Chapter Three
The opening of the new Blau Offensive gave a great promise of success to both the German army and the Panzerwaffe in the summer of 1942, in spite of the massive losses inflicted on them during the latter part of 1941. As for the Pz.Kpfw III, this remained in production as a close support vehicle. The Pz.Kpfw IV, for instance, was increasingly becoming the Panzerwaffe’s main medium tank because of its better upgrade potential. Even so, newer Panzer III variants were still coming off the production line in 1942, such as the Ausf. N which mounted a low-velocity 7.5cm KwK 37 L/24 cannon. This powerful gun was identical to those previously fitted to the early Panzer IV Ausf. A to Ausf. F variants. However, with the more powerful, more deadly enemy tanks such as the T-34 and KV, it was imperative that the Panzer III was re-armed with a longer, more powerful 5cm cannon. The earlier Panzer IIIs were generally no match against the T-34 until the Panzer was fitted with the new 5cm KwK 39 L/60 gun introduced on the Panzer III Ausf. J in the spring of 1942. This gun was based on the infantry’s 5cm Pak 38 L/60. It was quite capable of penetrating the T-34 frontally at ranges under 500m (1,640ft). Against the KV tanks losses were high, but not to be deterred, some tank crews began arming their Panzer IIIs with special high-velocity tungsten rounds, scoring considerable successes in the field.
Nevertheless, in spite of the newer, more powerful Panzer III variants making their debut on the battlefield in Russia in 1942, nothing could mask the gargantuan task it would be to defeat the Soviet army. While the Panzer far outweighed the Soviet armour with its superior design and tactics, the Russians were already amassing huge quantities of tanks and supplies at the front; far more than the Germans could match with their own. Consequently, in some sectors of the front the Soviets had around ten times more armour attacking or defending against a meagrely scraped-together number of Panzers. Quite often Panzer crews undertook sterling offensive and defensive operations against the growing might of the Russians, and these yielded some surprising success.
Despite the stiffening resistance of the Red Army during 1942, the Panzerwaffe stood firm.
While the best efforts were made to expand the armoured force, during the second half of 1942 more and more Panzer divisions saw extensive action and were continuously being shuttled from one danger spot to another, with only a brief rest for refitting. The Panzer III, Panzer IV and the new Tiger tank, including the StuG III, were continuously committed to battle, where they supported troops and attacked. Sometimes the outcome was successful, but there were many times when they failed. Yet, whatever the outcome of the individual action, the end mostly resulted in blunting further enemy breakthroughs. This had become the value of the Panzerwaffe in late 1942.
While many of the Panzers were tied down along a battered and bruised front, more resources continued to pour into the Panzer divisions. Even when 1943 opened up, the Panzerwaffe still managed to build itself up a strength of the badly depleted Panzer force. By the summer they fielded some twenty-four Panzer divisions on the Eastern Front alone. This was a staggering transformation of a Panzer force that had lost immeasurable amounts of armour in less than two years of combat. Now the Panzerwaffe would be tested to the end of its endurance with what became the largest tank battle of the Second World War, Operation Zitadelle (Citadel).
A Pz.Kpfw III in the snow during winter operations in Russia during early 1942. By this period of the war the Panzerwaffe divisions that had taken part in Operation Barbarossa were no longer fit to fight and mobile operations had consequently ground to a halt. Fortunately for the exhausted crews and supporting units, no such operations had been planned during the winter of 1941, let alone for 1942.
A close-up view of the front underbelly of a Pz.Kpfw III clearly showing the dark grey camouflage scheme of the vehicle and its armament. For the first four months of Operation Barbarossa the vehicles painted in this way blended well with the local terrain.
A Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. H stationary in the snow. Standing next to the vehicle is a member of the Feldgendarmerie or Military Police. This variant belongs to the 7th Panzer Division as indicated by the divisional insignia ‘Y’ painted in yellow.
A Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. J from Panzer Regiment 31 of the 5th Panzer Division complete with winter whitewash moves through the snow bound for the front line. During the winter of 1941/42 any mobile operations on the Eastern Front gradually ground to a halt.
A typical scene on the Eastern Front. A halted Pz.Kpfw III can be seen on a snow-covered road. Standing in front of the tank is its crew conversing with Wehrmacht troops clad in white camouflage sheets over their uniforms. This was an early attempt by the Germans to adopt some kind of camouflage during winter fighting.
