Specification Crew : 5 Engine power : 300 hp Combat weight :19.800 kg (43,659 lb) Max speed : road , 40 km/h (24.84 mph) Length : 5.38 m (17.65 ft) Range : 165 km (102.47 miles) Width : 2.91 M (9.55 ft) Main gun : 37 mm (1.46 in) Height : 2.44 m (8.01 ft) Armour : 12 mm (0.47 in) to 30 mm (1.18 in)

By 1935 the lessons learned with the Panzer 1 and II had provided German industry with the confidence to produce a more ambitious combat tank.Two designs emerged,the first of which became the Panzer III.Armed with a turret-mounted 3.7 cm(1.46 in)gun and two machine guns,it was designed to mount a heavier gun if so required.It had a crew of 5;commander,driver,gunner,loader,and a radio operator.It was successively up-gunned and up-armored until at least 20 major variants and numerous sub-marks had been produced.The main armament was increased 5 cm(1.97 in)and eventually 7.5 cm(2.96 in),using the same mounting as in the early Panzer IV models(q.v.).Panzer IIIs formed the bulk of the Panzer Divisions strength during the early war years.The problem was that there was never enough of them.Production was so slow that the Panzer divisions were filled out with Czech tanks in 1940.Manufacture ceased in 1943. The Panzer III was subjected to the usual round of variants and conversions.The Stug III is the subject of the next entry but there were also command tanks,flame-throwers,swimming tanks meant for the invasion of Britain,artillery observation vehicles and armored recovery vehicles.