User:Simbagraphix/Panzer V Tank

This article deals with the history of tanks of the German Army from World War I, through the Interwar, and the Panzers of German Wehrmacht during the Second World War, and into the Cold War and current tanks.

Panther tank production line

Overview German Tanks

The A7V was the German response to the initial successes of the British tanks forces on the Western Front in 1916 (WW1). It was first proposed towards the end of 1916, and the prototype was ready by the middle of 1917. Like several other tanks of the period, it was based on the American Holt Tractor, which provided the tracks. Despite suffering from many obvious flaws, the German general staff was aware that they did not have time to produce an improved design, and at the end of 1917 ordered 100, of which only one third were ever produced. The design suffered from a series of faults. It lacked the mobility needed to operate amongst the trenches of the western front, and could not operate in any type of heavy ground without becoming stuck.

A political event that has to taken into account in the German history is when on 30 January 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. Although he initially headed a coalition government, he quickly eliminated his government partners. At this time the German national borders still were those established in the peace Treaty of Versailles (1919), between Germany and the Allied Powers. The Nazi Party claimed that through the Treaty, the Weimar Republic’s liberal democracy, the traitorous “November criminals” had surrendered Germany's national pride, and explaining the German military failure in World War I. Adolf Hitler pushed rearmament and was impressed by the German tank designs he was shown and approved their development. So the next German desinged tanks, developed during the 1930s were in contravention to the Treaty of Versailles, and along with the panzer units that operated them, were counted among the most feared conventional weapons of World War II.

The German Army built and first used the Panzer I in 1933. The Panzer II was released in 1934. The original 1933 version weighed 7.2 tons, and had a 20 mm cannon and a machine gun in the turret. After many modifications, the Panzer II went into mass production in 1937. By that time the tank weighed 9.5 tons.

Panzer I Ausf A at El Goloso Museum of Armored Vehicles, in Spain

Both the Panzer III and Panzer IV were released in 1937. The IV became the backbone of Germany's Panzer force and the power behind the Blitzkrieg. The Panzer IV was manufactured by Krupp. The armor protection ranged from 8 mm to 30 mm in thickness.

When the war started in 1939, the battle conditions in Poland tested the designs, and the inadequate armor plating for the Panzer I proved fatal. The reliable models Panzer II and Panzer III turned out to be better protected, but outgunned. The Panzer IV however, ruled the battlefield with its mix of speed, agility, firepower, and reliability. Germany produced over 9,000 of these tanks, more than any other WWII model.

The Panzer IV continued to do well as Hitler over-ran Europe and Africa. But the tank met serious resistance during the invasion of Russia in 1942. This lead Germany to develop the Panther tank (or Panzer V). Its 75mm gun could penetrate Soviet tanks. Other features included sloped armour to deflect shot, torsion-bar suspension, and interleaved road wheels. The armor was 80mm thick.

Another model released in 1942 was the Tiger Tank, produced by Henschel. It had armor between 25 mm and 100 mm in thickness. The Tiger tended to overheat in battle and suffered problems with the suspension. It was replaced by the Tiger II, also known as King Tiger which was considered one of the best tanks in the war, however there were too few to turn the tide as the Allies swept into Germany and the war ended.

The German factories and industry was devasted, but by the 1950's began to look at designing new German tanks. The next tank design started as a collaborative project between Germany and France in the 1950s, but the partnership ended and the final design was ordered by the Bundeswehr, production starting in 1965. In total 6,485 Leopard tanks were built, of which 4,744 were battle tanks and 1741 were utility and anti-aircraft variants, not including eighty prototypes and pre-series vehicles.

The Leopard quickly became a standard of European forces, and eventually served as the main battle tank in Germany and was replaced with the Leopard 2 MBTs, which have taken over the current MBT role.

German Design and Development

German tank development can be traced back to 1911, when Austrian Oberleutenant Gunther Burstynproposed a design for "motor vehicle gun" ("Motorgeschutz") with a turret. He patented his design in 1912 in Germany but it never progressed beyond paper.

World War I

After British tanks went into action on 15th September, 1916, the German Army immediately demanded their own landships. Following the appearance of the first British tanks on the Western Front, the Allgemeines Kriegsdepartement, 7. Abteilung, Verkehrswesen ("General War Department, 7th Branch, Transportation"), was formed in September 1916.

The German High Command appointed a committee composed of experts from leading engineering companies. The project to design and build the first German tank was placed under the direction of Joseph Vollmer, a Reserve Captain and engineer. He was chosen to design the German tank that became known as the Schwerer Kampfwagen A7V, named after the committee that oversaw it's development. It was to mass around 30 tons, be capable of crossing ditches up to 1.5 meters wide, have armaments including cannon at front and rear as well as several machine-guns, and reach a top speed of at least 12 km/hr. The running gear was based on the Holt tractor, parts for which were obtained from the Austrian arm of the Holt-Caterpillar Company. After initial plans were shared with the Army in December 1917 the design was extended to be a universal chassis which could be used as a base for both a tank and unarmoured Überlandwagen ("Over-land vehicle") cargo carriers. Powered by two Daimler engines, the tank was first demonstrated in the Spring Offensive of 1917. Internally, the Sturmpanzerwagen was cramped, smelly and noisy. No fewer than 18 men were called upon to man the machine to full potential. With the 57mm main gun at front, internal operators had access to two 7.92mm machine guns at the rear along with a further four along the sides of the steel beast - two to a side. Each machine gun would need to be addressed by a further two personnel per gun - a firer and an ammunition re-supplier. The engine sat in the lower-middle of the design with the main gear components resting under the rear. A crew of two would man the front 57mm main gun, one firing whilst the other loading the weapon. Two drivers sat in the upper center budge area operating a steering wheel and lever controls. Stowage was allotted for individual crew weapons in the form of rifles. During final design the rear-facing canon was removed and the number of machine-guns was increased to six. Grab ropes were provided throughout as the design had plenty of headroom space for the average soldier, though travel made for an uneasy and overall bumpy ride.

In theory, the idea of an armored box bristling with all types of deadly hardware seemed sound. In practice, however, the large design was far from perfect. The vehicle was excessively heavy, making it impractical to be used on uneven terrain. The system was slow as well, often meaning that it could be outpaced by the very infantry it was to assist. The short tracks of the tractor system also made the vehicle relatively unsafe and uncontrollable in some cases. If the A7V has one saving grace, it was that the all-around armor protection for the crew was second to none - even when compared to the British designs - over an inch in some areas. A hundred of these tanks were ordered although only 20 were ever produced, and the first of these were ready in October 1917. The Schwerer Kampfwagen A7V was first used at St Quentin on 21st March 1918. Although some of its features, such as the sprung tracks and the thicker armour, made it better than British tanks at that time, the A7V was less successful as a battle vehicle. The main problems concerned its mechanical reliability and the difficulty it encountered crossing enemy trenches.

By the time of the arrival of the Sturmpanzerwagen, the Germans had already successfully developed their own brand of armor piercing projectile as well. In the end, the limitations of the A7V design, being a part of the losing side of a war and fighting on the defensive all led to a very average first try in the realm of tank design for the Germans.

Post World War I

The post-World War I Treaty of Versailles of 1919 prohibited the design, manufacture and deployment of tanks within the Reichswehr. As Imperial Germany eventually fell to the Allies, the victors pushed for severe restrictions on the country's war-making capabilities. While the Ottoman Empire was being dismantled out east, Germany took the brunt of the blame to the west and was forced into signing the Treaty of Versailles in June of 1919. Limitations for the land army included a 100,000-strong infantry army, absolutely no tanks of any kind and just a few armored vehicles for spot duty. The German Army of the interwar years, as it stood, was a shell of its former self. Paragraph Twenty-four of the treaty provided for a 100,000-mark fine and imprisonment of up to six months for anybody who "[manufactured] armoured vehicles, tanks or similar machines, which may be turned to military use".

Despite the manpower and technical limitations imposed upon the German Army by the Treaty of Versailles, several Reichswehr officers established a clandestine General Staff to study World War I and develop future strategies and tactics. One such Reichswehr officer, Hans von Seeckt, became Commander-in-Chief. Seeckt took to heart the lessons learned in the Great War and set about in rewriting the foundation of the German Army. Infantry still remained the heart and soul of any planned offensive, but the tank would become the spearhead of actions that could shatter enemy defenses through speed, force and firepower. Tactics involved the splitting up of enemy formations and counteractions involving pincer movements to surround and ultimately decimate the enemy in whole.By 1926, German Army doctrine was all rewritten to fulfill this vision. Although at first the concept of the tank as a mobile weapon of war met with apathy, German industry was silently encouraged to look into tank design, while quiet cooperation was undertaken with the Soviet Union. There was also minor military cooperation with Sweden, including the extraction of technical data that proved invaluable to early German tank design.

As early as 1926 various German companies, including Rheinmetall and Daimler-Benz, produced a single prototype armed with a large 75-millimeter cannon (the Großtraktor, "large tractor", was so codenamed to veil the true purpose of the vehicle). Only two years later prototypes of the new Leichttraktor ("light tractor"), were produced by German companies, armed with 37-millimeter KwK L/45 guns. The Großtraktor was later put into service for a brief period with the 1 Panzer Division; the Leichttraktor remained in testing until 1935.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s German tank theory was pioneered by two figures: General Oswald Lutz and his chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Heinz Guderian. Guderian became the more influential of the two and his ideas were widely publicized. Like his contemporary Sir Percy Hobart, Guderian initially envisioned an armored corps (panzerkorps) composed of several types of tanks. This included a slow infantry tank, armed with a small-caliber cannon and several machine guns. The infantry tank, according to Guderian, was to be heavily armored to defend against enemy anti-tank guns and artillery. He also envisioned a fast breakthrough tank, similar to the British cruiser tank, which was to be armored against enemy anti-tank weapons and have a large 75-millimeter (2.95 in) main gun. Lastly, Germany would need a heavy tank, armed with a massive 150-millimeter (5.9 in) cannon to defeat enemy fortifications, and even stronger armor. Such a tank would require a weight of 70 to 100 tonnes and was completely impractical given the manufacturing capabilities of the day.

In the early 1930's, the German Army called upon a few German firms to put together some funded prototype light and medium tanks. At this time, the Army did not have a formal plan of action in terms of what it realistically needed. Light tanks could be made available in large quantities for a relatively low price while medium tanks afforded firepower but came at a price. At any rate, the German industrial infrastructure - both the post-war limitations and the economical hit caused by the crash of 1929 - made the call easy for the Germany Army - the pursuit would be for the development of light tanks to start with.

Soon after rising to power in Germany, Adolf Hitler approved the creation of Germany's first panzer divisions. Simplifying his earlier proposal, Guderian suggested the design of a main combat vehicle which would be developed later into the Panzer III, and a breakthrough tank, the Panzer IV. No existing design appealed to Guderian. As a stopgap, the German Army ordered a preliminary vehicle to train German tank crews. This became the Panzer I.

PzKpfw I Ausf. F on display at the Belgrade Military Museum

The Panzer I's design history can be traced to 1932's Landswirtschaftlicher Schlepper (La S) (Agricultural Tractor) armored fighting vehicle. The La S was intended not just to train Germany's panzer troops, but to prepare Germany's industry for the mass production of tanks in the near future: a difficult engineering feat for the time. In July 1932, Krupp revealed a prototype of the Landswerk Krupp A, or LKA, with a sloped front glacis plate and large central casemate, a design heavily influenced by the British Carden Loyd tankette. The tank was armed with two obsolescent 7.92-millimeter (.312 in) MG-13 Dreyse machine guns. Machine guns were known to be largely useless against even the lightest tank armor of the time, restricting the Panzer I to a training and anti-infantry role by design.

A mass-produced version of the LKA was designed by a collaborative team from Daimler-Benz, Henschel, Krupp, MAN, and Rheinmetall, exchanging the casemate for a rotating turret. This version was accepted into service after testing in 1934. Although these tanks were referred to as the La S and LKA well beyond the start of production, its official designation, assigned in 1938, was Panzerkampfwagen I Ausführung. A ('model A' or, more accurately, 'batch A'). The first fifteen tanks, produced between February and March 1934, did not include the rotating turret and were used for crew training. Following these, production was switched to the combat version of the tank. The Ausf. A was under-armored, with steel plate of only 13 millimeters (0.51 in) at its thickest. The tank had several design flaws, including suspension problems which made the vehicle pitch at high velocities, and engine overheating. The driver was positioned inside the chassis and used conventional steering levers to control the tank, while the commander was positioned in the turret where he also acted as gunner. The two crewmen could communicate by means of voice tube. Machine gun ammunition was stowed in five bins, containing various numbers of 25-round magazines. Author Lucas Molina Franco suggests that 833 Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf. A tanks were built in total, while authors Bryan Perrett offers the number of 300 and Terry Gander 818 units.

In 1934, delays in the design and production of the Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks were becoming apparent. Designs for a stopgap tank were solicited from Krupp, MAN, Henschel, and Daimler-Benz. The final design was based on the Panzer I, but larger, and with a turret mounting a 20 mm anti-tank gun. The Panzer II came about in a German Ordnance Department requirement enacted in 1934, this time proposing a 10-ton light tank development with 20mm cannon and 7.92mm machine gun armament. As was the case in developing the Panzer I, it became common practice for the new Germany, now wholly under Hitler, to skirt the rules of the Versailles Treaty and develop its systems of war under various peaceful disguises such as farm equipment. As such, this new light tank design fell under the designation of "Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper 100" (or "LaS 100") under the guise that it was a farm tractor. The German firms Krupp, Henschel and MAN were thrown into competition, each granted developmental contracts, with MAN coming out on top despite Krupps experience in developing the Panzer I and submitting a much simpler design this time around. MAN would be responsible for the new chassis while Daimler-Benz was handed construction of the superstructure and turret.

Several prototype forms of the MAN Panzer II emerged during 1935 while development continued into 1937. The Panzer II was designed before the experience of the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 showed that shell-proof armor was required for tanks to survive on a modern battlefield. Prior to that, armor was designed to stop machinegun fire and High Explosive shell fragments. Production began in 1935, but it took another eighteen months for the first combat-ready tank to be delivered. By July of 1937, the Panzer II was cleared and ready for production and by 1939, some 1,226 Panzer IIs were in circulation.

While the Panzer I proved the spearhead of these initial invasion assaults, the Panzer II formed the backbone of such early forays. Underpowered, under-armored and lightly-armed like the Panzer Is before them, the Panzer II also experienced its hardships on the battlefield - particularly against anti-tank weaponry at close ranges. Nevertheless, Hitler was eager for a war, time was of the essence and his more lethal Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs were soon to come online.

During the war, German tank design went through at least three generations, plus constant minor variations. The first generation included such unbattleworthy prewar vehicles as the Mark, (or Panzerkampfwagen) I and II, which were similar to the Russian T-26 and T series and to the British cruiser tanks. The Germans converted their tank battalions to a majority of Mark III and IV medium tanks after the 1940 French campaign, thereby stealing a march on the Soviets and British, who still possessed obsolete equipment. However, the appearance of a few of the new generation T-34 and KV-1 tanks in Russia during 1941 compelled the Germans to begin a race for superior armor and gunpower. The third generation included many different variants, but the most important designs were the Mark V (Panther) and Mark VI (Tiger) tanks. Unfortunately for the Germans, their emphasis on proteotion and gunpower compromised the mobility and reliability of their tanks. In 1943, for example, Germany manufactured only 5,966 tanks, as compared to 29,497 for the US, 7,476 for Britain, and an estimated 20,000 for the Soviet Union.

The alternative to constant changes in tank design was to standardize a few basic designs and mass produce them even though technology had advanced to new improvements. This was the solution of Germany's principal opponents. The Soviet T-34, for example, was an excellent basic design that survived the war with only one major change in armament, (76.2-mm to 85-mm main gun).

Combat history

War World I

A7V tank at Roye on March 21, 1918.

The A7V was first used in combat on 21 March 1918. Five tanks under the command of Hauptmann Greiff were deployed north of the St. Quentin Canal. Three of the A7Vs suffered mechanical failures before they entered combat but the remaining pair helped stop a minor British breakthrough in the area, but otherwise saw little combat that day.

Main article: Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux

The first tank against tank combat in history took place on the 24 April 1918 when three A7Vs (including chassis number 561, known as "Nixe") taking part in an attack with infantry incidentally met three Mark IVs (two Female machine gun-armed tanks and one Male with two 6-pounder guns) near Villers-Bretonneux. During the battle tanks on both sides were damaged. According to the lead tank commander, 2nd Lt Frank Mitchell, the Female Mk IVs fell back after being damaged by armour piercing bullets. They were unable to damage the A7Vs with their own machine guns. Mitchell then attacked the lead German tank, commanded by 2nd Lt Wilhelm Biltz, with the 6 pounders of his own tank and knocked it out. He hit it three times, and killed five of the crew when they bailed out. His Mark IV fired at the enemy tanks and moved, a tactic which became the classic one during the next 50 years. He then went on to rout some infantry with case shot. The two remaining A7Vs in turn withdrew. As Lt. Mitchell's tank withdrew from action, seven Whippet tanks also engaged the infantry. Four of these were knocked out in the battle, one of the A7Vs destroyed one Whippet and damaged three ones (three more Whippets were destroyed by German artillery). Lt. Mitchell's tank lost a track towards the end of the battle from a mortar shell and was abandoned. The damaged A7V was later recovered by German forces.

A7V Tank, Mephisto, at Queensland Museum in Brisbane, Australia.

All 18 available A7Vs had been put into action that day with limited results; two toppled over into holes, some encountered engine or armament troubles. After a counterattack, three ended up in Allied hands. One was unusable and scrapped, one used for shell testing by the French, and the third captured by the Australians.

The A7V was not considered a success and other designs were planned by Germany, however the end of the war meant none of the other tanks in development, or planned ones, would be finished (such as the Oberschlesien, K-Wagen, LK I or LK II). The final use in WWI of A7Vs was in October 1918; a number were scrapped before the war ended in November.

