German tank developed in 1942 book

Robert forczyks tank warfare on the eastern front 19411942. No other tank in history has evoked so much fear and interest alike. These obs are from the okh order of battle almanac june 1942 national archives microfilm t78 roll number 405 frame number 6375285. I have turned this into a more readable excel table, and done some calculations and added some notes to the information.

These tanks were more suited to good tank country flat terrain for quite a distance and in western europe tank country could be lacking. Production started in july 1942 with the first tigers delivered in august 1942. The original black panthers fought in the 761st tank. It entered service in 1943 and continued in use well into the 1950s. Mar 28, 2020 the battle which developed and then concluded on june 30 was a confusing morass that swallowed 2,648 soviet tanks out of a total force of 5,000 versus some 1,000 german tanks. The book considers each mark the ausf a to e, fitted with the shortbarrelled 75mm l24 gun and the f and g models fitted with the long 75mm l43 and more powerful l48. In addition, the soviets developed the heavy is2 tank 122mm gun and the su85 and su100 antitank vehicles to deal with the newer german tanks. Sherman got seriously bad rap, while t34 got seriously overestimated good rap.

He ignored the restrictions imposed by the treaty of versailles 1919 and began rearming, approving the development of many german tank designs he was shown. The author masterfully dissects the development and progress of each side. The first medium tank developed by nazi germany was the pz. The weapon was a response to the british armys need for a more effective infantry antitank weapon. T34, especially earlier on prior to battle of kursk were not very reliable at all. The german 24th panzer division moving towards stalingrad. How did german tanks compare to russian tanks during wwii.

The biggest and heaviest tank in world of tanks blitz, the maus is certainly a mammoth tank and with the most hit points in the game 2500, it should never be fought alone, unless. German tank maintenance in worldwarii department of the army june 1954 no. Germany and russia fought historys largest tank battle. Looking on paper, the amount of armor this tank has mostly non sloped is very good. Other myths include the technical superiority of german war machines and the. However, because it was unable to house bigger, longer barrel guns, it was replaced by the panzer iv as the german main battle tank.

This is a well balanced book that combines a technical discussion of the various types of light tanks, a look at the panzer divisions and their equipment and the battlefield tactics and experience of the german light tank forces. Both projects were canceled when the leopard was dropped. The invasion of the soviet union in operation barbarossa signalled an enormous change in german tank development. Tank warfare on the eastern front, 19411942 schwerpunkt by robert forczyk.

The panzerkampfwagen iv pzkpfw iv, commonly known as the panzer iv, was a german medium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during the second world war. Developed by the rock island arsenal, the medium m3 tank was the first effective american tank of the war. The tiger fought in all of germanys armoured campaigns from 1942 to 1945. According to foreign military studies p059 tank losses by generalmajor burkhart mueilerhillebrand total losses on all fronts for december 1941 comes to 525 tanks and spgs but not all were lost in the east since at the same time there was heavy fighting in n. This is the standout feature of this book, as it is one of the first to delve into these. The book considers each mark the ausf a to e, fitted with the shortbarrelled 75mm l24 gun and the f and g models fitted with. Even so, it was still capable of destroying 91% of the russian. Developed from june 1942 through july 1944, with two prototypes produced, only one of which received a turret and armament. During the interim period new tank models were developed, and those in service were improved so that they would. Volume 41 mechanized army divisions june 28th, 1942. The german panzer armies that swept into the soviet union in 1941 were an.

The german panzer armies that swept into the soviet union in 1941. Iii was initially armed with a 37mm antitank gun and two machine guns. The panzer iii was, until 1942, the mainstay of the german armor. During the interim period new tank models were developed, and those in service were improved so that they would be at least equal if not. Any price and availability information displayed on relevant amazon sites, as applicable at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. To honour the 100th anniversary of the memorable event. Wwii german daggerknifeedged weapon reference book. This book cleared up many of my misapprehensions about the german advance into russia in 19411942. German armored fighting vehicle production during world. German tank maintenance in world war ii army center of military. The book the last battle by cornelius ryan makes mention of the 7 million foreign. Provides line drawings, period photographs, history of development and engagements of the panzer iv. Six riveting, gritty accounts of some of the greatest german tank commanders, including michael wittmann, hans bolter, hermann bix, and others timelines mark the milestones of each officers career with speed, violence, and deadly power, heavily armored tanks spearheaded the german blitzkrieg that stormed across europe in 1939.

