Back in the 1920’s Germany had started to develop new tanks for a possible future war. Officially they were prohibited from putting such vehicles into service, however the Panzerkampfwagen I (Pz.Kpfw I) was put into mass production in 1934 - it was the first modern German tank with machine gun armament and bulletproof armour.
| Though the development of such a vehicle was successful, German military command understood that the country needed heavier machines. That is how first Pz.Kpfw II and then Pz.Kpfw III were created. |
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The Pz.Kpfw III design had requirements of a 37mm gun mounted in a rotating turret, a 250-300 h.p. Engine and a maximum speed of at least 40 km/h. The order for the first 25 vehicles for military testing was placed in december of 1935, the tanks were supposed to be put into service in Spring 1936.
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The PzKpfw III Ausf. A was a modification based on the prototype and did not meet all the requirements - the vehicle’s speed did not exceed 35 km/h, mostly because of a poorly engineered chassis - the lower track wheels (5 on each side) had a large diameter and individual suspension. The next modification - Ausf. B- had smaller track wheels that were grouped in bogies. These vehicles were put into service at the end of 1937.
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The PzKpfw III Ausf. B will soon be be introduced as a reserve tank in the German tank tree. It will be the first modification in the PzKpfw III branch and will “smooth” the BR difference for early German tanks - making it easier for new players.
The tank has lighter armour and less weight than PzKpfw III Ausf. E but has the same armament.
Meet the new vehicle in Update 1.59 and see you soon!
War Thunder Team
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