Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. E
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| Since this new vehicle was to be used in the forward echelons of assault tank formations it was deemed to require heavier armor in the front than in the rear. Top speed was specified to be 40km and a crew of 5 men, with a new turret based upon an enlarged version of that found on the Panzer II. The Panzer III Ausf.A was the first German Tank to use a new intercom system for in-tank communications which later all Panzer tanks were fitted with and which was highly successfull. | Since this new vehicle was to be used in the forward echelons of assault tank formations it was deemed to require heavier armor in the front than in the rear. Top speed was specified to be 40km and a crew of 5 men, with a new turret based upon an enlarged version of that found on the Panzer II. The Panzer III Ausf.A was the first German Tank to use a new intercom system for in-tank communications which later all Panzer tanks were fitted with and which was highly successfull. | |||
| ? | Eventually the Daimler-Benz | + | Eventually the Daimler-Benz design was selected and 10 prototypes were constructed in 1937. Some sources state that as many as 15 were constructed, but only 8 were armed. These 8 equipped units of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Panzer Division and took part in Anschluss, take-over of Sudetenland and Polish Campaign. | |
Revision as of 12:15, 25 January 2011
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.A is a Tier 3 light tank; it boasts excellent top speed and manoeuvrability. It excels in the scout role, and after learning the ropes in Tiers 1 and 2 players should find this to be an enjoyable next step.
It does have draw backs such as paper thin 15mm armor (except for the turret which has 20mm upfront) and its stock gun is not much more powerful than those found on the previous 2 tiers. However once fully upgraded its more than a match for equivalent Soviet and USA tanks.
It is of course the main gateway to Medium and Heavy tanks, the next step in the tech tree being the first German Medium, the Panzer III.
Panzer III Ausf. A
| Germany | Light Tank | Tier III |
| Cost | 79 700  |
|---|---|
| Health | 180 |
| Weight/Load Limit | 14.65/15.45t |
| Engine Power | 320hp |
| Speed Limit | 68km/h |
| Traverse Speed | 40deg/s |
| Hull Armor | 15/15/15mm |
| Turret Armor | 20/15/15mm |
| Damage | 24-40HP |
| Penetration | 26-43mm |
| Rate of Fire | 30r/m |
| Accuracy | 0.4m |
| Aim time | 1.5s |
| Turret Traverse | 50deg/s |
| Gun Traverse Arc | gunTraverseArc |
| Gun Vertical Limits | gunVerticalLimits |
| Ammo Capacity | ammo |
| Chance of Fire | 25% |
| View Range | 360m |
| Signal Range | 350m |
| Parent | parent |
| Child | child |
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Historical Info
Under General Heinz Guderian, a project was commenced to solicit designs for two new types of tank. One would be a support tank and would be armed with a large caliber gun. The other would be mount an anti-tank gun and 2 machine guns. The former would become the Panzer IV. The latter would become the Panzer III.
Late in 1935 development proposals were requested from MAN (Nurnberg), Daimler-Benz AG (Berlin-Marienfelde), Rheinmetall-Borsig (Berlin) and Krupp AG (Essen) for a 15 ton fully tracked vehicle and in the interest of security to be named Zugfuhrerwagen (ZW) - platoon commander’s vehicle.
The vehicles development began with a series of arguments over its armament between Waffenamt (the Ordnance Department) and the Inspector for Mechanized Troops. The waffenamt had chosen the 3.7cm cannon while the Inspector for Mechanized Troops demanded 5cm gun. Ultimately the 3.7cm was chosen as the vehicles main armament based upon the fact that the infantry was already equipped with standard 37mm Pak 35/36 L/45 anti-tank gun and that meant that only one type of gun and ammunition needed to be produced although the turret and turret ring were capable of mounting the heavier 5cm gun.
Since this new vehicle was to be used in the forward echelons of assault tank formations it was deemed to require heavier armor in the front than in the rear. Top speed was specified to be 40km and a crew of 5 men, with a new turret based upon an enlarged version of that found on the Panzer II. The Panzer III Ausf.A was the first German Tank to use a new intercom system for in-tank communications which later all Panzer tanks were fitted with and which was highly successfull.
Eventually the Daimler-Benz design was selected and 10 prototypes were constructed in 1937. Some sources state that as many as 15 were constructed, but only 8 were armed. These 8 equipped units of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Panzer Division and took part in Anschluss, take-over of Sudetenland and Polish Campaign.
