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    Hitler's Panzers
    Hitler's Panzers
    Hitler's Panzers
    Ebook246 pages1 hour

    Hitler's Panzers

    By Ian Baxter

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    About this ebook

    A World War II pictorial history of Nazi Germany’s armored fighting vehicles and exploration of their inner workings.

    Using previously unpublished photographs, many of which have come from the albums of individuals who took part in the war, Hitler’s Panzers presents a unique visual account of Germany at arms. The book analyzes the development of the Panzer and shows how it became Hitler’s supreme weapon. It describes how the Germans carefully built up their assault forces utilizing all available reserves and resources and making them into effective killing machines. From the Panzerkampfwagen.1 to the most powerful tank of the Second World War, the Jagdtiger, the volume depicts how these machines were adapted and up-gunned to face the ever-increasing enemy threat. Hitler’s Panzers is a unique look into the full workings of the various light tanks, main battle tanks, self-propelled assault guns, and tank destroyers. It is a vivid, fully illustrated account of the development and deployment of the German tank, and brings together a captivating glimpse at the cutting edge of World War Two military technology.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateMar 28, 2007
    ISBN9781844688722
    Hitler's Panzers
    Author

    Ian Baxter

    Ian Baxter is a military historian who specialises in German twentieth-century military history. He has written more than fifty books. He has also reviewed numerous military studies for publication, supplied thousands of photographs and important documents to various publishers and film production companies worldwide, and lectures to various schools, colleges and universities throughout the United Kingdom and Southern Ireland.

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      Book preview

      Hitler's Panzers - Ian Baxter

      Chapter One

      Development & Training

      Even during the 1920's it was apparent that, for the modern army, the consequences of entering soldiers onto a battle field without proper armoured support, would be suicidal. This of course is one reason Germany were not allowed a tank force under the Versailles Treaty. However, once Adolf Hitler came into power the conditions of the treaty were slowly usurped for his own military purposes of secret expansion. What followed in the early 1930's was a period of covert experimentation which led to the development of the tank. In total secrecy the Kleintraktor, the forerunner of the Panzerkampfwagen. I, was moved to the tank proving grounds at Kama where its design and all the technical aspects of the machine was put through a series of tests. At the same time the crews and officers received practical training in the use of tanks in battle. Although the training went well there was only a very limited number of machines available, and it was clearly insufficient as a tank force.

      However, by January 1934 the first 150 Kleintraktor chassis for driver training commenced. From this point the rapid expansion of the tank forces could proceed. As training continued throughout 1934 tank designers had been working on a new armoured vehicle, which was a modified version of the Kleintraktor. It was known at the time as the MG Panzerwagen, but technically it was called the Panzerkampfwagen. I. It was the first vehicle to be designed and produced in any significant numbers. At this point it was the first serious tank the Germans had ever built, and the variants that would be produced from this first model were to bring much success to the Wehrmacht during the Second World War Delivery of 318 Panzerkampfwagen. I was made in August 1935, along with 15 of the Zugführerwagen, which was later to be known as the Panzerkampfwagen. III.

      Excises with the new tanks began almost immediately with special attention being made to train its forces in close co-operation between the airforces and the Panzers on the ground. It was soon realised that the Panzers had three main tasks: supporting infantry, operating units with other mobile weapons and, finally, combating tanks. Even during this early period of training it was decided that the light tanks, such as the new Panzerkampfwagen. I, would be used in a scouting role and that an infantry support tank would be developed which was ultimately to come in the form as the Panzerkampfwagen. IV. Although it was well known that the Panzerkampfwagen. I was inadequate for most purposes on the battlefield it made an excellent training tank for the Panzer crews of the future.

      In fact, in 1936 when Germany gave its support to the Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil war, Hitler immediately sent a Panzer unit consisting mainly of Panzerkampfwagen. I's to support the Nationalists drive on Madrid. To Hitler the use of a tank unit was of great importance to the development and training of his Panzers, in spite of the limitations of the Panzerkampfwagen. I. Much has been written on the poor performance of this small Panzer during the Spanish Civil war, but the use of the Panzer unit was more about the strategy and importance in the employment in mobile tank operations than its firepower, for Hitler had already switched resources to bigger and more powerful models.

