Book Review of
German Medium Tank
Panzerkampfwagen III, From Ausf. H to Ausf. N
Author: Michal Kuchciak
Kagero Books In Combat Series no. 88001
ISBN: 9786366148901
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $24.95
Copyright 2020
ISBN: 9786366148901
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $24.95
Copyright 2020
HISTORY:
The Panzerkampfwagen III, commonly known as the Panzer III, was a medium tank developed in the 1930s by Germany, and was used extensively in World War II. The official German ordnance designation was Sd.Kfz. 141.
It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and serve alongside and support the similar Panzer IV, which was originally designed for infantry support. However, as the Germans faced the formidable T-34, more powerful anti-tank guns were needed, and since the Panzer IV had more development potential with a larger turret ring.
It was redesigned to mount the long-barrelled 7.5 cm KwK 40 gun. The Panzer III effectively swapped roles with the Panzer IV, as from 1942 the last version of Panzer III mounted the 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 that was better suited for infantry support. Production of the Panzer III ceased in 1943. Nevertheless, the Panzer III's capable chassis provided hulls for the Sturmgeschütz III assault gun until the end of the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Medium tank
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Germany, Hungary, Romania, Slovak Republic, Croatia, Norway, Turkey
Wars: World War II
Designer: Daimler-Benz
Designed: 1935–1937
Manufacturer: Daimler-Benz
Unit cost: 103,163 Reichsmark (Ausf. M)
Produced: 1939–1943
No. built: 5,774 (excluding StuG III)
Mass: 23.0 tonnes (25.4 short tons)
Length: 5.56 m (18 ft 3 in)
Width: 2.90 m (9 ft 6 in)
Height: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator/bow machine-gunner)
Armour: Ausf A-C: 15 mm all around, Ausf D-G: 30 mm all around, Ausf J +: 50 mm all around
Main armament: 1 × 3.7 cm KwK 36 Ausf. A-G, 1 × 5 cm KwK 38 Ausf. F-J, 1 × 5 cm KwK 39 Ausf. J¹-M, 1 × 7.5 cm KwK 37 Ausf. N
Secondary armament: 2–3 × 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34
Engine: 12-cylinder Maybach HL 120 TRM of 300 PS (296 hp, 220 kW)
Power/weight: 12 hp (9.6 kW) / tonne
Suspension: Torsion-bar suspension
Fuel capacity: 300-320 litres
Operational range: 165 km (103 mi)
Maximum speed: Road: 40 km/h (25 mph), Off-road: 20 km/h (12 mph)
THE BOOK:
Kagero is located in Lublin, Poland
This book is in Polish & English.
It is soft-cover in a self-sealing clear envelope, of 80 pages in 8 “ x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color illustration of 2 Panzerkampfwagen III on a field firing their turret guns. There is a German twin-engined aircraft flying above strafing.
The tanks are both overall earth yellow. The one in the foreground has a white outlined turret number 328.
The book contains 11 data lists.
There are 18 color side profile drawings. Two of them are on the back cover.
They show 16 side views of the Ausf. J, 26 of the Ausf. L, 5 of the Ausf. H, 1 of the Ausf. G, 1 of the Ausf. K, 3 of the Ausf. N, 6 of the Ausf. M and 1 of the Ausf. J/L.
There are 6 1/72nd scale line-drawings and 3 1/48th scale ones of the tank.
Inserted into the book is a die cut masking sheet that has various sizes of squares on it. But, for the life of me, I cannot figure out what you’d use them for on a model of this tank?
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a model of the Panzerkampfwagen III and to armor historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Kagero book titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
The Panzerkampfwagen III, commonly known as the Panzer III, was a medium tank developed in the 1930s by Germany, and was used extensively in World War II. The official German ordnance designation was Sd.Kfz. 141.
It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and serve alongside and support the similar Panzer IV, which was originally designed for infantry support. However, as the Germans faced the formidable T-34, more powerful anti-tank guns were needed, and since the Panzer IV had more development potential with a larger turret ring.
It was redesigned to mount the long-barrelled 7.5 cm KwK 40 gun. The Panzer III effectively swapped roles with the Panzer IV, as from 1942 the last version of Panzer III mounted the 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 that was better suited for infantry support. Production of the Panzer III ceased in 1943. Nevertheless, the Panzer III's capable chassis provided hulls for the Sturmgeschütz III assault gun until the end of the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Medium tank
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Germany, Hungary, Romania, Slovak Republic, Croatia, Norway, Turkey
Wars: World War II
Designer: Daimler-Benz
Designed: 1935–1937
Manufacturer: Daimler-Benz
Unit cost: 103,163 Reichsmark (Ausf. M)
Produced: 1939–1943
No. built: 5,774 (excluding StuG III)
Mass: 23.0 tonnes (25.4 short tons)
Length: 5.56 m (18 ft 3 in)
Width: 2.90 m (9 ft 6 in)
Height: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator/bow machine-gunner)
Armour: Ausf A-C: 15 mm all around, Ausf D-G: 30 mm all around, Ausf J +: 50 mm all around
Main armament: 1 × 3.7 cm KwK 36 Ausf. A-G, 1 × 5 cm KwK 38 Ausf. F-J, 1 × 5 cm KwK 39 Ausf. J¹-M, 1 × 7.5 cm KwK 37 Ausf. N
Secondary armament: 2–3 × 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34
Engine: 12-cylinder Maybach HL 120 TRM of 300 PS (296 hp, 220 kW)
Power/weight: 12 hp (9.6 kW) / tonne
Suspension: Torsion-bar suspension
Fuel capacity: 300-320 litres
Operational range: 165 km (103 mi)
Maximum speed: Road: 40 km/h (25 mph), Off-road: 20 km/h (12 mph)
THE BOOK:
Kagero is located in Lublin, Poland
This book is in Polish & English.
It is soft-cover in a self-sealing clear envelope, of 80 pages in 8 “ x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color illustration of 2 Panzerkampfwagen III on a field firing their turret guns. There is a German twin-engined aircraft flying above strafing.
The tanks are both overall earth yellow. The one in the foreground has a white outlined turret number 328.
The book contains 11 data lists.
There are 18 color side profile drawings. Two of them are on the back cover.
They show 16 side views of the Ausf. J, 26 of the Ausf. L, 5 of the Ausf. H, 1 of the Ausf. G, 1 of the Ausf. K, 3 of the Ausf. N, 6 of the Ausf. M and 1 of the Ausf. J/L.
There are 6 1/72nd scale line-drawings and 3 1/48th scale ones of the tank.
Inserted into the book is a die cut masking sheet that has various sizes of squares on it. But, for the life of me, I cannot figure out what you’d use them for on a model of this tank?
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a model of the Panzerkampfwagen III and to armor historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Kagero book titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.