German Panzerkampwagen III, Ausf.

J,
Part 1, Revised May 25, 2002

Picture 1:
For some time I've realized that attempting to trace the interior design changes and improvements during the
production history of the German World War Two Panzerkampfwagen III tank would be an impossible task for a
publication this small. Entire books written on the development and production changes of this tank are too short
and frustratingly incomplete. But the vehicle's design is important for a number of reasons, so in order to take a
brief look into the complex interior of the Pz.III I will be restricting our attention to just the mid-production models
of the series, the vehicles mounting the 5.0cm KwK gun. This will allow us to potentially examine tanks from the
Ausf.G through M models, touching briefly on many of the important features of those most commonly seen in
wartime photographs and newsreels. I have broken the interior story into four sections so the pages will load in a
reasonable amount of time, but the images are large. In the first two parts we will briefly explore the gradual
evolution of the basic types and spend most of our time inside the turret. Part 3 and 4 will cover the hull interior as
well as the transmission and engine components. This Bundesarchiv photo shows a line up of new Pz.III Ausf.J
tanks with L/60 guns at the Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg (MAN) factory, ready to ship out to the troops.

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Picture 2:
The first Panzer III prototypes were built by Daimler-Benz in 1935 and initial limited production of the type began
in 1936. Most of the first four models, from Ausf.A through Ausf.D, are easily identified by their initial large road
wheels and coil spring suspensions (Ausf.A) or smaller wheels and leaf spring suspensions (Ausf.B-D). Although a
few of these first vehicles saw some service in Poland and France, they were basically experimental prototypes and
trials vehicles. A Maybach HL 108 TR engine (230-250 HP) was attached to a ZF SSG 76 gearbox to power these
first Pz.III tanks and they all used a Daimler-Benz/Wilson type clutch. The armament included a 3.7cm KwK
L/46.5 gun with three MG34 machine guns, two mounted up in the wide internal turret mantlet to the right of the
3.7cm gun, and the third placed in a ball mount at the right bow of the hull. The first three models had a simple
dustbin cupola for the commander at the rear of the turret. But by the Ausf.D, the Pz.III included an improved mid
production commander's cupola with five side vision blocks that were opened by overlapping armored rings around
the exterior that slid up and down to reveal the vision blocks behind.
This Imperial War Museum photo illustrates the 3.7cm main armament of these early Pz.III tanks mounting the
3.7cm gun. The turret has been removed from the hull and set on a stand and a white sheet or tarp has been thrown
over the entire turret, extending down to the floor. The wide internal mantlet was fitted with a vision port on the
left end, covered with an armored shutter (Klappe) that could be pivoted opened to improve the view for the
gunner by the white handled lever you see on the far left of the mantlet. There are a number of other interesting
details provided for us in this photograph. At the far left edge is the left side turret door, the inside surface painted
the dark gray of the exterior vehicle paint. Next to it is an opening vision port with a glass block behind it, and
above the port is the hinged travel support on the ceiling that would hold the gunner's periscope, missing here. Both
the manual turret traverse and gun elevation hand wheels are visible, and the traverse handle includes a gun firing
trigger. Because the traverse required a lot of cranking to turn the turret, the loader was provided with an assist
traverse handle that you see at the lower right corner of the photo.
A circuit breaker on the gunner's side of the gun mount was the backup firing device for the gunner. Notice the gun
recoil guard is missing its spent shell catch bag and tubular support and also that the twin MG34 guns are missing
their mounting brackets for the two ammo bags that would hang from each gun. Indeed, the MGs are staggered one
in front of the other so the hanging bags from one gun do not interfere with the other. The 3.7cm KwK gun was a
semi-automatic weapon with falling block and its breech handle is clearly visible on the right of the breech ring.

