il2

Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M

Description

Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf.M was similar to the previous modification Ausf.L. Some internal, chassis, engine compartment and other elements were altered based on the service experience.

The most apparent visual difference was the addition of side armor plates, “Schürzen”, which were attached to the hull and turret sides. They were added mainly to protect the tank from massed AT rifle fire which was dangerous for thinner armored sides. Not being able to stop an AP bullet, this additional armor destabilized it or caused its fragmentation before it could hit the main armored hull.

It should be noted that the front armor was relatively thick thanks to the additional armor plates mounted there in spaced configuration.

The tank could be equipped with six mortars mounted on the turret and designed to shoot smoke grenades at a distance of about 80 meters.

APCR rounds fired from 50 mm KwK 39/L60 gun could penetrate the armor of Soviet medium and heavy tanks at a distance up to 500 m, while regular APHE rounds could be used against sides of medium tanks up to 1 km.

Total 517 tanks of this modification were produced since September 1942 until February 1943.

Unladen weight: 22700 kg.
Length: 6.3 m.
Width: 3.22 m.
Height: 2.5 m.
Clearance: 385 mm.

Engine: Maybach HL 120TRM, petrol.
Maximum power: 300 HP at 3000 RPM.
Maximum RPM: 3000 RPM.
6 speed gearbox.

Maximum road speed:
1-st: 4.8 kph.
2-nd: 9.2 kph.
3-rd: 15.5 kph.
4-th: 23.5 kph.
5-th: 33.2 kph.
6-th: 42.8 kph.
Reverse: 5.9 kph.

Maximum offroad speed: 18 kph.

Fluids:
Internal fuel tanks capacity: 320 l.
Engine oil system capacity: 25 l.
Summer engine coolant: 100 l. of 40% glysantin
Winter engine coolant: 100 l. of 60% glysantin
Endurance range: 155 km.
Maximum oil consumption: 2 l/h.

Hull armor:
Upper front: 50 mm + 20 mm rolled armor.
Middle front: 25 mm rolled armor.
Lower front: 50 mm rolled armor.
Bottom front: 30 mm rolled armor.
Sides: 30 mm rolled armor.
Upper rear: 30 mm rolled armor.
Middle rear: 50 mm rolled armor.
Lower rear: 30 mm rolled armor.
Roof front: 10 mm rolled armor.
Roof back: 15 mm cast armor.
Bottom: 15 mm rolled armor.

Turret armor:
Front: 37..50 mm rolled armor.
Sides: 30 mm rolled armor.
Rear: 30 mm rolled armor.
Roof: 18 mm rolled armor.
Cupola: 50 mm cast armor.
Gun mantlet: 50 mm cast + 20 mm rolled armor.

Additional armor sheets:
5 mm rolled armor for additional protection against AT rifles.

Main gun: rifled, 5 cm KwK 39 L/60.
Barrel length: 56.5.
Elevation: +20°..-8°.
Ammo: up to 84 rounds.
Usable rate of fire: 15 rounds per minute.
Turret drive: mechanical, 33 seconds per rotation.

Gun ammunition:
5 cm Pzgr. 39 armor piercing high explosive (APHE): 2.06 kg, 835 m/s, 68 mm at 500 m.
5 cm Pzgr. 40 armor piercing composite rigid (APCR): 0.925 kg, 1180 m/s, 175 mm point blank.
5 cm Sprgr. 38 high explosive (HE): 1.81 kg, 550 m/s, 175 g. explosives.

Machineguns: 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34.
Bullet mass: 11.5 g.
Muzzle velocity: 855 m/s.
Armour pentration at 100 m: 11 mm.
Rate of fire: 900 rounds per minute.
Coaxial: 33 belts, 150 rounds per belt (4950 rounds).
Bow: +-15°/+20°..-10°, 12 belts, 150 rounds per belt (1800 rounds).

Gunsights:
Tzf 5e gunner scope-sight, field of view 25°.
Backup open-type sight with closable port.
KZF 2 machinegunner scope-sight, field of view 18°.

Radio equipment:
VHF Fu 5 transceiver with additional Fu 2 receiver.
3 intercom terminals.

Modifications

Smoke Mortars
Installation of 6 external single-shot smoke mortars.
Schnellnebelkerze 39 (Nb K S 39) smoke grenade
Range: 80 m
Smoking time: 3 min

High-Explosive Shells
5 cm Sprgr. 38

Good against soft, unarmored or lightly armored targets.

Mass 1.81 kg, explosives mass 175 g.

Direct hit armour penetration 11 mm, effective damage distance for light vehicles 1.5 m.

When fired from a 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 gun:
Muzzle velocity 550 m/s.
500 m: velocity 444 m/s, drop -4.9 m.
1000 m: velocity 368 m/s, drop -22.6 m.
2000 m: velocity 285 m/s, drop -118.5 m.

Armour Piercing High Explosive Shells
5 cm Pzgr. 39

Shells armed with bursting charge warhead.

Good against armoured targets. In case of penetration do more damage inside the target than solid AP shells, but HE filling can detonate prematurely (for instance, when used against spaced armour plates).

Mass 2.06 kg, explosives mass 17 g.

When fired from a 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 gun:
Muzzle velocity 835 m/s, armour penetration at point blank range 87 mm.
500 m: armour penetration 68 mm, velocity 702 m/s, drop -1.5 m.
1000 m: armour penetration 53 mm, velocity 587 m/s, drop -8.4 m.
2000 m: armour penetration 30 mm, velocity 394 m/s, drop -76.7 m.

Sub-Caliber Armour Piercing Shells
5 cm Pzgr. 40

Shells armed with sub-caliber armour-piercing projectile.

Good against heavily armoured targets at short ranges: being much lighter than ordinary rounds, they have much higher muzzle velocity and armour penetration at close distances. However, because of the lower mass their velocity quickly diminishes with distance and they are worse than ordinary rounds at higher distances.

The penetrator is held in the barrel by a spool looking sabot. While reducing the round mass for increased muzzle velocity, this makes it lose velocity even more quickly because of the air drag.

Mass: 0.925 kg, penetrator calibre 21 mm.

When fired from a 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 gun:
Muzzle velocity 1180 m/s, armour penetration at point blank range 175 mm.
500 m: armour penetration 82 mm, velocity 696 m/s, drop -2.1 m.
1000 m: armour penetration 43 mm, velocity: 443 m/s, drop -9.2 m.
2000 m: armour penetration 16 mm, velocity: 223 m/s, drop -49.0 m.

Additional armor plates
Additional protection: 5 mm armored plates attached to the hull and turret. They were added mainly to protect the tank from massed AT rifle fire which was dangerous for thinner armored sides. Not being able to stop an AP bullet, this additional armor destabilized it or caused its fragmentation before it could hit the main armored hull.