The extremely limited production of twenty A7Vs made a very limited contribution, and most of the tanks (less than a hundred in total) that were fielded in action by Germany in World War I were captured British Mark IV tanks (Beutepanzer). The A7V was something of a bane for German tank crews to the point that the Germans actually preferred to fight in captured British specimens instead of their own designs. The British tanks were repaired, overhauled at Charleroi and rearmed with 5.7-cm Sokol gun and Belgian 57mm Maxim Nordenfeld guns in place of British 6pdr guns (Male tanks)and 7.92mm Maxim 08 machine guns (Female tanks). Some French tanks (including Renault FT-17 light tanks) were also captured during the German offensive in November of 1918, but no changes are known to have been done.

Post World War I

After the war, many nations needed to have tanks, but only a few had the industrial resources to design and build them. During and after World War I, Britain and France were the intellectual leaders in tank design, with other countries generally following and adopting their designs. Germany was one of the countries which began to design and build their own tanks. The Treaty of Versailles had severely limited Germany's industrial output.

Among the German proponents of mechanization, Gen. Heinz Guderian was probably the most influential. Guderian's 1914 service with radiotelegraphs in support of cavalry units led him to insist on a radio in every armored vehicle. By 1929, when many British students of armor were tending towards a pure armor formation, Guderian had become convinced that it was useless to develop just tanks, or even to mechanize parts of the traditional arms. What was needed was an entirely new mechanized formation of all arms that would maximize the effects of the tank.

The German tanks were not up to the standards of Guderian's concept. The Mark I was really a machine gun-armed tankette, derived from the British Carden-Loyd personnel carrier. The Mark II did have a 20-mm cannon, but little armor protecLion. Germany, constrained by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, was not allowed to produce tanks of any kind and only a few armoured cars. In 1926 an unofficial program of tank construction was initiaited by Von Seeckt, the commander of the Reichswehr. Built by Rheinmetall-Borsig the first grosstraktor was similar to the existing British Mk II medium tank, 20 tons with a 75 mm gun. This and other designs were tested with Soviet cooperation at a tank school in western Russia. In Germany proper dummy tanks were used in training, apparantly at the instigation of then Major, Heinz Guderian, a staff tactical instructor. Guderian had read Fuller, Liddell-Hart and other tank warfare theorists and he had the support of his commanders to develop his theories into reality. In 1931 the German General Staff accepted a plan for two types of tank, a medium tank with a 75 mm gun and a lighter vehicle with a 37 mm gun. While design and then construction work was carried out the German army used a variety of light tanks based on the British Carden-Lloyd chassis. The early tanks were code-named Landwirtschaftlicher Schleppers (La S), a designation that lasted until 1938. The first of these light tanks ran in ealy 1934, a five ton Krupp design it was dubbed the LKA1. The new government approved an initial order for 150 in 1934 as the 1A La S Krupp, around 1500 of these light tanks were built.

Later German tanks received a new designation, Panzerkampfwagen (PzKpfw or PzKw). The first machine to use this was the two-man PzKpfw I Ausf A, a 5.4 ton machine with a 3.5 litre 60 hp petrol engine it had 13 mm of armour and was armed with twin 7.92 mm machine guns. The Panzer I light tank design began in 1932 and mass production in 1934. The more common Ausf B was a trifle larger to accommodate a 100 hp Maybach engine. Both models were sent to the Spanish Civil War for testing, along with other new German weapons. From Spain it quickly became clear that the next generation of tanks would need better armour, greater range and much heavier weapons. Experiences with the Panzer I during the Spanish Civil War helped shape the German armored corps' invasion of Poland in 1939 and France in 1940. The Panzer I's performance in combat was limited by its thin armor and light armament of two general purpose machine guns. As a design intended for training, the Panzer I was not as capable as other light tanks of the era, such as the T-26.

The PzKpfw II was around 50% heavier than the I and added a 20 mm Solothurn cannon as main armament as well as increasing maximum armour to 30 mm. In 1934, delays in the design and production of the Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks were becoming apparent. Designs for a stopgap tank were solicited from Krupp, MAN, Henschel, and Daimler-Benz. The final design was based on the Panzer I, but larger, and with the turret mounting the 20 mm anti-tank gun making it a more formidable tank than the Panzer I. Production began in 1935, but it took another eighteen months for the first combat-ready tank to be delivered. It was also sent to Spain from 1937, and the PzKpfw II proved more capable against light infantry, but no better when faced with capable anti-tank guns or other tanks. Despite these weaknesses production continued until 1941, at the outbreak of war the German Army had 955 PzKpfw IIs and almost 4000 were built in total.

A major boost to German armour came with the acquisition of Czechoslovakia in 1938, giving the entire Czech arms industry to Germany. The Czechs already had two main tank designs, the Skoda LT35 and the Cesko-moravska Kolben Danek (CKD) TNHP. The Skoda was a 10 ton machine with a 37 mm main gun and excellent cross-country capabilities; the CKD was 8.5 tons and also fitted with a 37 mm gun - due to extensive tests it was an extremely reliable machine with a top quality chassis. Both were taken into the German panzer forces, as the PzKpfw 35(t) and the PzKpfw 38(t), and futher production was ordered. CKD was renamed Böhmisch-Mährische Maschinenfabrik AG (BMM) in 1940 and continued production until 1942, providing the Wehrmacht with 1,168 PzKpfw 38(t)'s. In 1940 Czech tanks made up around a quarter of the entire German panzer force.

Lighter tanks formed almost the entirety of the German forces, but the heavier tanks were at least in prototype. In 1934 a number of heavy prototypes were constructed, based around either 75 or 105 mm main guns. Designated Neubaufahrzeug (NbFz) and very similar to contemporary Russian and British designs six were built by Rheinmetall and Krupp. Useful for propaganda purposes these tanks did not enter production, their later designations of PzKpfw V and VI were transferred to the production Panther and Tiger types. With the knowledge of the NbFz and the experiences of the lighter tanks in Spain, German designers began to create their own designs.

The PzKpfw III as the first German tank capable of firing armour-piercing rounds, although the 37 mm gun was considered underpowered but was used in the interests of standardisation with the infantry. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen III (abbreviated PzKpfw III) translating as "armoured battle vehicle", and it was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and serve alongside the infantry-supporting Panzer IV. Limited by existing bridges to a maximum weight of 24 tons, development contracts for the Zugkraftwagen were issued late in 1936. Development work continued until 1938 when the Ausf D went into limited production, a 19 ton machine it was powered by a 12 litre 320 hp engine, with a top speed of 25 mph and fitted with 30 mm armour all round. By the outbreak of war around fifty had been completed and some saw service in Poland. Full-scale production did not begin until October 1939 as the Ausf E, around 350 PzKpfw IIIs in D and E variants were ready by the invasion of France.

Spanish Civil War

On 18 July 1936, war broke out on the Iberian peninsula as Spain dissolved into a state of civil war. After the chaos of the initial uprising, two sides coalesced and began to consolidate their position—the Popular front (the Republicans) and the Spanish Nationalist front. In an early example of a proxy war, both sides quickly received support from other countries, most notably the Soviet Union and Germany, who wanted to test their tactics and equipment. The first shipment of foreign tanks, fifty Soviet T-26's, arrived on 15 October. The shipment was under the surveillance of the German Navy and Germany immediately responded by sending forty-one Panzer I's to Spain a few days later. This first shipment was followed by four more shipments of Panzer I Ausf. B's, with a total of 122 vehicles.

The first shipment of Panzer I's was brought under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma in Gruppe Thoma (also referred to as Panzergruppe Drohne). Gruppe Thoma formed part of Gruppe Imker, the ground formations of the German Condor Legion, who fought on the side of Franco's Nationalists. Between July and October, a rapid Nationalist advance from Seville to Toledo placed them in position to take the Spanish capital, Madrid. The Nationalist advance and the fall of the town of Illescas to Nationalist armies on 18 October 1936 caused the government of the Popular Front's Second Republic, including President Manuel Azaña, to flee to Barcelona and Valencia. In an attempt to stem the Nationalist tide and gain crucial time for Madrid's defence, Soviet armor was deployed south of the city under the command of Colonel Krivoshein before the end of October. At this time, several T-26 tanks under the command of Captain Paul Arman were thrown into a Republican counterattack directed towards the town of Torrejon de Velasco in an attempt to cut off the Nationalist advance north. This was the first tank battle in the Spanish Civil War. Despite initial success, poor communication between the Soviet Republican armor and Spanish Republican infantry caused the isolation of Captain Arman's force and the subsequent destruction of a number of tanks. This battle also marked the first use of the molotov cocktail against tanks. Ritter von Thoma's Panzer Is fought for the Nationalists only days later on 30 October, and immediately experienced problems. As the Nationalist armor advanced, it was engaged by the Commune de Paris battalion, equipped with Soviet BA-10 armored cars. The 45-millimeter (1.7 in) gun in the BA-10 was more than sufficient to knock out the poorly armored Panzer I at ranges of over 500 meters (550 yd).

Comparison of light tanks in the Spanish Civil War

	T-26	Panzer I	CV.33	CV.35
Weight	9.4 t	5.4 t	3.15 t	2.3 t
Gun	45 mm cannon	2× 7.92 mm MG 13	6.5 mm or 8 mm machine gun	8 mm Breda machine gun
Ammunition	122 rounds	2,250 rounds	3,200 8 mm or 3,800 6.5 mm	3,200
Road range	175 km	200 km	125 km	125 km
Armor	7–16 mm	7–13 mm	5–15 mm	5–13.5 mm

Although the Panzer I would participate in almost every major Nationalist offensive of the war, the Nationalist army began to deploy more and more captured T-26 tanks to offset their disadvantage in protection and firepower. At one point, von Thoma offered up to 500 pesetas for each T-26 captured. Although the Panzer I was initially able to knock out the T-26 at close range—150 meters (165 yd) or less—using an armor-piercing 7.92 millimeter bullet, the Republican tanks began to engage at ranges where they were immune to the machine guns of the Panzer I.

The Panzer I was upgraded in order to increase its lethality. On 8 August 1937, Major General García Pallasar received a note from Generalísimo Francisco Franco which expressed the need for a Panzer I (or negrillo, as their Spanish crews called them) with a 20-millimeter gun. Ultimately, the piece chosen was the Breda Model 1935, due to the simplicity of the design over competitors such as the German Flak 30. Furthermore, the 20 mm Breda was capable of perforating 40 millimeters of armor at 250 meters (1.57 in at 275 yd), which was more than sufficient to penetrate the frontal armor of the T-26. Although originally forty Italian CV.35 light tanks were ordered with the Breda in place of their original armament, this order was subsequently canceled after it was thought adaptation of the same gun to the Panzer I would yield better results. Prototypes were ready by September 1937 and an order was placed after successful results. The mounting of the Breda in the Panzer I required the original turret to be opened at the top and then extended by a vertical supplement. Four of these tanks were finished at the Armament Factory of Seville, but further production was canceled as it was decided sufficient numbers of Republican T-26 tanks had been captured to fulfill the Nationalist leadership's request for more lethal tanks. The Breda modification was not particularly liked by German crews, as the unprotected gap in the turret, designed to allow the tank's commander to aim, was found to be a dangerous weak point.

In late 1938, another Panzer I was sent to the Armament Factory of Seville in order to mount a 45 mm gun, captured from a Soviet tank (a T-26 or BT-5). A second was sent sometime later in order to exchange the original armament for a 37-millimeter Maklen anti-tank gun, which had been deployed to Asturias in late 1936 on the Soviet ship A. Andreiev. It remains unknown to what extent these trials and adaptations were completed, although it is safe to assume neither adaptation was successful beyond the drawing board.

Panzer I deliveries to Spain (1936–1939)

Date	Number of Vehicles	Additional Information
October 1936	41	Formed part of the Condor Legion
December 1936	21
August 1937	30
End of 1937	10
January 1939	30
Total:	122

Second World War

During the initial campaigns of the Second World War, Germany's light tanks, including the Panzer I, formed the bulk of its armored strength. In March 1938, the German Army marched into Austria, experiencing a mechanical breakdown rate of up to thirty percent. However, the experience revealed to Guderian several faults within the German Panzerkorps and he subsequently improved logistical support. In October 1938, Germany occupied Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland, and the remainder of the country in March 1939. The capture of Czechoslovakia allowed several Czech tank designs, such as the Panzer 38(t), and their subsequent variants and production, to be incorporated into the German Army's strength. It also prepared German forces for the invasion of Poland.

Poland and the campaign in the west

Panzer I Ausf. A in combat during the German invasion of Norway.

On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland using seventy-two divisions (including 16 reserve infantry divisions in OKH reserves), including seven panzer divisions (1., 2., 3., 4., 5., 10., "Kempf") and four light divisions (1., 2., 3., 4.). Three days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany. The seven panzer and four light divisions were arrayed in five armies, forming two army groups. The battalion strength of the 1 Panzer Division included no less than fourteen Panzer I's, while the other six divisions included thirty-four. A total of about 2,700 tanks were available for the invasion of Poland, but only 310 of the heavier Panzer III and IV tanks were available. Furthermore, 350 were of Czech design—the rest were either Panzer I's or Panzer IIs. The invasion was swift and the last Polish pockets of resistance surrendered on 6 October. The entire campaign had lasted five weeks (with help of the Soviet forces which attacked on 17th of September), and the success of Germany's tanks in the campaign was summed up in response to Hitler on 5 September: when asked if it had been the dive bombers who destroyed a Polish artillery regiment, Guderian replied, "No, our panzers!"

The Poles suffered almost 190,000 casualties (including around 66,300 killed) in the campaign, the Germans around 55,000 (including around 35,000 wounded). However, some 832 tanks (including 320 PzI, 259 PzII, 40 Pz III, 76 PzIV, 77 Pz35(t), 13 PzBef III, 7 PzBef 38(t), 34 other PzBef and some Pz38(t)) were lost during the campaign, approximately 341 of which were never to return to service. This represented about a third of Germany's armor deployed for the Polish campaign. During the campaign no less than a half of Germany's tanks were unavailable due to maintenance issues or enemy action, and of all tanks, the Panzer I proved the most vulnerable to Polish anti-tank weapons.

A Panzer I Ausf B on the streets of Calais, France in May 1940, while rounding up British prisoners of war

Furthermore, it was found that handling of armored forces during the campaign left much to be desired. During the beginning of Guderian's attack in northern Poland, his corps was held back to coordinate with infantry for quite a while, preventing a faster advance. It was only after Army Group South had its attention taken from Warsaw at the Battle of Bzura that Guderian's armor was fully unleashed. There were still lingering tendencies to reserve Germany's armor, even if in independent divisions, to cover an infantry advance or the flanks of advancing infantry armies. Although tank production was increased to 125 tanks per month after the Polish Campaign, losses forced the Germans to draw further strength from Czech tank designs, and light tanks continued to form the majority of Germany's armored strength.

Months later, Panzer Is participated in Operation Weserübung—the invasion of Denmark and Norway.

Despite its obsolescence, the Panzer I was also used in the invasion of France in May 1940. Of 2,574 tanks available for the campaign, no fewer than 523 were Panzer I's. Furthermore, there were only 627 Panzer IIIs and IVs. At least a fifth of Germany's armor was composed of Panzer I's, while almost four-fifths was light tanks of one type or another, including 955 Panzer II, 106 Czech Panzer 35(t), and 228 Panzer 38(t). For their defense, the French boasted up to 4,000 tanks, including 300 Char B1, armed with a 47-millimeter (1.7 in) gun in the turret and a larger 75-millimeter (2.95 in) low-velocity gun in the hull. The French also had around 250 Somua S-35, widely regarded as one of the best tanks of the period, armed with the same 47 millimeter main gun and protected by almost 55 millimeters (2.17 in) of armor at its thickest point. Nevertheless, the French also deployed over 3,000 light tanks, including about 500 World War one-vintage FT-17s. The two main advantages German armor enjoyed were radios allowing them to coordinate faster than their British or French counterparts and superior tactical doctrine.

North Africa and campaigns in the east

Panzerbefehlswagen in Russia

Italian setbacks in Egypt and their colony of Libya caused Hitler to dispatch aircraft to Sicily, and a blocking force to North Africa. This blocking force was put under the command of Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel and included the motorized 5th Light Division and the 15th Panzer Division. This force landed at Tunis on 12 February 1941. Upon arrival, Rommel had around 150 tanks, about half Panzer III and IV. The rest were Panzer I's and IIs, although the Panzer I was soon replaced. On 6 April 1941, Germany attacked both Yugoslavia and Greece, with fourteen divisions invading Greece from neighboring Bulgaria, which by then had joined the Tripartite Pact. The invasion of Yugoslavia included no less than six panzer divisions, which still fielded the Panzer I. Yugoslavia surrendered 17 April 1941, and Greece fell on 30 April 1941.

The final major campaign in which the Panzer I formed a large portion of the armored strength was Operation Barbarossa, 22 June 1941. The 3,300 German tanks included about 410 Panzer I's. By the end of the month, a large portion of the Red Army found itself trapped in the Minsk pocket, and by 21 September Kiev had fallen, thereby allowing the Germans to concentrate on their ultimate objective, Moscow. Despite the success of Germany's armor in the Soviet Union, between June and September most German officers were shocked to find their tanks were inferior to newer Soviet models, the T-34 and Kliment Voroshilov (KV) series. Army Group North quickly realized that none of the tank guns currently in use by German armor could penetrate the thick armor of the KV-1. The performance of the Red Army during the Battle of Moscow and the growing numbers of new Soviet tanks made it obvious the Panzer I was not suitable for this front. Some less battle-worthy Panzer I's were tasked with towing lorries through mud to alleviate logistics problems at the front.

Tank history - World War II During World War II, the tank reached new heights of capability and sophistication. The early German tanks were technologically inferior to many of their opponents' tanks in the areas of armor and weaponry; however, were used most skilfully to achieve surprising strategic victories early in the war. The German doctrine stressed the use of combined-arms involving infantry and air support, and the tactic of the Blitzkrieg (lightning warfare). Furthermore, the Germans were quick to supply their tanks with radios, which provided unmatched command/control.

It was true that nothing larger than machine guns could be mounted in any turret that this vehicle could carry. But with this disadvantage, it could be made ready for action by 1934 and it would at least serve as a training tank until our real combat tanks began to appear. [...] Nobody in 1932 could have guessed that one day we should have to go into action with this little training tank.

The largest tank ever built was the Maus, designed in 1942 by Ferdinand Porsche under direct order from Adolf Hitler. Weighing 188 tons, the Maus was armed with a 128mm cannon and a coaxial 75mm gun, and covered with 180-240mm of armour. Only two prototypes were built, and both were lost while still undergoing testing. One of the Maus prototypes currently resides in the Museum of Armoured Forces in Kubinka Russia.