Picture 3:
The first true production version of the Panzer III

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was the Ausf.E and a number of changes were

made at that time to improve the vehicle. One of
the most significant was the use of a new torsion
bar suspension system, originally developed by Dr.
Porsche, and the Pz.III was the first German tank
to sport this new suspension. We will examine it in
depth in Part 3. Additional room for 3.7mm ammo
was found somewhere in the hull in order to raise
the stowed amount to 131 shells in the Ausf.E.
New double side doors were substituted for the
earlier one-piece types on the turret sides, and an
improved driver's visor 30 (Fahrersehklappe 30)
and periscope were included on the front plate.
This driver's visor had two covers over the vision
block opening, but only the upper one slid up and
down to expose or cover the opening.
It was these late Ausf.E and F models that first had their 3.7mm guns replaced with the more powerful 5cm
KwK38 L/42 weapons. These vehicles also received an improved magneto ignition for the Maybach engine,
creating the HL 120 TRM power plant that would propel all subsequent versions of the Pz.III, as well as the Pz.IV,
and their variants. This photograph, like many in these pages, is from the collection at the Imperial War Museum in
England. A number of excellent photos were taken by the British of captured German vehicles during the war and
the Pz.IIIs interiors in these images are mostly the Ausf.H vehicle armed with the L/42 5cm gun, or a later Ausf.J/L
model with the longer KwK39 L/60 gun. This view illustrates the larger size of the gun breech of the 5cm weapon
over the 3.7mm gun we saw last photograph and it also shows the mount for the single 7.9mm coaxial MG34 to the
right.
The close proximity of the MG to the 5cm gun made it difficult to load the machine gun quickly (left loading) and
this was a common problem with many German designs. In this picture only one ammo bag is mounted below the
MG, in this case it's in the center of the mounting rod, not actually in position for either bag. The feed bag that held
150 belted rounds of Patr SmK ammo would be slightly to the left and the bag for collecting empty brass to the
right. Where the barrel meets the mantlet you can see the long latch that holds the MG to its barrel mount. Note
that the large canvas bag for catching 5cm spent shells is mounted below the recoil guard in this image. The
gunner's periscope to the left of the gun is the TZF5d with a 2.5 magnification and a 25 degree field of view, which
was adjustable in 100 meter increments to a range of 1500 meters for Pzgr. and 3000 meters for Sprgr. ammunition.
At the far left in the picture is the gunner's azimuth indicator dial (Zwolfuhrzeiger) that shows him the relationship
between the turret and hull.

Picture 4:
From the German Signal
Magazine comes this image of the
interior of a Pz.III and the 5cm
gun turret. You will see the same
equipment here that we saw
previously, and there are now two
mounts for MG ammo bags under
the coaxial MG to the right of the
main gun, one for loading fresh
rounds and the other to catch spent
shells after firing. Signal
Magazine was Germany's official
wartime picture magazine
providing propaganda not only for

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the German people, but also for

other languages. As a mater of
fact, in its heyday, Signal was
published in 20 languages with a
peak of 2.5 million copies sold in
1943 around the world.
The Panzer III crew consisted of five men with two in the front of the hull including a driver at the left and a radio
operator/hull machine gunner at the right. Up in the turret, the gunner sat to the left of the main weapon in typical
German style, a loader worked the gun on the right side, and the commander sat elevated at the rear with the use of
a cupola over his head for battlefield observation. Both the gunner and commander sat in padded seats suspended
from the turret ring, rotating with the gun. But the loader had the use of a small fold down seat attached to the back
firewall and typically worked standing up on the hull floor with his seat stowed. Most of these Ausf.E and F
panzers were manufactured between 1938 and 1940 by Daimler-Benz, Maschinenfabrik-Augsburg-Nuernberg
(MAN), and Henschel & Sohn, and together these firms produced 96 Ausf.E and 435 Ausf.F vehicles. The basic
interior layout of the Pz.III would remain unchanged throughout the remainder of the production run but most of
the major components would continue to improve, particularly up in the turret, as experience was gained in combat.

