Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. E
PzKpfw III Ausf. A
| Germany | Light Tank | Tier III |
| Cost | 53,100  |
|---|---|
| Health | 200 / 240 (new turret) |
| 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 | 20% |
| View Range | 360m |
| Signal Range | 350m |
| Parent |  |
| Child | |
The PzKpfw III Ausf. A is a German tier 3 light tank. It boasts an excellent top speed and maneuverability. 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 two tiers. However, once fully upgraded, it is more than a match for the equivalent Soviet and American tanks.
- The PzKpfw III Ausf. A leads to the PzKpfw III.
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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 mounting an anti-tank gun and 2 machine guns. The former would become the PzKpfw IV. The latter would become the PzKpfw 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 vehicle's development began with a series of arguments between the Waffenamt (the Ordnance Department) and the Inspector for Mechanized Troops over its armament. 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 vehicle's main armament because the infantry was already equipped with the standard 37mm Pak 35/36 L/45 anti-tank gun. This 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 decided to require heavier armor in the front than in the rear. Top speed was specified to be 40km with a crew of 5 men, with a new turret based on an enlarged version of that found on the PzKpfw II. The PzKpfw III Ausf. A was the first German Tank to use a new intercom system for in-tank communications, which was fitted to all later Panzer tanks, and was highly successful.
Eventually, the Daimler-Benz design was selected and ten prototypes were constructed in 1937. Some sources state that as many as fifteen were constructed, but only eight were armed. These eight equipped units of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Panzer Divisions and took part in Anschluss, the take-over of Sudetenland and the Polish Campaign.