Tanks were adapted to various uses during WWII including mine-sweeping tanks, and flame-thrower tanks.

(What's the true story behind the Maus in the museum? There are conflicting stories. In one version, both were scuttled at the factory prior to Soviet occupation, in another, one fought briefly before being captured.)

The German Panzer force at the start of the war was not especially impressive. Guderian had planned for two main tanks, the PzKpfw III was in production but the second support tank with a 75 mm gun was not. Designated the PzKpfw IV design work had begun in 1935 and trials of prototypes was undertaken in 1937, but by the time of the invasion of Poland only a few 'troop trial' models were available. The development work was then halted and limited production begun by Krupp in Gruson, Essen and Bochum.

There were also problems with the PzKpfw III, it was widely considered to be under-gunned with a 37 mm KwK L45 and production was split between four manufacturers (MAN, Daimler-Benz, Rheinmetall-Borsig, and Krupp) with little regard for each firms expertise, the rate of production was initially very low - taking until November 1940 to reach 100 examples a month. The Panzer force for the early German victories was a mix of the PzKpfw I and II, machine-gun only light tanks, and the Czech tanks. By May 1940 349 PzKpfw III's were available for the attacks on France and the Low Countries. A few elite divisions were equipped with the new tanks and they featured prominently in the newsreels and photographs of the invasion.

The actual invasion, the Blitzkrieg, was an amazing success due to tactical innovation rather than tank quality. Guderian, von Kleist and other commanders such as Rommel broke the hiatus of the Phoney War in a manner almost outside the comprehension of Allied commanders. In actual tank-on-tank encounters the German armour performed poorly, in one particular encounter near Arras the VII Panzer division was badly mauled by the 'Matildas' of the British 1st Tank Brigade, one British tank carried on operating after fourteen hits by German 37 mm guns.

The recognition that the PzKpfw III was under-gunned had been identified during its conception and its design included a large turret ring to make it possible to fit a 2250 fps 50 mm KwK L42 gun on later models. In June 1940 the first of these models were being made and some saw action in the final weeks of the Battle of France. Designated the PzKpfw III Ausf F, other changes included upgrading the Maybach engine and numerous minor changes to ease production.

The Ausf F was quickly supplanted by the Ausf G which was the main tank of the Afrika Korps in 1940-41 and also saw action in Yugoslavia and Greece. Around 2,150 PzKpfw IIIs were produced of which around 450 were the Ausf G. These tanks were still under-gunned, poorly armoured and mechanically over-complex in comparison to the British tanks, after fighting in Libya in late 1940 The Ausf H was put into production with simpler mechanics, wider tracks and improved armour. In April 1941 there was a general 'recall' of the PzKpfw III to upgrade the main gun to the new 50 mm L60, with the new Panzergranate 40 shell, muzzle velocity was pushed to 3875 fps. New tanks produced with this gun were designated Ausf J.

The invasion of Russia in Operation Barbarossa signalled an enormous change in German tank development. In July 1941 36 Panzer divisions were assigned, almost 8,000 Panzer in total, to the invasion. In November 1941 these tanks first encountered the Russian T-34 and they were totally outclassed in every aspect of battle performance. A little later the American made M3 and then M4 tanks were being used in the Western Desert, outclassing German armour in that theatre too.

As an immediate measure the PzKpfw III's armour was upgraded to 70 mm by additional plates and to protect against hollow charge attacks spaced armour was introduced. But the PzKpfw III was clearly outclassed and production was ended in August 1943 with the Ausf N, the vehicle having been up-gunned to a 75 mm L24 and down-graded to a support role. The PzKpfw III chassis did continue to be made until the end of the war as the base of a range of special purpose vehicles.

Slow production of the PzKpfw IV had been continuing, by the end of 1940 386 Ausf Ds were in service and in 1941 a further 480 were produced, this was despite an order from the army for 2,200. The short 75 mm gun was the main advantage of the PzKpfw IV, weight and armour were close to that of the PzKpfw III. The PzKpfw IV became the most numerous tank of the Panzer divisions, although already outclassed in 1942 it was easy to maintain and simpler to produce than other German tanks. The Ausf E was the major production variant, although the Ausf F with a long high velocity gun was the most impressive performer. First introduced in 1940 the 22 ton machine was progressively improved, with the addition of the L43 gun the most significant change - it could penetrate 80 mm of armour at 1800 m. Later variants further improved the gun but were mainly characterised by increasing the main armour and adding spacer and skirt armour to protect against anti-tank weapons. Zimmerit paste, to prevent magnetic charges attaching was also introduced on the PzKpfw IV. About 12,000 PzKpfw III variants were produced during the war, more than twice as many as the next tank.

Despite continued efforts with the ligher tanks throughout the war the German designers did produce a direct counter to the heavier Allied tanks with the PzKpfw V, the Panther (in 1944 the PzKpfw designation was dropped and the vehicle was known simply as the Panther). Design work on the replacement for the PzKpfw IV had begun in 1937 and prototypes were being tested in 1941. The emergence of the T-34 lead to an acceleration of this leisurely time-table. At the insistence of Guderian a team was dispatched to Russia in November 1941 to assess the T-34 and report. Three features of the Russian tank were considered as most significant, top was the sloping armour all round which gave much improved shot deflection and also increased the armour thickness against penetration; second was the wide track and large road wheels which improved stability; and third was the long over-hanging gun, a feature German designers had avoided up to then. Daimler-Benz and MAN were immediatley tasked with designing and building a new 30-35 ton tank by next Spring. At the same time the existing prototype tanks were up-gunned to 88 mm and ordered into prodction as the PzKpfw VI, the Tiger.

The two T-34 influenced proposals were delivered in April 1942. The Daimler-Benz design was a 'homage' to the T-34, ditching the propensity for engineering excellence, and hence complexity, to produce a clean, simple design with plenty of potential. The MAN design were more conventional to German thinking and was the one accepted by the Waffenprufamt 6 committee. A prototype was demanded by May and design detail work was assigned to Kniepkampf.

If the over-hanging gun and sloping armour are ignored the Panther is a conventional German design, its internal layout for the five crew was standard and it mechanicals were complex. Weighing 43 tons it was powered by a 700 hp 12 litre Maybach petrol engine driving eight double-leaved bogie wheels on each side, control was through a seven-speed synchromesh epicyclic box and hydraulic disc brakes. The armour was homogenous steel plate, welded but also interlocked for strength, orginal models had only 60 mm armour this was soon increased to 80 mm on the production Ausf D and later models had a maximum of 120 mm. Skirt protection and Zimmerit coating also became standard. The main gun was a 75 mm L70 with 79 rounds, supported by one or two MG 34 mahine guns.

The MAN design was officially accepted in September 1942 and put into immediate production with top priority, finished tanks were being produced just two months later and suffered from relaibility problems as a result of this haste. With a production target of 600 vehciles a month the work had to be expanded out of MAN to include Daimler-Benz and in 1943 the firms of Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen and Henschel. Due to disruption monthly production never approached the target, peaking in 1944 with 330 a month and ending around February 1945 with 4814 built. The Panther first saw action around Kursk on July 5, 1943.

German Development

Bursztyn Tank

A7V Sturmpanzerwagen

A7V - Allegmeine-Kriegs-Department 7, Abteilung Verkehrswesen (General War Department 7, Traffic Section) was designed in January of 1917 by Reserve Captain and Engineer Joseph Vollmer.General War Department 7, Traffic Section was raised in September of 1916, after first British tanks appeared on the battlefield. On November 13th of 1916, the German Army decided to build tanks and overall project was under direction of Joseph Vollmer.New tank was to be a universal platform to be used as a base for both a tank and cargo carrier.It was based on Holt tractor of which parts were obtained from Austria, where it was produced under licence.Vehicle was powered by two centrally mounted 100hp Daimler engines with commander’s cupola / compartment above them. First prototype was completed by Daimler-Benz and tested in April of 1917. The wooden mock-up of a final version was ready in May of 1917. First pre-production A7V was produced in September of 1917, followed by production model in October of 1917. All tanks received nicknames (e.g. Mephisto, Wotan, Isolde etc.) and were grouped in 1st, 2nd and 3rd Abteilung.It had its tank vs. tank debut against British tanks on March 21st of 1918 at St. Quentin and on April 21st at Villers-Bretonneux / Cachy. Only 20 out of 100 ordered (in December of 1917) were produced due to the steel shortages and overall low priority of the project. A7V was unstable and had a very poor trench-crossing performance due to its track design and minimal ground clearance.Two production types existed, early type with hull sides made of number of pieces (with large number of rivets) and late type with one piece hull sides.There were other numerous differences between individual tanks since all parts were handmade and made to fit given tank.In addition, its poor quality armor plates offered little protection for 18 men (in some cases 22 men) crew composed of artillerymen, infantrymen and mechanics.The main armament consisted of 57mm (Russian Sokol or Belgian Maxim Nordenfeld) gun and six heavy machine guns. Additional weapons were carried by the crew of whom some fought alongside the tank during combat.Along with A7V tanks, 30 to 75 unarmored cargo carriers - Uberlandwagen / Gelandewagen were produced. Some cargo carriers were fitted with ditch digging machinesFollowing the WWI, few (5?) tanks were received as reparations from Germany by Poland and pressed into limited service from 1919 to 1922, during the Polish-Soviet War but it has not been proven if Poland really received any A7V tanks.Today, original A7V Mephisto captured by Australian troops in 1918, can be seen in the museum in Brisbane, Queensland in Australia.Full scale replica build modelled after the original Mephisto can be seen at Panzermuseum at Munster, Germany.

A7V/U Sturmpanzerwagen A7V/U - Allegmeine-Kriegs-Department 7, Abteilung Verkehrswesen (General War Department 7, Traffic Section) / Umlaufende Ketten - (all-round tracks). Its design was by Vollmer based on original A7V but featured sponsons and all-round tracks (features copied from British tanks). Armament consisted of two Belgian Maxim Nordenfeld 57mm or Russian 57mm Sokol or German 77mm guns mounted in side sponsons along with four to six 7.92mm Maxim 08/15 machine guns.Its suspension was based on Holt tractor (just as A7V) and was 8.5m long.Maximum speed was 12.5km/h and it was powered by two Daimler engines (just as A7V) producing 210hp. Armor protection ranged from 20mm to 30mm and entire tank weighted 39.6 tons. A7V/U was operated by the crew of 7 men. It resembled British Mark IV (Hermaphrodite) tank but was larger. 20 were ordered in September of 1918, but only single prototype was produced by Daimler-Benz and then scrapped as it proved to be a failure.

A7V/U2 Sturmpanzerwagen / A7V/U3 Sturmpanzerwagen

A7V/U2 was to be a version with smaller sponsons and machine gun mounted in a cupola, while A7V/U3was to be armed only with machine guns. Both never entered production and remained as projects

K-Wagen / Kolossal-Wagen / Grosskampfwagen Super Heavy Breakthrough Tank

K-Wagen was designed by Joseph Vollmer and Captain Wegner (Weger?) and ordered in December of 1917, it was to enter service in 1919. It was designed so that it could be broken into four parts for rail transport. K-Wagen had a boxy hull mounted with sponsons. Armor protection ranged from 10 to 30mm and entire tank weighted 148-150 tons. The vehicle was to be 12.7m long, 3.0m wide (6.0m wide w sponsons) and 3.0m high.It featured roller-type tracks and was powered by two Daimler-Benz aerial engines (each producing 650hp) with electric-magnetic clutch transmission. Maximum speed was 7.5km/h.K-Wagen’s armament consisted of four 77mm guns (two mounted in each sponson) with 800 rounds of ammunition andseven 7.92mm Maxim 08/15 machine guns with 21000 rounds of ammunition.Modified U-Boot communications and control equipment was to be used. It was to be operated by the crew of 22 men.Production was delayed because of the material shortages and only two were under construction in November of 1918 at Riebe-Kugellager factory at Berlin, but were not completed. Both were eventually scrapped by the Allied Control Commission.

LK.I (Leichte Kampfwagen) Light (Cavalry) Tank

LK.I was designed by Joseph Vollmer and influenced by captured British Mark A Whippet Medium Tank. It was based on Daimler car chassis, using the existing axles for sprocket and idler wheels.It’s design followed typical automobile layout with the engine at the front and driving compartment in the rear. It was the first German tank to be mounted with the turret (rear mounted) armed with 7.92mm Maxim 08/15 machine gun. Armor protection was 8 to 14mm and entire tank weighted 6.89 tons. It was 5.08m long, 1.95m wide and 2.52m high. LK.I was powered by single Daimler-Benz Otto Model 1910 4-cylinder 50-60hp gasoline engine with operational range of 70km and maximum speed of 14km/h. It carried 140l of gasoline and was operated by 3 men crew. Only prototypes were produced in mid 1918, while 800 were ordered.

LK.II (Leichte Kampfwagen) Light (Cavalry) Tank LK.II was a further development and had the same layout as LK.I. Instead of a rear mounted turret, it was mounted with a superstructure (barbette) armed with 37mm Krupp or Russian 57mm Sokol gun. Armor protection was 8 to 14mm and its weight increased to 8.75 tons. It was also powered by single Daimler-Benz Otto Model 1910 4-cylinder 55-60hp gasoline engine was operated by 3 men crew. Maximum speed was 14 to 18km/h with range of 65-70km.It was 5.06 meters long, 1.95 meters wide and 2.52 meters high. Version armed with one or two 7.92mm Maxim 08/15 machine guns mounted in a rear mounted turret was also planned but it remained as a project. Only two prototypes were produced in June of 1918 and were followed by order for 580 tanks, which was never completed. After the war, German company had parts hidden from the Allied Control Commissionfor LK.II tanks. The Swedish government purchased 10 tanks in secrecy for 100000 Swedish Kronas and shipped the parts as boiler plates and agricultural equipment.The tanks were then assembled in Sweden as Stridsvagn m/21, which was an improved version of LK.II prototype. Strv m/21 was armed with a single 6.5mm machine guns. In 1929, m/21 were rebuild creating Strv m/21-29 variant. This variant was armed with 37mm gun or two machine guns and was powered by Scania-Vabis engine. One of Strv m/21-29 was driven by Heinz Guderian during his visit to Sweden in 1929. Strv m/21-21 remained in service until 1938 and today single example can be seen at Panzermuseum at Munster, Germany.Later on, the Germans bought a main share of the Landsverk Company and set up Joseph Vollmer as the main designer and in 1931, produced Strv m/31 (L-10), which was the first tank produced in Sweden.

LK.III (Leichte Kampfwagen) Light (Cavalry) Tank LK.III was to be an improved and redesigned version of LK.II tank with front mounted turret and rear mounted engine.It was to be no longer based on Daimler car chassis but on specially designed components. The main armament was to be either Russian 57mm Sokol gun or 20mm Becker Flieger Kanone. 1000 were ordered but not even the prototype was completed before November of 1918.

Kraftprotze - Krupp (Infantry) Light Tank Designed by Krupp, this light infantry tank was to be operated by the crew of two and featured protection shield for the following infantry. It was to be armed with a single machine gun. Prototype was not completed.

Sturmpanzerwagen Oberschlesien Heavy Breakthrough / Assault Tank Designed by Oberschlesien Eisenwerk (Oberschlesien-Eisen-Industrie at Gleiwitz), it featured central turret armed with 37mm or 57mm gun and two small turrets, each armed with a machine gun. The tank was planned to weight some 19000kg. It was powered by 195hp engine and could travel at maximum speed of 19km/h. Maximum armor protection was to be 14mm. It was to be operated by the crew of 5 men.Two prototypes were ordered but were only partially completed when the war ended.

Daimler Sturmwagen Designed by Daimler, it was similar to Krupp’s Light Tank but did not even reach the prototype stage.It was also to be armed with a single machine gun.

Daimler Benz’s Grosstraktor I as monument at the barracks of Panzer Regiment 1 in Erfurt.

Between 1926 and 1932, Rheinmetall-Borsig, MAN, Krupp and Daimler Benz were ordered by Reichswehr to build prototypes of light (10-12 tons) and medium tanks (to 23 tons) under the cover name of "tractor" in order to hide their military potential from the Treaty of Versailles. Prototypes were tested from 1926 to 1933 at Kama (Panzertruppenschule Kama), near Kazan in USSR under high security. Kama was the codename created by words Kazan and Malbrandt. Oberstleutenant Malbrandt was the one, who selected the location for artillery and tank testing. Kama was joined Red Army and Reichswehr training and testing ground of military technology. This was part of German - Soviet treaty from Rapallo signed in 1922, which focused on development of military technology as well as Berlin Friendship Treaty of 1924. Their designs were based on lessons learned with the development of Leichte Kampfwagen I and II (1918-1919), which existed only as prototypes.

In 1927, Germans designed two self-propelled guns based on fully tracked Hamomag tractors as commercial Hanomag tractors were already in use with the army. First was 3.7cm WD Schlepper 25PS, which was a lightly armored 25hp Hanomag WD tractor with pedestal mounted 37mm PaK L/45 gun. The gun had limited traverse of 30 degrees only. The vehicle also carried single machine gun for defence.Second was 7.7cm WD Schlepper 50PS, which was 50hp Hanomag WD tractor with pedestal mounted 77mm K light gun. The gun had full 360 degrees traverse.Both self-propelled guns were accepted into service with the German Army (Reichswehr) in 1927. Small number of vehicles was produced and was used mainly for testing.

