Difference between revisions of "Pz.III J1"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
''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.''
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<!--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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[[File:GarageImage Pz.IIIJ1.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
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{{break}}
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ('''Panzer III J1''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.43]]. An improvement over the J version with the longer [[KwK 39 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK 39]] gun: the Panzer III J1 provides a better punch.
 +
 
 +
This variant, compared to its predecessor - [[Pz.III J|Pz.III J]], features only few, but very important upgrades.
 +
 
 +
Most importantly, the J1 variant is the first Panzer III to have the long barreled KwK 39 L/60 50mm tank gun. This gun offers 96mm of armour penetration at a range of 100 m and 79 mm at 500 m. In a practical sense, it is just enough to deal with most tanks at this BR, although targeting weakspots, or side/rear armour is often necessary, especially against well-armoured heavy tanks like the KV-1 but that is why you have APCR ammunition. APCR comes in two sets, PzGr40 and PzGr40/1. PzGr40 has the highest penetration - 150mm at close range, but loses penetration quite rapidly when shooting far targets and is also a higher tier modification. ''(->More info can be found below in the "[[#Ammunition|Ammunition]]" section.)''
 +
 
 +
The second important upgrade is the electric turret drive - greatly improving the turret traverse speed, and removing the long present weakness of all older Panzer III variants.
 +
 
 +
Optimal combat distance for this vehicle is somewhere between medium to close range. But don't be mistaken, the Panzer III J1 is not an frontline tank. You should be always on the move and harass the enemy without rest as any return fire will be lethal. Don't trust your armour and instead rely on your mobility. Flanking is the best option for J1 as you can use the high RoF for good effect and hopefully avoid the incoming retribution. You don't have the best mobility for a medium tank, but you definitely remain competitive against most enemy tanks you may encounter. Always try to find some good firing positions, with available cover, and if necessary, pull back and relocate. Always avoid direct close range confrontations with main enemy force; never try to fight more than 1 enemy at the time. However - playing purely as support/sniper tank isn't optimal either, because of your lower armour penetration.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and 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 helpfull for survival in combat?''
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<!--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:'''
 +
 
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Barrel shroud, Cupola)
  
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 50 mm (12°) ''Front plate'' <br> 25 mm (86°), 50 mm (53°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 50 mm (23-69°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm || 50 mm (15-41°) ''Top'' <br> 50 mm (11-66°) ''Bottom'' || 15 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 50 mm (12-25°) ''Turret front'' <br> 50 mm (12-46°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 mm (22-25°) || 30 mm (13-16°) || 10 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Cupola || 50 mm || 10 mm
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
 
 +
* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
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 +
{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 465|rbMinHp= 265|<!--AoAweight=(optional) -->}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
''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.''
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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 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.-->
 +
{{main|KwK 39 (50 mm)}}
  
=== Additional armament ===
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
+
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[KwK 39 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK 39]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 92 || -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'' || 13.33 || 18.45 || 22.4 || 24.77 || 26.35
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 8.33 || 9.80 || 11.90 || 13.16 || 14.00
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
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! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 4.81 || 4.25 || 3.92 || 3.70
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== Ammunition =====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
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|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 39 || APC || 95 || 92 || 76 || 61 || 49 || 39
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 128 || 126 || 91 || 61 || 40 || 27
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 150 || 149 || 108 || 72 || 48 || 32
 +
|-
 +
| Sprgr. 38 || HE || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="10" | 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 || 835 || 2.05 || 1.2 || 25 || 28.9 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40/1 || APCR || 1,140 || 1.07 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 1,180 || 0.93 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
 +
|-
 +
| Sprgr. 38 || HE || 550 || 1.81 || 2.0 || 0.1 || 170 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
====Shell types====
 +
 
