The Second World War became one of the most bloody battles in the history of the civilized world. The number of lives given in the name of freedom is amazing and at the same time makes everyone proud of their homeland, realizing that the merit of their ancestors is invaluable. The desire to study the history of this battle among young people is very commendable, it is not for nothing that Sir Winston Churchill argued that "a people who do not remember their past have no future." To appreciate how important the feat of our defenders is, it is necessary to get acquainted with the history of German tanks. It was the German WWII tanks that served as the main element of the Wehrmacht's weapons, but this still did not help the German troops win. So what is the reason?
Light tanks
The preparation of Germany for an armed confrontation began long before the offensive. But although some developments of German armored vehicles have already been tested, the effectiveness of light tanks remained very doubtful.
Panzerkampfwagen i
The signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which took place at the end of the First World War, put Germany in a certain framework. This agreement strictly regulated all armaments in Germany, including military forces and armored vehicles. The strict terms of the contract only led to the fact that soon Germany began to develop and then secretly produce new military equipment.
The first tank created in Germany during the interwar period was the Panzerkampfwagen I, also known by the abbreviated name PzKpfw I. The development of this tank began in 1931, and officially according to documents it passed as an agricultural tractor. An order for the creation was given to 4 leading engineering companies, but as a result, the Wehrmacht preferred the model created by Friedrich Krupp AG.
After developing and conducting all the necessary tests of the test model, this light German tank was put into production. According to official figures, from 1934 to 1936, about 1,100 copies were created. After the first samples were transferred to the troops, it turned out that the tank is not capable of developing a sufficiently high speed. After that, two modifications were created on its basis: Pzkpfw I Ausf.A and PzKpfw I Ausf.B. After minor changes to the hull, chassis and engine, the tank already posed a serious danger to enemy armored vehicles.
The baptism of fire of PzKpfw I took place in Spain during the Civil War of 1936-1939. During the first battles, it became clear that a German tank could hardly fight against the Soviet T-26. Despite the fact that the PzKpfw I gun is powerful enough, it cannot penetrate the T-26 from great distances, while for the Soviet machine this was not a problem.
Since the technical characteristics of this configuration left much to be desired, most of the copies were lost on the battlefields. For almost the entire Second World War, the tanks were in service with the Wehrmacht, although they had secondary tasks.
Panzerkampfwagen II
After checking the not very successful PzKpfw I tank, the German armed forces had the need to create a light tank with an anti-tank gun. It was such requirements that were presented to the development companies, but the projects did not satisfy the customer, therefore, equipment was completed with the details of various companies. Like the PzKpfw I, the PzKpfw II officially passed as an agricultural tractor.
In 1936-1937, 75 tanks were produced in three different trim levels. These submodifications almost did not differ in technical characteristics, but they served as test samples to determine the effectiveness of individual technical solutions.
In 1937, the Pz Kpfw II Ausf b modification was launched, which combined an improved transmission and chassis, which was subsequently used to produce the best German tanks. The production of PzKpfw II in all three versions was carried out in 1937-1940, during this period about 1088 copies were produced.
After the first battles, it became clear that the PzKpfw II is significantly inferior to similar tanks of enemy equipment, since its armor was too weak and the damage done was small. Nevertheless, the production of this machine only increased until 1942, and when new, more advanced models had already appeared, the tank began to be used in minor areas.
Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf L Luchs
Poor patency on Polish lands forced the Third Reich to start developing a new unit of armored vehicles that would have a caterpillar mover. The development of new equipment was entrusted to two engineering giants - Deimler-Benz and MAN, which produced almost all of the German tanks of World War II. Despite the name, this modification had very little in common with PzKpfw II, although they have the same manufacturers of most modules.
In 1939-1941, both companies were engaged in the design of a reconnaissance tank. Based on the results of these works, several models were created, which were subsequently even produced and sent to the front. But all these configurations did not satisfy customers, so the work continued. In 1942, engineers finally managed to create a machine that met all the requirements, and after minor modifications it was produced in the amount of 800 units.
Luchs was equipped with two radio stations and a large number of observation devices, as a result of which a new member appeared in the carriage - the radio operator. But after the first 100 vehicles were sent to the front, it became obvious that the 20-mm cannon was definitely not able to cope with enemy armored vehicles. Therefore, the rest of the party was re-equipped, and a 50 mm cannon was already working on its armament. But even this equipment did not meet all the requirements, so the production of Luchs was stopped.
Medium tanks
German medium tanks of the Second World War were equipped with many modules that the enemy did not have. Although the armored vehicles of the USSR still managed to successfully deal with enemy equipment.
