Pz. III

## Basic Information

The **Pz.Kpfw. III** is a German tier 4 medium tank.

Despite being a medium tank, it can be considered one of the best scout-gameplay tanks in the German tree, with excellent acceleration and turning giving a mobility rivaling the Luchs. Comparing the two, Panzer III has less maneuverability than the Luchs, potentially more firepower (but less standard penetration), thicker but flat armor. There are two guns: the 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 long-cannon with higher penetration and flanking is the best choice for newer players, but there is also a howitzer-like 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24; with HEAT being a near-necessity and requiring some extra skills and equipment. Both guns have their place on a fully upgraded Pz.Kpfw. III, it depends on player preference and playstyle. Competing with other tanks, its agility makes it very effective against other light and medium tanks, but its guns are almost useless against heavy tanks. Be sure to avoid engaging multiple opponents - flank, use cover, and only come out to shoot when you need to. Use this tank to learn the camo, spotting, and player-distraction techniques of the Leopard line.

## Pros & Cons

##### Pros:

* Very fast speed and traverse; can easily be a scout when needed.
* Upper front armor gives many at-tier enemies trouble.
* Fast firing, somewhat accurate 50mm gun with ridiculous APCR pen. boost
* Some at tier and many below tier enemies fear the 75mm (especially with HEAT loaded)
* The turret has a large mantlet that might absorb some shells; sacrifices 1° of gun depression, however.

##### Cons:

* Both the 50 and 75mm guns don't do well outside of tier IV without premium ammo
* Frontal armor is a lie, lower plate is only 50mm; can't angle well due to weak side and rear armor.
* Typical Front mounted transmission, akin to many German tanks, gets destroyed by hits to the weak lower glacis.
* Many players get cocky with this tanks speed and die (primarily due to subpar view range and bad reverse speed)
* Can't mount the deadly 7.5cm Kw. K 40 L/43 like the Pz.IV D; Underwhelming armor for a medium in general

## Performance

The Panzer 3 is a decent flanker with speed/mobility and okay DPM. Once you purchase the Panzerkampfwagen III (or Panzer 3), you realize it is as fast as its predecessor and can be played similar to the parent Pz.Kpfw. III as a scout, but its view range is poorer for the tier. The addition of better armor can be 'lucky' but should only be used when necessary. In short, you will need to reevaluate your tactics against higher tier tanks.

The Panzer III's armor is an illusion. It suffers from very weak side, turret, and lower glacis armor, making it unreliable. Its frontal armor isn't sloped, which makes it insufficient against anything of equal tier or higher where penetration often exceeds 90mm. It is obvious why the Wehrmacht wanted to replace the turret: it can only fit a gun selection suited for combat against light tanks. Its best gun has 67mm of penetration and cannot penetrate any tanks above the tier IV level without premium ammo, for example having great difficulty damaging a Matilda. Therefore, it is recommended that the Pz.Kpfw. III equip the 75mm gun and load unhistorical HEAT rounds, for maximum alpha. It should be played as a flanker where aim time is not a problem, and only brawl in 1v1s; but if you have a good crew, you can be a sniper-flanker with the 5cm L60 at a longer range as well.

Hang back and spot while you evaluate your team spread at the start, while looking for deficiencies in your enemy's team composition or locations! Your spotting range won't be good enough without Commander skills and vision, which you need to work on. You are more deadly at the end of the battle when you can attack lone tanks, and can flank around into enemy TDs: so, don't try to out-duel other tanks at the start! Even if you encounter a lone enemy, do not engage from the front the tide will quickly turn against you due to your poor damage over time. Instead, poke-and-spot in under-populated lanes, harassing by secondary more hilly lanes if they are empty to support the team's pushes. If you have enough warning, your superior forwards speed allows you to retreat and avoid damage, but if you are too late your 20km/h is insufficient and you will have to deal with the enemies as they come. You are no light tank, but this is why vision equipment is vital! The Panzer III is also a great interceptor, it can destroy enemy scouts very effectively with its strong frontal hull and agility.

