Later Panzer IIIs

Late Model Panzer IIIs
with Steven MacLauchlan
Late Model Panzer IIIs
With the release of the new Italy Compilation books , I finally took the opportunity to knock out a Hermann Göring Panzerkompanie. (Disclaimer: My Panzer IIIs with the long barrel are Ls and they should be Ms, but what’s one letter and a different exhaust between friends?). So I snapped up as many Panzer IIIs as I could find, and went to work!
Late Model Panzer IIIs
I used the same painting method outlined in my two recent articles on WWPD (part one , part two ) and had these guys finished up in fairly short order. I spent a lot of time trying to make them worn out. Truthfully, it’s probably a bit overboard- the schürzen looks like it’s been through hell and back, but I think the exaggerated style tells the right story for the company.

I wanted to be able to use these for the later part of Mid War as well as the Hermann Göring Panzerkompanie, and am quite pleased with the result. In Mid War the later Panzer III is a solid workhorse of a tank. Well rounded, and capable. With front armor 6, protected ammo, stormtrooper, and schürzen these Panzer IIIs can fill a variety of roles. They are a bit expensive for Mid War, but their veterancy and decent stats make them worth it.
Late Model Panzer IIIs
In Late War, they’re effectively light tanks. Their gun doesn’t scare much, and their armour doesn’t stop much, but you can get a lot of them! I prefer mixing Ns and L/Ms in my combat platoons, and that structure (2x2) clocks in at 270 in Late War.

My general strategy with these guys is to quickly get into position, and then capitalize on the high ROF of the L/M to dig the enemy out. On the move, the N has the option to fire smoke rounds to keep pesky enemy armor or AT guns at bay. Stationary, a platoon of four can put a real hurting on enemy guns and infantry, especially when paired with some recce.
Late Model Panzer IIIs
They definitely lack in anti-tank in the Late War period, so I suggest pairing them up with some tank hunters or big cats. Treating the Panzer III like a light tank is a great approach to utilizing them properly. Below, I’ve put together my proposed Hermann Göring Panzerkompanie.
Late Model Panzer IIIs
Hermann Göring Panzerkompanie (Confident Veteran)
HQ
 
with 1x Panzer III N, 1x Panzer IV H, and Sd Kfz 9 recovery half-track 160 points
Combat Platoons  
HG Panzer Platoon  
with 2x Panzer III N, 2x Panzer III M
280 points
HG Panzer Platoon  
with 2x Panzer III N, 2x Panzer III M 280 points
HG Panzer Platoon  
with 4x Panzer IV H
370 points
Support Platoons
 
HG Heavy Panzerspäh Platoon
 
with 2x Sd Kfz 231 (8-rad)
80 points
Rocket Launcher Battery (Heer)
 
with 1 Launcher section and 3 15cm Nebelwerfers and trucks 110 points
Assault Tank Platoon (Heer)
 
with 3x Brümmbar 210 points
Total Points: 1490 points
It’s got lots of Veteran tanks, mid-range anti-tank with the Panzer IV Hs, recce, and smoke. It’s a solid list against historical opponents, though it will certainly suffer in an open environment where blue on blue or cross-theater games are possible. In those cases, I’d likely try to fit some Hornisse in to help with the heavy lifting rather than the Brümmbar, but I'd have to think about what to shift around.

~ Steven.