What+was+the significance of+German+armor?

"World War II was notable for the dramatic increase it brought to military firepower and mobility. The most famous contributor to this process was the tank" (Campbell 102). Nazi Germany will always be remembered for revolutionizing warfare and changing the way it is fought to this day. Their infamous tactic, //Blitzkrieg//, was using the element of surprise for a lightning fast rush or assault on a given position. This would not of been possible if it wasn't for the Germans intensified focus on the new weapon of war, the tank. The tanks of the //Wehrmacht// were known for the quality of their training, not necessarily the quality of their tanks.

The Germans had seven primary tanks that they used over the course of the war. The oldest model used, the Panzer I, was a light tank used in the invasion of Poland. It had a two man crew and was armed with only two .30 caliber machine guns. They began being produced in 1935 and by 1941 they no longer saw service. The second model, the Panzer II, was yet another light tank, developed around the same time as the Panzer I. It was the primary tank used in the invasions of Poland and France with over 1,000 used (Noy). It was armed with a 20mm cannon and one .30 caliber machine gun. It was developed for many adaptations such as being amphibious. The third tank developed, the Panzer III, was the first design that breached the light tank class. This medium tank was was manned by a crew of five. It was the primary armor of the Germans from 1940 to 1942. It began with a 50mm cannon but later a larger, 75mm, was installed. Approximately 15,000 were produced over the course of the war. The Panzer IV was the primary tank of the //Wehrmacht// during the entire war. It was a medium tank with a five man crew. It had a powerful 75mm cannon which it used to set down a swathe of terror. Only 9,000 were ever produced however due to its complexity (Noy).

The Panzer V is typically referred to as the Panther, breaking away from the models before it. The Panther was a heavy tank, weighing in at 45 tons. It had a crew of four and its soul purpose was anti armor warfare. Its armor was sloped and much thicker then its predecessors, and too wielded a 75mm cannon as well as two machine guns. It was put into production at the end of 1942. 4,800 were produced, but many were destroyed due to technical difficulties because they were rushed into the field without proper testing. One of the most feared and famous of the German tanks however was the Tiger tank. The Tiger was created as a birthday gift to Hitler in 1942. It was fitted with the largest German cannon of the time, the 88mm. It was to be used as an anti air and anti tank weapon. Over the course of two years about 1,350 were created. Its cannon was much bigger then any other tank on the field, and its optics and range were the most advanced as well. It was heavily armed and armored however the Tiger tank did have many mechanical faults. The final and most extreme tank design the Germans created was the King Tiger. The design was finished in late 1943 and only 485 were ever made before the war's end. It had the same gun as the Tiger, but the barrel was extended as well as the amount of gunpowder used for propulsion of the round (Noy). They were extremely fuel inefficient however and many were abandoned in the field due to loss of fuel and mechanical malfunctions. As it has been shown time and again, these tanks were not famous for the weapons themselves, but for the training that was put behind them. For a full list of heavy armor and weaponry used by the Germans and the other powers of the World War II, look at this list [|here.]



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