The Second World War was one of the bloodiest 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, because it was not for nothing that Sir Winston Churchill said that "a people who do not remember their past have no future." To appreciate how important the feat of our defenders is, one must definitely 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's the reason?
Light tanks
Germany's preparations for armed confrontation began long before the offensive itself. But although some of the developments of German armored vehicles have already been tested, the effectiveness of light tanksremained highly questionable.
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 the weapons of 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 the documents, it was used as an agricultural tractor. The order for the creation was given to 4 leading engineering firms, 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 handed over to the troops, it turned out that the tank was 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 the PzKpfw I took place in Spain during the Civil War of 1936-1939. During the first battlesit became clear that the 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 long distances, while this was not a problem for the Soviet machine.
Since the technical characteristics of this configuration left much to be desired, most of the copies were lost on the battlefields. Throughout almost the entire Second World War, tanks were in service with the Wehrmacht, although they had secondary tasks.
Panzerkampfwagen II
After testing the not-so-successful PzKpfw I tank, the German armed forces needed to create a light tank with an anti-tank gun. It was these requirements that were presented to the development companies, but the projects did not satisfy the customer, which is why the equipment was made with parts from various companies. Just like the PzKpfw I, the PzKpfw II was officially an agricultural tractor.
In 1936-1937, 75 tanks were produced in three different configurations. These sub-modifications did not differ much in technical characteristics, but they served as test samples to determine the effectiveness of individual technical solutions.
In 1937, the production of the Pz Kpfw II Ausf b modification began, which combined an improved transmission and running gear, subsequently used to produce the best German tanks. The production of PzKpfw II in all three modifications was carried out in 1937-1940, during this period there wereabout 1088 copies were produced.
After the first battles, it became clear that the PzKpfw II is significantly inferior to similar tanks of enemy vehicles, since its armor turned out to be too weak, and the damage de alt was small. Nevertheless, the production of this vehicle only increased until 1942, and when new, more advanced models appeared, the tank began to be used in secondary areas.
Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf L Luchs
Poor cross-country ability on Polish lands forced the Third Reich to start developing a new unit of armored vehicles that would have a caterpillar drive. The development of new technology was entrusted to two engineering giants - Deimler-Benz and MAN, which produced almost all German tanks of the Second World War. Despite the name, this modification had very little in common with the PzKpfw II, although they have the same manufacturers of most modules.
In 1939-1941, both firms 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 the customers, so the work continued. In 1942, the engineers finally managed to create a machine that met all the requirements, and after minor modifications, it was released in the amount of 800 pieces.
Luchs was equipped with two radios and a large number of observation devices, as a result of which a new member appeared in the crew - a radio operator. But after the first 100vehicles were sent to the front, it became obvious that the 20-millimeter gun was definitely not able to cope with enemy armored vehicles. Therefore, the rest of the party was re-equipped, and the 50-millimeter 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 WWII period were equipped with many modules that the enemy did not have. Although the armored vehicles of the USSR still managed to successfully fight enemy vehicles.
Panzerkampfwagen III
The German medium tank Pzkfw III replaced its weak predecessor Pzkfw I. The Wehrmacht demanded from the manufacturer a machine that could fight on equal terms with any enemy equipment, and the weight of the new model was to be equal to 10 tons with a 37 mm cannon. The German armed forces expected the Pzkfw III to be the main unit of German armored vehicles. In battle, he was to be assisted by one light tank Pzkfw II and one heavy tank, 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 mass production. Since a military-technical cooperation agreement was concluded between Germany and the Soviet Union, the USSR acquired one copy of the machine for testing. After research, it was decided that the tank, although armored and fast enough, was weak, but the gun was weak.
After the first battles with France, the Wehrmacht becameit is 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 its forehead was made armored so that the vehicle would not be too easy prey for self-propelled guns. But since the quality of enemy vehicles continued to grow, and the accumulation of new modules on the Pzkfw III led to a significant increase in mass and, consequently, a deterioration in cross-country ability, the production of the tank 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-millimeter gun. Like many other German tanks of the Second World War, the PzKpfw IV was equipped with a chassis, which included 8 road wheels, which improved the maneuverability and maneuverability of the vehicle.
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 have been significantly modified, taking into account the experience gained after testing the first versions.
From 1937 to 1945, 8525 copies of various modifications were produced, which took part in almost all battles and proved themselves well throughout the war. That is why, on the basis of the PzKpfw IV, several othermachines.
Panzerkampfwagen V Panther
Review of German tanks proves that the PzKpfw V Panther was one of the most efficient vehicles of the Wehrmacht. Checkerboard suspension, 75mm cannon and excellent armor made it the best German tank according to many experts.
As German armor met the requirements during the first years of the war, the development of a powerful tank remained in the initial stages. But when the Soviet Union demonstrated its superiority in tank building with the release of the KV and T-34, which were vastly superior to the existing German tanks of the Second World War, the Third Reich began to think about the production of a new, more powerful model.
PzKpfw V Panther, created on the basis of the T-34, took part in the main battles on the front of all Europe and proved to be the best. Although the production of this model was quite lengthy and costly, it justified all the hopes of the creators. To date, only 16 copies have survived, one of which is in the Kubinka tank museum.
Heavy tanks
During World War II, it was heavy tanks that served as Germany's main firepower. This is not at all surprising if we take into account their technical characteristics. The most powerful heavy German tank is, of course, the "Tiger", but the no less famous "Maus" 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 underLeningrad, and then in the Battle of Kursk. After the German troops attacked the Soviet Union and met with serious resistance in the form of a maneuverable armored T-35, whose gun was capable of damaging any German tank, it was decided to create a vehicle capable of rebuffing 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 88mm gun made the tank the best among heavy tanks in the world, which was recognized by the US, British and French troops. The powerful armor of the tank from all sides made it practically invincible, but such new weapons caused the anti-Hitler coalition to need new means of combat. Therefore, towards the end of the war, Germany's opponents had self-propelled guns that were 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 super-heavy tank, which would become an unattainable target for enemy vehicles. 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 set about designing a complete set of a new heavy unit of military equipment. As a result, the "Maus" was created, the armor of which is 200-240 mm, which is a record for military equipment.
Total 2 piecessaw the light, but they were blown up by the Red Army in 1945, like many other German tanks. The photos that survived and the model assembled from the above two blown up tanks give a great idea of how powerful this model was.
Conclusion
Summing up, it must be said that although in Germany during the Second World War the tank industry was quite well developed, its new products appeared as a response to such models of Soviet tanks as the KV, KV-1, T-35, and a lot others. It is this fact that makes it clear how important the desire of the Soviet people for victory played for the outcome of the war.
