GoodGuy
Posts: 1467
Joined: 5/17/2006
From: Cologne, Germany
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Prince of Eckmühl
It appears that the Panzer III Ausf. G has been left out of the CotA estabs.
Production of the type was about twice that of the more heavily armoured Panzer III Ausf. H in 1940-41.
As far as unit composition, records indicate a roughly a fifty-fifty ratio between the two models in North Africa.
Correct, Ausf. G is missing. Question is, how many "G"s had been produced - and when. Also, after a quick check of the estabs, I regret to say that the Panzer III Ausführung H has the wrong gun. The estabs list the following armaments for the Panzer III Ausf. F and Ausf. H:
- PzKw III F - KwK 36
PzKw III H - KwK 38
That's not correct, as the label in the estab would suggest the Panzer III would have had a 2cm gun (the KwK 38), where it was in fact equipped with 3.7cm and 5cm guns later on.
Also, with the current labeling in the estabs, the "Panzer III KwK 36" can be confused with the KwK 36 guns of the Tiger I tank. The Tiger was equipped with a 8.8 cm gun, and its designation was KwK 36 L/56. The Panzer III's first gun's designation was either KwK 35/36 L/45, or just (3.7cm) KwK L/45, as far as i know.
Also, I wonder whether COTA/BFTB take different versions/types of ammo into account (regarding penetration values) or not, anyway here goes:
- The initial standard ammo for the Panzer III was the Panzergranate 38 (3.7 cm AP+HE), which allowed for interchangeability with the Infantry's 3.7cm-PaK anti-tank guns.
It would be a really cool feature if BFTB (or the next installment) would take interchangeability of ammunition into account, i.e. interchang. of AP/HE of German PaKs/tank guns, when it comes to resupply-requests - or when setting supply-priorities.
- Anyway, then the Panzergranate 40 (3.7 cm) delivered better results. Same with the 5cm-guns mounted on the Panzer III later on, the Panzergranate 39 and 40 (AP, both 5cm) delivered better results than the initially used 5cm-Panzergranate 38. For infantry support, the Germans kept using the Panzer-Sprenggranate 38 (HE) for both guns (37mm and 50mm), with the respective calibres.
I'll list the actual armament of the different Pz II + III models, according to the "Lexikon der Wehrmacht" (I guess checking JENTZ will confirm that):
Panzer II:
- Ausführung A - G (where F was the production model, along with the successor Pz II "L" {"Luchs"}, while all the other types {A - J} were either prototypes or special versions with low production numbers):
2cm KwK 30/L55
- Ausführung G and J:
2cm KwK 38 L/55
- Ausführung L:
KwK 39
Panzer III
- Ausführung A - G:
3.7cm KwK L/45
- Ausführung H - M:
5cm KwK 39 L/60 ´
RE: Numbers of Panzer III
The "Lexikon der Wehrmacht" states the following numbers:
Production of Panzer III:
- Pz III Ausführung A, B and C:
Protypes.
- 30-55 Panzer III Ausführung D
Sources vary regarding the number of units. Prototypes/pre-production models.
Upgraded front and side armor: 30mm
30-55 units. Armament: 3.7cm-KwK L/45
- 500 Panzer III Ausführung E
First model to be accepted by the German Army: first production model.
After the Campaign in the West (France 1940) 52 Type "E" were converted for the scheduled invasion of England (operation Seelion) - which means they were equipped with a "wade-addon", which allowed for crossing rivers/water barriers - to a depth of 3.96 meters. As "Seelion" was canceled, these 52 tanks were given to the 18th Panzer-Division, where they turned out to be of great value, as German armored units had to cross numerous rivers in Russia.
- 440 Panzer III Ausführung F
While, according to the Lexikon, most sources indicate that 440 Type "F" units had been produced from Sept. 1939 - Juli 1940, they emphasize that one source mentions 435 and/or 500 units.
- 600 Panzer III Ausführung G
1940-1941. Changes: Upgraded armor, 5-cm KwK L/42. Many of the types "E" and "F" were upgraded with this gun later on.
- 1,400 Panzer III Ausführung H
The Lexikon points out that one source indicates that only 308 units of this type had been produced. Improved turret, additional (welded?) armor-plating (30mm) placed on weak spots, most likely as interim-solution.
- 650 Panzer III Ausführung J
Production started in March 1941, with the 5cm-KwK L/42 short-barreled gun, but from January 1942 onwards the last 1,067 units (of a total of 1,549 units) had been equipped with the new 5cm-KwK 39 L/60.
Hitler learned that the "Heeres-Waffenamt" (Army ordnance-office) gave orders to equip this new version of the Panzer III with the short-barreled L/42 - as the priority for the long-barreled KwK 39 L/60 used to rest on installing it on PaK 38 trailers, as an anti-tank gun - although Hitler had ordered to mount the KwK L/60 on the Panzer III.
Hull and rear armor had been increased to 50mm, finally.
- 168 Panzer III (Types F, G and H) were converted to Panzer III "Tauchpanzer" ("dive tanks", tanks that could "dive", means wade through pretty deep waters) for the initial landings during the planned invasion of England, but, unlike the converted Type E tanks mentioned above, these Tauchpanzer could "dive" to a depth of 15 meters, using a snorkel add-on (18 meters).
These are the models that had a "chance" of getting fielded on the COTA theatre or on the African theatre, during 1941-1942.
I'll dig out some books to see if JENTZ came up with numbers.
< Message edited by GoodGuy -- 4/17/2009 2:07:32 AM >
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December 22nd, 1944
Bastogne
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8th of August, 2006
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Item for Estab list - 
), and I want to convert my Cologne scenario for COTA (with the French forces + the BEF attacking this time). 
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