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The design of the Panzer III evolved over numerous variants with steadily increasing armour and firepower. The 37mm gun of the first models was soon upgraded to 50mm, then a longer barreled 50mm gun. Having been built with future development in mind, it was able to incorporate this heavier armament without fundamental redesign. The Panzer III had become Germany’s primary tank by the invasion of the Soviet Union, and was the mainstay of the Afrika Korps.

In War Thunder the Panzer III series are the proverbial jacks-of-all-trades; they have a good balance of firepower, armour and speed, but are not really outstanding in any area. The default Panzergranate 39 ammunition is the most damaging due to its explosive filler; use this against lightly armoured opponents (such as the Crusader), switch to APCR for tougher foes. Panzer III armour is reasonably thick, but mostly flat; try not to present your hull straight-on to opponents, maintaining an angle assists with deflecting shells.

One significant weakness of the first three Panzer III variants (E, F, J) is the slow turret rotation speed. Try to avoid situations, such as urban fighting, where opponents may pop up from several directions. If surprised, turn your hull as well as the turret to bring your gun to bear more quickly.

The A15 Crusader (Cruiser Mk VI) was ordered straight from the drawing board to replace the A13 as Great Britain hastily re armed for war.  The urgent need of the 8th Army left little time for testing and refinement so Crusaders were shipped to North Africa as soon as they were available, proving very unreliable in the harsh desert conditions.

The Crusader Mk II added a little extra frontal armour but carried the same 2-pounder gun as the Mk I. The Mk III received a significant boost in armament with a 6-pounder gun. Unlike the Panzer III, though, the Crusader was not designed with further development in mind, so the crew of the Mk III had to be reduced from five to three to fit the gun in. In the game the Crusader Mk II plays very similarly to the earlier British A13 Cruiser tanks, with the same 2-pounder gun. It is slightly better protected with well sloped armour, though still highly vulnerable to anything heavier than a machine gun.

The Crusader Mk III has the same armour, but its 6-pounder gun is the most powerful in Rank I. Its play style is similar to lightly armoured tank destroyers - get into a firing position quickly, take a shot, duck back into cover and relocate before return fire. The Shot Mk. 9 upgrade maintains good penetration at distances of a mile (1.6km) or more so is excellent for long range sniping on open maps, if you can judge the shell drop.

Panzer IIIs and Crusaders of the same level are evenly matched, the thicker armour of the Panzer III offset by the more powerful gun of the Crusader. To this end, if the Crusader can use cover and terrain to get close to the Panzer III and keep moving, it can exploit the slow turret rotation speed of earlier Panzer IIIs; alternatively the Crusader Mk III can engage at very long range, especially against short-barrel Panzer IIIs. The Panzer III should use its mobility to close to effective range without getting too close, and keep its armour angled for the best chance of deflecting shots.

The Crusader Mk II and early Panzer IIIs are solid Rank I tanks when getting to grips with ground forces. The late Panzer IIIs are well balanced, and of course lead to the iconic Tiger, while the gun of the Crusader Mk III is viable until much higher ranks, prolonging its usefulness as an option in your tank line-up.

Author: John "Zoso" Moore