Panzer III tank - Germany: books - history and technology

Panzer III und seine Abarten (Spielberger)

Zu Beginn des Zweiten Weltkriegs im September 1939 kamen bei deutschen Militäroperationen meist Fahrzeuge zum Einsatz, deren Bewaffnung und Panzerung vielen Tanks der Alliierten weit unterlegen waren.
Erst der der Panzerkampfwagen III erwies sich als ebenbürtige Waffe gegenüber den alliierten Kampfpanzern. Vor allem in der späten Ausführung G avancierte der Panzer III in den Jahren bis 1942 zum wichtigsten deutschen Panzer und kam bei der Wehrmacht überall zum Einsatz.

Walter Spielberger dokumentiert in diesem Buch detailliert die Entwicklung dieses Kampfpanzers. Im Vergleich zur Vorauflage mit rund 50 neuen Fotos.

Panzer III and Its Variants (Spielberger)

With emphasis on detail this book from the Spielberger series shows in factory, test and combat photographs, and detailed line drawings, all production models, prototypes and modifications of the Panzer III tank. Covers also all variations, including all vehicles that used the Panzer III chassis.

Panzer III

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.

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.

Panzer III Manual: Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. A to N (Sd.Kfz. 141) - An insight into the design, construction and operation (Haynes Military Manual)

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. It saw widespread use during the Second World War in campaigns that included Poland, France, the Soviet Union, the Balkans, North Africa and Normandy.

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.
Full coverage is given of the tank's design, construction, war service and the restoration of the Tank Museum's Ausf L version.

Panzerkampfwagen III: Germany's Early World War II Main Tank (Legends of Warfare)

The Panzerkampfwagen III, or Panzer III as it is more commonly known, was a fixture in German armor formations during WWII. Initially developed to combat armored vehicles, in time the type evolved into an infantry support tank.
Although production of the Panzer III ended in 1943, the type remained in service through the end of the war.

Through over 160 photos, this volume chronicles the design, development, and deployment of this ubiquitous German tank. This material is arranged in nine chapters, each focusing on a specific production model, or Ausfrung, of the tank. Comprehensive tables reveal the details of the performance and technical specifications of each variant.
A concise, easy-to-read text and detailed captions expose the secrets of this iconic tank.

Panzerkampfwagen III Medium Tank 1936-44 (Osprey)

During the glory years of blitzkrieg the PzKpfw III was the only weapon in the German tank arsenal that really counted. Like Napoleon's vieux moustaches, it did not merely witness history in the making - it made it, from the Channel to the Volga, and from the Arctic to the North African desert. It was the PzKpfw III that brought Hitler to the gates of Moscow and the closest to achieving his wildest dreams.

This detailed study delves into the development and employment of the PzKpfw III, as well as its organisation and battlefield experience, illustrated by an examination of the battles in which it took part.

Contents: Development - Special-Purpose Vehicles - PzKpfw III Described - Organisation and Tactics - PzKpfw III in Action - North Africa.

Panzer III - Hitler's Beast of Burden : Rare Photographs from Wartimes Archives (Images of War)

The Panzer III was designed as part of Hitlers re-armarment programme 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.

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 photographs show the Panzer III in every theatre of the war and at every stage, and the text gives an insight into the design history and fighting performance of this historic armoured vehicle.

Panzer III at War 1939-1945 - Rare photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)

The Panzer III saw almost continuous action from the the annexation of Czechoslovakia, the invasion of Poland and then France and the Low countries, in North Africa, Italy, the Eastern Front and, finally, the retreat back into Germany.

Between 1936 and 1945, many thousands of Panzer III's were built. It quickly demonstrated its superiority on the battlefield and, for most of the war, remained a match for its opponents' heavy tanks.

With comprehensive captions and text this superb book is the latest in the best selling "Images of War" Series. The superb collection of images show how the formidable Panzer III tanks were adapted and up-gunned to face the ever increasing enemy threat.
The expert commentary describes how the Germans carefully utilized all available reserves and resources into building numerous production variants and how they coped on the battlefield.

Panzer III on the Battlefield (World War Two Photobook Series)

Tom Cockle looks at the Pz.Kpfw.III in 105 large landscape photographs over 112 pages.

Panzer III on the Battlefield (2) (World War Two Photobook Series)

"Panzer III on the Battlefield 2", Tom Cockle's second book about this ubiquitous Panzer, looks at the various Ausführungs of Pz.Kpfw. III with 104 large landscape photographs over 112 pages. All variants from A to N are shown.

Panzer III vs Somua S 35 - Belgium 1940 (Osprey)

The armour clashes in May 1940 were the biggest the world had yet seen, as the sweeping German advances of that period came to epitomize Blitzkrieg. The Wehrmacht's Panzer III was well matched by the French Somua S35 tanks, the two representing very different design philosophies and yet both ranking among the best in the world at the time.
Fully illustrated with specially commissioned colour artwork, this work draws upon the latest research to provide a definitive analysis of the clash between these two high-quality, cutting-edge tank designs. It describes one of the key duels at the heart of a new type of warfare, in the epic battles at the outset of Hitler's conquest of France and the Low Countries.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Design and Development - Technical Specifications - The Combatants - The Strategic Situation - Combat - Statistics and Analysis - Conclusion - Further Reading - Index.

M3 Medium Tank vs Panzer III - Kasserine Pass 1943 (Osprey)

This was a duel between the stalwart of the Wehrmacht armored divisions - the Panzerkampfwagen III - and the American's as yet untested M3 Grant. In reality both would prove unequal to the task as they floundered amidst the rugged hills and ravines of the Tunisian landscape.

This book charts the design and development of these two disparate rivals - their vastly different armament and armor as well as their tactical concepts. Analysing the strengths and weaknesses of these two opponents, this book explores the successes and failures of the Grant and Panzer III as they clashed at the critical battles of North Africa.
Moreover it is an insight into the lives of the tank crews themselves as they struggled with the twin horrors of tank warfare and the fight for survival amidst some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Design & development - The strategic situation - Technical specifications - The combatants - Combat - Statistics and analysis - Aftermath - Conclusion.