Difference between revisions of "Pz.III J"

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{{About
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{{Specs-Card|code=germ_pzkpfw_III_ausf_J_L42}}
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 
| usage = other versions
 
| link = Panzer III (Family)
 
}}
 
{{Specs-Card
 
|code=germ_pzkpfw_III_ausf_J_L42
 
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
 
}}
 
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
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<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
The '''Panzerkampfwagen III Ausführung J (Panzer III J)''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29_Sd.Kfz._Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 141''') is the ninth variant of the [[Pz.III (Family)|Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank family]] (the "I" variant was skipped). The Panzer III J looked much like the Panzer III G. It was designed with a turret housing a 50 mm Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 38 L/42 tank gun. It used the same Maybach HL 120 TRM petrol/gasoline 285 horsepower engine and had identical armour thickness. The hull frontal armour's basic armour thickness had increased to 50 mm. An additional armour plate was installed internally to the front of the turret in the spring of 1941, increasing it to a maximum thickness of 57 mm in places. To improve engine compartment ventilation, the structure of the chassis was extended. The armoured front brake vents were redesigned. On the roof of the turret was an armoured extractor fan. The 50 mm KwK38 L/42 tank gun was capable of firing up to 20 rounds per minute, through the use of a semi-automatic breech that opened before the end of the recoil, ejected the used casing, and allowed for fast loading of the next shell.
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[[File:GarageImage Pz.IIIJ.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
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{{break}}
Introduced in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]], the Panzer III J is the next addition to the Panzer III medium tank family. The Panzer III J, armed with the already familiar 50 mm KwK38 L/42 tank gun, can readily deal with adversaries in its ranks. Increased hull frontal armour thickness allows players to take greater risks during combat. The turret traverse, on the other hand, is sluggish, owing to the lack of an electric power traverse system. This is arguably one of the most significant disadvantages of any Panzer IIIs, especially when fighting in towns or areas with a lot of cover. Players must use caution when playing in maps where enemy tanks might quickly set up ambush.
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The '''Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. J''' (or '''Panzer III J''') is a Rank I German medium tank with a battle rating of 2.3. It was introduced in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]].
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
 
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
 
 
'''Armour type:'''
 
'''Armour type:'''
  
* Rolled homogeneous armour
+
* Rolled homogeneous armour  
 
* Cast homogeneous armour (Barrel shroud, Cupola)
 
* Cast homogeneous armour (Barrel shroud, Cupola)
  
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| Turret || 50 mm (10-25°) ''Turret front'' <br> 50 mm (12-62°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 mm (20-25°) || 30 mm (12-15°) || 10 mm
 
| Turret || 50 mm (10-25°) ''Turret front'' <br> 50 mm (12-62°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 mm (20-25°) || 30 mm (12-15°) || 10 mm
 
|-
 
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 50 mm (spherical) || 10 mm
+
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Cupola || 50 mm || 10 mm
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
Line 40: Line 32:
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
+
|-
 
+
! colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 465|rbMinHp= 265}}
+
|-
 
+
! Weight (tons)
=== Modifications and economy ===
+
! colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
{{Specs-Economy}}
+
! colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan="2" | 21.8 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 59 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|53 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|465
 +
|572
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|265
 +
|300
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|21.33
 +
|26.24
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|12.16
 +
|13.76
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
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<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
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{{main|KwK 38 (50 mm)}}
{{main|KwK L/42 (50 mm)}}
 
  
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[KwK 38 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK 38]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 99 || -10°/+20° || ±180° || N/A
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 3.30 || 4.50 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK L/42 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK L/42]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
+
| ''Realistic'' || 3.30 || 3.80 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
 
|-
 
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
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! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
 
|-
 
|-
! ''Arcade''
+
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
| rowspan="2" | 99 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 5.2 || 7.2 || 8.8 || 9.7 || 10.4 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
+
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 
|-
 
