This highly illustrated title details the history of the Panzer III throughout World War II, from its early development in the pre-war years through its pivotal role in the Blitzkrieg campaigns in Poland and Western Europe and its eventual obsolescence on the Eastern Front. The Panzer III was the mainstay of the German armored force in the early years of World War II, and spearheaded the victories in Poland, Western Europe, and the Balkans. Designed and developed in the mid-1930s, it was originally equipped with a 3.7cm gun and with 30mm thick armor. Early combat in Poland and France saw the need for this to be upgraded, and later models were armed with a 5cm KwK L/42 gun and had the frontal armor reinforced to 60mm by adding extra plating. This later version proved to be particularly effective during the campaigns in the Balkans and against British armor in the North African desert campaign. However, in the first months of Operation Barbarossa -- the German invasion of the Soviet Union -- it became obvious to battlefield commanders that the Panzer III had become obsolete as a main battle tank and it began to be replaced by the Panzer IV as the main front-line battle tank. The Panzer III was relegated to a secondary role, but its chassis proved the basis for the Sturmgeschutz III, which became the most widespread German armored vehicle of World War II.

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at the tactical and operational level.??Also featured are rare developments such as the flame thrower variant alongside unpublished photographs and illustrations which provide an absorbing study, from an array of primary sources, of the world of the Panzer III and its crews, which conveys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 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.

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 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.

Vol. III of IV.

“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