 +
*'''PzGr 39''' - Armour Piercing Capped shell - This is your main ammo type, use it whenever you think it has enough penetration to penetrate your target. It deals the most damage because of its explosive filler.
 +
*'''PzGr 40/1''' - Armour Piercing Composite Rigid shell - This type of ammo should be used if you are having trouble penetrating your opponent, or trying to hit a fast moving tank at some distance. However, its damaging potential is much lower, because it has no explosive filler to further enhance damage after the penetration.
 +
*'''PzGr 40''' - Armour Piercing Composite Rigid shell - this variation of APCR is lighter, slightly faster and offers the best penetration (up to 150mm). Use it against heavily armoured beasts like the [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]] (If you can't flank them). However, don't expect it to cause any real damage upon penetration, it is even worse than that of PzGr 40/1. It basically only deals damage to modules/crew straight in its path. It is therefore almost useless to fire them at things like turret cupolas, as it will usually just fly right through them.
 +
* '''SprGr 38''' - High Explosive ammo - You should carry only very few of these. They are completely useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal.
 +
 
 +
==== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] ====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_Pz.IIIJ1.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the Panzer III J1.]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
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! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
|| '''92''' || 70&nbsp;''(+22)'' || 47&nbsp;''(+45)'' || 24&nbsp;''(+68)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+91)'' || style="text-align:left" | Yes
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
Turret empty: 70&nbsp;''(+22)''
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
''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.-->
 +
{{main|MG 34 (7.92 mm)}}
  
== Usage in the battles ==
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
''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 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).''
+
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[MG 34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG 34]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
 +
|-
 +
! 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
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 3,750 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
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 +
== 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).-->
 +
'''Offensive'''
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 +
With this tank, you have essentially a "jack of all trades, somewhat good at all of them" kind of option set. You can stick with friendly tanks, and use the cannon's high rate-of-fire and excellent stats with APCR to nab scores from either destroying the enemy or getting team assists. Another way to go on the offensive is to go for a flanking move, since at practical distances (400-1000m) the gun's penetration statistics are far less than the maximum advertised. However, the cannon still has enough power at those ranges to at least immobilize particularly important enemy tanks like a KV-1 or Churchill with a drivetrain shot. You can attempt multiple shots to destroy enemies, but by that point you will begin receiving "responsive fire", and your tank's armour is not good enough to withstand more than 1-2 hits before being taken out.
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 +
A possible solution is to use "shoot and scoot" manuvers, popping out to fire and then scurrying to a different spot, but this poses issues if the terrain won't allow you to have consistent cover (which may result in a downed tank between cover) or if there simply isn't much of any cover (like on the [[Kursk (Ground Forces)|Kursk map's]] outer capture points).
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'''Defensive'''
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When on the defense, you have a number of advantages and some severe disadvantages - being able to hunker down and hammer in shots with the long 5 cm cannon away from the immediate frontlines mean that most tanks that you will face will likely be more focused on more offensive-oriented players in your team, which may cause them to unintentionally show their hull sides towards the Panzer III J1's position. This scenario, combined with your excellent rate of fire and penetration statistics, means you can make quick work of an unsuspecting light or medium tank, assuming you can find cover in a location the enemy will not be looking at.
 +
 
 +
If detected or ranged by a tank or tank destroyer (assuming they have an angle that negates your cover's protection), your armour will not protect you from very much, as even 20mm AP rounds can penetrate the armour plates if close enough. If you simply find yourself stuck behind cover because the enemy has your position, it is advised to pop smoke (as you have multiple use smoke-grenade launchers) and use the smoke to full effect, making it as difficult as possible for enemy tanks to get an exact bearing on your position as you try to move to better or other cover in general.
 +
 
 +
=== Modules ===
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
!Tier
 +
! colspan="2" |Mobility
 +
!Protection
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! colspan="2" |Firepower
 +
|-
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|I
 +
|Tracks
 +
|
 +
|Parts
 +
|Horizontal Drive
 +
|PzGr 40/1
 +
|-
 +
|II
 +
|Suspension
 +
|Brake System
 +
|FPE
 +
|Adjustment of Fire
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|III
 +
|Filters
 +
|
 +
|Crew Replenishment
 +
|Elevation Mechanism
 +
|PzGr 40
 +
|-
 +
|IV
 +
|Transmission
 +
|Engine
 +
|
 +
|Artillery Support
 +
|}
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!--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:'''
+
* High rate of fire
*
+
* High shell velocity
 +
* Mobile and fast
 +
* Excellent gun depression
 +
* APCR ammo is great against moving targets
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
*
 