Development of light tanks was initiated in May of 1928 and in October of 1928, Krupp and Rheinmetall-Borsig were ordered to design light tanks. The vehicle was to be based on the chassis that could be also used as a base for a self-propelled mount for 37mm gun, armored supply carrier and tractor.Krupp in co-operation with Rheinmetall-Borsig began work on three prototypes. Krupp produced 4 men prototype powered by 6 cylinder 100hp Daimler-Benz M36 truck engine.Rheinmetall’s 4 men prototype was powered also powered by Daimler-Benz M36 truck engine.Both designs had very similar specifications and were very similar in their design with the main difference being the suspension.Krupp used coil springs, while Rheinmetall used leaf springs suspension.Both vehicles known as Leichte Traktor (VK 31) were armed with 37mm KwK L/45 and light machine gun mounted in a turret (designed and produced by Swedish AB Landsverk and Bofors) mounted in the rear. Prototypes were ready in April and May of 1930 and two Krupp and two Rheinmetall vehicles were then tested in Kama in June of 1930. Rheinmetall-Borsig also produced third (mild steel) prototype, which was a 3 men self-propelled mount for 37mm Pak L/45 gun. This early Panzerjager was basically the same as the tank version with main difference being smaller turret and modified superstructure. Leichte Traktor vehicles proved to be successful during tests and were used for training purposes at Kama but were seen as not totally suited for combat.From 1931 to 1932, Rheinmetall worked on improving and modifying their prototypes (e.g. new track type and suspension). In 1931, 289 were ordered but in 1932, this project was cancelled in favour of other developments (such as Kleintraktor / La.S) and both Krupp and Rheinmetall produced only 3 prototypes.In 1933, co-operation with the Soviet Union ended and all four vehicles returned to Germany, where they were used for training at Panzer Gunnery School at Alt-Gaarz at Wustrow. Eventually, one of Rheinmetall’s prototypes with modified suspension ended up as a monument at Putlos.

In 1925, Rheinmetall-Borsig, Daimler Benz and Krupp were ordered to design medium (heavy) tanks - codenamed Armeewagen 20 (Army Car 20). The following specifications were to be fulfilled: length of 6m, width of 2.4m, 75mm gun mounted in a rotating turret and weigth of 15tons. Each company was to produce two mild steel (6-14mm) prototypes disguised as commercial vehicles.Krupp designed their own turret, while Rheinmetall designed a turret to be mounted on their own design and that of Daimler-Benz.Work started in 1925 and tests were planned for 1929/30.Daimler Benz’s Grosstraktor I was designed by Dr.Porsche and was armed with single 75mm KwK L/24 gun and three to four 7.92mm schwere MGs. It had amphibious capabilities and was powered by Daimler M182206, 6-cylinder gasoline engine with total power of 255(260)hp. It had a leaf springs sophisticated suspension and hull design. Only two mild steel prototypes were built in 1929 (nr.41) and 1930 (nr.42) and were secretly tested. It appears that one of the prototypes was rearmed with a longer version of 75mm gun. Both vehicles had problems with their transmissions and their testing was limited.

In 1931, Major-General Oswald Lutz was appointed the "Inspector of Motor Transport" in the German Army (Reichswehr) with Heinz Guderian as his Chief of Staff. Both realized the need for creation of German Armored Forces and light training tank to train future personnel of Panzer Divisions. In 1932, specifications for light (5-ton) tank were made and issued to Rheinmetall, Krupp, Henschel, MAN and Daimler Benz. The designers work was based on experiences from co-operation with Swedish Landsverk Company and previous "secret" projects.

In 1933, the Heereswaffenamt ordered the development of Kleintraktor - an armored vehicle between 4 and 7 tons in weight. It was designated La.S (Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper / LaS - agricultural tractor) to hide its true purpose from the Treaty of Versailles. Rheinmetall, Krupp, Henschel, MAN and Daimler Benz submitted their prototypes which were very similar to each other but Krupp’s design of Krupp-Traktor was selected.

It’s design was partially based on British Carden Loyd Mk.IV tankette chassis of which two were secretly purchased from Russia in 1932. In late 1920s and early 1930s, Germans closely co-operated with Russians in the development of armored vehicles at Kama, near Kazan in USSR. Russia purchased two Carden Loyd Mk.IV tankettes from Great Britain in 1929, and based on its design produced T-27 tankette. Krupp’s design was then once again modified and in the Summer of 1933, five LaS chassis produced were tested at Kummersdorf. It was then decided to mount Krupp’s chassis with Daimler-Benz’s superstructure and turret.

After further tests in February of 1934, improved LKA 1 (LaS) designated as PzKpfw I Ausf A entered production in April of 1934. Originally, Ausf A was known as MG Panzerwagen - Versuchkraftfahrzeug 617, before it entered production as Ausf A. In April, 15 PzKpfw I Ausf A were produced and all were presented to Adolf Hitler by Heinz Guderian.

Panzerkampfwagen I was produced in two main very similar variants Ausf A (1934) and Ausf B (1935), which had different suspensions and engines. Ausf A was produced from July of 1934 to June of 1936 , while Ausf B was produced from August of 1935 to June of 1937. Both were produced by Henschel, MAN, Krupp-Gruson and Daimler-Benz. Ausf A proved to be underpowered and its very loud 57hp Krupp engine overheated and Ausf B with its 100hp Maybach engine was an improved version of Ausf A. Both models had identical turret and superstructure but Ausf B was longer (additional roadwheel) and had new modified engine deck (new engine). Both variants were operated by two men crew - a driver and a commander/gunner. The main armament consisted of two 7.92mm MG13 Dreyse (medium) machine guns with rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute.

In 1935/36, Panzer I Ausf A was experimentally mounted with Krupp M601 diesel engine, but it could only produce 45hp of power, and the idea of diesel powered vehicle was rejected.

In 1934, single example of PzKpfw I Ausf A was sold to Hungary. In 1942, Hungary probably purchased few more for training purposes. The most exotic user of PzKpfw I was Chiang Kai-shek’s National Government China, which purchased 15 PzKpfw I Ausf As in late 1936 (along with other German equipment). Also, it is reported that small number was exported to Finland. Possibly, PzKpfw Is also equipped Croatian Army.

Its debut (combat test) was during Spanish Civil War (1936-38). First 32 PzKpfw I along with single Kleiner Panzer Befehlswagen I arrived in October of 1936. Only 106 tanks, (102 Ausf A, Ausf B and 4 Kleiner Panzer Befehlswagen I) saw service with "Condor Legion" (Major Ritter von Thoma’s Panzer Abteilung 88 also known as Abteilung Drohne) and General Franco’s "Nationalists". Pz.Abt.88 with its 3 companies was based at Cubas near Toledo, where German instructors trained future Spanish crews, while the unit was used for training duties and combat (e.g. assault on Madrid). Panzerkampfwagen I tanks proved to be outclassed by Soviet T-26 and BT-5 provided to "The Republicans".

Since late 1938, it was realized that Panzerkampfwagen I did not have any potential as a combat tank and further development of it into a fast reconnaissance and light infantry tank was started. Panzerkampfwagen I was a little tank that was designed as light training tank for the pre-war Panzer Divisions never intended to be be used in combat conditions but was used as a light combat tank until 1942. It was cheap, fast and maneuverable but its armor and armament were both very weak, because of its original design capabilities. It was Germany’s first mass produced armored fighting vehicle. In the early 1942, Panzerkampfwagen Is were taken out of service and were handed over to the Police and Anti-partisan units.

Rheinmetall-Borsig’s Grosstraktor II

Rheinmetall-Borsig’s Grosstraktor II was armed with single 75mm KwK L/24 gun and three to four 7.92mm schwere MGs. Its overall design was simpler from that of Grosstraktor I, it included side access doors and also had amphibious capabilities. Only two prototypes were produced, first in 1928 (nr.45) and the second one in 1929 (nr.46), while both were then modified in 1930, 1932 and 1933. Rheinmetall’s design was powered by 6-cylinder BMW Va engine with total power of 250hp.Krupp’s Grosstraktor III was also similar to other designs but differed with many detail differences. Also only two prototypes were produced, first in 1928 (nr.43) and the second one in 1929 (nr.44), while both were then modified in 1931. Both vehicles had coil springs suspension and their weight (16-16.4tons) and speed (40-44km/h) depended on the prototype.In general, all were similar in design to British Medium Tank Mark III and Medium Tank Mark C.

None of those prototypes entered production due to numerous problems and defects encountered during tests. In 1933, after completed test and completed co-operation with the Soviet Union, four functional vehicles returned to Germany. Krupp and Rheinmetall-Borsig prototypes were used for training purposes in continuation with work started at Kama. Eventually, they were handed over to the 1st Panzer Division and took part in maneuvers in August of 1935. Both Daimler-Benz Grosstraktors ended up as monuments at 1st Panzer Regiment headquarters at Erfurt and 5th Panzer Regiment headquarters at Wundsdorf. After 1935, remaining four prototypes were used for training purposes at Panzer Gunnery School at Putlos. In 1937, one of Krupp and Rheinmetall Grosstraktors ended up as a monument at 5th Panzer Regiment headquarters at Wunsdorf. The remaining two were either scrapped or used for target practice.Grosstraktors were extensively tested and lessons learned from them provided the German designers with valuable experience, which was then used in the direct development of Neubaufahrzeug and eventually of other designs.

Another of early German armored fighting vehicles was Räder-Raupen Kampfwagen M 28 (GFK). The vehicle was designed by Merker in 1928 and was a light tank with a switchable running gear. The vehicle was developed for Swedish Landsverk (partially owned by the Germans) and six prototypes were produced. Single one was tested at Kama in 1930, but the vehicle proved to be problematic. Germans were not interested in continuation of the development and in 1929, further development took place in Sweden by Landsverk. Based on Räder-Raupen Kampfwagen M 28 (GFK) in 1931, Landsverk produced few L-30 (Strv fm/31) and in 1933, L-80 prototype. numbers and

As early as 1934/35, General Heinz Guderian envisioned two basic types to act as the most numerous equipment for the future German Panzer Divisions. The first vehicle was to be armed with anti-tank gun and two machine guns and second one was to be a support vehicle armed with a larger caliber gun. The first one eventually became known as Panzerkampfwagen III, which was to be a standard tank for the three light companies of a tank battalion. The second one became known as Panzerkampfwagen IV.

In 1935, development orders for a 15-ton full-tracked vehicle based on the specifications by Waffenamt were issued to MAN (Nurnberg), Daimler-Benz AG (Berlin-Marienfelde), Rheinmetall-Borsig (Berlin) and Krupp AG (Essen). In order to maintain secrecy, new vehicle was known as Zugfuhrerwagen (ZW) - platoon commander’s vehicle. The vehicle was designated Versuchkraftfahrzeug 619, Mittlerer Traktor (Medium Tractor) and 3.7cm Geschutz-Panzerwagen. Panzerkampfwagen III’s development began with a conflict between Waffenamt (the Ordnance Department) and the Inspector for Mechanized Troops about the main armament. Waffenamt selected and was satisfied with 37mm gun, while the Inspector for Mechanized Troops demanded 50mm gun. In the end, 37mm gun was chosen as the main armament of the new vehicle. The decision was based on the fact that the infantry was already equipped with standard 37mm Pak 35/36 L/45 anti-tank gun as well as that only one gun and one type of ammunition had to be produced. The turret and turret ring were still capable of mounting heavier gun as it was selected by the Inspector for Mechanized Troops. Armor protection was to be heavier in the front rather than rear since, new vehicle was to be used in forward elements of assault tank formations. The top speed was specified to be 40km/h. The vehicle was to be operated by the crew of five men, with commander, gunner and loader in the turret and the driver and radio operator in the hull front. The communication between crewmembers was through the use of intercom system.Panzer III was the first of German Panzers to be equipped with intercom system for in-tank communications. Later on all of Panzers were equipped with this device which, proved to be very effective during combat.

In 1940/41, attempts were made to standardize the production of Panzer III and Panzer IV. Few prototypes based on Panzer III Ausf G/H with new large overlapping roadwheels and FAMO suspension were produced - PzKpfw III Ausf G/H mit Schachtellaufwerk. Since 1940, prototypes were used for testing and training purposes. Further development was halted and in 1943/44, prototypes were fitted with dozers and were used to clean up the streets of bombed cities. This suspension was later adopted in Tiger and Panther.

PzKpfw NbFz V (Rheinmetall)

Development of new medium tank started in October of 1932 and in 1933, Army High Command (Reichswehr) granted a contract for a development of "heavy tractor" (Grosstraktor). Both Rheinmetall-Borsig and Krupp were ordered to develop heavy tank and both provided their designs. At first vehicles were designated as PzKpfw VII (PzKpfw IV neu Art), but in October of 1933, they were designated as Neubaufahrzeug ("Newly Built Vehicle"). Rheinmetall’s Model A and Krupp’s Model B were very similar in their overall design and mainly differed in the armament and arrangement of the weapons mounted in the turret. Rheinmetall’s (PzKpfw NbFz V) design had 37mm Tankkanone L/45 installed over a 75mm KwK L/24 and Krupp’s (PzKpfw NbFz VI) design had 37mm Tankkanone L/45 installed beside 75mm KwK L/24. Both designs had two slightly modified Panzer I’s turrets armed with machine guns (one mounted in the front and other in the rear). Those two tank designs were to complete the family of standardized German tanks.

PzKpfw NbFz V and VI’s designs were very similar to the British Vickers "Independent" tank, Soviet T-35, French Char-2C and proved to be too complex to produce and did not perform as expected. Only two (designated Nr.1 and Nr.2) mild steel prototypes were built by Rheinmetall in 1934 and three more armored prototypes (designated Nr.3, Nr.4 and Nr.5) in 1935/36. NbFz Nr.1 was the only one mounted with Rheinmetall’s turret armed with 37mm Tankkanone L/45 installed over a 75mm KwK L/24 gun and turret mounted frame antenna. Other four vehicles were mounted with Krupp’s turret armed with 37mm Tankkanone L/45 installed beside 75mm KwK L/24, while 105mm KwK L/28 gun was planned. In August of 1935, Nr.1 and Nr.2 took part in the exercises of a Panzer Division, while the other three were extensively tested on the proving grounds at Putloss in 1935 and 1936. In 1937, it was decided to convert NbFz tanks to Nebel Panzer armed with 105mm gun able to fire smoke ammunition, but there is no further evidence. At that time the German Army wanted to gain experience with multi-turreted tanks but soon this project was cancelled in favour of the Panzerkampfwagen IV development which would eventually become the main battle tank of the Panzertruppe. Overall multi-turreted tanks were inferior to German designs and tactics which relied on high mobility rate instead of firepower. In Spring of 1939, Krupp’s PzKpfw NbFz VI was shown at the International Automobile Exposition in Berlin.

Three (with Krupp turret) of the five saw service with Panzer Abteilung zur besonderer Vervendung 40 in Norway in 1940. All three formed platoon size unit known as Panzerzug Horstmann / Zug Putloss, commanded by Lieutenant Hans Horstmann.They arrived in Oslo on April 19th of 1940 and gave the appearance of Germany having heavy tanks. Two served with PzAbt zbV 40, while the thirdserved with 196th Infantry Division. This particular vehicle was immobilized but not destroyed by the British soldiers (see "The History of a Rare Panzer" below), while one of two from PzAbt zbV 40, drove into the swampy area at Andalsnes and got stuck and was eventually blown up by the German engineers (that explains "The History of a Rare Panzer" below).On May 16th, the lost Nbfz was replaced by one of the mild steel prototypes and PzAbt zbV 40 had once again three NbFz tanks.It is known that PzAbt zbV 40 was stationed at Akershus Fortress (Oslo) in Norway in 1941 and then in Finland in 1942, but it seems that NbFz tanks never left Norway and were eventually captured by the Allies in 1945 and then scrapped.

German source states that NbFz tanks were part of von Kleist’s 1st Panzer Gruppe on the Eastern Frontand that one of them was destroyed near Dubno on June 28th or 29th of 1941. Another source states that other two were destroyed near Romanian border in June of 1941. It is also reported that both returned to Germany in November of 1941. The only photographic evidence is that from Krupp factory from mid 1942, where one of Nbfz (Nr.1) tanks is being repaired with Sturmgeschutz III(40) assault guns on production line in the background. Probably one of two mild steel prototypes built in 1934 remained in Germany for tests and was eventually scrapped in 1941. The development of Leichte Traktor, Grosstraktors and Neubaufahrzeugs provided German designers and manufacturers with valuable experience in designing and producing the next generation of more powerful panzers that were soon to come.

On the 25th April 1940, Gruppe Pellangahr (made up of elements of the 196 Infantry Division and some of PzAbt zbV 40 - special employment unit) ran into a British blocking position held by the 1st Battalion of Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry atthe village of Kvam. The British had no heavy weapons only two 3" mortarsand five 25mm French Hotchkiss anti-tank guns. The lead element of the German advance included 3 panzers at least one of which was a NbFz VI (I believe there may have been two of them but I’m not sure). The British held theirfire until the enemy was at the range of 150 yards and then opened fire. The Panzers then attempted to maneuver into position, it was at this time that the NbFz VI was put out of action by one of the anti-tank guns (I believe also that a second panzer was immobilized). The Germans stoppedto bring up their guns and call up the Luftwaffe, the British managed tohold on until the evening of the 26th before withdrawing. The remains of the NbFz VI (a section of the running gear) can still beseen in the small museum at Kvam and until the late 1980’s the 25mm anti-tank gun was still to be seen in good condition, left in spot where it was left by its previous owners in April of 1940.

Panzerkampfwagen I

In 1931, Major-General Oswald Lutz was appointed the "Inspector of Motor Transport" in the German Army (Reichswehr) with Heinz Guderian as his Chief of Staff. Both realized the need for creation of German Armored Forces and light training tank to train future personnel of Panzer Divisions. In 1932, specifications for light (5-ton) tank were made and issued to Rheinmetall, Krupp, Henschel, MAN and Daimler Benz. The designers work was based on experiences from co-operation with Swedish Landsverk Company and previous "secret" projects.

In 1933, the Heereswaffenamt ordered the development of Kleintraktor - an armored vehicle between 4 and 7 tons in weight. It was designated La.S (Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper / LaS - agricultural tractor) to hide its true purpose from the Treaty of Versailles. Rheinmetall, Krupp, Henschel, MAN and Daimler Benz submitted their prototypes which were very similar to each other but Krupp’s design of Krupp-Traktor was selected.

It’s design was partially based on British Carden Loyd Mk.IV tankette chassis of which two were secretly purchased from Russia in 1932. In late 1920s and early 1930s, Germans closely co-operated with Russians in the development of armored vehicles at Kama, near Kazan in USSR. Russia purchased two Carden Loyd Mk.IV tankettes from Great Britain in 1929, and based on its design produced T-27 tankette. Krupp’s design was then once again modified and in the Summer of 1933, five LaS chassis produced were tested at Kummersdorf. It was then decided to mount Krupp’s chassis with Daimler-Benz’s superstructure and turret.

