Panzer III

Author: Michael Hayton
Publisher: Haynes Publishing UK
ISBN: 9780857338273
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
When Hitler unleashed Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union in June 1941, the 23-tonne Panzer III was in the vanguard of the German assault. The German Panzer III tank (official designation Panzerkampfwagen III, Sd Kfz 141, abbreviated to PzKpfw III) saw widespread use during the Second World War campaigns in Poland, France, the Soviet Union and the Balkans, and in North Africa with the famous Afrika Korps. A small number were still in use in Normandy (1944), at Anzio (1943), in Norway and Finland and in Operation Market Garden (1944). Some 5,774 were built between 1937 and 1943. Although the Panzer III was conceived to operate alongside the infantry-supporting Panzer IV to fight other tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, the roles were reversed when the German Army came up against the formidable Soviet T-34 tank. A tank with a more powerful anti-tank gun was needed so the Panzer IV with its larger turret ring and long-barrelled 7.5cm KwK 40 gun was used in tank-versus-tank battles, with the Panzer III being redeployed in the infantry support role. Production of the Panzer III ended in 1943, although its dependable chassis provided hulls for the Sturmgeschutz III (StuG III) assault gun, one of the most successful of the war, until the end of the war. Centrepiece of the Haynes Panzer III Tank Manual is the Bovington Tank Museum's PzKpfw III Ausf L, which has been restored to running condition. This tank belonged to the same battalion as the museum's famous Tiger I (the 501st (Heavy) Panzer Abteilung) and is an early production Ausf L, modified for tropical service. It was shipped via Naples to Benghazi in Libya in July 1942 and was issued to the 8th Panzer Regiment, part of the 15th Panzer Division and probably fought in the Battle of Alam Halfa. It was subsequently captured by the British Army and shipped to the UK.The Tank Museum has restored the tank to running order, has repainted it in its original camouflage and markings and is currently replacing many of the ancillary tools and equipment that it carried.

The Panzer III

Author: Bob Carruthers
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1781592063
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 104

Book Description
The Panzer III was designed to be the backbone of the Panzer force and was deployed on every front. However, due to its deficient armament and poor armour, and despite its outstanding reliability, it was obsolete by 1942.??This comprehensive overview of the Panzer III in action was compiled by Emmy Award winning historian Bob Carruthers. It draws heavily on war-time intelligence reports to produce a fascinating insight into the development and combat history of the Panzer III at the tactical and operational level.??Also featured are rare developments such as the flame thrower variant alongside unpublished photographs and illustrations which provide an absorbing study, from an array of primary sources, of the world of the Panzer III and its crews, which conveys to the modern reader a vivid sense of how they were viewed at the time.

The Panzer III

Author: Anthony Tucker-Jones
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1473891078
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 173

Book Description
The Panzerkampfwagen III Panzer III was one of the German army's principal tanks of the Second World War, yet its history is often overlooked in comparison to its more famous successors the Panzer IV, Panther and Tiger. Anthony Tucker-Jones, in this volume in the Images of War series, provides a visual account of the tank in over 150 wartime photographs and describes in a concise text its development and operational history. The Panzer III was designed as part of Hitler's re-armarment program in the mid-1930's and played a key role in the German blitzkrieg offensives in Poland, France and the Soviet Union. Although it lacked adequate firepower and could not match more advanced Allied tanks like the T-34, it stayed in service in North Africa and on the Eastern Front and it was still encountered in action in Normandy towards the end of the war. Its reliable chassis was also adapted for assault gun production. In this form, as the Sturmgeschtz III, it took part in the defensive battles fought by the Wehrmacht as it retreated in Italy, France and eastern Europe. Anthony Tucker-Jones's selection of photographs show the Panzer III in every theater of the war and at every stage, and his text gives an insight into the design history and fighting performance of this historic armored vehicle.

Panzer III

Author: Bob Carruthers
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473845092
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 107

Book Description
The Panzer III was designed to be the backbone of the Panzer force and was deployed on every front. However, due to its deficient armament and poor armour, and despite its outstanding reliability, it was obsolete by 1942.This comprehensive overview of the Panzer III in action was compiled by Emmy Award winning historian Bob Carruthers. It draws heavily on war-time intelligence reports to produce a fascinating insight into the development and combat history of the Panzer III at the tactical and operational level.Also featured are rare developments such as the flame thrower variant alongside unpublished photographs and illustrations which provide an absorbing study, from an array of primary sources, of the world of the Panzer III and its crews, which conveys to the modern reader a vivid sense of how they were viewed at the time.

Panzer III & Its Variants

Author: Walter J. Spielberger
Publisher: Schiffer Military History
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Book Description
Vol. III of IV.

