Military review and politics. German tanks in World War II, German tanks

The Second World War is called the “War of Motors” - there is truth in this, because a huge number of tanks, planes, cars and other equipment were involved in it. If Germany had complied with the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919, it would not have had a single combat vehicle.
Hitler risked circumventing this condition...

Panzerkampfwagen VI "Tiger I" Ausf E, "Tiger" - a German heavy tank from the Second World War.
For the first time, Tiger I tanks went into battle on August 29, 1942 at the Mga station near Leningrad, began to be used on a massive scale from the Battle of Kursk, and were used by the Wehrmacht and SS troops until the end of World War II. At the time of its creation, the vehicle was the strongest in terms of armament and armor among all tanks in the world; this situation remained at least until November 1943.

The main weapon of the Tiger I, the 88-mm KwK 36 L/56 cannon, until the appearance of the Soviet IS on the battlefield, did not have any significant problems in defeating any armored vehicle of the anti-Hitler coalition countries at any combat distances and angles.

The total number of cars produced is 1354 units

Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. B, "Tiger II", or German. "Königstiger", "Royal Tiger" (" Bengal tiger"in German) is a German heavy tank of the final period of World War II. It was mass-produced from March 1944 until the end of the war. A total of 489 tanks were produced.

Tiger II was armed with a very accurate long-barreled 88mm. a 71-caliber long gun with a maximum effective firing range of 10 km and three MG34/42 machine guns. Tiger II could knock out Sherman, Cromwell and T-34/85 tanks from a distance of 3500 meters. The five-man crew was protected by thick, sloping armor plates, making the tank a very difficult target. Only a few guns of the time could destroy the Tiger II at close range. To date, not a single document or photograph has been found,
saying that the front armor panel of the Tiger II turret was ever penetrated in combat conditions.

At the same time, the high weight and insufficient engine power resulted in poor driving performance and overall low reliability of the Tiger II.

"Panther" (German: Panzerkampfwagen V Panther, abbreviated: PzKpfw V "Panther") - a German medium tank of the Second World War.

According to a number of experts, the Panther is the best German tank of World War II and one of the best in the world. At the same time, the tank had a number of disadvantages; it was complex and expensive to manufacture and operate.

The KwK 42 gun had powerful ballistics and at the time of its creation could hit almost all tanks and self-propelled guns of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition. Only the Soviet IS-2 tank, which appeared in mid-1944 with a straightened VLD, had frontal hull armor that reliably protected it from Panther cannon shells at main battle distances.

The Panthers performed best in active defense in the form of ambushes, shooting of advancing enemy tanks from long distances, and counterattacks, when the influence of the weakness of the side armor was minimized. Especially in this capacity, the “Panthers” succeeded in cramped combat conditions - in the cities and mountain passes of Italy, in the thickets of hedges (bocages) in Normandy. The enemy was forced to deal only with the Panther's solid frontal defense, without the possibility of a flank attack to defeat the weak side armor.

Jagdpanther (German: Jagdpanther) - German anti-tank self-propelled artillery installation(self-propelled guns) tank destroyer class.

The equipment of the Jagdpanther differed from the Panther only in the exhaust system, hatch configuration and a small amount mechanical parts. The Jagdpanther was armed with an excellent long-barreled 88mm. a Pak 43/3 L/71 gun (the same as used on the Tiger II) and one 7.92 mm. a machine gun mounted in the front armor plate.

The Jagdpanther was certainly the best option conversion of the Pz.Kpfw V Panther tank, moreover, it became the most successful anti-tank self-propelled guns World War II, which was superior in armor protection to all Soviet self-propelled guns, and in all respects to all allied self-propelled guns.

Panzerkampfwagen III is a German medium tank from World War II, mass-produced from 1938 to 1943.

These combat vehicles were used by the Wehrmacht from the first day of World War II until their complete destruction in battle. Latest posts about combat use PzKpfw III in the regular composition of Wehrmacht units date back to mid-1944, single tanks fought until the surrender of Germany. From mid-1941 to early 1943, the PzKpfw III was the backbone of the Wehrmacht's armored forces (Panzerwaffe) and, despite its significant weakness compared to its contemporary tanks from the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, made a significant contribution to the successes of the Wehrmacht of that period.

"Hetzer" (German Hetzer - "Jager") or Jagdpanzer 38 is a German light self-propelled artillery unit (SPG) of the tank destroyer class.

It was developed by the Czechoslovak company BMM on the chassis of the Pz.KpfW.38(t) light tank in November 1943 - January 1944 as a cheaper and more widespread replacement for the StuG III assault guns, but was later reclassified as a tank destroyer, intended primarily for recruiting anti-tank units of infantry and cavalry divisions.

Serial production of the Hetzer began in April 1944, with at least 2,827 produced before the end of the war.

As an anti-tank weapon, the 75-mm PaK 39 gun had the ability to destroy all medium tanks used in World War II at normal combat distances and slightly more disabilities to combat heavy tanks.