Picture 5:
Another photo of the 5cm gun and mount in an
Ausf.H shows the rest of the turret interior artfully
removed by the illustrator to emphasize the
weapons and surrounding gear. Unlike the early
3.7cm gun, the 5cm weapon and coax were
protected behind an external mantlet. But in these
models there were two viewing flaps in the
mantlet, one on each end, and both of them are
visible here. The additional right flap allowed the
loader the same unrestricted view out the front of
the tank as the gunner had. Notice the lead weight
attached to the rear of the recoil guard to help
balance the barrel heavy weapon.
The 5cm gun fired three ammo types. The high
explosive (HE) was known as Sprenggranate 38
(Sprgr.38), which was nose fused for impact
detonation. The second type was an armor piercing
capped shell of the typical German penetrating and
bursting type called Panzergranate 39 (Pzgr.39).

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The piercing cap on the end of the projectile helped reduce shattering upon contact with the target. The third type
was Panzergranate 40 (Pzgr.40) and this was a light weight projectile with a very heavy tungsten carbide core.
Sometimes known as armor piercing composite rigid (APCR), this projectile reached a very high muzzle velocity
at close ranges due to its light weight, but its velocity decreased rapidly at distance for the same reason. Because
tungsten was at a premium in Germany, this shell was never offered to tankers in abundant quantity, but when
battling at close quarters the Pzgr.40 was a powerful armor piercing shot.
The Pzgr.39 was one of a number of German bursting AP shells (called "Supercharged" by the Allies) which were
particularly effective against Allied tanks where ammo was often stored unprotected inside the hull or turret. This
was because the Pzgr. bursting charge detonated just after penetration, causing extensive internal fires and
ammunition explosions with subsequent serious injury or death to the crew. On the other hand, Panzer III ammo
rounds were stored in armored cabinets (4 to 6mm thick) below the turret ring, and Allied AP rounds that managed
to penetrate the external armor skin were less likely to set them off. This was because the damage caused by most
allied solid AP shells was restricted to the kinetic energy left in the round after penetration.

Picture 6:
The next major changes in the evolution of the Pz.III
centered on yet another increase in armor thickness to
30mm, requiring a new driver's visor 30 and an improved
KFF2 periscope in the new Ausf.G tanks. With an
improvement in the turret wall design to provide more room
inside, an improved cupola was also added, the same
cupola that was also mounted on later Pz.IV tanks. As with
the mid production cupola mentioned earlier, the late style
cupola required only one lever to open and close the upper
and lower shutters that protected each of the cupola's five
viewing blocks. But now the shutters were smaller, only the
width of the view opening, and the operating lever inside
was made to fit into dtentes that fixed the shutters fully
opened, half opened, and fully closed. Although the first
batches of these new Ausf.G and J tanks were originally
built with the 3.7cm guns, all later vehicles of these types
were fitted with the KwK38 L/42 5cm weapons. By the end
of 1942, most of the earlier Panzer III tanks that were still
in service had been updated with the 5.0cm gun and very
few photos show vehicles with the smaller caliber weapon
from then on.
This is the general layout of the right front of the turret of the British captured late Ausf.J or early Ausf.L with the
5cm gun, in this case we are looking from the gunner's position across the turret. I believe this same vehicle is still
in British hands, residing in the collection of the Tank Museum at Bovington Camp. Its combination of a later
turret with no side viewing ports forward of the doors and yet still maintaining the hull side escape hatches is
somewhat unique for the Pz.III and places it with the late Ausf.J or L tanks. Up above the gun is a hinged travel
support for the weapon, the support pivoting down to attach to the gun with the pin seen here next to the one
securing it to the ceiling. Off to the right on the ceiling is the electric turret ventilator (Lufter) that was added with
the addition of the larger 5cm gun. Spare vision blocks for the turret viewing ports are stowed on the wall, seen
here behind the speaking tube funnel.
Although most short and long gunned Ausf.J tanks had a visor port (Klappe) on the turret sides just forward of the
doors, these were deemed unnecessary and were removed from the plans for the last batch of the Ausf.J tanks.
Strapped down on the turret ring shelf is a long dark canvas bag containing two spare MG34 barrels, and just
below the bag you can see part of the linkage rod that allowed the loader to assist the gunner to traverse the turret
when necessary. The loader's assist hand wheel is missing in this tank, but the drive shaft is seen angling up from
the height of the turret ring to the front of the turret. It then takes a sharp left turn at a small gearbox (hidden
behind the MG34) to proceed under the gun mount and attach at the rotation gearing in front of the gunner. We

