Panzer III - Variants

Variants

• Panzer III Ausf. A - Prototype; 10 produced in 1937, only 8 armed and saw service in Poland.
• Panzer III Ausf. B, C - Prototype; 15 of each produced in 1937, some of each saw service in Poland.
• Panzer III Ausf. D - Prototype; 55 produced in 1938, only 30 armed and saw service in Poland and Norway.
• Panzer III Ausf. E, F - Production models 1939-1940. Armed with 3.7 cm KwK 36 L/46.5 (later 5 cm KwK 38 L/42) guns. 531 produced.
• Panzer III Ausf. G - More armour on gun mantlet. Armed with 3.7 cm KwK 36 L/46.5 (later 5 cm KwK 38 L/42) gun. 600 produced in 1940-1941.
• Panzer III Ausf. H - Minor modifications. Bolt-on armor added to front and rear hull (30 mm + 30 mm plates). 308 produced in 1940-1941.
• Panzer III Ausf. I - Variant mentioned in Allied intelligence reports but not an actual existing vehicle.
• Panzer III Ausf. J - The hull was lengthened. Front armor increased to 50 mm plate. 482 produced in 1941.
• Panzer III Ausf. J¹ - Equipped with the longer and more powerful 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 gun. 1,067 produced in late 1941 to mid 1942.
• Panzer III Ausf. K - Panzerbefehlswagen command tank variant with a modified turret. Carried actual main armament rather than a dummy gun as found on other Panzer III command versions.
• Panzer III Ausf. L - Uparmored to 50 mm + 20 mm plates. 653 produced in 1942.
• Panzer III Ausf. M - Minor modifications such as deep-wading exhaust and schurzen. 250 produced in 1942-1943.
• Panzer III Ausf. N - Armed with a short barreled 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 gun, due to 7.5 cm gun's ability to fire HEAT rounds. 700 re-equipped J/L/M models in 1942-1943.

• Ausf. D, Poland (1939)

• Ausf.G, captured by the British in North Africa (1941).

• Ausf. H in the Musée des Blindés, Saumur.

• Ausf. J, USSR (1942).

• Ausf. L, US Army Ordnance Museum (2007)

• Ausf. M, Deutsches Panzermuseum (2005)

• Ausf. M with side skirts in southern USSR (1943)