The indigenous german tank forces were a success due to tactical innovation more than tank quality. It weighed about 20 tons, had a top road speed of 40 km 25 miles per hour, and carried a crew of five. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Panzerkampfwagen tiger was the common name of a german heavy tank developed in 1942 and used in world war ii. T34c would be the most commonly encountered russian tank from 1942 until the end of the war. German tank maintenance united states army center of. The stug was conceived as mobile artillery but was developed into a tank destroyer, the role for which it is probably best remembered. Tiger was an outstanding design with a powerful gun and good armour, but it was also too complicated and therefore difficult to produce.

The six tanks in the series constituted virtually all of germanys tank production from 1934 until the end of world war ii in 1945. Jul 29, 2019 in addition, the soviets developed the heavy is2 tank 122mm gun and the su85 and su100 antitank vehicles to deal with the newer german tanks. Practically immune to early german antitank guns, it presented a problem for them whenever it showed up on the battlefield. I do, however, believe that the method presented in the math sections article is more enlightening. The success of the tiger was so profound, that no allied tank dared to engage it in open combat. The sense of being outgunned and vulnerable led many u. Were german tanks in wwii actually as far superior. The german tanks were outclassed in every aspect of battle performance. Panzer, series of battle tanks fielded by the german army in the 1930s and 40s. Mar 20, 2017 the battle which developed and then concluded on june 30 was a confusing morass that swallowed 2,648 soviet tanks out of a total force of 5,000 versus some 1,000 german tanks. In august 1942 the german vi army had pushed all the way to the banks of.

Tank warfare on the eastern front, 19411942 by robert. Developed in the 1920s and 30s, it entered ww2 as germanys premier antitank weapon. The germans focused their panzers and tactical air support at points on the battlefield defined as schwerpunkt main effort to smash through any defensive line and then advance to. When its angled, however, this tank was nearly impenetrable. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order 1toz. Oct 16, 2014 the sense of being outgunned and vulnerable led many u. Germans at stalingrad, 19421943 rare historical photos. Developed in 1940, the previous m2a1 was a medium tank with a 37mm gun, but the fighting in poland and france showed that this weapon would be too weak for modern purposes. Iv commonly known as the panzer iv was a medium tank developed in nazi germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the second world war. E, the tiger tank was the first tank to use animal names by the german army such as panther, tiger, elephant as a propaganda tool to draw attention. Second, it describes how a blogger, just like the allies in world war 2 with the tanks, managed to find out how many iphones apple had produced in the year 2008. This article lists production figures for german armored fighting vehicles during the world war ii era. German motorized infantry divisions oobtoe late 1942.

Sherman tank, officially m4 general sherman, main battle tank designed and built by the united states for the conduct of world war ii. The iv became the backbone of germanys panzer force and the power behind the blitzkrieg. Iii, which did not enter active service in large numbers until 1939. In july 1941 36 panzer and motorized infantry divisions were assigned to the invasion fielding over 3000 afvs. The german panzer armies that swept into the soviet union in 1941 were an undefeated force t. Production of models based on its chassis flourished, notably with the stugs series. German tank arrivals in north africa the crusader project. In june 1941 hitler ordered a surprise invasion of the soviet union, and for most of the next year the german army routed the soviet troops, capturing thousands of square kilometers of their country in the process. The projector, infantry, anti tank piat mk i was a british manportable antitank weapon developed in 1942. Prior to the german invasion of france, it was always recognized that a portion of german army success would be attributed to breaking the defenses at the french. Ii was clearly outgunned by soviet and british tanks armed with 50 or 75mm weapons. By spring 1941 the german army would have 24 panzer, 1 cavalry. The m4 general sherman was the most widely used tank series among the western allies, being employed not only by the u. Army and marine corps but also by british, canadian, and free french forces.

Despite the allies efforts, the panther remained arguably the best medium tank in use by either side. The panzer iii was a tank developed in the 1930s by germany and used extensively in world war ii but it soon became obsolete in this role and for most purposes was replaced by upgunned panzer ivs, though some would continue to be used for infantry support until late in the war. The book really focuses on the german tank development and the panzer theories and leading. I think 26 panzer was there with panzer 38s as well but i could be very wrong. Mar 25, 2020 the projector, infantry, anti tank piat mk i was a british manportable antitank weapon developed in 1942. The german panzer armies that swept into the soviet union in 1941 were an undefeated force that had honed their skill in combined arms warfare to a fine edge. The official german designation was panzerkampfwagen tiger ausf. Feb 04, 2020 the 761st tank battalion was formed in the spring of 1942 and according to army historical records, had 30 black officers, six white officers, and 676 enlisted men. Sep 02, 2018 first, it describes an easier solution for the german tank problem.