|-
! ''Realistic''
+
| 5.20 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
| 3.3 || 3.8 || 4.7 || 5.2 || 5.5
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
==== Ammunition ====
+
===== Ammunition =====
{{:KwK L/42 (50 mm)/Ammunition|PzGr 39, PzGr 40}}
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 39 || APC || 74 || 73 || 59 || 45 || 34 || 26
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 118 || 117 || 84 || 56 || 37 || 25
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 132 || 130 || 94 || 63 || 42 || 28
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 39 || APC || 685 || 2.1 || 1.2 || 25 || 28.9 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 1005 || 1.1 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 1050 || 0.92 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
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===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
<!-- '''Last updated: 2.35.1.80'''-->
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
 
|-
 
|-
! Full<br>ammo
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! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
! 1st<br>rack empty
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br /> rack empty
! 2nd<br>rack empty
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br /> rack empty
! 3rd<br>rack empty
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br /> rack empty
! 4th<br>rack empty
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br /> rack empty
! 5th<br>rack empty
+
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
! 6th<br>rack empty
 
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
 
|-
 
|-
| '''99'''  || 78&nbsp;''(+21)'' || 63&nbsp;''(+36)'' || 43&nbsp;''(+56)'' || 35&nbsp;''(+64)'' || 23&nbsp;''(+76)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+98)'' || No
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|| '''99''' || 75&nbsp;''(+24)'' || 50&nbsp;''(+49)'' || 25&nbsp;''(+74)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+98)'' || style="text-align:left" | Yes
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
'''Notes''':
 
  
* Shells are individually modeled.
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Left side empty: 50&nbsp;''(+49)''
* Ready rack only: 23&nbsp;''(+76)'' shells.
 
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
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<!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''-->
<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
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{{main|MG 34 (7.92 mm)}}
{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}
 
  
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[MG 34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG 34]]
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
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! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
 
|-
 
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
+
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
|-
 
|-
| Coaxial || 4,350 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
+
| colspan="4" | 4,350 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
The small calibre of the MG34 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.
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== Usage in the battles ==
 
+
Use of this tank is similar to the Pz. III F, and while it does have significantly better armor on the front than its predecessor, the higher BR of 2.3 means it faces MUCH nastier opposition in semi-frequent uptiers to 3.3. T-34 (1940)s are almost unpennable from any side except flat-on below the tracks. M4A1s are similar in speed to you, have thinner sides, are spacious, have powerful guns, and stabilizers. Cromwells are much faster than you with stronger guns. You literally can only hope for them to get overconfident, overextend, and shoot them in the side or rear. APCR postpen damage is not reliable enough to be counted upon when you need it the most, plus neither PzGr.40/1 or PzGr.40 can frontally pen a Sherman or T-34 anyway. The gap between 2.3 and 3.3 is tremendous, and is just as crippling as that between 6.7 and 7.7, for an accurate relative comparison.
== Usage in battles ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 
Use of this tank is similar to the [[Pz.III F]], and while it does have significantly better armour on the front than its predecessor, the higher BR means it faces nastier opposition. [[T-34 (1940)]]s are almost impenetrable from any side except flat-on below the tracks. [[M4A1]]s are similar in speed to you, have thinner sides, are spacious, have powerful guns, and stabilizers. [[Cromwell (Family)|Cromwells]] are much faster than you with stronger guns. You can only hope for them to get overconfident, overextend, and shoot them in the side or rear. APCR post-penetration damage is not reliable enough to be counted upon when you need it the most, and often can't frontally penetrate a Sherman or T-34 anyway.
 
 
 
Furthermore, even in the best circumstances, the high fuse sensitivity makes many lightly-armoured things with strong guns your worst nightmare, since you'll over-penetrate repeatedly in most cases, allowing easy return fire from the person you failed to knock out, which more often than not cripples you. Enemy SPAAGs, in particular, are frustrating to knock out because of your 15 mm turret ring weak spot enabling them to spray all over you to incapacitate your gunner and loader.
 