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will see more of this detail in later illustrations. Most of both hull walls below us were festooned with MG ammo
bags, clipped to horizontal mounting strips, and a few are seen under the turret ring. The breech of the 5cm gun is
in the closed position in this picture.

Picture 7:
The short barreled 5.0cm L/42 was not powerful enough to
penetrate many of the Soviet tanks they encountered during
their Blitz into Russia and the longer KwK39 L/60 gun
was substituted for the shorter weapon at the factories
during the Ausf.J production run. Although the gun breech
of both the L/42 and L/60 guns is identical from inside the
vehicle, the longer ammo rounds of the later gun required
some rearranging of storage in the hull and a reduction of
numbers. Those vehicles with hull side escape hatches
could store around 84 of these longer rounds while later
Ausfs., with the hatches deleted, had room for 98. Other
changes instituted with the early Ausf.J included increased
armor protection at the front plates for a total of 50mm and
the resulting replacement of the driver's visor to the thicker
driver's visor 50. This visor had one single outside cover
that pivoted down to protect the visor, instead of sliding up
and down.
With the addition of the L/60 weapon during the second
stage of the Ausf.J production run, additional 20mm
spaced armor was also often attached to the gun mantlet
and glacis plate for a total of 70mm of face-hardened armor protection. The additional weight of the longer L/60
gun barrel could not be balanced simply with lead weights at the back of the recoil guard like those used earlier for
the L/42. So an additional torsion bar spring support was added on the ceiling of the turret and attached to the gun
mount at the front end just forward of the breech ring. With the subsequent increased weight of the applique armor
on the mantlet of the second batch of Ausf.J tanks, another spring had to be added to the right side of the gun to
keep it balanced on its trunions. This one was attached to a lever on the top inside edge of the mantlet and down on
the turret ring plate in front of the loader. The torsion bar spring gun balance can be seen in the previous
photograph and many others taken of the inside of this British documented Ausf.J/L. But the smaller spring
housing on the right of the mantlet is missing in this particular vehicle, although the top attachment bracket at the
upper right side of the mantlet is visible here.
This photo also illustrates well the coaxial MG34 and surrounding equipment to the right of the long L/60 gun,
including the loader's turret traverse assist drive rods and angle gearbox we mentioned previously (seen to the far
right). The coax MG34 barrel is clamped just forward of the receiver to its mount, and in this picture you can see
the open and flipped back metal covers of both MG feed and brass collection bags hanging below the gun. Once
the barrel was securely clamped in place up by the mantlet, the rear of the gun was supported by the tube
mechanism you see to the left of the MG. Inside the tube was a buffer spring to allow some rearward recoil action
of the gun. A mechanical link ran from the MG trigger forward along the side of the gun and then to the left and
under the main weapon, attaching to vertical rods that extended down to a small firing pedal at the gunner's feet. Of
course the loader could also fire the gun by using the trigger on the gun, but it was difficult to reach.
Notice the ammo belt guide on the left of the MG34 receiver that allowed the feed belt to rise from the bag below
and enter the left side of the gun. A short ejection chute on the right of the gun deflected spent brass down into the
second bag on the right. This view also shows the loader's safety firing switch on the small box on the right of the
gun mount (at the upper left) and the characteristic German breech handle with round base at the bottom of the
picture. Although we will explore the lower hull in Part 2, you can see here the radio shelf/box support above the
transmission at the bottom of the picture, and a little of the hull machine gunner/radio operator's seat to the lower
right. The turret has been rotated to the 11:00 position to allow this view of the radio operator's position.

