Panzer
Panzer refers to a series of German armored combat vehicles, commonly known as tanks, that played a significant role during World War II. The term originates from the German word for armor, "panzer," and is derived from "panzerkampfwagen," meaning "armored fighting vehicle." Development of the panzer series began in the 1930s, culminating in the production of various models, including the Panzer I, II, III, IV, V (Panther), and VI (Tiger). By the war's inception in 1939, Germany had developed a substantial armored force, utilizing these tanks in pivotal conflicts across Europe.
The tanks ranged from light models, such as the Panzer I and II, to more powerful medium and heavy tanks like the Panzer IV and Tiger. Each model incorporated advancements in weaponry and armor, reflecting the evolving demands of armored warfare. The Panzer IV served as the backbone of German tank forces throughout the war, while the Tiger and Panther tanks were recognized for their formidable firepower and protection. Despite their strengths, challenges such as production costs and mobility issues affected their operational effectiveness. Overall, the panzer series exemplifies the evolution of tank design and strategy during a critical period in military history.
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Panzer
Panzer is a German name for a series of armored combat vehicles, or tanks, used in the years before and during World War II (1939–1945). The term panzer originated from the German word for armor and is a shortened form of panzerkampfwagen, or "armored fighting vehicle." Beginning in 1934, the Germans produced six tanks in the panzer series and by the outbreak of war in 1939 had a formidable armored fighting force. Design improvements were made during the course of the conflict, resulting in more powerful and better protected vehicles. Estimates place the number of panzer tanks produced by the Germans during World War II at about fifty to sixty thousand.
Background
In the early twentieth century, military strategists began envisioning a way to utilize the newly invented automobile in warfare. While mounting a weapon on a motorized vehicle provided some advantages, it was limited by its ability to navigate the uncertain terrain of a battlefield. Faced with the brutal conditions of trench warfare during World War I (1914–1918), the British began construction on an armored vehicle with belt-like metal tracks covering its wheels. To keep the project a secret, they marked the crates that carried the vehicle prototypes with the word tank—as in water tank. The name caught on and has been used ever since.
The first tanks were used in battle in 1916, and although they did not always work as planned, they played a role in gaining victory for the Allies. The Germans were slow to realize the potential of tanks during World War I; at war's end, they had only forty-five tanks in service on the front lines while the Allies had more than three thousand. Under the harsh surrender terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany's military power was severely limited. It was allowed only an armed force of 115,000 soldiers and was forbidden from forming an air force, submarine force, or tank force. Germany seethed under the restrictions and within a few years had begun to defy the treaty with a secret effort to rearm itself. By 1926, the Germans had started work on an illegal tank program.
Overview
With the ascension of Adolf Hitler to power in the 1933 elections, Germany began ramping up its rearmament efforts. Within a year, the first panzer tank rolled off the assembly line. The Panzer I was a lightly armed vehicle that could hold a crew of two—a driver and a gunner. It had two 7.92-millimeter machine guns mounted to its turret and a relatively thin armor of 15 millimeters—slightly more than half an inch thick. It weighed about 5.4 tons and had a top speed of about 24 miles per hour (39 kilometers per hour). The Panzer I was initially built for training exercises, but an improved version was used during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and the invasion of Poland in 1939.
First produced in 1935, the Panzer II was still considered a light tank even though it was a larger and more heavily armored version of the Panzer I. It was armed with one 20-millimeter main gun and one machine gun. It could hold a crew of three and was protected by 30-millimeter (1.2-inch) thick armor. The Panzer II weighed 10 tons and moved at a speed of 25 mph (40 km/h). The German army relied on the Panzer II during the first two years of the war and used it during the invasions of Poland, France, and the Soviet Union. Its limitations began to show by 1942 when it was often outgunned by stronger British and Soviet tanks.
The Panzer III was the tank the Germans had wanted since the early 1930s but did not have the technological capability to produce until 1939. Classified as a medium tank, it sat a crew of five and was designed with a larger turret and more powerful engine. It originally was armed with a 37-millimeter gun and two machine guns; however, later versions were outfitted with a 50-millimeter gun and 50- to 70-millimeter (2- to 2.8-inch) thick armor. The Panzer III was used in the early days of the battle against the Soviet Union, but after it ran into stronger Soviet tanks, it was retired from the Eastern Front.
The workhorse of the German panzer forces during the later years of World War II was the Panzer IV, a tank similar to the Panzer III but with improved firepower, thicker armor, and better mobility. It had a 75-millimeter gun, two machine guns, and was shielded by armor up to 80 millimeters (3.1 inches) thick. It was first produced in 1939 and the only German tank that was made throughout the entire course of the war. The Panzer IV was Germany's attempt to answer the power of the Soviet-made tanks.
The Panzer V, better known as the Panther, was Germany's attempt to design an armored vehicle that would prove superior to the Allied tanks. The Panther was so well designed that it came with an instruction manual and proved difficult for soldiers to repair under battlefield conditions. The Panther began production in 1942 and fought for the first time in the 1943 Battle of Kursk, the largest tank battle in history. It had the same firepower and armor as the Panzer IV, but its side armor, stronger engine, and suspension system gave it a great advantage in the field. It was a highly effective weapon against the American Sherman tanks and the British Cromwell tanks.
The last in the panzer series was the Panzer VI, or the Tiger tank. The Tiger was a heavily armed tank first produced in late 1942 and also made its combat debut at Kursk. It was equipped with a long-barreled 88-millimeter gun that was designed to pierce the thick armor of Soviet tanks at a distance. The Tiger's 100-millimeter (4-inch) thick frontal armor and 60- to 80-millimeter (2.4- to 3.1-inch) thick side armor offered good protection against anti-tank weaponry. What the Tiger gained in firepower and protection it lost in speed, mobility, and range. Later versions of the Tiger weighed 70 tons, making it the heaviest armored vehicle in World War II. While they were deadly against lighter armored vehicles, their lack of agility made them better suited for defensive purposes. They were also costly and time-consuming to produce; as a result, Germany stopped making the Tiger in 1944.
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