Tanks

Panzer I

The Panzer I wasn't intended as a combat vehicle, but more to familiarise industry and the army with tanks. By the time production had ended in 1937, a total of 1867 Pz I hulls had been produced, of which 1493 were fitted with turrets, and the rest used as command or training vehicles.

Variants:

• Panzerjager I = captured Czech 47mm Pak(t) 36 L/43.4 on Panzer I chassis (Sd.Kfz.101)

Panzer II

The Panzer II was a heavier vehicle, designed to replace the Panzer I. It was armed with a 20 mm cannon which had some anti-armour capability. Before the war started, 1223 had been built.

Variants:

• Panzer II (f) = flamethrower tank
• Marder II = 75 mm Pak 40 gun on Panzer II chassis (SdKfz 131)
• Wespe = 105 mm light field howitzer on Panzer II chassis (SdKfz 124)

Panzer 38(t)

In March 1939 Germany occupied Bohemia and Moravia and took over the Czech arms manufacturing industries. The LT-38 tank, then in production, was renamed Panzer 38(t) ("t" standing for Tschechisch, German for Czech). Prior to the start of the war, 78 Panzer 38(t) tanks had been produced.

Germany continued producing the Panzer 38(t) during the war. By early 1942, it was clearly obsolete. However, the production lines were already running, the vehicle was mechanically reliable, and the factory would have had difficulty moving over to larger tanks. So it was decided to find other uses for the Panzer 38(t) chassis.

Variants:

• Marder 138 (Marder III) = 75 mm Pak 40 gun on Panzer 38(t) chassis (Marder SdKfz 138)
• Marder 139 = captured Russian 76.2 mm gun on Panzer 38(t) chassis (Marder SdKfz 139)
• Grille = 150 mm heavy infantry gun on Panzer 38(t) chassis (figures include munition-carrying versions of the Grille) (SdKfz 138/1)
• Hetzer = 75 mm L/48 Pak39 gun on a widened Pz 38(t) chassis (Jagdpanzer 38(t))

Panzer III

The Panzer III was designed as a medium tank, with a high-velocity 37 mm gun. Pre-war production was 98 vehicles. During the war, the Pz III was upgunned to a 50 mm gun, then to an even higher velocity 50 mm gun, in order to improve its anti-tank performance. A low-velocity 75 mm gun was also fitted, but since the tank wasn't big enough to fit a high-velocity 75 mm gun, production was halted mid-war, although the chassis continued to be used to build assault guns.

The Panzer III was the first tank to have a 3-man turret: the commander didn't have to double up as a loader or a gunner, so he could concentrate on commanding the tank.

Variants:

• Panzer III = armed with 37 mm gun
• Panzer III (50) = armed with 50 mm L/42 gun
• Panzer III (50L) = armed with 50 mm L/60 gun
• Panzer III (75) = armed with 75 mm L/24 gun
• Panzer III (f) = armed with flamethrower
• Sturmgeschutz III = Sturmgeschutz 40 Assault Gun armed with 75 mm L/24 on Panzer III chassis (SdKfz 142)
• Sturmgeschutz III (l) = Sturmgeschutz 40 Assault Gun armed with 75 mm L/43 or L/48 on Panzer III chassis (SdKfz 142/1)

Panzer IV

The Panzer IV was designed alongside the Panzer III. The Panzer IV was a slightly larger and heavier tank, and with its large calibre low velocity gun, it was designed to break through enemy positions. Pre-war production was 211 tanks. Originally armed with a low-velocity 75 mm L/24 gun, in 1942 this was upgraded to a 75 mm L/43 gun, and later to a 75 mm L/48 gun.

Variants:

