV with the long 75 mm gun and by the Panther.

About 5,774 Panzer IIIs were built between 1937 and 1943, and its chassis was used for the StuG III assault gun, the most-produced German armoured fighting vehicle of the war, of which about 10,000 were built.

The Panzer III’s importance lies not only in what it did, but in what it represented: the first German tank with a three-man turret, with the commander free to command the tank and to direct its fire, while the gunner aimed the gun and the loader loaded it.

This three-man turret, which was copied by the Allies and which became the standard for tanks after the war, was the Panzer III’s greatest innovation, and it gave the German tank crews a decisive advantage in the early years of the war, when the French and Soviet tanks had one-man or two-man turrets, and when their commanders had to load and aim the gun themselves.

The Panzer III’s story is therefore the story of the German Panzer arm at its best, and of the tank that won the campaigns of 1939 and 1940, before it was overtaken by the Soviet T-34 and by the Allied tanks that followed.

2. Key Facts

Type	Medium tank
Origin	Germany
Designer	Daimler-Benz
Manufacturers	Daimler-Benz; MAN; Henschel; Alkett; others
In service	1939–1943 (as a battle tank); longer as StuG III chassis
Produced	1937–1943; about 5,774 built (excluding StuG III)
Weight	About 22–23 tonnes (Ausf. M)
Length	5.41 m (with gun); 5.38 m (hull, Ausf. M)
Width	2.95 m
Height	2.50 m
Crew	5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)
Armour	30–50 mm, plus 20 mm spaced plates on later models
Main armament	3.7 cm KwK 36 (Ausf. A–E); 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 (Ausf. F–H); 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 (Ausf. J–M); 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 (Ausf. N)
Secondary armament	Two 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns
Engine	Maybach HL120 TRM V12 petrol, 300 hp
Top speed	About 40 km/h on road
Range	About 155 km on road

3. Background and Development

The Panzer III and the Panzer IV: a pair of tanks

A pair of tanks

The Panzer III was designed in the mid-1930s, as part of a pair of tanks: the Panzer III, which was to be the main battle tank, armed with a gun capable of destroying enemy tanks, and the Panzer IV, which was to be the support tank, armed with a short 75 mm gun capable of destroying infantry, gun positions and buildings.

The two tanks were designed to work together, with the Panzer III fighting the enemy tanks and the Panzer IV supporting the infantry, and they were the standard tanks of the Panzer divisions in 1939 and 1940. The Panzer III was designed by Daimler-Benz, and it was built by several firms, including Daimler-Benz, MAN, Henschel and Alkett, and it entered service in 1939, in time for the invasion of Poland.

The Panzer III’s design was influenced by the German experience in the Spanish Civil War, where the Panzer I, armed only with machine guns, had proved unable to fight enemy tanks, and where the Germans had learned that they needed a tank with a proper anti-tank gun.

The gun problem

The Panzer III’s first gun was the 37 mm KwK 36, which was chosen because it was the standard German anti-tank gun, and because the German Army believed that the 37 mm gun would be enough to destroy any enemy tank.

The 37 mm gun was adequate against the Polish and French tanks of 1939 and 1940, but it was not enough against the Soviet T-34 and KV-1, which the Germans met in 1941, and whose armour it could not penetrate.

The Panzer III was therefore re-armed with the 50 mm KwK 38 L/42 gun, and later with the 50 mm KwK 39 L/60 gun, which had better armour penetration, and which could penetrate the T-34’s armour at close range, although it could not penetrate it at long range. The Panzer III’s last version, the Ausf.

N, was armed with the short 75 mm KwK 37 gun, and it was used as a support tank, after the Panzer III had been replaced as the main battle tank by the Panzer IV with the long 75 mm gun.

The three-man turret

The Panzer III’s greatest innovation was its three-man turret, which was the first German tank turret to have a commander, a gunner and a loader, and which allowed the commander to command the tank and to direct its fire, while the gunner aimed the gun and the loader loaded it.