      By the end of 1936 the Panzerkampfwagen. II left the production line for service and rose steadily the following year During 1937 the Panzerkampfwagen. III made its debut followed by the Panzerkampfwagen. IV in January 1938. With these new tanks enrolled in the service of the Reich it boosted the strength of the under-equipped and still expanding Panzertruppe. Heinz Guderian the newly promoted General de Panzertruppen had helped transform this outdated and depleted Panzer force into a superb fighting machine. He had not only argued in favour of the bold employment of tanks en masse on the battlefield, but he had formulated the concept of the tank-led Blitzkrieg. Even the 2,700 tanks, which were ready for action by the summer of 1939, were regarded more than enough to crush Germany's first victim of the Second World War, Poland. Although this Panzer strength was well below what Guderian had initially said was necessary if victory was assured, the Panzertruppen had something no one else had acquired in so full a measure – specially selected and very well trained Panzer crews. These elite band-of-brothers in their dramatic black Panzer uniforms owed much to their training as they did to their superior vehicles which they fought with such deadly effect on the battlefield. It is perhaps testimony to these courageous and fiercely dedicated men of the Panzertruppen that led them to survive the vicious battles that raged for almost six years.

      The forerunner of the mighty Panzers. Because the Treaty of Versailles had strictly forbidden the Germans to develop any type of armoured force, the Wehrmacht were compelled to build wood and cardboard frames placed over the chassis of converted vehicles.

      A photograph showing the type of materials used to construct one of the many converted wood and cardboard training vehicles. The covert use of these vehicles was the beginning of the experimentation that lead to the development of the first Panzer force.

      Workshop engineers can be seen making adjustments to one of the fist training Panzers, the Panzerkampfwagen. I A, also known as the LaS. This vehicle is being prepared for training purposes in 1934. It was nicknamed the ‘Krupp-Sport’ by the soldiers, and was the forerunner of the Panzerkampfwagen. I Ausf. A.

      Out on the training ground in 1934 this LaS vehicle is being put through a series of gruelling tests prior to its first training exercise with a crew. The driving school vehicles usually had no turret and only one rail around the open driver’s compartment.

      Recruits put the LaS through its paces during training exercises in l934. The crew are demonstrating the versatility of the vehicle by using rough terrain. The open compartment with no turret gave the driver all round visual and a better understanding of the tanks mobility.

      A posed camera shot showing the LaS during a training exercise. Although during training there was sometimes three or even four recruits onboard the vehicle at any one time, the LaS was actually designed for a two-man crew, one serving as the driver and the other as the commander, radioman and machine gunner.

      After carefully hoisting and securing in place the air-cooled Krupp M 305 boxer engine, mechanics ease the 13mm engine cover plate over the rear of the Panzerkampfwagen. I Ausf. A. The engine had four horizontally opposed cylinders, which produced 60 HP at 2500 rpm. But the power-to-weight ratio of the engine meant that the tank was extremely underpowered.

      An LaS during a training exercise. The vehicle had a top speed of 37 kph, and off-road range of 145 kilometres. It could climb a slope of 58%, surmount vertical barriers to a height of 36 cm, span ditches 1.40 meters wide and ford water up to a depth of 57cm.

      A Panzerkampfwagen. I Ausf. B in a field in 1937. The Ausf. B variant only proved to be slightly better than the Ausf. A model. The vehicles length was slightly increased to 4.42 meters, the height to 1.96 meters, while the width remained the same. Due to the increased weight the new engine was less efficient than the Ausf. A boxer engine, so the tanks range was decreased to only 130 kilometres.

      New recruits are dressed in white training uniforms in 1937, prior to manoeuvres with their Panzerkampfwagen. I. Ausf. B vehicles. Throughout the late thirties rigorous drills and various battlefield tactics were instilled in the young recruits. The Panzerkampfwagen. I was well suited for training purposes and remained so throughout the war:

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