• Panzer IV (short) = Panzer IV with short 75 mm gun
• Panzer IV (long) = Panzer IV with long 75 mm gun
• Sturmgeschutz IV = Assault Gun. Superstructure of Sturmgeschutz III on Panzer IV chassis; armed with 75 mm L/42 or L/48 gun (SdKfz 167)
• Jagdpanzer IV = Tank Destroyer with 75 mm L/48 gun on Panzer IV chassis (SdKfz 162)
• Jagdpanzer IV/70 = Tank Destroyer with 75 mm L/70 gun on Panzer IV chassis (SdKfz 162/1)
• Sturmpanzer IV = Brummbär with 150 mm field howitzer on Panzer IV chassis (Sdkfz 166)
• Hummel (artillery) = 150 mm field howitzer on Panzer IV (sometimes Panzer III) chassis (SdKfz 165)
• Hornisse = 88 mm Pak43 auf PzKw IV, known as Hornisse, later known as Nashorn. (some Hummels/Hornisses used the Panzer III hull instead of the Panzer IV hull)
• Möbelwagen = Anti Aircraft. 37mm Flak 43 L/89 on Panzer IV chassis (Flakpanzer IV Sd.Kfz.161/3)
• Wirbelwind = Anti Aircraft. quadruple 20mm Flak 38 L/112.5 guns on Panzer IV chassis, with armoured turret (Flakpanzer IV)
• Ostwind = Anti Aircraft. 37mm Flak 43 L/89 on Panzer IV chassis, with armoured turret (Flakpanzer IV)

Panzer V - Panther

The Panther was a medium tank of the German Army in World War II. Until 1944 it was designated as the PzKpfw V Panther, and also had the Ordnance inventory designation of SdKfz 171.

The Panther was a direct response to the Soviet T-34.

Variants:

• Panther Ausf D = armed with 75mm KwK 42 L/70 gun
• Panther Ausf G = additional armor, additional MG42 added to cupola
• Jagdpanther = Tank Destroyer with an 88 mm L/71 Pak43 gun on Panzer V chassis (SdKfz 173)

Panzer VIE - Tiger I

Tiger I (Panzer VIE) was armed with an 88mm L/56 gun. On May 26, 1941 Hitler ordered the Henschel and Porsche firms to design a new heavy tank. Franz Xaver Reimspiess developed the Panzer Tiger. Reimspiess was the leader of the Nibelungen Panzer factory in Upper Austria. The Henschel design won the competition and became the Tiger; the Porsche design became the Elefant.

Panzer VIB - Tiger II - King Tiger (Königstiger)

The Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II Ausf. B "Königstiger" (Sd.Kfz.182) / VK4503(H) was the most powerful combat tank of World War II. Armed with an 88 mm L/71 gun, up to the end of the war the Allies did not introduce anything that could effectively counter it. The Tiger II combined a powerful and effective gun with armor that was virtually impervious to any Allied tank or anti-tank gun.

Variants:

• Jagdtiger was armed with a 128 mm L/55 Pak44 gun (SdKfz 186)

Self-Propelled Artillery

Hummel (artillery)

The Hummel was a self propelled artillery piece fielding a 150 mm howitzer on a chassis that combined features of both the Panzer III and Panzer IV. Some 666 Hummels plus 150 Hummel ammunition carriers were built from 1943 to 1944.

Bison I

Bison II

Wespe

Assault Guns

An assault gun is an armoured fighting vehicle similar to a tank, but typically does not have a traversable turret, and may have an open roof. The removal of the turret allows for a much larger gun to be carried on a smaller chassis. They are not intended to fight other AFV's, but instead directly support infantry during assaults on prepared positions.

During World War II Germany built many more assault guns than tanks, because of their relatively cheapness and simplicity.

Sturmgeschütz III

(built on the Panzer III chassis)

Sturmgeschütz IV

(built on the Panzer IV chassis)

Brummbar

Sturmtiger

Tank Destroyers

Panzerjager I

(built on the Panzer I chassis)

Hetzer

(built on the Panzer 38(t) chassis)

Jagdpanzer IV

Jagdpanther

Marder I (built on the captured French Tracteur Blinde 37L's chassis)

Marder II (built on the Panzer II chassis)

Marder III (built on the Panzer 38(t) chassis)

Nashorn

Jagdtiger

Elefant

The Elefant (SdKfz 184) used the chassis of Porsche's losing entry for the Tiger competition. On top of this chassis, a forward-facing 88 mm L/71 gun was mounted. A total of 90 Elefants were produced, all in 1943.

Early production models of Elefant were also known as the Ferdinand, after its designer, Dr Ferdinand Porsche.

Half-Tracks

• SdKfz 2
• SdKfz 6
• SdKfz 7
• SdKfz 10
• SdKfz 250
• SdKfz 251

Armored Cars

• SdKfz 221
• SdKfz 222
• SdKfz 223
• SdKfz 231
• SdKfz 232
• SdKfz 233
• SdKfz 234
• SdKfz 263

See also:

• German armored fighting vehicle production during World War II
• Comparison of early World War II tanks