A knocked-out Pz.Kpfw III can be seen in the snow somewhere in Russia. By the end of 1941/early 1942 many tanks had either ground to a halt in the snow or were put out of action by mechanical breakdown or enemy anti-tank shells. The Germans had made no preparations whatsoever for the winter and the Panzer divisions lacked the most basic supplies for cold weather. There were no chains available for towing vehicles and no antifreeze for the engines’ coolant systems. Tank and infantrymen alike had no winter clothing either.
A Pz.Kpfw III advances through the snow passing a village during the winter of early 1942. No attempt has been made by the crew to try to camouflage the vehicle in order to blend in with the white arctic surroundings, so it still retains its overall dark grey appearance. While winter whitewash paint was not commonly used during this early period of the war, a number of tank crews did use chalk as a quick and effective alternative.
A Pz.Kpfw III bound for the front during early winter operations in 1942. The Panzer crews that advanced through Russia were amazed by the immense forests, the huge expanses of marshland and the many rivers that were continuously prone to flooding. They were also surprised that the little information they did have was often incorrect. Maps frequently showed none of the roads and when they were fortunate enough to come across them, they were in such a terrible state of repair that military traffic would often reduce them to nothing more than dirt tracks.
A well-camouflaged StuG III has halted in the snow alongside a building in early 1942. By the winter period in Russia the constant demands of the war effort meant that the StuG was often being employed in single battalions or even single machines. This consequently led to high losses of the StuG in the first year of fighting in Russia.
A decorated crewman poses next to a Pz.Kpfw III during the early winter of 1942. He wears the special uniform which was introduced for both Sturmartillerie and Panzerjager units. This uniform was designed primarily to be worn inside and away from their armoured vehicles, and for this reason designers had produced a garment that gave better camouflage qualities than the standard black Panzer uniform. The uniform worn by units of the Panzerjager was made entirely from lightweight grey-green wool material. The cut was very similar to that of the black Panzer uniform. However, it did differ in respect of insignia and collar patches, the latter consisting of the death’s head emblems which were stitched-on patches of dark blue-green cloth and were edged with bright red Waffenfarbe piping.
Two Pz.Kpfw IIIs which appear to be Ausf. Js or Ls. These vehicles were retrofitted with the L/60 version of the 5cm KwK 38 L/42. Both of these tanks can be seen moving forward passing destroyed Russian vehicles and weaponry which often littered the roads for many miles. Although the winter of 1941 took its toll on the Panzerwaffe, its recovery was swift and new plans were made for bold offensives in the East.
A knocked-out Pz.Kpfw III on the Eastern Front. The vehicle mounts the 5cm KwK barrel and the turret has been turned in order to defend its position during the fire-fight that obviously ensued. As with many armoured vehicles this one has used the building behind it to help conceal it against both ground and aerial enemy attack, but on this occasion without success.
An interesting photograph showing a Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. N which has run into some considerable difficulty in soft ground. This vehicle was one of 213 such variants to be manufactured on the new Ausf. M chassis. The tank has side skirts fitted for additional armoured protection against the growing threat of Soviet anti-tank shells.
Pictured here in a field is a Pz.Beob.Wg III. This tank was specifically used as an observation vehicle and was constructed on a chassis of a Pz.Kpfw III. The driver’s visor identifies it as an Ausf. G variant. A dummy gun has also been installed and a periscope in the turret roof for observation.
A Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. H drives along a dirt track near Divisional Headquarters of the 5th Panzer Division in the spring of 1942. The tank is laden with provisions for its long drive and its hatches are open to allow the very warm air to escape from its often sweaty and smelly confines.
Two photographs showing Pz.Kpfw IIIs being transported to the front on specially-designed flatbed rail cars. The Panzerwaffe owed much of its success in Russia to the quick and effective movement of their armoured vehicles. In a number of cases whole divisions were secretly withdrawn from the front and hastily transported to another area without the enemy suspecting anything for days, only to find that the particular Panzer division had arrived somewhere else and was threatening their lines.
A Pz.Kpfw III on a road during the spring of 1942 in the area around Kharkov. By the time the spring thaw arrived in March 1942, the Soviet leadership was convinced that the Wehrmacht was overstretched. Soviet generals therefore envisaged a bold plan to further stem the German drive by unleashing a counter-thrust at the southern end of the front near the town of Kharkov.
A stationary Pz.Kpfw III with its crew taking a much-needed respite during the spring of 1942. Logs can be seen strapped to the rear of the engine deck in order to prevent the vehicle from sinking in the mire.
