T-ІІІ Tank (PzKpfw ІІІ F)

The Panzerkampfwagen III is a German light-medium tank of the Second World War, mass-produced from 1938 to 1943. The abbreviated names of this tank were PzKpfw III, Panzer III, Pz III. In the departmental rubric of Nazi Germany's military equipment, this tank was designated Sd.Kfz. 141 (Sonderkraftfahrzeuge 141 – Special Purpose Vehicle 141). In Soviet historical documents and popular literature, the PzKpfw III was referred to as “Type 3,” T-III, or T-3.

These combat vehicles were used by the Wehrmacht from the first day of World War II until their complete destruction in battles. The last records of the combat use of the PzKpfw III in the authorized units of the Wehrmacht date back to mid-1944, and individual tanks fought until the capitulation of Germany. From mid-1941 to early 1943, the PzKpfw III was the basis of the armored forces of the Wehrmacht (Panzerwaffe) and, despite its significant weakness compared to contemporary tanks of the anti-Hitler coalition countries, made a significant contribution to the successes of the Wehrmacht during that period.

The decision to start developing the machine was made after a meeting of the Armaments Department leadership to determine priority programs in conditions of limited funding, which took place on January 11, 1934. Formal permission to start work on the tank (German: Gefechtskampfwagen) was issued by the Armored Forces Inspection Department on January 27 of the same year. In February 1934, a competition was organized by the Armaments Department for the development of a new tank, which was given the code name "platoon leader tank" (German: Zugführerwagen) or ZW. After studying the capabilities of various companies, four firms were invited to participate in the competition: Daimler-Benz, Krupp, MAN, and Rheinmetall. The technical requirements for the tank included:

• Weight of approximately 10 tons;
• Armament with a 37-mm gun in a rotating turret;
• Maximum speed of no less than 40 km/h;
• Use of an HL 100 engine with 300 hp produced by "Maybach," SSG 75 transmission from Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen, Wilson-Cletrac type turning mechanism, and Kgs.65/326/100 tracks.

After studying previous projects presented by Daimler-Benz, MAN, and Rheinmetall, orders were placed for prototypes to be produced by the Armament Department in the summer of 1934:

• Daimler-Benz - two chassis prototypes;
• M.A.N. - one prototype chassis;
• Krupp - two turret prototypes;
• Rheinmetall – one turret prototype.

Based on the results of the prototype tests, the "Daimler-Benz" chassis was chosen, and the first sample was assembled in August 1935. In addition to the first two chassis, designated as ZW1 and ZW2, "Daimler-Benz" received a contract to create two more improved prototypes - ZW3 and ZW4. Two "Krupp" turret prototypes were completed as early as August 1934, but they were finally selected only after comparative tests with "Rheinmetall" turrets on prototype chassis Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. A, B, C, and D.

The order for the production of a "zero series" of 25 tanks, intended for military trials, was issued by the Arms Department in December 1935, and the production of the first tanks was scheduled for October 1936, with all 25 machines to be handed over to the military by April 1, 1937. At that time, the tank designation was changed several times until it was finally established by order of April 3, 1936, as the Panzerkampfwagen III.

A contract for the production of the first pre-series batch (1.Serie/ZW) of 10 tanks was issued to Daimler-Benz, while the turrets were to be supplied by Krupp. In addition to them, a number of other companies were involved in the production, manufacturing separate units and components of the tank. For example, armored hulls and turret armor were produced by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke, while other companies supplied optical instruments and components of the power plant and running gear. The ten vehicles of this series, which later received the designation Ausführung A (Ausf. A - "Model A"), were a development of the ZW1 prototype design. The characteristic feature of this modification was the running gear with five large-diameter support rollers with individual suspension on vertical springs and two supporting rollers on each side. The weight of the Ausf. A was 15 tons, but the maximum speed was lower than the customer's requirements and amounted to only 35 km/h. Daimler-Benz planned to complete the assembly of two chassis by November 1936, but the actual start of production of the Ausf. A was delayed until 1937. The exact dates of the production of vehicles of this modification are unknown, but their approximate period is known to be between May 1, 1937, when, according to reports, no tanks had been accepted yet, and October 1 of the same year, when 12 PzKpfw III tanks were already in service.