  
== Historical part ==
+
* Poor damage against modules and crew
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
* Gun lacks penetration at range, is likely to bounce on armour slopes
 +
* Overall weak armour
 +
* Modules are sensitive to damage
 +
* APCR is pathetic at long ranges and deals very little damage upon penetration
 +
 
 +
== History ==
 +
<!--Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground 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></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. 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===
 +
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 the 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 [[Pz.IV C|Panzer IV]] served as.
 +
 
 +
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 men, 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. The 37 mm (later 50 mm) anti-tank gun was also very effective against contemporary tanks. 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 III tanks constructed in its production life was 5,774 units (excluding the far more produced [[StuG III F|StuG III]] variant).
 +
 
 +
===Specifications===
 +
The '''Panzer III Ausf. J1''' features a much better 50 mm gun compared to its predecessors, the 50 mm KwK 39, which is an improvement over the 50 mm KwK 38 by its longer barrel that provided additonal accuracy. Longer cartridges with more propellant charge were used, providing extra velocity and penetration. This new 50 mm gun gives the Panzer III a fighting edge against [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]]s and [[M4|M4 Shermans]], which the older 50 mm KwK 38 had trouble fighting against. The Panzer III Ausf. J1 still featured the 50 mm armour thickness on the front and rear originally from the [[Pz.III J|Ausf. J]] variant, but later models had new offset armour on the front of the hull and turret that provide 20 mm of effective protection These armour also apply as spaced armour due to not being attached to the hull or turret mantlet. The spaced armour on the front helped defend the tank against Soviet anti-tank rounds or HEAT rounds fired at it on those plates, as it dissipates the penetration power before striking the hull.
 +
 
 +
===Combat usage===
 +
The Panzer III J1 was only a stopgap design to integrate the 50 mm KwK 39 into service as fast as possible. The final designs in its later models were later redesignated the [[Pz.III L|Panzer III Ausf. L]] and [[Pz.III M|Panzer III Ausf. M]]. It saw service on the eastern front, where it performed poorly against superior [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]] tanks. However, it also saw service in North Africa, where it would easily defeat allied light tanks such as the [[M3 Stuart]] and the [[Crusader Mk III|Crusader]], even when outnumbered. However, the introduction of more medium tanks by the allies in the African theater would prove to be problematic for the Panzer III. Those that survived the defeat in Africa would try to defend Sicily from the allied invasion of Italy.
 +
 
 +
=== In-game description ===
 +
One of the serial modification to the Pz.Kpfw.III light tank, 1,549 of these tanks were produced from March to October, 1941.
 +
The armor 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 armor 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 armor 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.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!--Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.-->
 +
 
 +
'''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the ''Panzer III Ausf. J1'' from live.warthunder.com. There are plenty of category terms flying around. So looking through every one of them will be necessary. Some of these might not work. Look for the Panzer 3 tanks with the very long barrel, or see what the description says.
 +
 
 +
*[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23panzer_iii_j1 #panzer_iii_j1]
 +
 
 +
===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]
 +
 
 +
== See also ==
 +
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
  
== 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;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
''ETC.''
 
  
== Sources ==
+
== External links ==
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 +
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''page on the Wikipedia;''
+
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{Germany medium tanks}}

Revision as of 13:26, 8 May 2020

VTOL | Rank 5 USA
AV-8A Harrier Pack
Pz.III J1
germ_pzkpfw_iii_ausf_j.png
Pz.III J1
AB RB SB
2.7 2.7 2.7
Class:
Research:7 900 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:10 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage Pz.III J1.jpg


The Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. J1 (Panzer III J1) is a rank II German medium tank with a battle rating of 2.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.43. An improvement over the J version with the longer 50 mm KwK 39 gun: the Panzer III J1 provides a better punch.

This variant, compared to its predecessor - Pz.III J, features only few, but very important upgrades.

Most importantly, the J1 variant is the first Panzer III to have the long barreled KwK 39 L/60 50mm tank gun. This gun offers 96mm of armour penetration at a range of 100 m and 79 mm at 500 m. In a practical sense, it is just enough to deal with most tanks at this BR, although targeting weakspots, or side/rear armour is often necessary, especially against well-armoured heavy tanks like the KV-1 but that is why you have APCR ammunition. APCR comes in two sets, PzGr40 and PzGr40/1. PzGr40 has the highest penetration - 150mm at close range, but loses penetration quite rapidly when shooting far targets and is also a higher tier modification. (->More info can be found below in the "Ammunition" section.)