The three-man turret gave the German tank crews a decisive advantage in the early years of the war, when the French tanks had one-man turrets, in which the commander had to load, aim and fire the gun himself, and when the Soviet tanks had two-man turrets, in which the commander had to load the gun himself.

The Panzer III’s three-man turret was copied by the Allies, and it became the standard for tanks after the war, and it is still the standard today, with the commander, the gunner and the loader working together in the turret.

The Panzer III’s turret was also fitted with a cupola for the commander, with periscopes and with a radio, which allowed the commander to see the battlefield and to communicate with the other tanks, and which gave the German Panzer divisions their cohesion and their speed.

Production and the StuG III

The Panzer III was built in large numbers, and about 5,774 were built between 1937 and 1943, by Daimler-Benz, MAN, Henschel, Alkett and other firms. The Panzer III’s production was a remarkable achievement, given the state of German industry in the late 1930s, when the factories were working day and night to produce tanks for the war, and when materials and labour were in short supply.

The Panzer III’s chassis was also used for the StuG III assault gun, which was built on the Panzer III chassis and armed with the 75 mm gun, and of which about 10,000 were built, making it the most-produced German armoured fighting vehicle of the war.

The StuG III was originally designed as an infantry support vehicle, but it became the most effective German tank destroyer, and it fought on every front, and it outlived the Panzer III, which was withdrawn from service as a battle tank in 1943, when it was replaced by the Panzer IV and by the Panther.

4. Design

The hull, the armour and the spaced plates

The Panzer III’s hull was of welded construction, with armour up to 50 mm thick on the front and on the turret, and 30 mm thick on the sides and on the rear. The armour was not sloped, as it was on the T-34, because the German designers believed that thickness alone would be enough, and because the Panzer III’s hull was designed to be easy to produce, with flat plates that could be welded together quickly.

The Panzer III’s later versions were fitted with spaced armour, or Vorpanzer, which was a 20 mm plate mounted in front of the main armour, with a gap between the two plates, which was intended to protect the tank against Soviet anti-tank rifles and against the 45 mm gun, although it was not effective against larger guns.

The Panzer III’s armour was adequate against the Polish and French tanks of 1939 and 1940, but it was not enough against the Soviet T-34, whose 76.2 mm gun could penetrate it at ordinary combat ranges, and the Panzer III’s crews learned to use the ground and to fight from hull-down positions, where only the turret was exposed.

The guns: 37 mm, 50 mm and 75 mm

The Panzer III’s main armament changed several times during its production, and each change reflected the lessons of the war. The first version, the Ausf. A to E, was armed with the 37 mm KwK 36 gun, which could penetrate about 50 mm of armour at 500 metres, and which was adequate against the Polish and French tanks, but not against the Soviet tanks. The second version, the Ausf.

F to H, was armed with the 50 mm KwK 38 L/42 gun, which could penetrate about 60 mm of armour at 500 metres, and which was better than the 37 mm gun, but still not enough against the T-34. The third version, the Ausf.

J to M, was armed with the 50 mm KwK 39 L/60 gun, which could penetrate about 75 mm of armour at 500 metres, and which could penetrate the T-34’s armour at close range, although it could not penetrate it at long range. The last version, the Ausf.

N, was armed with the short 75 mm KwK 37 gun, which fired a high-explosive shell against infantry and was used as a support tank.

The crew, the radio and the Maybach engine

The Panzer III’s crew of five worked in a well-laid-out fighting compartment, and the tank was fitted with a radio, which was one of its greatest strengths. Every Panzer III was fitted with a radio, which allowed the commander to communicate with the other tanks and with the headquarters, and which gave the German Panzer divisions their cohesion and their speed, while the French and Soviet tanks, which had few radios, could not communicate with each other and could not coordinate their attacks.