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
 
* Accurate and decently powerful gun
 
* Accurate and decently powerful gun
* Good gun depression
+
* Great gun depression
* Good mobility
+
* Good Mobility
* APCR ammo has very high speed and good penetration, making shooting at long-range easier
+
* APCR ammo has very high speed and good penetration, making shooting at long range easier
* Armour is fairly decent and can protect reliably against lower-calibre guns
+
* Armour is fairly decent, can protect reliably against beginner's and some lower BR tanks
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
* Average to low armour penetration with regular ammunition
+
* Penetration is a bit lacking
* Poor turret traverse speed
+
* Awful turret traverse speed
* Flat armour with little slope, thin side armour
+
* Flat armour with little slope, weak side armour
* Large commander's cupola which can stick out above the terrain and receive fire
+
* Large commander's cupola, often sticking out above the terrain, drawing enemy attention.
* Rather high shell fuse sensitivity relative to the cannon's power
 
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
 
===Development===
 
===Development===
The '''Panzerkampfwagen III''' medium tank or the '''Panzer III''' was developed in the 1930s. Starting in early 1934, Heinz Guderian set down some specifications for a new tank, which Army Weapons Department took up to design the tank to weigh no more than 24,000 kilograms with a top speed of 35 km per hour. This tank's role was to be the main tank of the German army and was expected to destroy opposing tanks, as opposed to a tank made to destroy anti-tank guns and opposing infantrymen, which the [[Panzer IV]] took up in.
+
The '''Panzerkampfwagen III''' medium tank, or the '''Panzer III''' was developed in the 1930s. Starting in early 1934, Heinz Guderian set down some specifications for a new tank, which Army Weapons Department took up to design the tank to weigh no more than 24,000 kilograms with a top speed of 35 km per hour. This tank's role was to be the main tank of the German army and was expected to destroy opposing tanks, as opposed as a tank made to destroy anti-tank guns and opposing infantrymen, which the [[Pz.IV C|Panzer IV]] took up in.  
  
Daimler-Benz, Krupp, MAN, and Rheinmetall produced prototypes meeting the specifications and the Daimler-Benz model was chosen after testing in 1936-1937. The Panzer III model used a leaf-spring suspension in its early models (Ausf. A - Ausf. D) before utilizing a six-wheeled torsion-bar suspension in the [[Pz.III E|Ausf. E]] and beyond. The Panzer III had a crew of five people, the commander, gunner, loader, driver, and assistant driver. The best feature of the Panzer III during its introduction that is the most overlooked was the three-man turret, which was not as common at the time. This frees the commander to be able to effectively command the tank while maintaining situational awareness rather than be burdened by the role of a loader or gunner, improving the combat effectiveness of the tank. Despite this rather advanced design, the turret did not have a turret basket for the crew. It was a proven design and production began in May 1937. The total number of Panzer IIIs tanks constructed in its production life was 5,774 units (excluding [[StuG III F|StuG III]] variant).
+
Damlier-Benz, Krupp, MAN, and Rheinmetall produced prototypes meeting the specifications and the Damlier-Benz model was chosen after testing in 1936-1937. The Panzer III model used a leaf-spring suspension in its early models (Ausf. A - Ausf. D) before utilizing a six-wheeled torsion-bar suspension in the [[Pz.III E|Ausf. E]] and beyond. The Panzer III had a crew of five people, the commander, gunner, loader, driver, and assistant driver. The best feature of the Panzer III during its introduction that is the most overlooked was the three-man turret, which was not as common at the time. This frees the commander to be able to effectively command the tank while maintaining situational awareness rather than be burdened by the role of a loader or gunner, improving combat effectiveness of the tank. Despite this rather advance design, the turret did not have a turret basket for the crew. It was a proven design and production began in May 1937. The total number of Panzer IIIs tanks constructed in its production life was 5,774 units (excluding [[StuG III F|StuG III]] variant).
  
 
===Specifications===
 
===Specifications===
The Panzer III started with only 15 mm of armour on all sides, this was quickly upgraded to 30 mm on the front, side, and rear on the Ausf. D, E, F, and G models. Then the Ausf. H placed an additional 30 mm of armour onto the front hull as an interim solution before the '''Panzer III Ausf. J''' gave the Panzer III a 50 mm armour thickness on the front and rear. The Panzer III Ausf. J still retained the 50 mm KwK 38 cannon from the [[Pz.III F|Ausf. F]], which provided much-needed firepower over the 37 mm KwK 36. The Panzer Ausf. J had a 300 PS Maybach HL 120 TRM engine that gave it a top speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph) with an operational range of 155 km (96 mi.).
+
The Panzer III started with only 15 mm of armour on all sides, this was quickly upgraded to 30 mm on front, side, and rear on the Ausf. D, E, F, and G models. Then the Ausf. H placed an additional 30 mm of armour onto the front hull as an interim solution before the '''Panzer III Ausf. J''' gave the Panzer III a 50 mm armour thickness on the front and rear. The Panzer III Ausf. J still retained the 50 mm KwK 38 cannon from the [[Pz.III F|Ausf. F]], which provided much needed firepower over the 37 mm KwK 36. The Panzer Ausf. J had a 300 PS Maybach HL 120 TRM engine that gave it a top speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph) with a operational range of 155 km (96 mi.).
  
 
===Combat usage===
 
===Combat usage===
The Panzer III Ausf. J gave the German army better armour for their Panzer III and with a better gun. However, it was still considered under-gunned by the Soviet contemporary [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tanks as the 50 mm KwK 38 was not powerful enough to penetrate these tanks frontally with normal ammo. This requires the use of APCR, which was in low supply. The Soviet [[T-26]] and [[BT-5|BT series]] light tanks were still easily taken care of and they were still in larger quantities than the T-34s and KVs, but T-34 production was kicking off and it won't be long before the T-34 becomes the main tank of the Red Army.
+
The Panzer III Ausf. J gave the German army better armour for their Panzer III and with a better gun. However, it was still considered undergunned to the Soviet contemporary [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tanks as the 50 mm KwK 38 was not powerful enough to penetrate these tanks frontally with normal ammo. This requires the use of APCR, which was in low supply. The Soviet [[T-26|T-26]] and [[BT-5|BT series]] light tanks were still easily taken care of and were still in larger quantities than the T-34s and KVs, but T-34 production was kicking off and it won't be long before the T-34 becomes the main tank of the Red Army.  
  
The Panzer III still needed improvements if it ever was to go up against the more modern tanks and Germany needed it to stay in service as long as possible as their new tanks were being developed. The next variant featured additional armour and a better 50 mm cannon, the 50 mm KwK 39, on the [[Pz.III J1|Panzer III Ausf. J1]]. The armour had an additional 20 mm offset armour in the front hull and turret, plus the 50 mm KwK 39 featured a longer barrel than the 50 mm KwK 38, increasing its penetration values.
+
The Panzer III still needed improvements if it ever was to go up against the more modern tanks and Germany needed it to stay in service as long as possible as their new tanks are being developed. The next variant featured additional armour and a better 50 mm cannon, the 50 mm KwK 39, on the [[Pz.III J1|Panzer III Ausf. J1]]. The armour had an additional 20 mm offset armour in the front hull and turret, plus the 50 mm KwK 39 featured a longer barrel than the 50 mm KwK 38, increasing its penetration values.
 
 
{{break}}
 
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
 
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
 
One of the serial modifications to the Pz.Kpfw.III light tank, 1,549 of these tanks were produced from March to October 1941.
 
 
 
The armour plating installed on tanks of the Ausf. H modification was a temporary measure. Tanks of the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. J modification began to be released in March 1941. The thickness of the single-layer, homogeneous armour of the front and rear plates was 50 mm. The design of the spherical machine gun installation had to be modified due to the increase in the thickness of the armour plates. A large number of less significant changes were also made. The first vehicles released were added to the arsenal of the African Corps, but the overwhelming majority entered divisions that were performing combat operations in the incipient war with the Soviet Union. Towards the middle to late stages of the war, the Soviet Union captured large numbers of German vehicles including Pz.III Ausf. Js and would put them into use against their former owners.
 
{{Navigation-End}}
 
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
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'''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the ''Panzer III Ausf.J'' from live.warthunder.com. There are plenty of category terms flying around. So looking through every one of them will be necessary.
 
 
;Skins
 
  
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_III_ausf_J_L42 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
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*[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23pz_iii_j #pz_iii_j]
 +
*[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23pziii_j #pziii_j]
  
;Sights
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===Sights===
  
 
* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI]
 
* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI]
  
;Videos
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== Read also ==
{{Youtube-gallery|UtpM_1j4G0c|'''The Shooting Range #338''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:01 relates the Soviet assessment of the German Pz.III J.}}
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''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
 
 
== See also ==
 
  
===== Other vehicles of the Panzer III series: =====
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* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 +
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
  
* [[Pz.III (Family)]]
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''ETC.''
** [[T-III (USSR)]]
 
** [[Pz.III J1]]
 
  
===== Vehicles of similar configuration: =====
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== Sources ==
 +
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
  
* [[Pz.IV (Family)]]
 
 
== External links ==
 
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.'' -->
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* ''other literature.''
 
 
* [[wt:en/news/655--en|[Development] PzKpfw III Ausf. J]]
 
  
 
{{Germany medium tanks}}
 
{{Germany medium tanks}}

Revision as of 20:32, 15 May 2019

Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles
Chinese A-5C Pack
Pz.III J
germ_pzkpfw_iii_ausf_j_l42.png
Pz.III J
AB RB SB
2.3 2.3 2.3
Class:
Research:5 900 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:6 300 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage Pz.III J.jpg


The Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. J (or Panzer III J) is a Rank I German medium tank with a battle rating of 2.3. It was introduced in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Barrel shroud, Cupola)
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 50 mm (12°) Front plate
25 mm (86°), 50 mm (52°) Front glacis
50 mm (23-69°) Lower glacis
30 mm 50 mm (14-46°) Top
50 mm (10-66°) Bottom
15 mm
Turret 50 mm (10-25°) Turret front
50 mm (12-62°) Gun mantlet
30 mm (20-25°) 30 mm (12-15°) 10 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 50 mm 10 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons)
Max speed (km/h)
21.8 N/A 59 (AB)
53 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 465 572
Realistic/Simulator 265 300
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 21.33 26.24
Realistic/Simulator 12.16 13.76

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: KwK 38 (50 mm)
50 mm KwK 38
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
99 -10°/+20° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 3.30 4.50 _.__ _.__ _.__
Realistic 3.30 3.80 _.__ _.__ _.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
5.20 _.__ _.__ _.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
PzGr 39 APC 74 73 59 45 34 26
PzGr 40/1 APCR 118 117 84 56 37 25
PzGr 40 APCR 132 130 94 63 42 28
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
Normalization At 30°
from horizontal:
Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
PzGr 39 APC 685 2.1 1.2 25 28.9 +4° 48° 63° 71°
PzGr 40/1 APCR 1005 1.1 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 66° 70° 72°
PzGr 40 APCR 1050 0.92 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 66° 70° 72°
Ammo racks
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
99 75 (+24) 50 (+49) 25 (+74) (+98) Yes

Left side empty: 50 (+49)

Machine guns

Main article: MG 34 (7.92 mm)
7.92 mm MG 34
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
4,350 (150) 900 N/A N/A

Usage in the battles

Use of this tank is similar to the Pz. III F, and while it does have significantly better armor on the front than its predecessor, the higher BR of 2.3 means it faces MUCH nastier opposition in semi-frequent uptiers to 3.3. T-34 (1940)s are almost unpennable from any side except flat-on below the tracks. M4A1s are similar in speed to you, have thinner sides, are spacious, have powerful guns, and stabilizers. Cromwells are much faster than you with stronger guns. You literally can only hope for them to get overconfident, overextend, and shoot them in the side or rear. APCR postpen damage is not reliable enough to be counted upon when you need it the most, plus neither PzGr.40/1 or PzGr.40 can frontally pen a Sherman or T-34 anyway. The gap between 2.3 and 3.3 is tremendous, and is just as crippling as that between 6.7 and 7.7, for an accurate relative comparison.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Accurate and decently powerful gun
  • Great gun depression
  • Good Mobility
  • APCR ammo has very high speed and good penetration, making shooting at long range easier
  • Armour is fairly decent, can protect reliably against beginner's and some lower BR tanks

Cons:

  • Penetration is a bit lacking
  • Awful turret traverse speed
  • Flat armour with little slope, weak side armour
  • Large commander's cupola, often sticking out above the terrain, drawing enemy attention.

History

Development

The Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank, or the Panzer III was developed in the 1930s. Starting in early 1934, Heinz Guderian set down some specifications for a new tank, which Army Weapons Department took up to design the tank to weigh no more than 24,000 kilograms with a top speed of 35 km per hour. This tank's role was to be the main tank of the German army and was expected to destroy opposing tanks, as opposed as a tank made to destroy anti-tank guns and opposing infantrymen, which the Panzer IV took up in.

Damlier-Benz, Krupp, MAN, and Rheinmetall produced prototypes meeting the specifications and the Damlier-Benz model was chosen after testing in 1936-1937. The Panzer III model used a leaf-spring suspension in its early models (Ausf. A - Ausf. D) before utilizing a six-wheeled torsion-bar suspension in the Ausf. E and beyond. The Panzer III had a crew of five people, the commander, gunner, loader, driver, and assistant driver. The best feature of the Panzer III during its introduction that is the most overlooked was the three-man turret, which was not as common at the time. This frees the commander to be able to effectively command the tank while maintaining situational awareness rather than be burdened by the role of a loader or gunner, improving combat effectiveness of the tank. Despite this rather advance design, the turret did not have a turret basket for the crew. It was a proven design and production began in May 1937. The total number of Panzer IIIs tanks constructed in its production life was 5,774 units (excluding StuG III variant).

Specifications

The Panzer III started with only 15 mm of armour on all sides, this was quickly upgraded to 30 mm on front, side, and rear on the Ausf. D, E, F, and G models. Then the Ausf. H placed an additional 30 mm of armour onto the front hull as an interim solution before the Panzer III Ausf. J gave the Panzer III a 50 mm armour thickness on the front and rear. The Panzer III Ausf. J still retained the 50 mm KwK 38 cannon from the Ausf. F, which provided much needed firepower over the 37 mm KwK 36. The Panzer Ausf. J had a 300 PS Maybach HL 120 TRM engine that gave it a top speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph) with a operational range of 155 km (96 mi.).

Combat usage

The Panzer III Ausf. J gave the German army better armour for their Panzer III and with a better gun. However, it was still considered undergunned to the Soviet contemporary T-34 and KV-1 tanks as the 50 mm KwK 38 was not powerful enough to penetrate these tanks frontally with normal ammo. This requires the use of APCR, which was in low supply. The Soviet T-26 and BT series light tanks were still easily taken care of and were still in larger quantities than the T-34s and KVs, but T-34 production was kicking off and it won't be long before the T-34 becomes the main tank of the Red Army.

The Panzer III still needed improvements if it ever was to go up against the more modern tanks and Germany needed it to stay in service as long as possible as their new tanks are being developed. The next variant featured additional armour and a better 50 mm cannon, the 50 mm KwK 39, on the Panzer III Ausf. J1. The armour had an additional 20 mm offset armour in the front hull and turret, plus the 50 mm KwK 39 featured a longer barrel than the 50 mm KwK 38, increasing its penetration values.

Media

Skins and camouflages for the Panzer III Ausf.J from live.warthunder.com. There are plenty of category terms flying around. So looking through every one of them will be necessary.

Sights

Read also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

ETC.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Germany medium tanks
Pz.III  Pz.III B · Pz.III E · Pz.III F · Pz.III J · Pz.III J1 · Pz.III J1 TD · Pz.III L · Pz.III M · Pz.III N
Pz.IV  Pz.IV C · Pz.IV E · Pz.IV F1 · Pz.IV F2 · Pz.IV G · Pz.IV H · Pz.IV J · Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J
Pz.V  VK 3002 (M) · Panther A · Panther D · Panther F · Panther G · Ersatz M10 · Panther II
M48 upgrades  M48A2 G A2 · M48 Super
Leopard 1  Leopard I · Leopard A1A1 · Leopard A1A1 (L/44) · Leopard 1A5 · C2A1 · Turm III
Leopard 2  PT-16/T14 mod. · Leopard 2K · Leopard 2AV
  Leopard 2A4 · Leopard 2 (PzBtl 123) · Leopard 2A4M · Leopard 2 PL · Leopard 2A5 · Leopard 2 PSO · Leopard 2A6 · Leopard 2A7V
Trophies  ▀M4 748 (a) · ▀T 34 747 (r)
Other  Nb.Fz. · KPz-70
USA  mKPz M47 G · M48A2 C
USSR  ◊T-72M1