The second important upgrade is the electric turret drive - greatly improving the turret traverse speed, and removing the long present weakness of all older Panzer III variants.

Optimal combat distance for this vehicle is somewhere between medium to close range. But don't be mistaken, the Panzer III J1 is not an frontline tank. You should be always on the move and harass the enemy without rest as any return fire will be lethal. Don't trust your armour and instead rely on your mobility. Flanking is the best option for J1 as you can use the high RoF for good effect and hopefully avoid the incoming retribution. You don't have the best mobility for a medium tank, but you definitely remain competitive against most enemy tanks you may encounter. Always try to find some good firing positions, with available cover, and if necessary, pull back and relocate. Always avoid direct close range confrontations with main enemy force; never try to fight more than 1 enemy at the time. However - playing purely as support/sniper tank isn't optimal either, because of your lower armour penetration.

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 (53°) Front glacis
50 mm (23-69°) Lower glacis
30 mm 50 mm (15-41°) Top
50 mm (11-66°) Bottom
15 mm
Turret 50 mm (12-25°) Turret front
50 mm (12-46°) Gun mantlet
30 mm (22-25°) 30 mm (13-16°) 10 mm
Cupola 50 mm 10 mm

Notes:

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

Mobility

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 60 12 21.8 465 572 21.33 26.24
Realistic 54 10 265 300 12.16 13.76

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: KwK 39 (50 mm)
50 mm KwK 39
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
92 -10°/+20° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 13.33 18.45 22.4 24.77 26.35
Realistic 8.33 9.80 11.90 13.16 14.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
4.81 4.25 3.92 3.70
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration in mm @ 0° Angle of Attack
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
PzGr 39 APC 95 92 76 61 49 39
PzGr 40/1 APCR 128 126 91 61 40 27
PzGr 40 APCR 150 149 108 72 48 32
Sprgr. 38 HE 5 5 5 5 5 5
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 835 2.05 1.2 25 28.9 +4° 48° 63° 71°
PzGr 40/1 APCR 1,140 1.07 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 66° 70° 72°
PzGr 40 APCR 1,180 0.93 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 66° 70° 72°
Sprgr. 38 HE 550 1.81 2.0 0.1 170 +0° 79° 80° 81°

Shell types

  • PzGr 39 - Armour Piercing Capped shell - This is your main ammo type, use it whenever you think it has enough penetration to penetrate your target. It deals the most damage because of its explosive filler.
  • PzGr 40/1 - Armour Piercing Composite Rigid shell - This type of ammo should be used if you are having trouble penetrating your opponent, or trying to hit a fast moving tank at some distance. However, its damaging potential is much lower, because it has no explosive filler to further enhance damage after the penetration.
  • PzGr 40 - Armour Piercing Composite Rigid shell - this variation of APCR is lighter, slightly faster and offers the best penetration (up to 150mm). Use it against heavily armoured beasts like the KV-1 (If you can't flank them). However, don't expect it to cause any real damage upon penetration, it is even worse than that of PzGr 40/1. It basically only deals damage to modules/crew straight in its path. It is therefore almost useless to fire them at things like turret cupolas, as it will usually just fly right through them.
  • SprGr 38 - High Explosive ammo - You should carry only very few of these. They are completely useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal.

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Panzer III J1.
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
92 70 (+22) 47 (+45) 24 (+68) (+91) Yes

Turret empty: 70 (+22)

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
3,750 (150) 900 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

Offensive

With this tank, you have essentially a "jack of all trades, somewhat good at all of them" kind of option set. You can stick with friendly tanks, and use the cannon's high rate-of-fire and excellent stats with APCR to nab scores from either destroying the enemy or getting team assists. Another way to go on the offensive is to go for a flanking move, since at practical distances (400-1000m) the gun's penetration statistics are far less than the maximum advertised. However, the cannon still has enough power at those ranges to at least immobilize particularly important enemy tanks like a KV-1 or Churchill with a drivetrain shot. You can attempt multiple shots to destroy enemies, but by that point you will begin receiving "responsive fire", and your tank's armour is not good enough to withstand more than 1-2 hits before being taken out.