The Panzer III’s commander sat in the turret, with the gunner and the loader, and the driver sat in the front of the hull, with the radio operator beside him, who operated the radio and the hull machine gun. The Panzer III was powered by a Maybach HL120 TRM V12 petrol engine of 300 horsepower, which gave it a top speed of about 40 km/h on the road, and which was reliable and easy to maintain, although it was underpowered for a tank that weighed 22 tonnes.

5. Variants

Variant	Years	Key features	Production
Ausf. A–D	1937–1938	Pre-production; 37 mm gun; small numbers	About 110
Ausf. E–F	1939–1940	37 mm gun; improved suspension	About 350
Ausf. G–H	1940–1941	50 mm KwK 38 L/42 gun; thicker armour	About 1,100
Ausf. J–L	1941–1942	50 mm KwK 39 L/60 gun; spaced armour	About 2,600
Ausf. M	1942–1943	50 mm L/60 gun; deep-wading exhaust	About 250
Ausf. N	1942–1943	75 mm KwK 37 L/24 gun; support tank	About 700
StuG III	1940–1945	Assault gun on Panzer III chassis	About 10,000
Flammpanzer III	1943	Flamethrower version	About 100

The gun versions: Ausf. A to N

The Panzer III was built in many versions, and the difference between them was mainly their armament and their armour. The early versions, the Ausf. A to E, were armed with the 37 mm gun, and they were built in small numbers, as pre-production and early-production vehicles, and they fought in Poland and in France. The middle versions, the Ausf.

F to H, were armed with the 50 mm KwK 38 L/42 gun, and they were built in larger numbers, and they fought in France, in North Africa and in Russia. The late versions, the Ausf. J to M, were armed with the 50 mm KwK 39 L/60 gun, and they were built in the largest numbers, and they fought in Russia and in North Africa, where they were the main German tank.

The last version, the Ausf. N, was armed with the short 75 mm gun, and it was used as a support tank, after the Panzer III had been replaced as the main battle tank.

The StuG III and the special versions

The Panzer III’s chassis was used for the StuG III assault gun, which was the most-produced German armoured fighting vehicle of the war, with about 10,000 built. The StuG III was originally designed as an infantry support vehicle, armed with the short 75 mm gun, but it was later armed with the long 75 mm gun, and it became the most effective German tank destroyer, fighting on every front and destroying more enemy tanks than any other German vehicle.

The Panzer III’s chassis was also used for the Flammpanzer III, a flamethrower version of which about 100 were built, and for the Befehlspanzer III, a command version with additional radio equipment, and for the Tauchpanzer III, a version designed to drive under water for the invasion of Britain, which was never used.

The Panzer III’s chassis was one of the most versatile of the war, and it outlived the Panzer III itself, which was withdrawn from service as a battle tank in 1943.

6. Operational History

Poland and France, 1939–1940

The Panzer III first saw action in Poland in September 1939, where it was the main battle tank of the Panzer divisions, and where it fought the Polish Army, which was equipped with light tanks and with anti-tank guns, and which it defeated in a few weeks.

The Panzer III’s 37 mm gun was adequate against the Polish tanks, and its three-man turret and its radio gave the German tank crews a decisive advantage, and the Panzer divisions advanced rapidly across Poland, encircling the Polish Army and capturing Warsaw.

In France in May and June 1940, the Panzer III fought the French Army, which had more tanks than the Germans, but whose tanks had one-man turrets and few radios, and which could not coordinate their attacks. The Panzer III, with its three-man turret and its radio, outfought the French tanks, and the Panzer divisions broke through the French lines at Sedan and advanced to the Channel, encircling the British and French armies at Dunkirk.

Barbarossa and the shock of the T-34, 1941

In June 1941, the Panzer III fought in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, where it was the main battle tank of the Panzer divisions, and where it met the Soviet T-34 and KV-1 for the first time.

