Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. K
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Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. K
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[Client Values; Actual values in
2,200 Cost |
790158 HP Hit Points |
23/2512.86/25 t Weight Limit |
- Commander
- Gunner
- Driver
- Radio Operator
- Loader
300300 hp Engine Power |
40/12 km/h Speed Limit |
3838 deg/s Traverse |
13.0423.33 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio |
NoNo Pivot |
// mm Hull Armor |
50/30/3050/30/30 mm Turret Armor |
AP/APCR/HE
AP/APCR/HE Shells |
70/2800/38
70/2800/38 Shell Cost |
110/110/175110/110/175 HP Damage |
103/139/38103/139/38 mm Penetration |
r/m ▲
15 r/m Standard Gun ▲
15 Rate of Fire Standard Gun |
▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
1650 Standard Gun ▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
1650 Damage Per Minute Standard Gun |
m ▲
0.4 m With 50% Crew: 0.496 m ▲
0.4 Accuracy With 50% Crew: 0.496 m |
s 2.3 s 2.3 Aim time |
3232 deg/s Turret Traverse |
360° Gun Arc |
-10°/+20°-10°/+20° Elevation Arc |
4848 rounds Ammo Capacity |
2020 % Chance of Fire |
m 350 m 350 View Range |
m 620 m 620 Signal Range |
V
2200
The Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. K is a German tier 5 premium medium tank.
This tank was developed on the basis of the later Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. J chassis, combining it with the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. F2 turret and a 75-mm gun. The first design plans were completed by the end of December 1941. Manufacturing began, but the vehicle proved overly complex and production was soon canceled. A total of 50 vehicles were completed and used as command vehicles. They featured 50-mm guns; the 75-mm guns were never mounted.
Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables
Modules
Tier | Gun | Penetration (mm) |
Damage (HP) |
Rate of fire (rounds/minute) |
Dispersion (m/100m) |
Aiming time (s) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IV | 7,5 cm Kw.K. 40 L/43 | 103/139/38 | 110/110/175 | 15 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 1437 | 25000 |
Tier | Engine | Engine Power (hp) |
Chance of Fire on Impact (%) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IV | Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 | 300 | 20 | 920 | 19900 |
Tier | Suspension | Load Limit (т) |
Traverse Speed (gr/sec) |
Rmin | Weight (kg) |
Price ()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
V | Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. K | 25 | 38 | B/2 | 7000 | 8000 |
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Same DPM as Pz4H's 75mm gun. More DPM than the Hydrostat and the T-25
- Good view range(for German med, "average" for tier)
- High HP value
- Good camouflage rating
- Good gun depression
Cons:
- Very low ammo capacity, only 9 rounds more than the Turán III PT!
- Worst gun handling of all tier 5 mediums. Vomit-inducing base accuracy for a fragile medium.
- Poor top speed and acceleration, and terrible reverse speed
- Poor all-around armor, HE will be the bane of this tank.
- Mediocre standard shell penetration, will force you to use premium rounds to penetrate enemies semi-reliably.
Performance
A mediocre tank, the Panzer III K suffers quite a lot in comparison to other tier 5 medium tanks. It has quite poor armor, and is even worse than its tier 4 counterpart the Panzer III, at only 50mm at most except for the gun mantlet and the commander's cupola. While the tank has rather nice gun depression at 10 degrees, its gun mantlet is small and only covers a small portion of the turret, meaning most shots fired at a hull-down Panzer III K will penetrate. The tank is blessed with a large amount of HP at 790 hit points, so it can absorb a fair amount of shots before going down. It's mobility is also much worse than a standard Panzer III, and mediocre by tier 5 standards. Its above average average ground resistances aren't enough to make up for its weak engine and low top speed, leaving the tank outpaced by most other medium tanks, unless it is equipped with the new turbocharger equipment, even then it will still lag out a bit compared to its peers.
The tank does have a decent view range, but never attempt to spot enemies if you have no backups or a close escape route, as its mobility is rather lackluster. Sniping in this thing is a very iffy option, a practice in futility at best, due to the tank's horrendous gun handling values, which is the among the worst in the tier on paper, and practically the worst in its tier taking its dispersion penalty on the move into account. The gun also lacks in penetration, making dealing with higher tier opponents - which can include tier 7's due to its lack of preferential matchmaking - difficult without premium ammunition. As such, the Panzer III K is best played as more of a support tank than a contemporary medium like the DS PZInż, the T-34 or the M4, getting into ranges far enough to make sure that you won't get annihilated within 10 seconds, but close enough to make sure that your gun will work semi-reliably. Overall, a tank that you should not get unless you're used to bad gun handlings, and a Christmas gift for a clan member or a friend that you hate the most.
External Reviews and Opinions
Gallery
Historical Info
In an attempt to lengthen the usefulness of the Panzer III chassis, in December 1941 Krupp was requested to mount the Panzer IV turret in a Panzer III chassis, and by the end of the year a preliminary design was ready:
However, this design was never carried out due to several factors, including a large increase in weight that would require new suspension and tracks. Mounting a bigger turret without serious modifications to the hydraulics means that rotation would have become a lot more sluggish, prone to failure or would plainly require manual cranking. Moreover, the tank would have been severely unbalanced.
It should be noted that this proposal should not be confused with the Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf.K, a radio command variant of the Panzer III that carried a 50 mm cannon unlike other radio command variants.