A possible solution is to use "shoot and scoot" manuvers, popping out to fire and then scurrying to a different spot, but this poses issues if the terrain won't allow you to have consistent cover (which may result in a downed tank between cover) or if there simply isn't much of any cover (like on the Kursk map's outer capture points).

Defensive

When on the defense, you have a number of advantages and some severe disadvantages - being able to hunker down and hammer in shots with the long 5 cm cannon away from the immediate frontlines mean that most tanks that you will face will likely be more focused on more offensive-oriented players in your team, which may cause them to unintentionally show their hull sides towards the Panzer III J1's position. This scenario, combined with your excellent rate of fire and penetration statistics, means you can make quick work of an unsuspecting light or medium tank, assuming you can find cover in a location the enemy will not be looking at.

If detected or ranged by a tank or tank destroyer (assuming they have an angle that negates your cover's protection), your armour will not protect you from very much, as even 20mm AP rounds can penetrate the armour plates if close enough. If you simply find yourself stuck behind cover because the enemy has your position, it is advised to pop smoke (as you have multiple use smoke-grenade launchers) and use the smoke to full effect, making it as difficult as possible for enemy tanks to get an exact bearing on your position as you try to move to better or other cover in general.

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts Horizontal Drive PzGr 40/1
II Suspension Brake System FPE Adjustment of Fire
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism PzGr 40
IV Transmission Engine Artillery Support

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • High rate of fire
  • High shell velocity
  • Mobile and fast
  • Excellent gun depression
  • APCR ammo is great against moving targets

Cons:

  • Poor damage against modules and crew
  • Gun lacks penetration at range, is likely to bounce on armour slopes
  • Overall weak armour
  • Modules are sensitive to damage
  • APCR is pathetic at long ranges and deals very little damage upon penetration

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 the 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 served as.

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 Ausf. E and beyond. The Panzer III had a crew of five men, 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. The 37 mm (later 50 mm) anti-tank gun was also very effective against contemporary tanks. 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 III tanks constructed in its production life was 5,774 units (excluding the far more produced StuG III variant).

Specifications

The Panzer III Ausf. J1 features a much better 50 mm gun compared to its predecessors, the 50 mm KwK 39, which is an improvement over the 50 mm KwK 38 by its longer barrel that provided additonal accuracy. Longer cartridges with more propellant charge were used, providing extra velocity and penetration. This new 50 mm gun gives the Panzer III a fighting edge against T-34s and M4 Shermans, which the older 50 mm KwK 38 had trouble fighting against. The Panzer III Ausf. J1 still featured the 50 mm armour thickness on the front and rear originally from the Ausf. J variant, but later models had new offset armour on the front of the hull and turret that provide 20 mm of effective protection These armour also apply as spaced armour due to not being attached to the hull or turret mantlet. The spaced armour on the front helped defend the tank against Soviet anti-tank rounds or HEAT rounds fired at it on those plates, as it dissipates the penetration power before striking the hull.

Combat usage

The Panzer III J1 was only a stopgap design to integrate the 50 mm KwK 39 into service as fast as possible. The final designs in its later models were later redesignated the Panzer III Ausf. L and Panzer III Ausf. M. It saw service on the eastern front, where it performed poorly against superior T-34 and KV-1 tanks. However, it also saw service in North Africa, where it would easily defeat allied light tanks such as the M3 Stuart and the Crusader, even when outnumbered. However, the introduction of more medium tanks by the allies in the African theater would prove to be problematic for the Panzer III. Those that survived the defeat in Africa would try to defend Sicily from the allied invasion of Italy.

In-game description

One of the serial modification to the Pz.Kpfw.III light tank, 1,549 of these tanks were produced from March to October, 1941. The armor 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 armor 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 armor 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.

Media

Skins and camouflages for the Panzer III Ausf. J1 from live.warthunder.com. There are plenty of category terms flying around. So looking through every one of them will be necessary. Some of these might not work. Look for the Panzer 3 tanks with the very long barrel, or see what the description says.

Sights

See 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.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • encyclopedia page on the tank;
  • 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 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