There is now some specific information on situations this tank can encounter:

In a game where the Pz.Kpfw. III is the top tier tank, it becomes a very deadly machine. While its speed is that of a scout tank, and thanks to its frontal armor it can prove more than a match for tier 4 and lower tier tanks head on, With the addition of better guns than the Ausf. A, you'd find yourself the most mobile and possibly the best flanking/scouting tank at your tier. Its 70mm frontal armor can deflect many shots and its speed enables it to be played very aggressively. However, be careful not to get overextended in these games because the side armor of this tank is still an issue at lower tiers. Still, with the gun selection of the tank, it is quite easy to overwhelm weaker light/medium tanks and seize objectives quickly for your allies to follow up upon.

In contrast, in a match where the Pz.Kpfw. III is at the bottom of the list, it really should be played as a scout. Due to the insufficient gun selection, the tank should be played cautiously. Players should make use of the tank's low silhouette and speed to scout the enemy and allow their allies to do the heavy hitting. Don't underplay the tank and be too cautious though, because the Pz.Kpfw III should still take opportunities to flank enemy tanks where its weaker guns can make its mark.

The best two guns of Pz.Kpfw. III uses are the 7.5 KwK 37 L/24 and the 5 KwK 39 L/ 60. It is recommended that when equipped with the 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24, it should only use HE rounds, since the AP rounds will have about the same penetration and less damage. A well-aimed HE shot can destroy many open-top vehicles such as the Marder II or the SU-76, in a single hit. However, this gun has horrible penetration for its tier and its accuracy isn't so great when you are at top speed. The 5 cm KwK L/60 has much better penetration, but its damage is somewhat less. However, it breaches a higher DPM level on average, because it has such an extreme Rate of Fire. It's better suited for targeting critical areas on a tank such as the track or turret, or if the player has enough accuracy, the viewports and cupola.

## Historical Information

The Panzer III was extensively used in the campaigns against Poland, France, the Soviet Union, and in North Africa, while a handful were still in use in Normandy and at Arnhem in 1944. In the Polish and French campaigns, the Panzer III formed a small part of the German armored forces. Only a few hundred Ausf A through Fs were available in these campaigns: most armed with the 37-millimeter gun. They were the best medium tanks available to the Germans and outclassed most of their opponents, such as the Polish 7TP and French R-35 and H-35 light tanks.

Prior to the invasion of the Soviet Union, the Panzer III was numerically the most important German tank. At this time, the majority of the available tanks had the 50-millimeter KwK 38 L/42 cannon, which also equipped the majority of the tanks in North Africa. Initially, the Panzer IIIs were outclassed and outnumbered by Soviet T-34 and KV tanks. However, the most numerous Soviet tanks were the T-26 and BT tanks. This, along with superior German tactical skill, crew training, and the good ergonomics of the Panzer III, contributed to an approximate 6:1 favorable kill-ratio for German tanks of all types in 1941.

With the appearance of T-34 and KV tanks, re-arming the Panzer III with a longer, more powerful 50-millimeter cannon was prioritized. The T-34 was generally invulnerable in frontal engagements against the Panzer III until the 50 mm KwK 39 L/60 gun was introduced on the Panzer III Ausf J¹ in the spring of 1942. This cannon could penetrate the T-34 frontally at ranges under 500 meters. Against the KV, it was a threat if armed with special high-velocity tungsten rounds. In addition, in 1943 the Ausf L version began the use of spaced armor skirts around the turret and on the hull sides to counter anti-tank rifles. However, due to the introduction of the up-gunned and up-armored Panzer IV, the Panzer III was relegated to secondary roles after the Battle of Kursk and replaced as the main German medium tank by the Panzer IV and the Pz.Kpfw. V Panther.

The Panzer III chassis was the basis for the turretless StuG III assault gun, one of the most successful self-propelled guns of the war, and the single most-produced German armored fighting vehicle design of World War II.
By the end of the war, the Panzer III had almost no frontline use and many had been returned to the factories for conversion into StuG assault guns, which were in high demand due to the defensive warfare style adopted by the German Army.