After further tests in February of 1934, improved LKA 1 (LaS) designated as PzKpfw I Ausf A entered production in April of 1934. Originally, Ausf A was known as MG Panzerwagen - Versuchkraftfahrzeug 617, before it entered production as Ausf A. In April, 15 PzKpfw I Ausf A were produced and all were presented to Adolf Hitler by Heinz Guderian.

Panzerkampfwagen I was produced in two main very similar variants Ausf A (1934) and Ausf B (1935), which had different suspensions and engines. Ausf A was produced from July of 1934 to June of 1936 , while Ausf B was produced from August of 1935 to June of 1937. Both were produced by Henschel, MAN, Krupp-Gruson and Daimler-Benz. Ausf A proved to be underpowered and its very loud 57hp Krupp engine overheated and Ausf B with its 100hp Maybach engine was an improved version of Ausf A. Both models had identical turret and superstructure but Ausf B was longer (additional roadwheel) and had new modified engine deck (new engine). Both variants were operated by two men crew - a driver and a commander/gunner. The main armament consisted of two 7.92mm MG13 Dreyse (medium) machine guns with rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute.

In 1935/36, Panzer I Ausf A was experimentally mounted with Krupp M601 diesel engine, but it could only produce 45hp of power, and the idea of diesel powered vehicle was rejected. In 1935, Krupp started work on Leichte Kampfwagen Ausland light tank destined for export following guidelines by Waffenamt. In 1936, Krupp designed Leichte Kampfwagen Ausland, which was modelled after Panzerkampfwagen I. Two versions were to be produced: L.K.A.1 - M.G.-Kampfwagen (also known as M.G. K.A. / L-10) and L.K.A.2 - 2 cm Kampfwagen (also known as 2 cm K.A. / L-20). Krupp also designed version of L.K.A.2 with heavier armor designated 2 cm K.A.v. but it was decided to base it on medium tank m.K.A. The devopment continued until 1940, including medium tank m.K.A. (also known as 4.5cm K.A.v. / M-10) armed with 45mm KwK L/50 gun. Entire program never reached a production stage and was ended.

In 1935/36, Krupp also produced Leichte Kampfwagen B (L.K.B.) light tank for Bulgaria, which was a modified Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B mounted with Krupp’s M 311 V-8 gasoline engine. Three modified versions - L.K.B. 1, 2 and 3 were produced along with 2 cm L.K.B. armed with 20mm automatic cannon. Just as the L.K.A program, no vehicles reached a production stage and entire program was ended.

Both Ausf A and Ausf B were also produced as turretless tanks used for training purposes (PzKpfw I Ausf A ohne Aufbau) and as maintenance vehicles (PzKpfw I Ausf B ohne Aufbau). Eventually both vehicles were used as training vehicles.

In 1934, single example of PzKpfw I Ausf A was sold to Hungary. In 1942, Hungary probably purchased few more for training purposes. The most exotic user of PzKpfw I was Chiang Kai-shek’s National Government China, which purchased 15 PzKpfw I Ausf As in late 1936 (along with other German equipment). Also, it is reported that small number was exported to Finland. Possibly, PzKpfw Is also equipped Croatian Army.

Its debut (combat test) was during Spanish Civil War (1936-38). First 32 PzKpfw I along with single Kleiner Panzer Befehlswagen I arrived in October of 1936. Only 106 tanks, (102 Ausf A, Ausf B and 4 Kleiner Panzer Befehlswagen I) saw service with "Condor Legion" (Major Ritter von Thoma’s Panzer Abteilung 88 also known as Abteilung Drohne) and General Franco’s "Nationalists". Pz.Abt.88 with its 3 companies was based at Cubas near Toledo, where German instructors trained future Spanish crews, while the unit was used for training duties and combat (e.g. assault on Madrid). Panzerkampfwagen I tanks proved to be outclassed by Soviet T-26 and BT-5 provided to "The Republicans".

Some Panzerkampfwagen I captured by "The Republicans" were rearmed with French Hotchkiss 25mm Model 1934 or 1937 anti-tank guns mounted in a modified turret (PzKpfw I Ausf. A mit 20mm Flak L/65 Breda Model 1935). During Spanish Civil War, PzKpfw I Ausf B was experimentally armed with Italian 20mm Breda Modello (model) 1935 light anti-aircraft gun mounted in a modified turret, in order to increase its combat potential. Some sources state that three tanks were converted that way.

PzKpfw Is equipped two Nationalist tank battalions (Agrupacion de Carros) - 1st and 2nd Tank Battalion. German High Command used the opportunity of the Spanish Civil War to test their new weapons and tactics of Blitzkrieg. Its very thin armor offered only protection against small firearms and its twin MGs were no match for anything other than infantry units and proved completly useless in combat.

From 1942 to 1943, all existing PzKpfw I tanks in service were converted to load carriers mounted with a large steel box in place of an removed turret and superstructure, while some only had the turrets removed. They were used as ammunition carriers and designated as Munitionsschlepper Auf Panzerkampfwagen Ia und Ib (SdKfz3III). They remained in service even after 1943.

Since late 1938, it was realized that Panzerkampfwagen I did not have any potential as a combat tank and further development of it into a fast reconnaissance and light infantry tank was started. Both Ausf C and Ausf F were completely new designs sharing only limited number of components with standard Panzer I Ausf B. PzKpfw I Ausf C - neuer Art (VK 601) was a fast light reconnaissance tank. It was produced by Krauss-Maffei and Daimler-Benz from late 1942 to early 1943 with only 40(46) being produced. Ausf D - neuer Art verstarkt (VK 602) was an up-armored and improved version of Ausf C produced in limited number. Panzer I Ausf F - neuer Art verstarkt (up-armored new model) (VK 1801) was a heavily armored infantry assault tank. It was produced by Daimler-Benz and Krauss-Maffei from April of 1942 to January of 1943 with only 30 being produced. In May of 1942, 5 Ausf F were issued to 1st Company of Pz.Abt.z.b.V.66 to be used originaly during invasion of Crete (Operation Herkules), but instead were sent to near Leningrad in Russia. In Russia, 1st Company of Pz.Abt.z.b.V.66 was attached to 29th Panzer Regiment of 12th Panzer Division, where they remained in small number till July of 1943. In May of 1943, 5 Ausf F were issued to 2nd Polizei Panzer Company (neu) from Vienna, which was transfered to the Eastern Front. All tanks were lost by August of 1944. In March of 1943, 2 Ausf C and 8 Ausf F were issued to 1st Panzer Regiment of 1st Panzer Division and saw service in Russia, Yugoslavia and Greece to the end of the year. Some 38 PzKpfw I Ausf C were assigned to reserve units of the LVIII Panzer Corps and ended up in Normandy, where they were lost in 1944. Ausf C/D/F never entered full production. Today, PzKpfw I Ausf F from 1st Panzer Division captured in 1943 can be seen in the Museum of Armored Forces in Kubinka (near Moscow) in Russia and second one at the Kalemagdan Fortress in Belgrade, Serbia.

Panzer I was extensively used in pre-war maneuvers and propaganda events (e.g. Nuremberg Rallies) and then during Polish, Western European and African Campaigns. PzKpfw I was the main tank of the German army during the Polish Campaign and some 1445 were in service (approx. 50% of all tanks in service). PzKpfw Is which were sent to Africa were equipped with larger filters and were equipped with improved ventilation system.

During African campaign, small number of Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf As was converted in the field by Africa Korps (5th Light Division) during Battle of Tobruk in 1941 into Flammenwerfer auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf A (a similar conversion was done to Ausf Bs during Spanish Civil War). It was armed with light portable infantry Flammenwerfer (flamethrower model) 40 and MG (in place of right hand machine gun). Some 10 to 12 bursts could be fired with a range of 25m.

Panzerkampfwagen II

In July of 1934, the Waffenamt (Ordnance Department) ordered the development of an armored vehicle 10 tons in weight and armed with 20mm automatic cannon. In early 1935, number of manufacturers including Krupp AG, MAN (chassis only), Henschel und Sohn AG (chassis only) and Daimler-Benz AG provided their prototypes of Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper 100 (LaS 100) - agricultural tractor, for evaluation by the army. The new vehicle was also known as 2cm MG Panzerwagen and as VK 622 (Versuchkraftfahrzeug 622). New light tank - Panzerkampfwagen II was to supplement new Panzerkampfwagen I light tank as a vehicle with heavier armament capable of firing armor-piercing and high explosive rounds. Krupp was the first to present their design, but it was not adopted and it was then decided to utilize chassis designed by MAN and hull by Daimler-Benz. In October of 1935, first soft steel prototype was tested and 10 LaS 100 tanks, later designated as Ausf a1 were ordered. From late 1935 to May of 1936, MAN produced 10 Ausf a1 tanks.

Panzerkampfwagen II (Sd.Kfz.121) was larger than Panzerkampfwagen I but was still a light training tank and entered combat service due to the delays in production of Panzerkampfwagen III and Panzerkampfwagen IV as a "stop-gap" vehicle for the expanding Panzertruppen. As well as Panzerkampfwagen I, it did not prove very effective in combat, although it was the main battle tank of the Panzertruppen until 1940/41. Overall, Panzerkampfwagen II just like Panzerkampfwagen I was ineffective as a combat tank but was an important step in the development of more powerful panzers. In good hands, it was a good light tank and effective light reconnaissance tank that provided German designers and manufacturers with more tank building experience. As any other panzer, its chassis became a base for usual conversions including Marder II tank destroyers and Wespe self-propelled howitzer as well as other built on its chassis and/or using its components - e.g. Flammpanzer II Flamingo / PzKpfw II(F) - flamethrower tank, Schwimmpanzer II - an amphibious tank and Sturmpanzer II Bison - self-propelled gun.

Also suspension of Panzerkampfwagen II was used to convert standard trucks to halftracked trucks - Maultier (Mule). Krupp also worked on the concept of utilizing Panzerkampfwagen II’s chassis and components as a base for the dismountable weapon carrier (Waffentrager), armed with 105mm leFH howitzer. In early 1943, Rheinmetall-Borsig mounted single Panzerkampfwagen II chassis with captured Soviet 120mm model 1938 mortar, while testing the concept of rigid mounted armament.

Armor of Panzerkampfwagen II was its weak spot as it was outclassed when tank entered service. It was very thin and did not offer any protection against anything other than firearms and shell fragments (e.g. vulnerable turret ring later provided with a protective shield). The main armament of 20mm cannon was adequate at the time of its introduction into service but soon proved to be an outclassed weapon. It was effective against soft targets but proved to be ineffective against majority of Allied armor.

After the Fall of France, there were tests to rearm Panzerkampfwagen II with captured French 37mm SA 38 gun but they were never concluded. Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf a/1 to Ausf F were armed with 20mm KwK 30 L/55 automatic cannon (developed from 20mm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft cannon) with rare of fire of 280 rounds per minute and coaxial Rheinmetall-Borsig 7.92mm MG34 machine gun. Cannon was mounted on the left and machine on the right side in the turret. The 20mm cannon was fitted with various models of TZF4 optical sight depending on the variant. The turret itself was offset to the left and had commanders split hatch replaced later by commander’s cupola. Inside the fighting compartment stored were 180 20mm rounds (in 10 round magazines) and 2250 7.92mm rounds (in 17 belt bags). In addition, some tanks were equipped with smoke grenade projectors for close defence.

Panzerkampfwagen II was operated by three men crew composed of driver located in the front of the hull, commander/gunner and loader/radio-operator in the turret. Commander sat on seat in turret, while the loader stood on the turret’s floor. The communication between commander and driver was by the use of the voice tube. Communication equipment consisted of FuG5 USW receiver and 10-watt transmitter, which gave the tank advantage on the battlefield over most of the opponents. Early models had rounded nose plate replaced by two angled armor plates joined at 70-degree angle. Also, early models carried 200l of fuel and starting with Ausf F this was reduced to 170l. Tanks sent to North Africa were modified with tropical ventilation and filtering system to operate in dusty and dry climate - Tropisch (Tp). Many Panzerkampfwagen II tanks were retrofitted, reworked and up-armored during their service to keep them operational longer creating hybrid variants.

Ausf a/1, a/2 and a/3 were pre-production vehicles, which entered service for testing purposes without their mechanical problems being completely solved and remained in service until mid/late 1941. Each subsequent variant featured some modifications e.g. to the layout, engine and cooling and exhaust system as well as the suspension to correct problems encountered in the previous variant. Their suspension was developed from the Panzerkampfwagen I and consisted of three articulated pairs of road-wheels connected by an outside girder. Models Ausf a1/a2/a3 were powered by 130hp Maybach HL 57 TR 6-cylinder engine with ZF Aphon SSG45 6-speed gearbox. New tanks had operational road range of 200km. Armor protection ranged from 5 to 13mm.

Overall, 75 of PzKpfw II Ausf a/1 (10 - late 1935 to May 1936), a/2 (15 - May 1936 to February 1937) and a/3 (50 - May 1936 to February 1937) tanks were produced from late 1935 to March of 1937 by MAN and Daimler-Benz (chassis number 20001-20075). Cost of single Ausf a tank with armament was 52640RM.

Ausf b was also a pre-production vehicle with modifications introduced a solution to problems of first three variants. MAN and Daimler-Benz produced only 25 from February to March of 1937 (chassis number 21001-21025). Ausf b had the same but improved suspension as its predecessors as well as modified transmission, cooling and exhaust system. It was powered by 140hp Maybach HL 62 TR 6-cylinder engine (standard engine for all Panzerkampfwagen II tanks) with road range of 200km. Armor protection ranged from 5 to 13mm.

In March of 1937, new variant Ausf c appeared. It featured modifications and new suspension, which consisted of five independent road-wheels and became standard for following models of Panzerkampfwagen II. Variants Ausf A/B/C were modified and improved production versions of Ausf c and became main production versions. There were only minor differences between Ausf A/B/C and all four variants had improved armor protection, which ranged from 5 to 16mm. In May of 1940, protection was increased by addition of 20mm plates to front areas as a result of experience with Polish anti-tank rifles in September of 1939. Ausf c, A, B and C weighted 8.9 tons and had a road range of 200km. All four were powered by Maybach HL 62 TR engine with ZF Aphon SSG46 gearbox (Ausf A-C). From March of 1937 to April of 1940, 1113 Ausf c, A, B and C tanks were produced by MAN, Daimler-Benz, Henschel, Wegmann, Alkett, MIAG and FAMO (chassis number 21101-27000). Cost of single Ausf B tank without armament was 38000RM. Chassis of Ausf A, B and C were also used as a base for Marder II (Sd.Kfz.131) tank destroyer. One of the most interesting conversions was modified Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf A/B/Cs mounted with superstructure similar to Marder II (Sd.Kfz.131) and armed with 50mm Pak 38 L/60 gun (due to shortage of 75mm Pak 40 guns), designated as 5cm PaK38 L/60 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf). It was an experimental mounting, which was then developed to accommodate larger guns - Marder Series.

In May of 1938, first Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D/E (Schnellkampfwagen - fast fighting vehicle) were produced by MAN as light tanks for cavalry units. Only 43 were produced from May of 1938 to August of 1939 (chassis number 27001-28000). They featured unsuccessful Famo/Christie-type suspension similar to those developed by the British and Soviets. Top speed of new tanks was 55km/h, compared to 40km/h of regular Panzerkampfwagen II tanks. Both were powered by 140hp Maybach HL 62 TRM 6-cylinder engine with Maybach Variorex VG 102128 7-speed gearbox. The main difference between two were the modifications made to the track and wheels from Ausf D to E. The only component that remained the same in the design of Ausf D/E in comparison to previous models was the turret, while the rest was largely newly designed. The armament and ammunition stored remained the same. The armor protection was increased from 5 to 30mm. The main idea behind Ausf D/E was to provide cavalry units with a fast reconnaissance tank. Ausf D/E tanks only saw service with Light Divisions during the Polish Campaign of 1939. In March of 1940, due to the poor cross-country performance large number of Ausf D/E was taken out of service. Only 43 chassis were completed as tanks, while the rest of chassis produced was used for conversions such as Flammpanzer II Flamingo (Sd.Kfz.122) flamethrower tanks and Marder II (Sd.Kfz.132) tank destroyers.

In March of 1941, improved and modified version of Ausf C - light reconnaissance tank Ausf F was introduced by FAMO. 524 tanks were produced from March of 1941 to December of 1942 (chassis number 28001-28834). Ausf F was the last variant of the normal Panzerkampfwagen II series. It had the same armament as other Panzerkampfwagen II tanks but some were armed with newer 20mm KwK 38 L/55 cannon. Inside the fighting compartment stored were 180 20mm rounds and 2700 7.92mm rounds. Armor protection ranged from 5 to 30mm but it still didn’t offer adequate protection. Ausf F featured numerous modifications based on the experience with earlier models such as front hull, front superstructure, mantlet, suspension and new commander’s cupola. Ausf F weighted 9.5 tons and had a road range of 200km. Cost of single Ausf F tank without armament was 49228RM and with armament 52728RM. Only 524 Ausf F chassis were completed as tanks, while the rest was used as a base for Marder II (Sd.Kfz.131) tank destroyers and Wespe (Sd.Kfz.124) self-propelled howitzers.

Panzerkampfwagen III

Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf A

As early as 1934/35, General Heinz Guderian envisioned two basic types to act as the most numerous equipment for the future German Panzer Divisions. The first vehicle was to be armed with anti-tank gun and two machine guns and second one was to be a support vehicle armed with a larger caliber gun. The first one eventually became known as Panzerkampfwagen III, which was to be a standard tank for the three light companies of a tank battalion. The second one became known as Panzerkampfwagen IV.

