#Panzer 3 ausf n series

Projectile torque was accomplished through the internal rifling of the gun barrel - a standard practice of all German World War 2 tanks. This value, however, dropped off dramatically at increased ranges. The weapon was capable of firing armor-piercing (AP) and high-explosive (HE) rounds and proved most effective at close ranges where armor thickness of up to 70mm could be pierced. The initial Panzer III armament centered around the high-velocity 3.7-cm Kw.K. The prototype vehicles were evaluated in 1936 with a 15-ton Daimler-Benz submission declared the winner. As such, the compromise became the fitting of the 37mm gun for the time being, with a special turret ring made to accept a 50mm main gun in the future. However, the decision to go with the 37mm main gun armament ran into some opposition from senior German officers (including Guderian) who believed that the new tank should be armed with a 50mm/5-cm main gun. The selection of the 37mm armament was a logistical one at this point for German infantry were already using the 37mm anti-tank gun (as the 3.7-cm PaK) in some number by this point. The new 'light' medium tank would be armed with a more potent 37mm high-velocity main gun armament than her predecessors and supplemented by machine guns - two in the turret as co-axial mounts and a third in a flexible bow mount. German General Heinz Guderian laid down the specifications for the desired light-medium tank.ДЎ935 saw prototype development contracts issued by the Weapons Department to Daimler-Benz, Krupp, MAN and Rheinmetall-Borsig. The Panzer III would be called to take on the role of tank killer - that is, square off against enemy armor at range - while the Panzer IV would be mainly an infantry support tank. The idea then was to develop two such medium tanks tasked with two distinct battlefield roles but were still complementary to the entire German process of waging a mobile land battle. It was envisioned that the army would be made up of three companies composed of a light-class of medium tanks backed up by a fourth company composed of a dedicated class of medium tanks with better armor and firepower. In early 1934, the German Army Ordnance Department came to the agreement on the future of their armored corps. 'Ausf.' is the abbreviated form of the word 'Ausfuhrung meaning simply 'model' or 'design'. 141 while any model variants are covered in the convention of Ausf. Taking all this into account, the Panzer III can also be known by the designation of Pz.KpfW. Ausf is the general term used to cover 'model' or 'mark' in showcasing a variant of note. covers 'Sonderkraftfahrzeug' and translates to 'special motor vehicle'. covers 'Panzerkampfwagen' and translates to 'armored fighting vehicle'. Note: To help the reader along, it is important to note the German designation convention for its military vehicles. After its inherent battlefield usefulness was past, the Panzer III chassis served in a handful of conversions, most notably, the StuG III assault gun. The Panzer III saw service in the Polish, Czech, French and Low Countries campaigns as well as along the Eastern Front in Russia.

#Panzer 3 ausf n series

While dominating the field of play for some time, the Panzer III (like the Panzer I and II before it) suffered from being inadequately armed and armored and was eventually replaced by more modern and potent systems in the German arsenal - namely the improved forms of the Panzer IV, the Panther series and the Tiger series. The Panzer III was designed to be capable of tangling with any known enemy tank head-on while the Panzer IV was initially developed as an infantry support vehicle. The Panzer II light tank was developed as a stopgap measurement to help tie the existence of the Panzer Is to the upcoming Panzer III and Panzer IV. The Panzer I light tank became Germany's first tank development after World War 1 and, though it was limited as a 'true' tank in combat, set the foundation for things to come.

Development of Hitler's Panzers was key to his early overwhelming victories in the East and West.