The Panzer III’s 37 mm and 50 mm guns could not penetrate the T-34’s sloped armour or the KV-1’s thick armour at ordinary combat ranges, while the T-34’s 76.2 mm gun could penetrate the Panzer III’s armour at any range, and the German tank crews were shocked by the Soviet tanks.

The Panzer III fought well in 1941, and it helped the German Army to advance to the gates of Moscow, but it was outclassed by the T-34, and the German Army realised that it needed a new tank, with a more powerful gun and thicker armour, and that the Panzer III would have to be replaced.

The Panzer III was re-armed with the long 50 mm gun, and its armour was thickened, but it was still not enough, and the Panther was ordered to replace it.

North Africa, 1941–1943

In North Africa, the Panzer III fought with Rommel’s Afrika Korps, where it was the main battle tank, and where it fought the British Army in the desert. The Panzer III’s 50 mm gun could penetrate the British Crusader and Valentine tanks, and its three-man turret and its radio gave it an advantage over the British tanks, which had two-man turrets and few radios.

The Panzer III fought at Tobruk, at Gazala and at El Alamein, and it helped Rommel to advance across Libya and into Egypt, but it was outnumbered by the British tanks, and it was destroyed in large numbers at El Alamein in October and November 1942, where the British Army, equipped with Shermans and Grants, broke through the German lines.

The Panzer III’s last battles in North Africa were fought in Tunisia in 1943, where the remaining Panzer IIIs were destroyed or captured when the Axis forces surrendered in May 1943.

Stalingrad, Kursk and the end, 1942–1943

On the Eastern Front, the Panzer III fought at Stalingrad in 1942, where it was used by the German Army in the battle for the city, and where it was destroyed in large numbers, and at Kursk in July 1943, where it was used as a support tank, after it had been replaced as the main battle tank by the Panzer IV and by the Panther.

The Panzer III’s last battles as a battle tank were fought in 1943, and by then the type was being replaced by the Panzer IV with the long 75 mm gun, and by the Panther, and the surviving Panzer IIIs were used as command tanks, as flamethrower tanks and as the basis for the StuG III, which continued to fight until the end of the war.

The Panzer III’s story ended in 1943, when its production ceased, but its chassis lived on in the StuG III, which was built until 1945 and which fought on every front.

7. Performance and Specifications

Specification	Panzer III Ausf. J (50 mm L/60)	Panzer III Ausf. N (75 mm L/24)
Main gun	5 cm KwK 39 L/60	7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24
Armour penetration (AP)	About 75 mm at 500 m	About 60 mm at 500 m (HEAT)
Armour (front hull)	50 mm	50 mm
Armour (turret front)	50 mm	50 mm
Armour (side)	30 mm	30 mm
Weight	About 22 tonnes	About 23 tonnes
Engine	Maybach HL120 TRM, 300 hp	Maybach HL120 TRM, 300 hp
Power-to-weight	About 14 hp per tonne	About 13 hp per tonne
Top speed (road)	About 40 km/h	About 40 km/h
Range (road)	About 155 km	About 155 km
Crew	5	5
Number built	About 2,600 (Ausf. J–L)	About 700 (Ausf. N)

Firepower and protection

The Panzer III’s firepower was adequate in 1939 and 1940, but it was not enough after 1941, when it met the Soviet T-34. Its 37 mm gun could penetrate about 50 mm of armour at 500 metres, and its 50 mm L/42 gun could penetrate about 60 mm, and its 50 mm L/60 gun could penetrate about 75 mm, but none of these guns could penetrate the T-34’s sloped armour at ordinary combat ranges, and the Panzer III’s crews had to close to point-blank range and attack from the side or the rear.

The Panzer III’s protection was also adequate in 1939 and 1940, but not after 1941: its front armour was 50 mm thick, which was proof against the 45 mm gun of the Soviet BT tanks and against the 2-pounder gun of the British tanks, but not proof against the 76.2 mm gun of the T-34, which could penetrate it at any range.

The Panzer III’s real strength was not its gun or its armour, but its three-man turret, its radio and its crew training, which gave it an advantage over the Soviet tanks, which had two-man turrets and few radios.

Mobility and comparison with the T-34

The Panzer III’s mobility was good, and it was one of its strengths. Its top speed was about 40 km/h on the road, which was faster than the French Char B1, which could reach only 28 km/h, and faster than the Soviet KV-1, which could reach only 35 km/h, but slower than the T-34, which could reach about 55 km/h.

Its Maybach engine, which produced 300 horsepower, was reliable and easy to maintain, and its torsion-bar suspension gave it a smooth ride and a good cross-country performance. Compared with the T-34, the Panzer III was slower, less well armed and less well protected, but it was better designed, with a three-man turret, a radio and a five-man crew, and it was more comfortable to fight in, and its crews were better trained.

The Panzer III’s comparison with the T-34 shows that a tank is more than its gun and its armour, and that the crew, the turret and the radio are as important as the gun, although they cannot compensate for a gun that cannot penetrate the enemy’s armour.

8. Operators

Germany: the Panzer divisions

The Panzer III was used by Germany, and it was the standard battle tank of the Panzer divisions in 1939, 1940 and 1941. The Panzer divisions, which were the spearhead of the German Army, were equipped with Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs, and they fought in Poland, in France, in North Africa and in Russia, and they won the campaigns of 1939 and 1940, before they were stopped in Russia in 1941.

The Panzer III’s crews were volunteers, and they were among the best-trained soldiers in the German Army, and they learned to drive, to maintain and to fight in the tank, and to use it in conjunction with the infantry, the artillery and the aircraft.

The Panzer III remained the standard tank of the Panzer divisions until 1942, when it was replaced by the Panzer IV with the long 75 mm gun, and by the Panther, and the surviving Panzer IIIs were used as command tanks, as flamethrower tanks and as the basis for the StuG III.

Axis allies and captured Panzer IIIs

The Panzer III was also used by Germany’s allies, including Romania, which received Panzer IIIs and used them on the Eastern Front, and Hungary, which received Panzer IIIs and used them in Russia, and Bulgaria, which received Panzer IIIs and used them for training.

The Panzer III was also used by the Soviet Union, which captured a number of Panzer IIIs and used them against the Germans, and by the British, who captured Panzer IIIs in North Africa and used them for trials, and by the Americans, who captured Panzer IIIs in Tunisia and used them for trials.

The Panzer III’s use by so many countries is evidence of its importance, and of the fact that it was the standard German tank of the early war, and that it was available in large numbers, and that it was a sound and reliable design, even if it was outclassed by the T-34 after 1941.

9. Legacy and Influence

The three-man turret’s legacy

The Panzer III’s legacy is, above all, its three-man turret. The Panzer III was the first German tank with a commander, a gunner and a loader in the turret, and it showed that a tank’s commander should be free to command the tank and to direct its fire, while the gunner aimed the gun and the loader loaded it.

The three-man turret was copied by the Allies, and it became the standard for tanks after the war, and it is still the standard today, with the commander, the gunner and the loader working together in the turret. The Panzer III’s turret also established the idea that a tank should have a radio, and that every tank should be able to communicate with the other tanks and with the headquarters, and this idea, which was revolutionary in 1939, is now taken for granted, and it is the basis of modern armoured warfare.

The Panzer III in history and memory

The Panzer III is remembered today as the tank of the Blitzkrieg, and as the tank that won the campaigns of 1939 and 1940. Its role in Poland and in France has made it one of the most famous tanks of the Second World War, and it is remembered as the tank that led the Panzer divisions to victory, and as the tank that showed what a modern tank could do when it was used properly.

The Panzer III is also remembered for its chassis, which was used for the StuG III, the most-produced German armoured fighting vehicle of the war, and which outlived the Panzer III itself, and which fought on every front until the end of the war.