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Picture 8:
We are still in the same 5cm L/60 gunned Pz.III,
but now sitting in the gunner's seat. The longer
5cm gun could produce a muzzle velocity of
1180m/s when firing Pzgr.40 rounds, compared to
1060m/s for the shorter L/42 gun. Here we see a
clear view of the gunner's equipment on the left of
the mount, including a speaking tube that allowed
direct communication between the gunner and the
commander behind him. Although some authors
suggest these were added sometime during the
Ausf.J production they were actually around from
the beginning of Pz.III production, although often
removed by the crew. The sight and brow pad
(Kopfschutz) are particularly clear here (this is the
same sight used with the L/42 gun) as well as the
elevation handwheel. A large recoil guard protects
the gunner not only from the recoil movement of
the gun but also the resulting powder flash that
escaped from the breech during firing. Elevation for the gun was -10 to +20 degrees which was the same as for the
L/42 weapon. The German writing on the small reminder sign on the telescopic sight support hanging from the
ceiling at the top of the picture translates into something like "Attention first loosen before sighting", referring to
the fact that the support from the ceiling had to be loosened to allow the sight to work properly. Ther preferred
method of firing the main gun was via a trigger on the traverse wheel, but a circuit breaker switch on the gun shield
seen here could also do the job. Power comes from a wire hanging down from the right side of the turret roof, into
the loader's safety switch box, across under the breech to this switch, and then to the trigger and the firing
mechanism in the breech itself.
Hitler had actually ordered the L/60 gun to be mounted in the Pz.III back in August of 1940, but the Ordnance
Department did not implement the order because at that time the L/42 appeared adequate for most targets. But, on
his birthday in April of 1941, Hitler saw the new Ausf.J on display and realized it was still without the longer gun.
The results of his discovery were L/60 guns quickly mounted on the rest of the Pz.III Ausf.Js.

Picture 9:
The 5.0cm gun was typically fired in the same way as the 3.7mm
gun, electrically via a trigger on the traverse hand wheel or by a
circuit breaker button on the gunner's side of the gun mount. The
coaxial MG was fired mechanically by depressing a pedal at the
gunner's feet that was connected by linkages to the trigger on the
MG. This drawing from a German service manual shows the detail
of the MG firing pedal and connecting rods; this type of firing
arrangement was used on all the Pz.III tanks I have seen. There has
been a considerable amount of confusion about whether a turret
basket was mounted in the German Pz.III. A number of authors
seem to be repeating the same tired information that a basket was
added to the tank from Ausf.H on. This is not true and to the best
of my knowledge there is no evidence that a full basket was ever
used in the tank.
Instead, there was a small foot support plate located just forward
of the gunner that also supported the firing pedal for the coax, as
you see here. A similar foot rest platform and MG firing pedal
shows up in drawings of the turret of the Ausf.A and D tanks, so I

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suspect it was also found in these early models. The same firing
pedal arrangement has also been reportedly seen in the 3.7cm
armed vehicles by others and there was again no turret basket. You
will also find a small but interesting cover support over the turret
collector ring at the middle of the floor that acted as a foot rest for
the gunner and commander as well as a protective shield for the electrical conduit that leads up to the turret. I
suppose it is possible that the combination of the gunner's foot rest and this slip ring cover was misconstrued as
part of a turret "basket" by some authors. On the other hand, I've learned to never say "never" in these pages as
there always seems to be an exception to every rule. For instance, I don't know if a real turret basket was added to
the Ausf.N support tank version of the Pz.III when its 5cm gun was swapped to the short 7.5cm gun. It doesn't seem
likely. If you have evidence of a production Pz.III tank with a real turret basket, I certainly would like to hear from
you.
This concludes Part 1. Part 2 will continue our exploration of the turret interior while Parts 3 and 4 will examine the
hull interior components.

TO PZ.III, PART 2
TO PZ.III, PART 3
TO PZ.III, PART 4
BACK TO AFV INTERIORS HOME PAGE
(c) 2001, AFV INTERIORS Web Magazine

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