In 1935, development orders for a 15-ton full-tracked vehicle based on the specifications by Waffenamt were issued to MAN (Nurnberg), Daimler-Benz AG (Berlin-Marienfelde), Rheinmetall-Borsig (Berlin) and Krupp AG (Essen). In order to maintain secrecy, new vehicle was known as Zugfuhrerwagen (ZW) - platoon commander’s vehicle. The vehicle was designated Versuchkraftfahrzeug 619, Mittlerer Traktor (Medium Tractor) and 3.7cm Geschutz-Panzerwagen. Panzerkampfwagen III’s development began with a conflict between Waffenamt (the Ordnance Department) and the Inspector for Mechanized Troops about the main armament. Waffenamt selected and was satisfied with 37mm gun, while the Inspector for Mechanized Troops demanded 50mm gun. In the end, 37mm gun was chosen as the main armament of the new vehicle. The decision was based on the fact that the infantry was already equipped with standard 37mm Pak 35/36 L/45 anti-tank gun as well as that only one gun and one type of ammunition had to be produced. The turret and turret ring were still capable of mounting heavier gun as it was selected by the Inspector for Mechanized Troops. Armor protection was to be heavier in the front rather than rear since, new vehicle was to be used in forward elements of assault tank formations. The top speed was specified to be 40km/h. The vehicle was to be operated by the crew of five men, with commander, gunner and loader in the turret and the driver and radio operator in the hull front. The communication between crewmembers was through the use of intercom system.Panzer III was the first of German Panzers to be equipped with intercom system for in-tank communications. Later on all of Panzers were equipped with this device which, proved to be very effective during combat.

After modifications, first Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf A (1-Serie) was produced in May of 1937, by Daimler-Benz with total of 10 produced until the end of 1937 (chassis numbers 60101-60110). Some sources state that as many as 15 were manufactured. Only eight of Ausf As were armed (and equipped units of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Panzer Division and took part in Anschluss, take-over of Sudetenland and Polish Campaign) and other unarmed Ausf As were used for further testing.

In 1937, Ausf B (2-Serie) was produced by Daimler-Benz with total of 15 produced (chassis numbers 60201-60215). Number of Ausf Bs saw service during the Polish Campaign. In October of 1940, five Ausf B tanks were modified and used as prototypes of Sturmgeschutz III series.

In June of 1937, next variant Ausf C (3a-Serie) was produced by Daimler-Benz and its production ended in January of 1938 with total of 15 produced (chassis numbers 60301-60315). Number of Ausf Cs saw service during the Polish Campaign.

In January of 1938, next variant Ausf D (3b-Serie) was produced by Daimler-Benz and its production ended in 1939 with total of 55 produced (chassis numbers 60221-60225 and 60316-60340). Only 30 Ausf Ds produced in two groups of 15 were armed and other 25 unarmed Ausf Ds were used for further testing. Number of Ausf Ds saw service during the Polish Campaign and in Norway.

Early models of Panzer III (Ausf A, B, C and D) were pre-prototypes of the entire series produced exclusively by Daimler-Benz. All were unsuitable for large-scale production and each new model was an improved version of the previous one. Each model featured different type of suspension e.g. Ausf A - individual coil springs, Ausf B - two sets of leaf springs, Ausf C - three sets of leaf springs and Ausf D - angled leaf springs. Ausf A, B, C and D were powered by 250hp petrol Maybach HL 108 TR engines with 5 or 6 speed Zahnradfabrik gearbox. All early models were armed with 37mm KwK 35/36 L/46.5 gun and three 7.92mm MG 34 machine guns (two in the turret and one in the hull). Their armor protection ranged from 5 to 15mm offering protection only against anti-tank rifle and machine gun fire. The reason behind inadequate armor protection was a result of Daimler-Benz keeping the vehicle in designated weight range of 15 tons. Some of early models were up-armored and had their maximum armor protection increased to 30mm. Ausf A, B, C had simple drum shaped "dustbin" commander’s cupola, while Ausf D had cast cupola similar to that of PzKpfw IV Ausf B.

Few of early Panzer IIIs saw actual combat (with units of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Panzer Division) during the Polish Campaign or were troop tested (1937- February 1940). Panzerkampfwagen III saw action in small numbers during the invasion of Poland in September of 1939. Panzer III was designed as platoon commander’s vehicle (Zugfuhrerwagen) and was Germany’s first true main/medium battle tank. Design of Panzer III came from lessons learned from the combat tested Panzer I and Panzer II. Panzer III formed the bulk of the Panzer Divisions’ strength during early years of war. By October of 1943, only five Panzer Divisions on the Eastern Front had one or more Panzer Company equipped with Panzer IIIs. By late 1944, only 79 Panzer IIIs were in service with frontline units on the Eastern Front. Number of PzKpfw IIIs remained in service until the end of the war in places like Norway and Holland.

Panzerkampfwagen III’s production was slow and ceased in August of 1943. In the early years, gaps were filled with Czech PzKpfw 35(t) and PzKpfw 38(t), which possessed similar combat value. Its design was also a great help in the development of its bigger brother Panzerkampfwagen IV and shared many common parts with it.

In 1940/41, attempts were made to standardize the production of Panzer III and Panzer IV. Few prototypes based on Panzer III Ausf G/H with new large overlapping roadwheels and FAMO suspension were produced - PzKpfw III Ausf G/H mit Schachtellaufwerk. Since 1940, prototypes were used for testing and training purposes. Further development was halted and in 1943/44, prototypes were fitted with dozers and were used to clean up the streets of bombed cities. This suspension was later adopted in Tiger and Panther.

In March of 1941, last Sd.Kfz.141 and first Sd.Kfz.141/1 Panzerkampfwagen III tank - Ausf J (8-serie) entered production. It was produced by Daimler-Benz, MAN, Alkett, Henschel, Wegmann, MNH and MIAG until July of 1942 with 2616 produced (chassis numbers 68001-69100 and 72001-74100). Ausf J had its armor protection significantly improved as it ranged from 10mm to 50mm. Increase in armor was accompanied by installation of new driver’s visor (Fahrersehklappe 50) and ballmount (Kugelblende 50) for a 7.92mm MG 34 machine gun in the hull. New type of front access hatches was installed along with new air intakes on the hull front. From April of 1942, 20mm spaced armor was added to the gun mantlet and/or superstructure front. 1549 vehicles produced from March of 1941 to July of 1942 were armed with 50mm KwK 38 L/42 gun and two MG 34 machine guns. Those vehicles were designated as PzKpfw III Ausf J / Sd.Kfz.141. 1067 vehicles produced from December of 1941 to July of 1942, armed with 50mm KwK 39 L/60 and two MG 34 machine guns. Those vehicles were designated as PzKpfw III Ausf J / Sd.Kfz.141/1. The only difference between both models was the main armament and ammunition stowage for 84 in contrast to previous 99 rounds. When encountered in North Africa, British nicknamed 50mm L/60 Ausf J - "Mark III Special"The 50mm L/60 gun was a significant improvement over the original 37mm gun, although it was still inadequate to deal with American M4 Sherman and Soviet T-34/76 tank.

Some of the later Panzer III variants were fitted with turret mounted storage bins (Gepack Kasten).Very common were the canister racks mounted on the turret and/or at the rear of the hull. During early stages of Operation Barbarossa in 1941, Panzer IIIs were equipped with single-axle trailers carrying extra fuel in order to increase their radius of operation.During production, PzKpfw III’s design underwent many changes including various modifications made on the turret (e.g. cupola, gun mantlet, vision slots, hatches, armor skirts) and hull (e.g. escape hatch, armor skirts) and superstructure (e.g. air intakes, spaced armor, headlights arrangement) components. Since mid 1943, Panzer IIIs were mounted with Schurzen - 5mm armor skirts. During service and repairs, many Panzer III tanks were up-armored, rearmed and re-equipped with new equipment and components creating completely non-standard variants.

Panzerkampfwagen 35(t)

In 1935/36, Skoda’s LT(Light Tank) vz.(model) 35 entered service in small numbers and by 1937 it was the main tank of the Czech Army. LT-35 was comparable to other European tanks in service at the time, such as:Polish 7TP, British Vickers 6 ton, Soviet T-26, Italian Carro Armato M 11/39 and M13/40 and German PzKpfw III tanks.LT-35 equipped four fast divisions of the Czech Army as of 1938. During its service with the Czech Army, LT-35 gained the reputation of an unreliable vehicle and considered it to be a "interim solution" before LT-38 - PzKpfw 38(t) will be fully developed and ready for production. LT-35’s reputation of being unreliable was due to its untested advanced technical design, but in 1938, its problems were solved and overall LT-35 proved to be a good tank.

The 1938/39, German take-over of the Czechoslovak state resulted that in March of 1939, 219 (to 244) of LT-35s were confiscated from the Czech Army and incorporated into the German Army.Some 79 remained in service with the Slovak Army’s 3rd Fast Division, which saw service alongside the Germans on the Eastern Front.In German service, LT vz.35s were designated as Panzerkampfwagen 35(t)(t for Tschechisch - Czech). LT-35 taken over by the Germans were fitted with FuG 5 (10-watt transmitter/receiver) and FuG 2 (receiver) radio equipment. Germans also added fourth crew member to act as a loader, increasing the rate of fire.LT-35 was comparable to German PzKpfw III and was an important addition to the Panzerwaffe. Despite a Czech decision to phase the LT-35 out of production after 1938, it was extended until 1939, under the German supervision at the CKD (Ceskomoravska Kolben Danek) Works in Prague and Skoda Works in Pilsen (after 1938 both became part of Reichswerke Hermann Goring). Overall 424 were produced between 1935 and 1939 by Skoda (approx. 340) and CKD (approx. 84).PzKpfw 35(t) formed the bulk of the 1st Leichte (Light) Division during the Polish Campaign and then of 6th Panzer Division (former 1st Leichte Division) during the French Campaign and the Invasion of Russia.

In late 1941, Germans had better tanks in production and PzKpfw 35(t) was relocated to second line duties such as policing and antipartisan units.

Panzerkampfwagen 38(t)

LT vz.38 / Skoda 38(t) / Panzerkampfwagen III(t)

The LT(Light Tank) vz.(model) 38 was destined to become one of the most widely used Czechoslovak tanks, although not in Czechoslovak hands. Ordered into production in 1938, the LT-38 drew on the experience from earlier LT-35 and became the most successful product of the Czechoslovak industry.LT-38 in different variants was exported to many countries and gained an excellent reputation among its foreign users such as Sweden (THN Sv), Iran / Persia (TNH), Peru (LTP), Switzerland (LTH - Pz39) and Lithuania (LTL).

On March 23rd of 1939, CKD (Ceskomoravska Kolben Danek) delivered single LT-38 tanks to the Royal Armored Corps’ Gunnery School at Lulworth for demonstration with hopes of selling tanks to RAC. The demonstration was concluded with a report that stated the following "On the whole the machine is almost equivalent to our cruiser tanks, but little experience or experiment has gone into the design of the fighting compartment and performance has been ontained at the expense of the crew and general fight-ability." The report largely critized LT-38 and RAC didnot purchase any tanks from CKD.

The 1938/39, German take-over of the Czechoslovak state resulted that in March of 1939, 150 of LT-38s in production were confiscated and CKD/Praga was ordered to complete them all. All of them were incorporated into the German Army as PzKpfw 38(t) Ausf A - Sd.Kfz.140. After the German take-over of the Czechoslovakia, the LT-38 became one of the most important tanks used by the Panzertruppe and was retained in production as a tank until June of 1942. PzKpfw 38(t)s were built under German supervision and they saw extensive service in Poland (3rd Leichte Division), Norway (XXXI Armee Korps), France (6th, 7th and 8th Panzer Division), Balkans (8th Panzer Division) and Russia (6th, 7th, 8th, 12th, 19th and 20th Panzer Division). During the fighting in Russia, the need for heavier armour and armament made PzKpfw 38(t) inadequate and in 1942, it was relegated to other duties (e.g. reconnaissance and service in armored trains).

Overall, the most successful design built on the base of PzKpfw 38(t) was Jagdpanzer 38 Hetzer (tank destroyer).

Panzerkampfwagen IV

The idea of the tank with all of the characteristics later incorporated in the development of Panzerkampfwagen IV was originally laid down in the early 1930 by Heinz Guderian. In 1934/35, Adolf Hitler ordered Krupp and Rheinmetall-Borsig (and MAN) to develop BW (Begleitwagen) vehicle. Specifications required overall weight to be 18 ton, top speed of 35km/h and 75mm gun as main armament. All companies produced prototypes, which in 1935/36 were tested under various conditions. Rheinmetall-Borsig BW - VK2001(Rh) used Neubaufahrzeug’s modified running gear, while Krupp’s BW - VK2001(K) and Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg AG’s VK2002(MAN) both used MAN’s newly designed running gear. MAN designed new interleaved suspension system but it was not accepted. Krupp concentrated on the development of the turret while MAN worked on the running gear - VK 2001(MAN). All vehicles had similar characteristics but after extensive tests Krupp’s design - VK 2001(K) was selected to enter full-scale production.

In 1935, Krupp after receiving order to produce its design, modified it by incorporating best features of existing designs. After further tests, Krupp was ready to start the production of Panzer IV Ausf A (Versuchkraftfahrzeug 622). The new vehicle featured suspension system composed of drive sprocket, idler and 8 road-wheels on each side of the hull that were paired together in 4 assemblies on each side of the hull. The assemblies were attached to longitudinal twin quarter-elliptic leaf springs bolted to the hull.Above the road-wheels were 4 (reduced to 3 in Ausf J) return rollers on each side of the hull. The vehicle was operated by five men crew composed of commander, gunner and loader in the turret and driver along with machine gunner / radio-operator in the front part of the hull. The communication between the crew was by the use of the intercom.First Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf A was built in October of 1937 by Krupp-Gruson and its production ended in March of 1938 with total of 35 produced. Overall early models (Ausf A/B/C) were development models and were mostly used for testing / training purposes while some were used in combat. In October of 1939, next variant Ausf D was produced by Krupp-Gruson and it was produced until May of 1941 with total of 229 produced. Panzer IV Ausf D was truly the first production model and remained in service until 1944. It featured new front hull plate design (as Ausf A) and new external gun mantlet.

From mid 1937 to late 1940, attempts were made by Krupp and Daimler-Benz to standardize the production of Panzerkampfwagen III and Panzerkampfwagen IV (from Ausf C to Ausf E) and one prototype based on Panzer IV Ausf E with new large roadwheels and FAMO suspension was produced - PzKpfw IV Ausf E mit Schachtellaufwerk

In September of 1940, 233 of Panzerkampfwagen IV’s next variant Ausf E were produced by Krupp-Gruson until April of 1941. Ausf E was the first of Panzerkampfwagen IV fitted with turret mounted storage bins (Gepack Kasten).Very common were the canister/storage racks mounted at the rear of the hull.It featured new design driver’s visor, drive sprocket and commander’s cupola.

In December of 1942, Krupp was ordered to redesign future Ausf H model to have sloped front and side armor. The project was cancelled in February of 1943 due to increase in weight to 28tons that required additional modifications and instead Ausf H based on original hull was to be produced.

In June of 1944, Ausf J, the final variant of Panzerkampfwagen IV tank family entered production as a replacement for Ausf H (10 Serie BW). Its production did not cease until March 1945 with 2970 produced.

Panzerkampfwagen V Panther

The Panzerkampfwagen V Panther, next to the PzKpfw VI Tiger, is the best-known German tank of World War II. The Panther and the Soviet T-34 are considered to be the best tanks of World War II. When in June of 1941, Germany invaded Russia, Panzertruppe encountered KV series and T-34/76 tanks, which were far superior in firepower and armor protection to any Panzer at the time. It was then decided, because of the constant reports from the Eastern Front to design a new more powerful medium tank, which could be quickly put into production. On November 25th of 1941, Adolf Hitler ordered Wa Pruef start work on the new tank. In December of 1941, Wa Pruef ordered Daimler-Benz and MAN (Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nuernberg) to design new 30-ton tank armed with 75mm KwK L/70 gun as a response to the Soviet T-34/76 tank. Rheinmetall-Borsig was in charge of the development of the turret for this new tank. In March of 1942, Daimler-Benz was the first to produce their version of VK3002’s design based on previously rejected VK3001 (direct copy of T-34/76) design from January of 1942. Two versions of VK 3001 with different suspensions were designed by Daimler-Benz - one with spring suspension and other with torsion bar suspension.Daimler-Benz VK3002 design was largely based on T-34/76 and was more like a modified German version of it. MAN finished their design of VK3002 in early Spring of 1942.VK3002(DB)’s turret was mounted in the forward position of the hull just like that of T-34/76. Prototype was presented to the Fuhrer, who ordered the production of 200 to start as soon as possible. On May 11th of 1942, VK3002 project received the designation of Panther.On May 14th of 1942, when extensive tests of both prototypes were completed, Hitler decided to put MAN’s design into production.

In June/July of 1942, MAN’s Panther was finally accepted for full-scale production.Adolf Hitler ordered that the production of MAN’s Panther was to start as early as December of 1942. Adolf Hitler himself insisted on using 75mm KwK 42 L/100 gun, but since it was not ready for production, shorter 75mm KwK 42 L/70 gun, which was capable of penetrating almost 150mm thick armor at the range of 1000 meters was used. Panther’s 75mm gun had penetration slightly better than Tiger’s 88mm gun.

Panther’s technical design incorporated many features of the T-34/76, such as wide tracks for better traction and improved cross-country performance, a powerful engine, a hard-hitting long-barrelled 75mm gun, and sloping armor for extra protection. It is important to note that the Panther was the first German-made tank with sloping armor. Although its design was in some ways similar to the T-34/76, the Panther was larger, heavier, and different in many technical aspects. The Panther had large overlapping road wheels and a state-of-the-art suspension system that enabled it to traverse rough terrain at high speed.

In December 1942, a new and improved model, designated Ausf D, was ready. In February 1943, 20 Ausf A tanks were re-designated Ausf D1. These Ausf D1 models were exclusively used as test vehicles and later for training. By this time, preparations were under way for Operation "Zitadelle" (Citadel). For this, the Army ordered 250 Panthers to be ready by May 12, 1943, while 750 more were to be completed as soon as possible. In December 1942, Ausf D entered production, and the first D model left the factory on January 11, 1943. Armor protection was improved (in comparison to Ausf D1) and the newer version of the 75mm KwK 42 L/70 gun was mounted in a hydraulically-powered turret.

Panzerkampfwagen V Panther Ausf D(D1), along with Panzerjäger Tiger(P) Ferdinand (Sd.Kfz.184) and other new armored fighting vehicles, made their debut with Panzer Abteilungen 51 and 52 (96 tanks each) along with Panzer Regiment Stab 39 (8 tanks each) as part of Heeresgruppe Sued (Army Group South) in July 1943 during Operation Citadel in the Kursk salient. Because of technical problems (especially with the gearbox, transmission and suspension, and engine fires) that were not fully solved until later, many Panthers broke down before and during the battle.