The Panzer III’s story is also a cautionary one: it showed that a tank that is good in 1939 can be obsolete in 1941, and that a tank’s gun and armour must keep pace with the enemy’s, and that a tank that cannot penetrate the enemy’s armour cannot win, however well designed it is.

10. Surviving Examples

The Tank Museum, Bovington

Several Panzer IIIs survive, and the best-known examples are held at the Tank Museum in Bovington, England. The museum holds a Panzer III Ausf. L, which was captured in North Africa and brought to Britain for trials, and which is displayed alongside the museum’s other German tanks of the war, including the Tiger I and the Panther. The museum also holds a Panzer III Ausf.

M, and the two tanks are displayed in the order in which they were built, so that visitors can see how the tank developed from the Ausf. A to the Ausf. N. For most visitors, the easiest way to see a Panzer III is at Bovington, where the Tank Museum’s Panzer IIIs are displayed together, and where the museum’s guides explain the tank’s role in Poland, in France and in Russia, and where the Panzer III’s three-man turret can be seen in full.

The museum’s Panzer III is regularly driven at Tankfest, where visitors can see it in action alongside the Tiger and the Panther.

Munster, Saumur, Kubinka and other survivors

Other surviving Panzer IIIs are held at the Deutsches Panzermuseum at Munster, Germany, which holds a Panzer III Ausf. M, and at the Musée des Blindés at Saumur, France, which holds a Panzer III, and at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia, which holds a Panzer III that was captured on the Eastern Front, and at the U.S.

Army Armor and Cavalry Collection at Fort Benning, Georgia, which holds a Panzer III that was captured in Tunisia. Many surviving Panzer IIIs are in running order, and they are a familiar sight at military vehicle rallies and at re-enactment events, where their three-man turret and their Maybach engine make them popular with their owners.

The Panzer III’s small size and its light weight make it one of the easiest Second World War tanks to own and to maintain, and it is one of the most common German tanks in private collections, and it is often used in films and in television programmes about the Second World War.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Panzer III?
The Panzer III (Panzerkampfwagen III) was a German medium tank of the Second World War, the main battle tank of the Panzer divisions in 1939–1942. About 5,774 were built between 1937 and 1943.

What was new about the Panzer III?
The Panzer III was the first German tank with a three-man turret — commander, gunner and loader — which freed the commander to command the tank and direct its fire. It was also one of the first tanks in which every vehicle had a radio.

How many Panzer III tanks were built?
About 5,774 Panzer III tanks were built between 1937 and 1943, and about 10,000 StuG III assault guns were built on the Panzer III chassis.

What gun did the Panzer III have?
The Panzer III was armed at first with the 37 mm gun, then with the 50 mm KwK 38 L/42 and the 50 mm KwK 39 L/60 guns, and finally, as the Ausf. N, with the short 75 mm KwK 37 gun.

Where did the Panzer III fight?
The Panzer III fought in Poland, in France, in North Africa, in Russia, at Stalingrad and at Kursk, from 1939 to 1943, when it was replaced as the main battle tank by the Panzer IV and the Panther.

Where can I see a Panzer III today?
Panzer IIIs survive at the Tank Museum in Bovington, England, at Munster in Germany, at Saumur in France, at Kubinka in Russia and at Fort Benning in the United States.

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Sources

1. Wikipedia, “Panzer III” — production of about 5,774, specifications, variants and service history.
2. The Tank Museum, Bovington, “Panzer III” — the three-man turret, the North African campaign and the surviving examples.
3. Thomas L. Jentz and Hilary L. Doyle, Panzer III and Its Variants (Schiffer, 2000) — development, production and variants.
4. Steven J. Zaloga, Panzer III vs T-34 (Osprey Publishing, 2013) — the Panzer III on the Eastern Front.
5. Wolfgang Schneider, Panzers in Combat (Stackpole Books, 2004) — the Panzer divisions and their combat record.
6. Tank Encyclopedia, “Panzerkampfwagen III” — specifications, operators and surviving examples.