This thesis is a historical analysis of the combat effectiveness of the german schwere panzerabteilung or heavy tank battalions during world war ii. The section of the book dealing with 1941 and the early 1942 is probably the best. The final official german designation was panzerkampfwagen vi tiger ausf. The tank weighed 10 tons, had a top road speed of 40 km 25 miles per hour, and was manned by a crew of three. In june 1941, these tanks first encountered the soviet t34. The battle which developed and then concluded on june 30 was a confusing morass that swallowed 2,648 soviet tanks out of a total force of 5,000 versus some 1,000 german tanks. German world war ii tank monthly acceptances created around 7 august 2016.

As to the number of tanks in the tank battalion here is the information from leo niehorsters book, german world war two organizational series. Despite their legendary myth of reliability the reality was quite different. The german campaign in russia army center of military history. Although from the beginning the russians had better tanks in the t34 and kv1 than the germans, these were squandered due to stalins purges, doctrinaire tactics, lack of training, lack of radios, operating closed, tanks being used piecemeal. German tank arrivals in north africa many thanks to user nmao on the ahf for putting all this information together in this thread. The sturmgeschutz leopard tank destroyer was designed in the autumn of 1942. The stock war footage used in the show often features panzers. The invasion of poland delves into the strategy and weaponry of armored warfare during the early years of the russo german war. In 1942 the marder named for the marten, a treeclimbing weasel was a quick fix for german armored units suddenly confronted with superior soviet tanks like the t34. The kv1 was the primary heavy tank for the russians when the war started.

This article on military tanks deals with the history of tanks serving in the german army from. The germans held a mastery of the battlefield throughout most of world war 2 until supplyanddemand curtailed progress and tactical blunders proved insurmountable. When german armored units first landed in north africa in feb ruary 1941, it was realized that a rigidly centralized maintenance sys tem was not feasible in the new theater. The gun started to show its ineffectiveness during the invasion of france, and started to become obsolete by 1942 due to tank armor improvements. Tank warfare on the eastern front, 19411942 bookshare. This book goes heavily into the foundation of tank units but not so much on the ability of the tankers and the command. There are a total of 68 ww2 german tanks 1939 1945 in the military factory. Where figures for production in 1939 are given, they refer to september 1939. The german tiger tank was introduced in august 1942 and was at that time the most powerful tank in the world. It is geared toward pre ww2 with less discussion on the events of armor in ww2 and even less later. 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.

German tank maintenance in world war 2 lukas friedli. Panzers provided the striking power of germanys panzer armoured divisions. In the second year of the invasion, the germans directed their schwerpunkt toward the volga. It is amazing how many different types of armor the germans designed and produced in that era. German heavy tank battalions during world war ii by major christopher w. During the course of world war ii, the german army developed heavy tank battalions to fulfill the concept of. He hits the facts briefly but not much that german tanks while well thought out were not reliable. The first tanks rolled across a battlefield on the morning of 15 september 1916, when british forces attacked the positions of the german 28th reserve infantry regiment at flerscourcelette with 32 tanks in an effort to break the stalemate on the somme.

The german army first used light panzer i tanks, along with the panzer ii, but the mainstays were the medium panzer iiis and panzer ivs which were released in 1937. It consisted of the heer army, the kriegsmarine navy and the luftwaffe air force. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading tank warfare on the eastern front, 19411942. Iv commonly known as the panzer iv was a medium tank developed in nazi germany in the late.

The panzer iv is normally described as having been the mainstay of the german tank forces during the second world war, but that is actually somewhat misleading. This psychological fear soon became to be known as tigerphobia. The 761st tank battalion was formed in the spring of 1942 and according to army historical records, had 30 black officers, six white officers, and 676 enlisted men. Antony beevor mentions in his dday book that the terrain of western europe negated much of the superiority of german tanks such as the panther and tiger. The panzer iv was the most numerous german tank and the secondmost numerous german armored fighting vehicle of the. Iis in each of the invasions of poland, france, and the soviet union. Nazi germany tanks and armored vehicles tank encyclopedia. Vehicles include tanks, selfpropelled artillery, assault guns and tank destroyers. Tiger i is the common name of a german heavy tank which was developed in 1942. Germany also developed the heavy tiger i, released in 1942.