As with any weapon in constant use, various modifications and design changes were made to the Panther to improve its combat capabilities. In March 1944, the first Ausf G was produced. Panther Ausf G became the most numerous model, and had many new features. These included a new design for the top hull hatches, removal of the driver’s visor in the glacis (front) plate and upper hull sides closer to the vertical. Later variants had a rotating periscope for the driver, a new exhaust arrangement, a new mantlet design to eliminate the shot trap and a new engine deck layout with a raised fan cover. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Ausf G was the tapered one-piece upper hull side plate on the sponson over the suspension. From March 1944 to April 1945, some 2,950 were produced by MAN, Daimler-Benz and MNH. Older models returned for repairs were often fitted with newer parts creating hybrids.

Overall, from 1943 to 1945, only some 6000 Panthers were produced by Maschinenfabrik-Augsburg-Nuremberg (MAN) in Kassel and Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen-Hannover (MNH) in Hannover, along with Daimler-Benz, Henschel and Demag.

In preparations for the Ardennes Offensive, around 10 Ausf Gs were converted to resemble American Gun Motor Carriage M10 tank destroyer. The conversion was done by welding additional metal sheets to the turret and hull along with application of US Army camouflage and markings. Designated Ersatz (Substitute) M10, they all equipped Panzer Brigade 150, commanded by SS-Standartenfuehrer Otto Skorzeny.

German comparison of German tanks with the new (at the time) Russian T-34/85 and JS-II (122mm), from March 23rd of 1944, stated that: "The Panther is far superior to the T34-85 for frontal fire (Panther Ausf G could penetrate frontal armor of T-34/85 at 800m, while T-34/85 could penetrare frontal armor of Panther Ausf G at 500m), approximately equal for side and rear fire, superior to the JS for frontal fire and inferior for side and rear fire."In 1943 and 1944, Panther was able to destroy any enemy tank in existence at ranges of 2000m, while in general veteran Panther crews reported 90 percent hit rate at ranges up to 1000m. According to US Army Ground Forces statistics, destruction of a single Panther was achieved after destruction of 5 M4 Shermans or some 9 T-34s.

Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger

The development of one of the most famous tanks of World War II started in 1937 and first massive Tiger I heavy tank emerged in July of 1942. From 1937 to mid 1941, Henschel produced designs and prototypes of various medium and heavy tanks such as DW (Durchbruchwagen) I and II, VK 3001, VK3601 and VK 6501. At the same, Dr.Porsche developed his VK 3001 Leopard medium tank. None of those tanks entered production but provided both companies with valuable experience in tank design and production, which came to be useful in working on the Tiger heavy tank.

On May 26th of 1941, during the meeting concerning the development of new weaponry, Adolf Hitler ordered both Dr.Porsche and Henschel to supply their designs for a heavy tank, which was to be ready in the summer of 1942. Krupp was in charge of supplying main armament and producing turrets for designs by both Henschel and Porsche. The project was known as the "Tigerprogram". Henschel Tiger’s development was based on previous designs of VK 3001(H) and VK 3601(H), while Porsche Tiger’s development was based on previous design of VK 3001(P) Leopard. The new 45-ton panzer was to be armed with a 88mm KwK L/56 mounted in a turret designed by Krupp. Development of Porsche’s Tiger was progressing much faster than that of Henschel since Porsche worked on an independent project for heavy tank since autumn of 1940. Henschel was not that advanced and utilized as many already available components from its previous projects to complete its VK 4501 design. Originally, Krupp designed the turret for Porsche’s VK 4501, but then it was modified and used by Henschel’s VK 4501. The first eight turrets produced had lower sides and a flat roof with raised centre section to allow the gun to be depressed through larger arc, while the rest had the higher sides and slanted roof. In mid 1941, Henschel decided to build two prototypes - VK 4501(H) H1 and VK 4501(H) H2. Model H1 was to be armed with 88mm KwK 36 L/56 gun, mounted in modified Krupp’s turret designed for VK 4501(P). Model H2 was to be armed with 75mm KwK 42 L/70 (Rheinmetall) gun mounted in a newly designed turret (similar to that later used on Panther Ausf D1 and Ausf A) of which only wooden model was made. In late 1941, Henschel decided to concentrate on model H1 and continued its development and its prototype was ready on April 17th of 1942.

The first production Tigers were ready in August of 1942 and from July of 1942, Henschel and Wegmann manufactured only 1,355 Tigers until as late as August of 1944 (chassis number 250001 to 251346). Henschel produced the chassis and Wegmann assembled the turrets, while Henschel did final assembly. Tiger’s production reached its highest point in April of 1944, when 105 were produced. The main reason for the number produced was Tiger’s difficult production and its cost. Out the entire number produced some 500 saw service with sSSPzAbts. On June 7th of 1943, Japanese ambassador in Germany, General Oshima was shown a Tiger from sPzAbt 502. Single Tiger was then sold to Japan in 1943, but was never delivered due to the war situation and was loaned by Japan to the German Army (sSSPzAbt 101).

The first time Tiger saw action was on August 29th of 1942 and September 21st/22nd at Mga, southeast of Leningrad with 1st company of sPzAbt 502. The unsuccessful engagements ended in the new Tiger being captured by the Soviets, who then examined it and exhibited during the captured equipment exhibition in Moscow’s Gorky Park in 1943. The failure of Tigers was attributed to mechanical problems as well as poor terrain conditions, totally unsuitable for heavy tanks. In December of 1942, Tigers from sPzAbt 501, saw action near Tunis in North Africa.

Tiger I was armed with powerful 88mm gun (originally developed from 88mm Flak 36 L/56 gun) that made it a very dangerous opponent for any Allied tank, and its thick (but not shot deflecting) armor made it virtually indestructible. Both Sherman with 76mm gun and T-34/85 stood a chance against Tiger only at close range. It is reported that in July of 1944, commander of 3rd company of schwere Panzer Abteilung 506, Captain Wakker, destroyed Soviet T-34 at the range of 3900 meters. The rule applied by the British concerning the engagement of Tigers was that five Shermans were needed to destroy a single Tiger, but only one Sherman was to return from the engagement. Tiger’s only weak spot was its rear armor plate and its engine, which required continuous maintenance. During their combat service, Tigers destroyed large numbers of enemy tanks and other equipment, creating the myth of their invincibility and fearsome power - "Tiger-phobia". Tiger also had tremendous effect on morale of both German and Allied soldiers, German felt secure, while Allies thought that every German tank, especially late model PzKpfw IV was a Tiger. On July 7th of 1943, single Tiger tank commanded by SS-Oberscharfuehrer Franz Staudegger from 2nd Platoon of 13th Panzer Company of 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Division "LSSAH" engaged Soviet group of some 50 T-34 tanks around Psyolknee (southern sector of the Kursk salient). Staudegger used up his entire ammunition after destroying some 22 Soviet tanks, while the rest retreated. For his achievement, Franz Staudegger was awarded the Knight’s Cross.

On August 8th of 1944, single Tiger commanded by SS-Unterscharfuehrer Willi Fey from the 1st Company of sSSPzAbt 102, engaged a British tank column destroying some 14 out of 15 Shermans, followed by one more later in the day using his last two rounds of ammunition. sSSPzAbt 102 lost all of its Tigers during fighting in Normandy but reported 227 Allied tanks destroyed during the period of 6 weeks.

Tiger I heavy tank originally received the designation of Panzerkampfwagen VI H (8.8 cm) Ausf H1 - Sd.Kfz.182, but then in March of 1943, was redesignated to Panzerkampfwagen Tiger (8.8 cm L/56) Ausf E - Sd.Kfz.181. It was commonly referred to as Tiger, Tiger I and PzKpfw VI. Officially there was only type of Tiger tank produced, but during the duration of production improvements were carried on.

Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II

The Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II Ausf. B "Königstiger" (Sd.Kfz.182) / VK4503(H) was the most powerful combat tank of World War II. Up to the end of the war, the Allies did not introduce anything that could effectively counter it. The Tiger II combined a powerful and effective gun with armor that was virtually impervious to any Allied tank or anti-tank gun.

Planning for the Tiger II started as early as May 1941, a year before the Tiger I entered production. By the fall of 1942/January 1943, designers started work on a new heavy tank that would eventually replace the Tiger I. In January 1943, Hitler ordered the new Tiger to be armed with a long 88mm gun and have 150mm frontal armor and 80mm side armor. Front and side plates were to be sloped and interlocked, resulting in a design similar to the then-new PzKpfw V Panther (Sd.Kfz.171).

Once again, Henschel and Porsche were ordered to develop the new vehicle. Porsche provided two projects that were based on the previous VK 4501(P) design and were designated VK4502(P). The first one, Typ 180 (Turm Vorne) A/B, had its turret mounted centrally, while Typ 181 (Turm Hinten) A/B/C, had its turret mounted in the rear with a mid-mounted engine (similar in layout to the modern Israeli Merkava main battle tanks). Both designs shared the same chassis and hull, along with all the other components and gasoline-electric system of VK4501(P). Both designs were extremely similar, with the only difference being the location of the turret and some mechanical components. Only wooden mock-ups were produced.

Henschel’s design was developed at a much faster rate and was destined to enter production. It shared many components of the Panzer V Panther and Panther II (e.g. upper hull hatches) in order to standardize tank production, as ordered in February 1943. The VK4503(H) design was completely different from that of the Tiger I, with some resemblance to the enlarged Panther, and both had some common parts. On October 20, 1943, a wooden mock-up of Henschel’s Tiger II was presented to Adolf Hitler at Arys (Orzysz), in East Prussia. Preparations for production at Henschel’s plant in Kassel started in December 1943, with three prototypes produced. Tiger II production began in January 1944 and ended in March 1945. Only 489 production vehicles (and the three prototypes - V1, V2 and V3) were built in four production series (420500, 420530, 420590 and 420680), out of the original 1,500 ordered. Production was delayed by the overall war situation and bombing raids on the Henschel factory at Kassel, which left it in ruins.

King Tigers were issued to schwere Panzer Abteilungen (heavy tank battalions) of both the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS. The majority went to Wehrmacht units, while some 150 were assigned to the Waffen SS. The first Tigers II tanks reached schwere Panzer Abteilungen of both Wehrmacht and Waffen SS as early as February 1944. The first five production King Tigers were issued to Panzer Lehr Division (Panzer Kompanie Funklenk 316) but were not used in combat. The first time the Tiger II saw action was in May 1944 near Minsk, followed by another action (of schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 commanded by Oberstleutnant von Legat) in July 1944 at Sandomierz in Poland. Only two companies of schwere Panzer Abteilung 503 commanded by Hauptmann Fromme, equipped with Tiger II tanks (with Porsche turrets), were committed to the fighting in Normandy, where their mechanical problems and Allied fighter-bombers as well naval gunfire proved fatal and, by the end of August 1944, all were lost. Tiger II tanks of schwere Panzer Abteilung 506 commanded by Major Lange, saw combat during the "Market Garden" operation in Holland in September of 1944. King Tigers also took part in the Ardennes Offensive, serving with schwere SS Panzer Abteilung 501 (Kampfgruppe Peiper). On the Eastern Front, Tiger II tanks took part in the fighting in Hungary and in central Poland in 1944 and 1945. The Tiger II saw combat on both Western and Eastern Fronts, where it proved to be a superb weapon and worthy opponent when operated by an experienced crew and properly maintained. A small number of King Tigers also defended Berlin in April and May of 1945. A Tiger II from schwere Panzer Abteilung 503 was also the last German tank to be destroyed in the war. It was blown up by its crew in Austria on May 10, 1945.

Overview of German Tanks

Panzer I

An official requirement was put forth to secure a new light tank under a 5-ton weight limit that could serve as a competent crew trainer. Five German firms submitted prototype vehicles to which a design by Krupp was selected. Krupp looked for inspiration from the British Vickers "tankette" but fell behind in delivering anything of note by the summer of 1932. After some pressure by German Army officials, Krupp delivered - under the guise of a farm implement to the rest of the world - the La.S or "Landwirtschaftlicher" (roughly translating to "farm tractor", "industrial tractor" or "agricultural towing vehicle"). The Krupp tank had a Daimler-Benz superstructure and turret. Testing of the tank continued throughout 1934 by which time German Army assigned the designation of "Krupp-Tractor". This was more formally revised to the German Army designation of Pz.KpfW. I Ausf. A (Sd.Kfz. 101) in April of 1936.

In 1933, Adolph Hitler came to power and by 1934, he saw what he liked in the Panzer I. His vision of a new mighty German now entailed an army of fast-moving armored vehicles using tactics unlike the world had ever experienced. After witnessing the Panzer I first-hand, he ordered his subordinates to prepare for war within a short window of eight years. By 1935, Hitler announced that the Versailles Treaty was all but dead in Germany's eyes and they would no longer be bound to its limitations. The German Army came under the all-encompassing name of Wehrmacht and the nation forged ahead with its militaristic goals. The governments of the world, still weary from warfare just decades before and slowly trying to recover from the crash of 1929, did little in response.

Panzer I Ausf. A and the Rebuilding German Army

The Panzer I Ausf. A was the first German tank development in the post-war world. The diminutive system featured a crew of just two personnel -a driver and a commander, the latter doubling as the gunner. The driver sat in the forward hull of the tank (offset to left) while the commander occupied the turret (offset to right). The turret was rather simplistically-armed with 2 x 7.92mm machine guns (each firing at 650 rounds per minute, fired simultaneously or individually and afforded a total of 1,525 to 2,250 rounds of ammunition) and could only be traversed by the commander by hand. Entry and exit for the commander was through a turret roof-mounted semi-circle hatch while the driver could enter/exit by way of a hinged rectangular door alongside the left of the superstructure. Armor protection was minimal at best, made to withstand direct hits from small arms fire and little more. Armor thickness ran at just over half an inch at its peak depth. The Ausf. A featured five road wheels to a track side and each wheel was wrapped in rubber. Drive sprockets were located at the front of each track. Three rollers were fitted to the underside of the upper track rung. Operating weight was listed at 5.9 tons and power came from a single Krupp M 305 air-cooled, four-cylinder, gasoline engine delivering up to 60 horsepower. The Ausf. A could wield a top speed of 23 miles per hour with an operational range of 85 miles cross-country and 125 miles on road.

For a first attempt, Krupp produced a very solid design given the era and financial/industrial limitations. The turret gave the available firepower some flexibility to traverse while the overall layout was quite refined. The steel plate armor was angled at the hull, glacis plate, superstructure and the turret to help promote some level of crew survivability. Speed was impressive enough to make for a useful reconnaissance platform or troop support system and the relative small size meant that the little machine could make the system a tough target to zero in on while promoting ease-of-production values and making it affordable to the German Army in quantity. It should be noted, however, that not all German generals were sold on the Panzer I. Some thought it a rather limited affair with little to no real combat value for the modern military. In many ways, these individuals would be proven right.

With the design all set and approved, events were now pressed into motion to fulfill the light tank requirement in whole. Production was green-lighted and - to help maintain the production levels needed as required by the resurgent German Army - other German firms (including Henschel, MAN and Daimler-Benz) were brought into the fold to help support Krupp in its production efforts. Henschel received an initial batch order to produce 150 Panzer Is. 1935 also saw the first three Panzer divisions of the "new" German Army start to take shape.

Panzer I Ausf B: Bigger Engine and a Longer Hull

The Panzer I Ausf. B was introduced in August of 1935 with its liquid-cooled 100 horsepower engine. The original Ausf. A was fitted with a rather meager 60 horsepower air-cooled engine that made for less-than-stellar performance output. As such, the Ausf. B was revealed to help overcome the shortcomings of the initial production model. The Pz.KpfW. I Ausf. B featured a crew of 2 and a weight of 13,230lbs. The system was powered by a single Maybach NL 38 TR six-cylinder, liquid-cooled gasoline engine developing 100 horsepower. The engine was larger than the original 60hp offering and as such, the hull of the Ausf. A was lengthened to accommodate the new powerplant (the hull now measuring in at 14 feet, 6 inches). This also necessitated an additional road wheel per track side to compensate for the new length and weight. Performance figures included a top road speed of 25 miles per hour, a maximum road range of 87 miles, fording of up to 1 foot, 11 inches, gradient capability up to 60 percent, vertical obstacle capability of 1 foot, 2 inches and trench capability of up to 4 feet, 7 inches. Three hundred ninety-nine Ausf. B examples would be delivered by the end of 1937 to which production ceased in June of that year.

1936 showcased the Panzer I in large-scale maneuvers using both army infantry and Luftwaffe air elements. Also in 1936, Hitler committed "volunteer" German troops, aircraft and tanks to the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) - a battleground that was effectively a "proving ground" for all things German. The Panzer I and her crews were one such implement sent to the region. Once there, the Panzer I did little to earn a positive legacy for itself. The tank proved inferior to the steel-armored Soviet T26 and B5 light tanks as these tanks were armed with a high-velocity gun that outmatched the twin 7.92mm machine gun offerings of the Panzer I. On many occasions, the German tanks were destroyed well before they ever reached within range of their own useless machine guns. While adaptation of a 20mm cannon was noted on some of these Panzer Is, the system was still of little combat value on the modern battlefield. In essence, the coming out party was a complete failure though the tank's value as a reconnaissance platform, infantry support system and crew trainer were still of some note. More importantly, the basis of the "Blitzkrieg" was being refined right under the nose of the world. A full six Panzer divisions were made available by September of 1939 to which - by this time - at least Poland would take note.

On September 1st, 1939, elements of the German Wehrmacht - including Panzer Is - poured across the Polish border. The Germans held some 1,400 of Panzer Is at the ready during the invasion. Defenses were soon overwhelmed by the combined land and air power being unleashed by the Germans. In the campaign, the Panzer I proved to be adequate despite its less-than-stellar outing in the Spanish Civil War. It was by no means a front line vehicle but its uses were still apparent. There were also no Soviet tanks to encounter along the Polish frontier. Interesting to note later in the war - some 500 Panzer Is were used during the invasion of the French countryside though many more were available throughout Germany and Poland. Perhaps a testament to the changing requirements of the modern battlefield or lack of trust in the Panzer I system to spearhead the more-prepared defenses of France.