The second order, issued by Daimler-Benz and Krupp, provided for the production of a second pre-series batch (2.Serie/ZW) of 15 vehicles, which represented a development of the ZW3 prototype and received the designation Ausf.B. They differed from the Ausf.A primarily in the suspension system, which had 8 small-diameter support rollers on each side, paired and mounted in bogies suspended on two groups of leaf springs and equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers. In addition, a number of minor changes were made to the tank's design. Five Ausf.B chassis were redirected for the production of the zero-series Sturmgeschütz III assault guns; therefore, according to German documentation, only 10 of them were completed as tanks, although many sources mention 15 tanks of this modification being produced. The production of tanks of this modification began after the completion of work on machines from the Ausf.A batch, and the last Ausf.B tanks were delivered to the army by the end of November - beginning of December 1937.

An order for the third pre-production batch of PzKpfw III (3.Serie/ZW) with 40 tanks was also received by Daimler-Benz and Krupp, and a number of both former and new subcontractors were involved in the production of individual parts and components of the tank. The 3.Serie/Z.W. consisted of two batches - 3a.Serie/ZW with 15 vehicles and 3b.Serie/Z.W. with 25 vehicles, which were designated Ausf.C and Ausf.D, respectively. Structurally, Ausf.C differed from Ausf.B tanks primarily in the modified suspension, with eight rollers on each side now arranged in three bogies - the outer ones with two rollers each and the central one with four rollers, still suspended on leaf springs, and the outer bogies also on shock absorbers. In addition, improvements were made to the powertrain, especially the turning mechanism and the transmission. Production of Ausf.C ran from mid-1937 to January 1938.

The last pre-series modification of the PzKpfw III was the Ausf.D. Tanks of this modification differed from previous ones with an improved rear part of the hull and a new design of the commander's cupola, as well as changes in the power plant and suspension elements. Many features of the Ausf.D, such as the construction of the rear part of the hull, were later incorporated into serially produced tanks. Production of the Ausf.D began in January 1938, immediately after the completion of the production of the Ausf.C. According to German documents, as of July 1, 1938, there were 56 tanks of the Ausf.A to Ausf.D models, but according to historians' versions, the last Ausf.D tanks were released in June or July 1938. The initial order for the Ausf.D was 25 vehicles. However, due to the fact that 5 Ausf.B chassis were previously allocated for the construction of self-propelled guns - the upper parts of the hull and turret that were already manufactured for them remained unused, so the Armaments Department ordered "Daimler-Benz" to produce 5 additional chassis in the 3b.Serie/ZW series. However, the production of the next series of PzKpfw III tanks became a more pressing task at the time, so the completion of these five vehicles was delayed until October 1940 (in some documents, they are marked as 3c.Serie/ZW). In total, 30 tanks of the Ausf.D modification were produced, although some sources mention figures of 29 or even 50 vehicles.

At the end of the summer of 1940, 168 Panzerkampfwagen III tanks of the F, G, and H versions were modified for underwater travel and were intended to be used during the invasion of the English coast. The maximum diving depth was 15 m, and fresh air was supplied through a hose 18 m long and 20 cm in diameter. In the spring of 1941, the experiments continued with a 3.5-meter tube - a "snorkel". However, since the invasion of England did not take place, some of these tanks were used during the crossing of the Western Bug by the 18th Tank Division on June 22, 1941.

The main armament of the A-G versions of the tank was a 3.7 cm KwK L/45 37 mm gun produced by Rheinmetall-Borsig. The G-J versions were armed with a 5 cm KwK 38 L/42 50 mm gun.