Panzer Tracts No. 3-2 - Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. E, F, G, und H

Author: Panzer Tracts
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780977164394
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
Panzer Tracts No. 3-2 - Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.E, F, G, und H development and production from 1938 to 1941. 38 years of digging out original records in public and private archives and hundreds of visits to museums were spent in creating this penultimate history of a winner - the Panzerkampfwagen III variants used to win the 1939 to 1941 campaigns. Survivors were accurately measured in detail and drawn at full scale to create as-built drawings for the first time - accurate to the same tight tolerances demanded of the original assembly firms. Thousands of hours went into sorting out the defining features for each Ausfuehrung as well as when significant modifications were introduced. We have selected the unique approach of using 1/10th scale drawings to illustrate the smallest details, while six-view (including right side and belly) 1/35th scale drawings are still used for the complete Pz.Kpfw.III. Over 120 clean/rare photos and drawings illustrate this 84 page book.

Panzer III—German Army Light Tank

Author: Dennis Oliver
Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
ISBN: 1526771721
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 69

Book Description
“Concentrates on the Panzer III as operated during the invasion of the Soviet Union . . . a mixture of history, camouflage and models . . . well done.” —ModelingMadness.com The Pzkpfw III tank was the mainstay of the Panzer divisions during the Blitzkrieg era, which could fairly be said to have ended with the Germans’ failure to take Moscow in the winter of 1941. Although less heavily armored than many of its opponents and somewhat outgunned by the latest Soviet types, the Pzkpfw III was at the forefront of the advances made over almost impossible distances during the summer and autumn and provided the core of the armored reserve that fought the defensive battles of the winter months. In Dennis Oliver’s latest volume in the TankCraft series he uses archive photos and extensively researched color illustrations to examine the Pzkpfw III and the units that operated this deservedly famous armored vehicle along a 1,000-mile front during the battles of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. A key section of his book displays available model kits and after-market products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined, providing everything the modeler needs to recreate an accurate representation of these historic tanks. “This book will prove invaluable for model makers and military historians interested in this often overlooked but important AFV. This is another great addition to the TankCraft series and is highly recommended to all.” —Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicles Association

Panzer III at War, 1939–1945

Author: Paul Thomas
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473828279
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 174

Book Description
A highly illustrated account of the foremost German fighting machines of the Second War World—from the author of the bestselling Panzer IV at War. With comprehensive captions and text this superb book is the latest in the bestselling Images of War Series and the second instalment of the author’s pictorial history of the German Panzers in the Second World War. The Panzer III saw almost continuous action from the annexation of Czechoslovakia, the invasion of Poland and then France and the Low Countries, in North Africa, Italy, the Eastern Front and, finally, the retreat back into Germany. Between 1936 and 1945, many thousands of Panzer IIIs were built. It quickly demonstrated its superiority on the battlefield and, for most of the war, remained a match for its opponents’ heavy tanks. The superb collection of images shows how these formidable tanks were adapted and up-gunned to face the ever-increasing enemy threat. The expert commentary describes how the Germans carefully utilized all available reserves and resources into building numerous production variants and how they coped on the battlefield. This is a splendid description of the one of the Nazis’ foremost fighting machines and a worthy successor volume to the acclaimed Panzer IV at War.

Valentine Infantry Tank vs Panzer III

Author: Bruce Newsome
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472857283
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81

Book Description
A unique comparison between the two most numerous British and German tank types from 1941 to 1943. Although much has been written about the Panzer III, little attention has been given to the equally prominent Valentine tank. This work compares the respective strengths and weaknesses of these iconic tanks, which frequently went head-to-head in brutal battles across Europe, Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia. It documents the upgrades made to each AFV type over three years, as up-gunned and up-armoured variants – ever more lethal, ever more survivable – arrived in North Africa. Dr Bruce Newsome explores the two tanks' encounters, from the first Valentine vs Panzer III clashes in 1941, to the Axis drive into Egypt, and on to the Tunisian fighting of 1942–1943. Colour artworks include profile, weaponry and gunsight, and battlescene views of both tanks, while maps chart the campaigns in which they met. Each AVF's performance is also covered, along with their technical details, design evolution, and crew histories.

M3 Medium Tank vs Panzer III

Author: Gordon L. Rottman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472802330
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 82

Book Description
This was a duel between the stalwart of the Wehrmacht armored divisions the Panzerkampfwagen III and the American's as yet untested M3 Grant. In reality both would prove unequal to the task as they floundered amidst the rugged hills and ravines of the Tunisian landscape. This book charts the design and development of these two disparate rivals their vastly different armament and armor as well as their tactical concepts. Analysing the strengths and weaknesses of these two opponents, this book explores the successes and failures of the Grant and Panzer III as they clashed at the critical battles of North Africa. Moreover it is an insight into the lives of the tank crews themselves as they struggled with the twin horrors of tank warfare and the fight for survival amidst some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth.