Panzer 1

 

The Panzer 1 is a light tank that made up most of Germany's armor the first year of the war. The Panzer 1 was used in Poland, France, the Balkans campaign, North Africa and Barbarossa. In Operation Barbarossa the Germans recognized that the Panzer 1 was obsolete and for the rest time in Russia the tank was given drivers behind the lines.

 

Made 1934 to 1936

Little over 800 were built

Armor thickness 7-13 mm

Weight 5.4 tons

Crew 2

Main gun two MG13 guns (caliber 7.92mm)

Used Through out the war

Panzer II

 

The Panzer II is a German light tank. It was used in great numbers early in the war. The Panzer II was the main tank of the invasion of France but after that it was replaced by the Panzer III and Panzer IV. It was used as a reconnaissance tank until 1943. By then it was obsolete, it was no longer being produced or in combat. It did play a role in occupied countries as a patrol tank.

 

Crew 3

Armor thickness 14mm

Weight 7.2 tons

Made 1935-1943

Use through out war

Main gun 1x2cm cannon

Second gun MG34

Panzer III

 

The Panzer III is a medium tank. It's role at the beginning of the war was to go against armor. As the war progressed the role changed to an infantry sport tank because it's main gun was not strong enough to destroy the heavier enemy tanks.

 

Made 1939-1943

Amount made about 6,000

Weighs 22 tons

Armor thickness 5-70

Main gun 1x5mm kwk

 

 

Panzer IV

 

The Panzer IV was the most produced tank of the German army. About 9,000 were made. The Panzer IV was a medium tank and the most common tank in the Panzer divisions. Throughout the war the Panzer was upgraded to meet the requirements to get the job done. It's role was infantry support, but when the Panzer III became out of date the Panzer IV became a tank killer. The Panzer IV design would set the standard for most of the German mobile gun vehicle.

It was used throughout the whole war.

 

Amount made (about) 9,000

Made1937-1945

Weighs 25 tons

Armor thickness 10-80mm

Crew 5

Main gun 88 mm

Secondary guns 2 mg34

Tiger I

 

The Tiger 1 (Panzer VI) was a German heavy tank. It was used from 1942 to 1945. the tiger is one of the most feared tanks in the second world war. What made the tank so feared was it's 88mm gun. It could kill any tank at the time. The tiger had very thick armor for it's time (25-110mm). One of the most famous panzer commanders, Michael Whitman, became legendary in the tiger. The tiger did have a weakness. It's heaviness often lead to break downs and it often got stuck in the mud. Not many tigers were built to win the war.

 

First used 1942 till 1945

Weight 57 tons

Amount made little less the 1,500

Armor thickness 25mm to 130mm

Main gun 88mm

Secondary gun 2 mg34

 

 

Panzer 38 T

 

The panzer 38 T was a Czechoslovakian tank. When Hitler occupied Czechoslovakia he acquired these tanks and used them in the invasion of France and in Russia. They were some of the best tanks Germany had at the time of the invasions. Later in the war it would become a reconnaissance tank. Many consider this tank critical to Germany campaigns early in the war.

 

Used 1939-1944

Number built over 1,400

Weight 9.5 tons

Crew 4

Armor 8-30mm A-D, 8-50mm E

Main gun 37mm

Secondary guns 2  7.92mm ZB53

 

Jagdpanther

 

The Jagdpanther was a tank destroyer vehicle. This vehicle was made by Germany in1944. The Jagdpanther was made from1944 to 45. The tank destroyer was in combat on eastern and western fronts. Some Jagdpanther’s and its crew saw action in Normandy (mainly their opponent was the British). This awesome tank destroyer gun was the feared 88mm. This vehicle was feared by allied tank crews.

 

Weight 45.5 tons

Crew 5

Armor thickness 80-100mm

Main gun 88mm

Secondary gun 1  7.92mm MG34

Amount made about 390

 

Wespe

The Wespe was a German self propelled artillery piece. The body of the vehicle or the (“chassis”) was the body of a Panzer II. The body was economically suited to be changed to a wespe. The first wespe first saw action on the eastern front in 1943. The wespe turned out to be so successful, that Hitler ordered more wespes and halted the production of the Panzer II. The wespe was being built from 1943-44. It was then replaced. The wespe would be in combat until the end of the war. About 660 wespe were ever made during the war.

 

Weight 13 tones

Max speed on road 26mph

Range road 85 off road 55

Main gun 4.1 in light FH 18/21/28

Secondary gun 1 Mg34 or Mg42

Armor .4-08 in

Fording depth 31 in

 

 

( Panther ) V. SD . KFZ . 171

The Panther design was influenced by the T34 new innovations. The Panther first entered action in 1942 in the Battle of Kursk. Men of the panther broke down do to mechanical trouble (gear boxes). The Germans fixed the kinks out of the Panthers and used it in the war. The Panthers side armors were thin for it class. 6,000 were made. They were used after the war by the French.

 

Weight 50.1 tons

Crew 5

Engine maybach Hk 230 P30 V12 gas, water cooled. 23,880 cc, 700hp

Max speed 29 on road off road 15mph

Main gun 3 in kwk 42 l/70 cannon

Secondary gun 2 Mg34

Armor 1-3.9 in

Fording depth 67 in