The first Panzerkampfwagen III

Planned since the beginning of the thirties, with the rejection of the Versailles treaty, the Panzer III was a medium tank project, destined to comprise the bulk of the German armored forces. However, by 1933, German industry was still unable to produce such a tank, and the Panzer I and II were intended to improve industrial skills and methods, as well as to train crews for the future medium tanks to come. The Panzer III’s godfather was Heinz Guderian, a prolific armored warfare writer and theoretician, who envisioned an ideal design for the task of both dealing with other tanks and providing infantry support.

His plans were submitted to the the Inspector for Mechanized Troops in 1934, under the name of Versuchkraftfahrzeug 619. However, it as not approved by the Waffenamt (ordnance department), because of the choice of a 50 mm (1.97 in) gun. The ordnance department was indeed satisfied with the 37 mm (1.46 in) Pak 36, of which large numbers were already in stock. It was already the main infantry support gun, allowing easy ammunition management and standardization. This short-sighted view proved a major blunder. Numerous pre-series versions appeared, in the quest of a suitable suspension. The Panzer Ausf.A to C proved underarmed and underarmored. After Guderian met Hitler in 1939 about his concerns, the 50 mm (1.97 in) upgrade was again put on the table before the Waffenamt, now supported by the Führer. Nevertheless, the Waffenamt simply ignored the orders and delayed the upgrade until the Ausf.J appeared in 1941.