The Panzer III Ausf. L was a 1942 German medium tank armed with the 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 gun, fitted with 20 mm spaced armor, and produced in roughly 653–700 units.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. L (Sd.Kfz. 141/1) was introduced in mid‑1942 as an upgraded variant of the Panzer III series. It incorporated significant armor improvements and a more powerful long‑barreled 50 mm gun to counter Soviet T‑34 and KV tanks.
Main gun: 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 (APHE, APCR, HE rounds)
Armor:
50 mm frontal armor + 20 mm spaced plates on hull and mantlet
Turret front increased to 57 mm
Crew: 5
Engine: Maybach HL 120 TRM, 300 HP
Weight: ~22–22.7 t
Speed: ~40 km/h road (varies slightly by source)
Production: ~653–700 units (April–August 1942)
Dimensions
Length: 6.17–6.3 m
Width: ~3.0 m
Height: 2.5 m
5 cm KwK 39 L/60:
APHE penetration: ~68 mm at 500 m
APCR penetration: up to 175 mm at point‑blank
Machine guns: 2× MG34 (7.92 mm)
The Ausf. L entered service in 1942 and fought in North Africa, the Eastern Front, and other theaters. It was a transitional model leading to the Ausf. M and N, and by 1943 it was increasingly outclassed by newer Allied armor.
The Tank Museum’s Panzer III L served with the 15th Panzer Division in North Africa, arriving in Libya in July 1942 and likely fighting at Alam Halfa before being captured.
The Panzer III Ausf. L represented one of the most refined versions of the Panzer III series, combining improved armor and the long 50 mm gun to remain competitive in 1942.
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The Panzer 3L PZ3L is better armored than the J/J1 but not as well armored as the M. Th M being a premium tank with spaced armor side skirts. It has the 50mm high velocity 50mm long barrel which is superior to earlier 237mm and 50mm short barrel guns.
I have been told the PZ3L is already in the game files of enlisted and of course war thunder making its addition easy. i think it needs to be tech tree with hundreds made and fought though would not be crushed for a battle pass or event inclusion.
The game in general and germany in particular can always use some more low br equitment. is enlisted keeping the in file equipment as a rainy-day fund if the game struggles or stops getting updates. though it feels like we have had a lot of rainty days with little being added. adding the soviet japan conflict was great but more is better.
Wow, that’s a well‑hidden one.
This vehicle only appears in trailers and is not present in‑game.
Honestly, this little machine would be totally worth adding at BR 1.
After all, the better‑armored Panzer III M is a premium at BR 2, while Panzer III N is free‑to‑play.
Hopefully it won’t turn out to be another repetitive bore like the Panther F.
Panzer III L is almost the same as the III M, but without the 5mm armour skirt on the side.
Its essentially an up armoured version of the Panzer III J1 which is already BR2 and a minor downgrade from the III M (also BR2) so the III L will also realistically be BR2.
Would be a nice add to BR II. Hopefully not sent to BR III, I’d like it to be a little king of BR II for sake of not competing against Panzer IV’s in my lineup.
ahh, should have pointed out that the picture is just an idea for a little bit of extra armour.
Indeed the Panzer III looks cool with some tracks and roadwheels covering the lower half of the hull front.
Same way US tank crews added sandbags to their tanks or even poured concrete in hopes of adding some extra protection… The crews were not always educated on the matter and did what they believed would increase their survival chances.
Regardless, I look at the extra armour from a coolness perspective, the transmission area is not the real weakpoint of the Pz III series anyway. Its the hull machine gun with its 30mm armour.
But some extra always adds a little bit of extra layer of realism in the form of real human desperation for survival.
yeah spikes for the us in the pacific, logs on all side and even what look like bed frames on russian tanks, tracks or even whatever you call those track hubs, the shaped charge threw everything people knew about armored warfare on land, it made man portable at weapons possible. now every soldier was a threat every bush a danger.
was ( technically, still is ) part of my spartanovka mod
( collab with Yopsious )
semi historical mod, but yes, in 1942 vehicles were still dark gray
anyway, as far the actual thread goes.
for it’s introduction, i’d argue Event vehicle.
since we do have improved versions and another pz III may be too much.
but as an event vehicle, why not.
at least, imo.