A column of Pz.Kpfw IIIs is seen in this photo halted on a road somewhere on the Eastern Front during the early spring of 1942. Wehrmacht foot soldiers are standing next to the leading tank, one of whom is wearing the standard army greatcoat and conferring with one of the tank men.
In this picture taken from another vehicle during the opening summer offensive, a Pz.Kpfw III is moving across a field bound for the battlefront in an ambitious offensive that involved the seizure of Stalingrad and the isthmus between the Don and the Volga. Following the capture of the city of Stalingrad the Germans planned to use the city as an anchor and send the mass of its Panzerwaffe south to occupy the Caucasus where it would be used to cut off vital Russian oil supplies. The directive that Hitler himself dictated was executed in two stages. The first part of the summer operation was a determined all-out drive in successive enveloping thrusts along the Kursk-Voronezh axis, where it was to destroy the Soviet southern flank and carry on to the River Don. The second part was the advance to Stalingrad and across the lower Don into the Caucasus.
Spread out in a field are a number of armoured vehicles including Pz.Kpfw IIs and IIIs. Even as the Panzerwaffe slowly recovered from the terrible winter of 1941, in the spring of 1942 Hitler was still examining his strategic options in spite of its first defeat in one of the coldest winters in recorded history. In front of his generals he boldly revealed he would yet again bear the fruits of success in the Soviet heartlands and resume an offensive that would leave the ‘Russian bear’ reeling in its own ‘blood on the battlefield’.
Preparing for a drive eastwards in 1942 is a stationary Pz.Kpfw III. Behind it is a knocked-out Russian tank. In the spring of 1942 Hitler announced to his staff that his forces should be refitted with the utmost speed. Unlike the previous year, he said, when the Panzerwaffe had advanced along three strategic axes towards Moscow, Leningrad and Rostov, his forces in 1942 would concentrate on a drive through the Donets Basin into the bend of the River Don west of Stalingrad and then south into the oil-rich Caucasus. He confidently revealed that this concerted advance across flat, endless landmasses which were well-suited to armoured operations would ensure the complete encirclement of tens of thousands of Russian troops. The operation, code-named Blau (Blue), was supposed to be the key to the success of the German drive in southern Russia which was to eventually deprive the Red Army of the resources necessary to continue the war. Subsequently to achieve these ambitious ends Hitler sought to wrench open the southern front and clear a path for the Wehrmacht to begin its summer offensive.
Halted on a road in southern Russia is a Pz.Kpfw III, prior to this vehicle joining a unit for the planned drive on the city of Kharkov. Kharkov was one strategic city that needed to be held before the commencement of the Blau summer offensive. For weeks German planners meticulously strove to achieve the desired results and developed plans to eradicate Red Army formations that were surrounding the area of Kharkov before Blau could be unleashed. Although the Kharkov operation came as a surprise to most Germans who were about to participate in it, the timing of the attack, the strength of the forces that were moved into the battle line and the sophisticated strategic and operational planning brought an air of confidence into the German high command.
Watched by the local inhabitants of a small town a column of vehicles drives through, destined for the front. The leading tank is a Pz.Kpfw III armed with a 5cm KwK L/60 gun.
Pictured here is a Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. G which has got into serious trouble attempting to cross a bridge somewhere on the Eastern Front. The bridge has collapsed under the sheer weight of the vehicle. The tank had been fitted with a 5cm KwK L/43 gun.
Wehrmacht troops pose for the camera on board a Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. J during the spring thaw of 1942. Many troops, despite the terrors of the winter of 1941, were imbued with a new confidence that many had not seen since they had first unleashed their initial attacks against the Soviet Union in June 1941.
A Panzer crew with their well-concealed tank during operations on the Eastern Front. This vehicle has smoke-candle dischargers attached. The use of smoke-candle dischargers on Panzers was common until mid-1943. The use of smoke in the German arsenal was something the troops were taught during training and was often used as an initiation of surprise attacks.
A Pz.Bef.Wg III Ausf III which appears to have been converted into a Tauchpanzer as indicated by the curved exhaust pipes. This vehicle is moving towards the battlefront during operations in 1942 somewhere in Russia and is heavily laden with supplies for its long drive eastward.
A Pz.Bef.Wg III command vehicle. A special rack has been constructed on the engine deck of the tank in order to carry additional fuel for the long drive through the Soviet Union.
