Panzerkempfwagen III – Service Record – Russia (Pt. 3 of 3)

German armour at this point was not where it should be numerically, they had lost some 800 Panzers in Stalingrad. On the 20th of February 1943 the Germans moved and sliced through the Russian flank on their South West front, they were routed, the Russians losing 615 tanks and 23,000 men and a further 9,000 …

Panzerkempfwagen III – Service Record – Russia (Pt. 2 of 3)

Operation Barbarossa began on 22nd of June 1941, with 3,200 German tanks of which 1,440 being PzKpfw III's, in total they were organized into four groups, Panzergruppen. The tanks destroyed the forward units of the Soviet Air Force and while resistance was fierce it was un-co-ordinated and the Germans who were monitoring the Russian radio …

Panzerkempfwagen III – Service Record – Russia (Pt. 1 of 3)

Russia has been a stumbling block for anyone as far back as Napoleon, the Germans were no exception. As of 1941 no one had an accurate estimation of the tank strength of the Soviet Union, though some put at more than 20,000. They were not only numerous but of many different varieties spanning age and …

Panzerkampfwagen III – Service Record – North Africa (Pt. 2 of 2)

The Axis forces in Africa, between the Germans and the Italians had now amassed some 560 tanks of which the PzKpfw III's were the most numerous accounting for some 223 tanks. However their opposition numbered some 843 of which some 167 were Grants which had a sponson mounted 75mmgun which putthe British at the front …

Panzerkampfwagen III – Service Record – North Africa (Pt. 1 of 2)

Germany entered into North Africa so as to help out Italy, it was here that Rommel discovered a flaw in the British and went on to exploit it. This happened at Mersa Brega on 31st of March 1941, it was the destruction of the defensive screen and the ensuing attack was so devastating that it …

Panzerkampfwagen III – Service Record – France (Pt. 1 of 2)

By 1940 the PzKpfw III numbers for the German army stood at 349 part of a total of 2,499 tanks with some I's and III's being converted to command vehicles. The French had 3,285 tanks of various designs however the army had a very contemporary philosophy of tank tactics, which to this point made them …

Panzerkampfwagen III – Service Record – Poland

The PzKpfw III was used in Poland to the tune of some 98 being deployed. The vast majority of the fighting feel on the I's and II's supported by some 200 IV's. The Germans used a strategy that involved encirclement which closed around the forward army and then penetrated into the hinterlands to annex the …

Panzerkampfwagen III – Tactics

Panzer divisions were originally designed and structured for a total tank strength if 561 vehicles, this was never accomplished. Before the war production was sluggish and as of September 1939 many battalions only had 5 PzKpfw III's that could only equip 1 platoon. The remainder of tanks came from IV's and light I's and II's …

Panzerkampfwagen III – Power & Drive Train

The PzKpfw III was powered by a Maybach engine that could operating well in a temperate climate a job it did well. However you can imagine that an engine designed for such a climate would face far different challenges in a hotter dustier climate. This was seen when the tanks entered into North Africa and …

Panzerkampfwagen III – Armour

We must note that Germany during the time of WWII had a problem with the acquisition of raw materials this meant that steel production was not what was needed. This lack of materials is a constant theme for the German war machine and continually hindered it. It was noted before that in certain cases during …