Panzerkampfwagen III
The German medium tank Pzkfw III replaced its weak predecessor Pzkfw I. The Wehrmacht demanded from the manufacturer a car that could fight on equal terms with any enemy equipment, and the weight of the new model should be equal to 10 tons with a 37 mm gun. The German armed forces hoped that the Pzkfw III would be the main unit of German armored vehicles. In battle, he had to help one light tank Pzkfw II and one heavy, which should serve as the firepower of the platoon.
In 1936, the first modifications of the machine were presented, and in 1939 one of them had already entered serial production. Since a military-technical cooperation agreement was concluded between Germany and the Soviet Union, the USSR acquired one copy of a testing machine. After research, it was decided that the tank, although quite armored and fast, was a weak gun.
After the first battles with France, the Wehrmacht, it became clear that the German tank Pzkfw III can no longer cope with the tasks assigned to it, so it was modernized, a more powerful gun was installed on it and the forehead was armored so that the machine was not too easy for self-propelled guns. But as the quality of enemy equipment continued to grow, and the heap of new modules on the Pzkfw III led to a significant increase in mass and, consequently, a decrease in cross-country ability, tank production was discontinued.
Panzerkampfwagen IV
The production of this machine was carried out by Krupp, which was entrusted with the development and creation of a powerful tank weighing 24 tons with a 75 mm gun. Like many other German tanks of World War II, the PzKpfw IV was equipped with a chassis, which included 8 road wheels, which improved the maneuverability and maneuverability of the machine.
The tank had many modifications. After testing the first model A, it was decided to install a more powerful engine, which was carried out in the next two trim levels B and C, which took part in the Polish campaign. Although they performed well on the field, it was decided to create a new model with improved armor. All subsequent models were significantly modified, taking into account the experience gained after testing the first versions.
From 1937 to 1945, 8525 copies of various modifications were made, which took part in almost all battles and proved themselves well throughout the war. That is why several other machines were created on the basis of PzKpfw IV.
Panzerkampfwagen v panther
A review of German tanks proves that the PzKpfw V Panther was one of the most efficient Wehrmacht vehicles. Chess pendant, 75mm cannon and excellent armor made him the best German tank, according to many experts.
Since during the first years of the war German armored vehicles met the requirements, the development of a powerful tank remained in its initial stages. But when the Soviet Union demonstrated its superiority in tank building by launching the KV and T-34, which significantly exceeded the existing German tanks of World War II, the Third Reich thought about producing a new, more powerful model.
PzKpfw V Panther, created on the basis of the T-34, participated in the main battles on the front of the whole of Europe and proved to be the best. Although the production of this model was quite long and costly, it met all the hopes of the creators. To date, only 16 copies have been preserved, one of which is in the tank museum of Kubinka.
Heavy tanks
During World War II, the main firepower of Germany was precisely heavy tanks. This is not at all surprising given their technical characteristics. The most powerful heavy German tank is, of course, the Tiger, but the equally famous Mouse does not graze the rear.
Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger
The Tiger project was developed in 1941, and already in August 1942 the first copies took part in the battle of Leningrad, and then in the battle of Kursk. After the German forces attacked the Soviet Union and met with serious resistance in the form of the maneuverable armored T-35, the weapon of which could damage any German tank, it was decided to create a machine capable of repelling it. Therefore, the engineers were faced with the task of creating a modernized analogue of the KV-1 using the PzKpfw IV technology.
Excellent armor and an 88 mm cannon made the tank the best among the heavy tanks in the world, which was recognized by the troops of the United States, Britain and France. Powerful armor of the tank from all sides made it almost invincible, but such new weapons caused the anti-Hitler coalition the need for new means of combat. Therefore, closer to the end of the war, German opponents had SPGs capable of destroying the German Tiger tank. These included the Soviet SU-100 and ISU-152.
Panzerkampfwagen viii maus
The Wehrmacht planned the construction of a superheavy tank, which would become an unattainable target for enemy equipment. After Hitler had already signed an order for development, leading machine builders convinced him that there was no need to create such a model. But Ferdinand Porsche thought differently and therefore personally proceeded to design the configuration of a new heavyweight military equipment. As a result, the Mouse was created, the armor of which is 200-240 mm, which is a record for military equipment.
Only 2 copies saw the light, but they were blown up by the Red Army in 1945, like many other German tanks. The photos that have been preserved and the model assembled from the two aforementioned blown up tanks give an excellent idea of how powerful this model was.
Conclusion
Summing up, it must be said that even in Germany during the Second World War the tank industry was quite well developed, its new products appeared as an answer to such models of Soviet tanks as KV, KV-1, T-35, and many others. It is this fact that makes it clear how important the Soviet people's desire for victory played an important role in the outcome of the war.