A stationary Pz.Kpfw III still retaining its original grey camouflage scheme. Its three-digit tactical number ‘513’ can be seen painted in white next to the national cross.
En route towards the front lines in May 1942 is a column of armoured vehicles. Leading the drive along this dusty road is a Pz.Kpfw III. It was during this month that the Germans unleashed their summer offensive, with the first objective being Kharkov. By 24 May Red Army formations had found themselves completely encircled near Kharkov and were slowly and systematically battered into submission by both heavy ground and aerial attacks. By early June it was estimated that over 200,000 Russians were killed or captured outside Kharkov. German casualties were specifically lower at 20,000 dead, wounded or missing. The Russian leadership had undoubtedly underestimated their opponent’s strength here. As a direct result of their over-confidence the battle had turned into one of the most catastrophic offensives in Russian military history. The Russian defeat at Kharkov had burst open the front for the Panzerwaffe to achieve an unopposed drive south-west. Victory seemed like it was beckoning for the German commanders in the field.
Three photographs showing Pz.Kpfw IIIs on the road south-west following the defeat of Russian forces around Kharkov. This defeat of the Red Army had once more brought invincibility into the eyes of the German commanders. They now believed that the Caucasus was within their grasp, but little did they know what was in store for their forces three months later when they arrived at the banks of the River Volga overlooking the city of Stalingrad.
Photographed during an advance against a burning enemy target in a field is a Pz.Kpfw III belonging to the II Abteilung of Panzer-Regent 6 of the 3rd Panzer Division. Note the divisional insignia of the ‘Berlin Bear’ and the inverted ‘Y’ with two vertical strokes. This vehicle is an Ausf. J or L variant.
A staged image showing Panzergrenadiers in undergrowth being supported by a Pz.Kpfw III somewhere on the front lines in 1942. Although the Pz.Kpfw III made staggering successes in 1942, the eventual distances which had to be covered limited tactics as well as causing breakdowns and immense supply problems.
In southern Russia a Pz.Kpfw III passes the burning wreckage of a destroyed Russian vehicle. Operations for the Panzerwaffe in southern Russia were often quite rapid and it was regarded by the men as very good tank country. However, Panzers regularly outstripped their supplies and had to halt their furious advance, thereby wasting valuable time.
Photographed in southern Russia are Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. Ls identified by the edge of the spaced armour plate on the gun mantle. A number of Horch cross-country vehicles can be seen supporting the drive, most likely a party of staff officers.
A Pz.Kpfw III being carefully driven onto a pontoon bridge guided by one of the crew members. Logs have been tied onto the engine deck in order to help the vehicle cross marshy terrain which was often found in northern and central parts of the Soviet Union.
A decorated crewman poses for the camera next to his StuG III Ausf. B. Even by the spring of 1942 German policy still ordered that at all times assault guns were to advance with or just behind the infantry. They were never to go ahead of the infantry and when an objective was successfully reached the assault gun was to remain with the infantry while the position was being consolidated.
An excellent photograph showing the might of a Panzer division moving across the open steppe supported by aircraft. Spread out as far as the eye can see are a variety of vehicles including the Pz.Kpfw III, Horch cross-country vehicles, motorcycles and their combinations, and Opel Blitz trucks.
A Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. J has parked in front of a deserted Soviet thatched building and appears to have been temporarily occupied by German forces. Note the shirtless Panzer crewman at the rear of the tank who appears to be ‘doing a call of duty’.
Out in the field is an assortment of armoured vehicles including an Sd.Kz.7/1 mounting a 2cm Flakvierling 38. This vehicle leads a column of Horch Kfz.15 and Kfz.17 cross-country cars and some Opel Blitz trucks. The Panzer that can be seen halted in the field is a Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. J.
A maintenance workshop team is salvaging parts from a knocked-out Pz.Kpfw III. The Panzer appears to be the victim of mines of large-calibre artillery as the photograph suggests a large explosion has ripped the track clean off.Note the divisional insignia painted in yellow, indicating that the vehicle belongs to the 7th Panzer Division.
An interesting photograph showing the crew of a Pz.Kpfw III and mobile maintenance engineers utilizing a log to lift up one side of the tank so that work on its undercarriage and wheels can be undertaken quickly and effectively. Special mobile maintenance units were an asset on the front lines and often salvaged vehicles or fixed them where they developed mechanical problems in order to reduce the length of time a Panzer would be out of action.
