This week we look at the Panzer III Medium Tank, and a series of
Spanish battles of the Peninsular War
Panzer III Medium Tank
The Panzer III Medium Tank was the main German battle tank for the
first two and a half years of the Second World War, only beginning to
lose that status after the appearance of the Panzer IV Ausf F2 in
March 1942. Until then the Panzer III had been the only German
designed tank armed with a gun designed to penetrate enemy armour.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf A was the first developmental version of
the Panzer III, but even though only ten were produced the type still
saw active service in Poland in 1939.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_A.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf B was the second development version of
the Panzer III, produced during 1937 with a different suspension
system.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_B.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf C was the third development version of
the Panzer III, and featured another attempt to improve the
suspension, the main weak point in the earlier designs.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_C.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf D was the fourth and final development
version of the Panzer III, and saw a final attempt to improve the
suspension system first adopted on the Ausf B.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_D.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf E was the first mass produced version of
the Panzer III, after four pre-production series.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_E.html
The Panzerhampfwagen III Ausf F was the second mass-production version
of the Panzer III and the first to be built in significant numbers.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_F.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf G was very similar to the previous Ausf
F, although most of the production run received the larger 5cm KwK L/
42 gun.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_G.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf H had been intended to be the first
version of the Panzer III to use the 5cm KwK gun when 759 were ordered
in January 1939, but the use of that gun on the majority of Ausf Gs
and the imminent arrival of the improved Ausf J meant that only 308
would be produced.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_H.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf J (5cm KwK L/42) saw the frontal armour
of the Panzer III increased in thickness from 30mm to 50mm, and was
produced with the 5cm KwK L/42 from the start.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_J_42.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf J (5cm KwK39 L/60) was produced after
Hitler insisted on the use of a longer gun in the Panzer III.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_J_60.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf L was the first of two interim versions
of the Panzer III produced while attempts to fit a larger gun to the
tank were under way.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_L.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf M was the second of two interim versions
of the tank produced while attempts to fit a larger gun to the tank
were under way and was virtually identical to the Ausf L, but with the
addition of fording equipment, which allowed it to wade through four
or five feet of water
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_M.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf N was the final production version of
the standard Panzer III, and the only version to be armed with the
7.5cm KwK L/24 gun.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_ausf_N.html
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf D1 was the first of a series of
command tanks based on the Panzer III, produced when it became clear
that the kleine Panzerbefehlswagen was not large enough for the role.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzerbefehlswagen_III_a...
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf E was the second command tank to be
based on the Panzer III. It was based on the standard Panzer III Ausf
E but with the same modifications as on the earlier Panzerbefehlswagen
III Ausf D1
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzerbefehlswagen_III_a...
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf H was the third version of command
tank based on the Panzer III, and was based on the standard Panzer III
Ausf H.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzerbefehlswagen_III_a...
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf J or Panzerbefehlswagen mit 5cm KwK L/
42 was the first in the series of command tanks based on the Panzer
III to retain the tank’s main gun.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzerbefehlswagen_III_a...
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf K/ Panzerbefehlswagen mit 5cm KwK39 L/
60 was the last in the series of command tanks based on the Panzer
III, and the only one to be custom built with its 5cm main gun
intact.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzerbefehlswagen_III_a...
The Panzerkampfwagen III (Fl) was a flamethrower equipped tank based
on the Panzer III Ausf M, produced early in 1943.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_fl.html
The Panzerkampfwagen III als Tauchpanzer (diving tank), or Tauchpanzer
III, was a version of the Panzer III modified to operate underwater
for up to twenty minutes.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzer_III_tauchpanzer.html
Peninsular War
The skirmish at Alcoentre of 8 October 1810 was a minor incident in
the final stage of Wellington’s retreat into the Lines of Torres
Vedras in the autumn of 1810 and saw the French nearly capture a
British horse artillery battery.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/skirmish_alcoentre.html
The combat of Alemquer of 9 October 1810 was the last fighting between
the British rearguard and the French cavalry during the retreat into
the Lines of Torres Vedras in the autumn of 1810.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_alemquer.html
The combat of Granollers of 21-22 January 1810 was an opportunist
Spanish victory in Catalonia, which saw a French detachment at
Granollers cut to pieces by the Army of Catalonia.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_granollers.html
The battle of Vich of 20 February 1810 was a hard-fought French
victory in Catalonia, won by an isolated French division under the
command of General Souham.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_vich.html
The siege of Hostalrich of 16 January-21 May 1810 was just about the
only significant success achieved by the French during Marshal
Augereau’s brief time in charge of the 7th Corps in Catalonia.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/siege_hostalrich.html
The combat of Villafranca of 30 March 1810 was the first of two
defeats that ended a French attempt to capture the city of Tarragona,
the last major fortress in Catalonia to remain in Spanish hands.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_villafranca.html
The combat of Manresa of 5 April 1810 was the second of two defeats
that ended a French attempt to capture the city of Tarragona, the last
major fortress in Catalonia to remain in Spanish hands.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_manresa.html
The battle of Alcañiz of 23 May 1809 was only the second major Spanish
battlefield victory of the Peninsular War, and demonstrated many of
the problems that would dog the French for the entire war.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_alcaniz.html
The battle of Maria of 15 June 1809 was a French victory that ended a
brief Spanish threat to Saragossa.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_maria.html
The rout of Belchite of 18 June 1809 was a French victory than ended
General Blake’s attempt to recapture Saragossa in the summer of 1809.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/rout_of_belchite.html
The combat of Valverde of 19 February 1810 was a minor Spanish victory
on the borders of Andalusia at the start of General Ballesteros's raid
into western Andalusia.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_valverde.html
The combat of Ronquillo of 25-26 March 1810 was the second fight
during General Ballesteros’s raid into western Andalusia in the spring
of 1810.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_ronquillo.html
The combat of Zalamea of 15 April 1810 was the first defeat suffered
by General Ballesteros during his raid into western Andalusia in the
spring of 1810.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_zalamea.html
The combat of Araçena of 26 May 1810 was a minor French victory that
ended General Ballesteros’s raid into Andalusia of the spring of
1810.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_aracena.html