Panzer I Ausf. C: Bigger Gun, Bigger Engine and More Armor But Somewhat Limited

By 1941, the Panzer I Ausf. A models had all but met their usefulness on the ever-changing battlefield. Their weak machine gun armament coupled with their weak armor allocation relegated them to become either conversion models or semi-capable kleiner Panzerbefehlwagen I (Sd.Kfz 265) command-and-control vehicles. To address the armor weakness of the Ausf.A and Ausf. B, Krauss-Maffai developed the Panzer Ausf. C to include 1.2-inches of frontal armor. The armament was further addressed to include a 20mm autocannon in place of one of the two original machine guns (the second machine gun was wisely retained as an anti-infantry weapon). As can be expected, the addition of both the cannon and armor drove up the weight of the Ausf. C. to the point that a more powerful Maybach liquid-cooled gasoline engine of 150 horsepower was introduced. A torsion bar suspension system was also implemented as were large overlapping road wheels, netting the vehicle a top speed of 49 miles per hour. Despite the benefits in the revised design, it was still wholly outclassed by the new Allied tanks coming online and therefore only 40 Ausf. C models were ever produced.

Panzer Ausf. F: Like the C, Only Better-Armored But Heavier and Equally Limited

The Panzer Ausf. F followed along the same lines as the improved Ausf. C models but these were developed with the distinct role of infantry support in mind. The Panzer I was never a tank system that was going to go head-to-head with anyone - the Spanish Civil War proved just that, as did the invasion of Poland and France - but the system still retained some inherent usefulness in the eyes of some. With improved armor protection, it was seen that the "little system that could" still had some life in her yet. The Ausf. F improved frontal armor protection to a full 3.2-inches while side armor was increased to 2-inches. Interestingly, the new variant retained the Panzer I original armament of 2 x 7.92mm machine guns (aimed via a 2.5-power optical telescope). The tank treads were noticeably wider and the road wheels were overlapped on either side. The hull was taller and sported a stout look from any profile while the turret was centered on the superstructure and set closer to the center of the design. By now, the original 6-ton Panzer I had ballooned to nearly 20 tons (approximately 22,046lbs) naturally suffering a performance hit to its maximum road speed. However, like the Ausf. C before it, the Ausf. F was viewed as having limited uses on this new battlefield so a limited production run was ordered totaling just 40 vehicles. At least eight Ausf. Fs were fielded along the East Front while others made it to actions across Yugoslavia and Greece. Production was handled by Krauss-Maffei from the middle of 1940 to the latter part of 1942 to which some 30 examples were produced.

Panzer I Conversions

Despite the limited value of the Panzer I's original armament, the chassis proved another story. Beyond the aforementioned kleiner Panzerbefehlwagen I (Sd.Kfz 265) command-and-control vehicles (one of the earliest battlefield uses of such a system), the Panzer I chassis made up other perhaps lesser-known developments. One of the earliest hull conversions became the Munitions-Schlepper charged with carrying ammunition or supplies as required. Some former Panzer Is were unveiled in the North Africa campaign as flamethrower tanks in the "Flammenwerfer auf Panzerkampfwagen Ausf A" models, taking part in the Battle of Tobruk of 1942. Still other Panzer Is were stripped of their turret tops and fitted with captured Czechoslovakian 47mm cannons for use on the West Front, in North Africa and in the invasion of the Soviet Union beginning 1941 as mobile anti-tank systems. This became one of the earlier anti-tank chassis conversions utilized by the German Army. Any student of the war will note that the German Army became experts in such conversions as the war progressed. The 47mm-armed Panzer Is were quickly outmoded as Allied armor continued to improve with time and battlefield experience.

At least 100 original Panzer Is were used to build the Ladungsleger auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf A / B, engineering vehicles used in laying down explosive charges. Further modified Panzer I chassis became the Flakpanzer anti-aircraft defense systems that operated up until about January 1943. The Sturmpanzer "Bison" (sIG-33) was a rather simple heavy mortar carrier conversion that mounted a 15-cm main gun in an open-topped armored superstructure. The system was limited in carrying only three 15-cm shells and such limitations led to only 40 conversions. Perhaps one of the more interesting uses of the Panzer I was in the implementation of their turrets to serve as fixed defensive emplacements along the Atlantic Wall and throughout the German Eastern defenses.

End of the Road

While the Panzer I saw notable action in the early part of the war, nearly all were lost in combat by 1944. The changing requirements of the German Wehrmacht ultimately left little room for "light" tanks anyhow and the army became more persistent in devising capable tank-killers at the expense of speed, production simplicity and engine reliability. The Panzer I was inevitably superseded by the improved Panzer II which was already in development as early as 1936. Production of the Panzer II would begin in 1937.

Vickers A1E1 "Independent"

Panzerkampfwagen I was a little tank that was designed as light training tank for the pre-war Panzer Divisions never intended to be be used in combat conditions but was used as a light combat tank until 1942. It was cheap, fast and maneuverable but its armor and armament were both very weak, because of its original design capabilities. It was Germany’s first mass produced armored fighting vehicle. In the early 1942, Panzerkampfwagen Is were taken out of service and were handed over to the Police and Anti-partisan units. Panzer Is without superstructures were handed over to para-military organizations such as NSKK (National Socialist Motor Corps) for training purposes. 511 of PzKpfw I turrets were used in fortifications of Atlantic Wall, Pomeranian Wall and in the Kostrzyn area.

PzKpfw I was also a propaganda tool being everywhere from military parade through NSDAP rally to celebration of any kind. It was a show piece of the Third Reich and its military might in the years leading to beginning of WWII.

Lesson learned from Panzerkampfwagen I provided the German designers and manufacturers with valuable experience in designing and producing next generation of new panzers that were soon to come. Although, Panzerkampfwagen I was not truly valuable combat tank, it proved to be an excellent training tank and most of the panzer crews were trained on Panzerkampfwagen I until the end of the war or operated it in combat as their first armoured vehicle.

Panzer II

While development of the of the Pz.Kpf.W. I (Panzer I) light tank (Sd.Kfz. 121) was still ongoing, the Pz.Kpf.W. II (Panzer II) light tank was already being devised as an interim tank model series to bridge the gap between the former light tank and the projected Pz.Kpf.W III (Panzer III) and Pz.Kpf.W IV medium tanks. The Panzer III and Panzer IV were both experiencing project delays so a stopgap design became an ultimate necessity for Hitler, bent on going to war before his army was even prepared for one. The plan was to produce a better-armed and armored version of a light tank to shore up the limitations of the Panzer I as well as provide priceless training to tank crews. Plans for such a system were already in the works while the first production Panzer I Ausf. As had yet to make their way out of the factory. The Panzer II went on to form a large part of German invasion groups flooding into Poland and France and also saw combat along the East Front into Russia despite the system being all but obsolete by then.

Panzerkampfwagen II was first issued to combat units in the spring of 1936 and saw active service till 1942. Afterwards, it served on secondary fronts until the end of the war as well as a training tank. Originally, Panzerkampfwagen II was the main component of the early Panzer divisions being issued to company and platoon commanders. It was soon after issued to Panzer Battalions. Some sources state that small number (probably Ausf b and A with Panzer Abteilung 88 of Legion Condor) was used during the Spanish Civil War (1936-38). It is unconfirmed if really any Panzerkampfwagen II tanks were used in Spain. Panzerkampfwagen II tanks were used first in action during unopposed annexation of Austria and occupation of Czechoslovakia. Panzerkampfwagen II took part in the Polish Campaign in 1939 and was used as a combat tank. Following the reorganization of the Panzertruppen in 1940/41, it was relegated to the role of reconnaissance tank. During the Campaign in the West in 1940 and early stage of the Invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Panzerkampfwagen II served mainly as reconnaissance but were often used as combat tanks. Majority was removed from frontline service in 1942 but remained as an active part of Panzertruppen until 1943. Some Panzerkampfwagen II tanks were still in service during the Normandy Battles of 1944 and even in 1945 (145 as of March of 1945). 1223 Panzerkampfwagen II tanks took part in the Polish Campaign of 1939, being the most numerous of all German tanks. 83 tanks were lost including significant number (approx.32) in the fighting for Warsaw. Only 18 Panzerkampfwagen II took part in the German Invasion of Norway in 1940 as part of Pz.Abt.z.b.V.40, where they acted as infantry support. On May 10th of 1940, there were 920 Panzerkampfwagen II tanks ready for the German Blitzkrieg in the West in mid-1940. 260 Panzerkampfwagen II tanks were ready for the Operation Marita in the Balkans on April 6th of 1940. On June 22 of 1941, 782 Panzerkampfwagen II tanks took part in the Operation Barbarossa, where many tanks were lost to Soviet tanks and anti-tanks. Panzerkampfwagen II tanks were used in North Africa, by DAK to the surrender in 1943, with some success as the nature of the battlefield was more mobile and shortages of equipment forced Rommel to use them lacking updated replacements. In 1942, only 381 were in service for the German Summer Offensives in Russia. On July 1 of 1943, on the eve of Operation Zitadelle, there were 107 Panzerkampfwagen II tanks in service. On October 1 of 1944, there were total of 386 Panzerkampfwagen II tanks in German service but following this month no more reports about available Panzerkampfwagen II tanks were made. The only Waffen SS units to be equipped with Panzerkampfwagen II were Panzer-Grenadier Division Leibstandarte, Das Reich and Wiking fighting on the Eastern Front. Leibstandarte received its first Ausf F tanks in late 1942 but by spring of 1943, all were withdrawn from service.

Panzer I A very small light tank (6 tons) with a crew of two, driver and commander, armed with two light 0.3" machine guns (with 1500 rounds), which was produced in the mid 1930s as a training tank. Over 800 tanks were produced in 1935, and the tank was used by the German forces which participated in the Spanish civil war. When World War 2 started the German army had nearly 1500 Panzer I tanks. They participated in the Blitzkrieg invasion of Poland in 1939, although it was known that they are not suitable for front line fighting because of their lack of firepower and very thin armor. In the Blitzkrieg invasion of France in 1940 only 500 of them participated. The others remained in Germany and Poland.

By the end of 1941 they were no longer used in front line service, except a command tank version, which contained a small map table and extra radio equipment for use by Panzer unit commanders. The chassis of the obsolete tanks was converted for carrying ammunition or an anti-tank gun, but these also became obsolete and were phased out.

Panzer II A light tank (10 tons) with a crew of three, developed in the mid 1930s as an interim until the arrival of the Panzer III and Panzer IV medium tanks. Despite being primarily intended as a training tank, it was the main tank in the Blitzkrieg invasions of Poland and France, where about 1000 Panzer IIs participated. It also participated in the invasion of Russia in 1941, although it was already obsolete, and lacked armor and firepower. It was armed with a 20mm gun (with 180 rounds) and a coaxial 0.3" machine gun. The Panzer II was also the basis for several special tank types: a fast recon tank, an amphibious tank, equipped with a propeller, developed for the intended invasion of England in 1940, and a flamethrower tank ( called Flammpanzer II ) equipped with two flamethrowers (100 were in service by 1942).

When the Panzer II tank became obsolete, it was converted to a self-propelled anti-tank gun, using captured Russian 76mm guns ( called Marder I ) and German 75mm guns ( Marder II ). A self-propelled 105mm artillery gun version ( called Wespe ) was produced in occupied Poland.

Panzer III A medium tank (22 tons) with a crew of five, the main German tank in 1940-1942. Initially it had a 37mm gun (and two machine guns), but was planned for future use of bigger guns. It participated in small numbers in the invasion of Poland, but mass production began after the beginning of World War 2, with a 50mm gun . Since the new gun was too weak against Russian T-34 tanks, a more powerful 50mm gun was installed. Later types had an even bigger 75mm gun, same as that of the Panzer IV, with 64 rounds. Production ended in mid 1943, but production of a self-propelled gun version continued until the end of the war. There were also a command tank version and other versions. A total of 15,000 were produced. Panzer IV A medium tank (25 tons) with a crew of five, which was produced since 1936 and until the end of the war, and became the main German tank. It carried a short-barreled 75mm gun, later replaced by a stronger long-barreled 75mm gun (with 87 rounds), and two machine guns (one coaxial and one anti-aircraft on top, with 3000 rounds). Its excellent chassis remained unchanged despite many modifications and additions of extra armor, and was also the base for many variants, such as tank destroyers ( Jagdpanzer IV ), self-propelled guns and anti-aircraft guns, and others. 9,000 Panzer IV's were produced, and more would have been produced as Guderian recommended, if it was not for Hitler's obsession for complex and very expensive advanced weapons, the Panther, Tiger, and King Tiger heavy tanks in that case, which reduced the production of the Panzer IV even before they were fully developed and tested.

Panther The Panther ( Panzer V ) was a heavy tank (45 tons) with a crew of four, which was designed to counter the excellent Russian T-34 tank. It had a sloped armor (for better protection) and carried a long-barreled 75mm gun (with 79 rounds) and two machine guns (one coaxial and one anti-aircraft on top). Production began at the end of 1942 . The plan was to produce 600 Panthers per month, but its complexity (there were hundreds of production sub-contractors) and the allied bombing campaign against the German industry cut production to half of that, and even less. A total of just 4,800 were produced. It was rushed into production without proper trials, and as a result more Panthers were initially lost to mechanical problems than to enemy action. The problems were later fixed, and the Panther is considered the best German tank of the war. The Panther tank initially fought in the battle of Kursk in July 1943, the greatest tank battle of the war, and served in all fronts until the end of the war. It was widely used in Normandy after D-Day .

Variants of the Panther included a mobile observation post, a tank destroyer, and a command tank.

Tiger tank Extremely lethal and extremely armored, the Tiger and its later version Tiger II ( King Tiger ) were the most dreaded German tanks. Their technical complexity limited their production and field use. After years of research for a heavy next generation tank, German designers were eventually required to quickly produce one by Hitler's 53rd birthday in April 1942. It would be armed with the most powerful German gun, the 88mm, which was used both as a heavy anti-aircraft gun and as an anti-tank gun. Two prototypes were ready for Hitler's birthday, and one, by Henschel, was selected for production. Officially marked Panzer VI, it was the first German tank which was given a name, they named it Tiger. 1350 Tigers were produced between August 1942 and August 1944, when production shifted to the heavier and even more powerful Tiger II, which was named King Tiger.

There were only two variants of the Tiger, a gunless command tank, and a strange heavy rockets launcher version of which only 10 were produced. The gunless command tank was equipped with a winch for its secondary role of tank tow, a sign of the many technical problems that caused the loss of many German tanks.

The Tiger was an outstanding design. Many modern tanks are remote descendants of it. It had an extremely powerful gun and matching optics, which allowed it to kill every other tank from a longer range. It had very thick armor which made it almost indestructible from front. But it was also very complex for production and maintenance, unlike its American and Russian enemies which were mass produced in great numbers and were very reliable in the field.

Its complex suspension wheels system, designed to carry its heavy weight, could get stuck with stones and even with mud, a severe problem for a tank. This was particularly severe in the Russian winter, where frozen mud totally immobilized Tigers during the night, making them sitting ducks in the morning, when the Russians attacked. It also had two sets of tracks, one for roads and one for the field and combat, an even greater complexity.

The Tiger was a heavy tank (55 tons) with a crew of five. It carried 84 rounds for its killer 88mm gun, and was also armed with two machine guns, one coaxial and one above the front hull, with almost 6000 rounds. It was slower than other tanks and had a road range of just 100km, which was an increasing problem as Germany's fuel supply was decimated towards the end of the war, but in the battlefield its firepower and protection were unmatched.

King Tiger tank In order to defeat any possible future enemy, the German designers began to plan the Tiger's successor as soon as its production began in late 1942. It would have even more firepower and more armor protection than the Tiger. One rejected prototype was supposed to carry a 150mm!! gun. Another prototype was rejected because its electric system used "too much" copper, a sign of the extreme difficulties the German industry had to cope with in the later stages of the war ( the most extreme example of that, in my opinion, was the design and production, in late 1944, of the He-162 Salamander, which was a jet fighter made mostly of wood ! ).

The design of the new tank, which was marked Tiger II and named King Tiger, was completed in late 1943, and production began in December 1943, initially together with the Tiger, and since August 1944 instead of the Tiger. Only 485 King Tiger tanks were produced before the war ended.

It first fought against the Russians in May 1944 and in France in August 1944. Its very thick armor, especially in the front, protected it from the guns of enemy tanks, but made it slow, because its engine could not compensate for its very heavy weight of 69 tons, and its size made it harder to hide than other tanks, which was a serious problem given the massive presence of allied fighter-bombers at that stage of the war. It was also technically unreliable, like the Tiger. Many were simply abandoned or self-destroyed for lack of fuel, rather than by enemy fire.

The King Tiger had a crew of five. It was armed with an extremely powerful long-barrelled 88mm gun, even more powerful than that of the Tiger, which fired armor-piercing rounds at a muzzle velocity of 1200 meters per second, about a third faster than those fired by the Tiger. It carried 84 rounds and also two machine guns with almost 6000 rounds, like the Tiger.

Czech-made Panzers The occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 provided the German military with large amounts of high quality weapons at no cost, from the arsenal of the Czech military. There was enough equipment for about 40 army divisions. Furthermore, the Czech industry, mainly the Skoda factories, became part of the German military production machine and continued to produce tanks and other weapons for Germany. So a year later, when Germany invaded France, three full German Panzer divisions were equipped with Czech tanks. One division was equipped with the Czech type 35 light tank (10 tons) which was renamed Panzer 35, and two divisions were equipped with the type 38 light tank (10 tons) which was renamed Panzer 38.

The Panzer 35 had a crew of four and carried a Czech 37mm gun (with 72 rounds) and two machine guns, one coaxial and one in the front (with 1800 rounds). It remained in front line service until 1942, when they were converted for other roles.

The Panzer 38 had a crew of four and carried a Czech 37mm gun (with 90 rounds) and two machine guns, one coaxial and one in the front (with 2550 rounds). It was developed as the successor of the type 35 but did not yet enter service when the Germans invaded. 1400 tanks were produced for the German army in 1939-1942. When it became obsolete as a tank, it was used as a recon vehicle. There were many other variants which used its excellent chassis, including the Hetzer, an excellent tank destroyer with a 75mm gun, which remained in production even after the war, for the new Czech military, and was even exported to the Swiss army where it remained in service until the late 1960s !

See also

• German armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II
• Comparison of early World War II tanks

External links

• example.com