A column of Pz.Kpfw IIIs crosses a pontoon bridge somewhere in southern Russia in the late summer of 1942. Note the divisional insignia of the 24th Panzer Division on the rear of the tank. It served under the 4th Panzer Army in Army Group South on the Eastern Front. In late December 1942 it was encircled during the Battle of Stalingrad and destroyed. It was re-formed in March 1943 and served in Normandy and Italy, and then went back to the Eastern Front where it suffered heavy casualties around Kiev and the Dnepr Bend.
A column of Pz.Kpfw IIIs can be seen halted in a field. The commander of the leading tank is observed standing up in his cupola surveying the terrain ahead and trying to deduce through his 6x30 Zeiss binoculars where the enemy is sited.
Wehrmacht troops use a knocked-out Pz.Kpfw III as cover during a fire action with Soviet forces. Note the foliage still strewn across the engine deck of the tank. The use of foliage in the second year on the Eastern Front became more prominent than ever with armoured crews. Most vehicles and a large range of weapons had foliage attached to break up their distinctive shapes. The Germans soon became masters of the art of camouflaging their vehicles with branches from trees, grass and hay. In fact some vehicles carried so much foliage that it was sometimes difficult to determine what type of vehicle they were or what camouflage scheme they had.
Pictured is a typical side view of a Pz.Kpfw III deployed for action between 1941 and 1942. During this period of the war the Panzers were painted in their overall dark grey camouflage scheme (RAL 7021) which blended well with the local terrain. Painted on the side is the standard national insignia.
A knocked-out Pz.Kpfw III stands near destroyed buildings during summer operations on the Eastern Front. All the hatches of the vehicle are open, suggesting that the crew have escaped. Note the damaged track.
During operations across the vast hinterland of the Soviet Union is a column of Pz.Kpfw IIIs. Leading the drive is a pair of Ausf. Js or Ls. This photograph was probably taken in southern Russia during the summer offensive of 1942.
A Pz.Kpfw III stationary in a field encampment on the Eastern Front. Note the divisional insignia painted on the rear of the tank, indicating that it is part of the 18th Panzer Brigade of the 18th Panzer Division. The tactical number is ‘621’.
Pictured here in the early autumn of 1942 is a Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. G or H variant. It typically mounts a 5cm KwK gun barrel and has a commander’s cupola first seen on Ausf. G models of this type.
Out in the Russian steppe in September 1942 is a Pz.Kpfw III. Note the short 5cm KwK gun barrel and the 20-litre jerry cans stored on the roof of the turret. Although difficult to ascertain due to the distance of the image, this vehicle may be an Ausf. H variant.
Out in the snow is a Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. J. The crew has applied a crude coat of winter whitewash paint on the chassis. Even during this period of the war some armoured units were still slow in adapting camouflage for their tanks.
On board a flatbed rail car destined for the front lines is a Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. H. This vehicle has received a full application of winter whitewash paint. Note the additional armoured plating clearly bolted to the lower hull. The tank is armed with a 5cm gun.
A Panzer crewman stands next to his Pz.Kpfw III. The vehicle has received a coating of winter whitewash paint which was specially designed to be thinned with water and applied to all vehicles and equipment where snow was on the ground. The application of this paint could easily be washed off by the crews in the spring, exposing the dark grey base colour. Unfortunately even during the latter period of 1942 distribution to the front lines was often delayed in some areas by a matter of weeks. Consequently, the crews had to adapt and find various crude substitutes with which to camouflage their vehicles. This included hastily applying a rough coat of lime whitewash, while others used lumps of chalk, white cloth strips and sheets, and even hand-packed snow in a drastic attempt to conceal conspicuous dark grey parts. Other vehicles, however, roamed the white arctic wilderness with no camouflage at all.
A column of Pz.Kpfw IIIs passing through a Soviet town during the winter of 1942. The vehicles all retain their factory dark grey base colour, which probably indicates they may have been freshly deployed for action.
During winter operations in 1942 and the crew of a Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. M poses for the camera. For the winter of 1942 the German army was readily supplied with winter clothing against the extreme arctic temperatures. Reversible winter uniform sheepskin garments were manufactured and supplied to the front lines. When the troops and Panzerwaffe were issued with these garments in October and November 1942, they found the clothing extremely warm and comfortable. It also provided the wearer with greater freedom of movement, especially with personal equipment. This uniform not only helped combat the severity of the cold, but helped prevent overheating during physical exertion.
A Pz.Kpfw III advances along a congested stretch of road during the depths of the winter in 1942.