The armor protection of the Hetzer was sharply differentiated: if the upper frontal armored part (VLD) by the standards of 1944 had greater armor protection than that of medium tanks 120 mm, then the lower one was more than one and a half times inferior to it in thickness, and the sides and rear of the hull were designed only for protection from shrapnel and small arms fire

Sturmgeschütz III - German class self-propelled artillery unit assault guns from the Second World War on the basis of the PzKpfw III tank. It was mass-produced in various modifications from 1940 to 1945 and became the most numerous representative of the Wehrmacht's armored vehicles (8,636 self-propelled guns with 75 mm guns were produced).

Overall, the StuG III was a fairly successful assault weapon, being used on all fronts as an assault weapon and as a tank destroyer, as an offensive weapon and as a defensive weapon. All versions of the Stug III had a low silhouette, making them a difficult target and dangerous opponent. Their crews were considered the elite of the German armored forces and had their own khaki-gray uniform (a variant of the tank uniform). Stug III had a very high rate of destroyed enemy tanks

Panzerkampfwagen IV - German medium tank. The most popular tank of the Wehrmacht (a total of 8,686 vehicles were produced), it was mass-produced in several modifications from 1937 to 1945. The constantly increasing armament and armor of the tank in most cases allowed the PzKpfw IV to effectively resist enemy vehicles of a similar class.

Sturmgeschütz IV (StuG IV, Sturmgeschütz IV, Shtug IV) is a medium-weight German self-propelled artillery unit of the assault gun class from the Second World War based on the Pz Kpfw IV tank.

It was serially produced from December 1943 until the surrender of Germany, a total of 1,108 vehicles were produced and another 31 were converted from tanks. According to the departmental rubricator of the Ministry of Armaments of Nazi Germany, the self-propelled gun was designated as Sd Kfz 167. The incentive to create such a combat vehicle was the insufficient number of StuG III assault guns. Since the deployment of StuG III production at the existing production facilities of the Krupp-Gruzon company (manufacturer of the Pz Kpfw IV medium tank) was pointless from an economic point of view, a project was developed to install the StuG III wheelhouse on the Pz Kpfw IV chassis. This project became the starting point for the production of the StuG IV. Since January 1944, the Krupp-Gruzon company stopped producing the base tank and completely switched to production of the StuG IV. These self-propelled guns were actively used on all fronts of World War II.

Hummel (German: Bumblebee) (15cm Schwere Panzerhaubitze auf Geschutzwagen III/IV (Sf)) is a German self-propelled 150 mm howitzer.

The first Hummels were delivered to troops in May 1943; began to be used en masse, starting with the battle on Kursk Bulge in the summer of that year, and fought on all fronts until the end of the war. Although the main purpose of the self-propelled gun was firing from closed positions, it was not so uncommon to use it for direct support of infantry with direct fire. In this capacity, it was tested almost immediately, near Kursk.

Hummel earned a good reputation in the Wehrmacht. Several self-propelled guns of this type were captured by the Red Army and were used in battle for their intended purpose under the designation SU-150. After the end of the war, a number of them were even officially in service until 1946.

Jagdpanzer VI, also commonly known as Jagdtiger (German: "Jagdtiger"), is a German self-propelled artillery unit (SPG) of the tank destroyer class.

The Jagdtiger was based on the chassis and components of a heavy Tiger tank II (Royal Tiger), but was armed with 128mm. a Pak 44 L/55 gun (taken from the Maus super-heavy tank) and two 7.92mm. MG34/42 machine guns. The gun had a limited traverse of 10 degrees left and right. This gun was the largest and most powerful anti-tank gun of World War II. The maximum flight range of the projectile is 22410 meters. It could destroy any of the Allied tanks available at that time, from a distance much greater than the firing range of any Allied anti-tank gun then available. The gun was installed in a heavily armored superstructure located in the center of the hull. The side armor plates of the superstructure were integral with the side armor plates of the hull.

The most powerful armor protection, reaching 250 mm in the frontal projection, was not penetrated at point-blank range by the most powerful enemy guns. However, the price of these advantages was the very high mass of the self-propelled guns of 75 tons. As a result, her mobility and reliability suffered greatly.

J. Forti "German armored vehicles in the Second World War." Memoirs of an American officer:

"In 1948, having barely received officer's shoulder straps, me received an assignment to Europe. And here, on the spot former battles in the Ardennes, I saw with my own eyes what was once an entire regiment of Shermans. Everywhere, as far as the eye could see, upside-down skeletons could be seen American tanks with torn off, twisted towers and crushed buildings... What happened here? It turns out that the Sherman column came under an unexpected attack from the right flank. The leading tanks were destroyed, and then the rear ones stopped, turning to face the attacker - and thereby accelerated their death. And they were destroyed... by one Jagdtiger.
Its huge body even then still loomed black against the background of the farm rising on the hill. It was probably shot down from the air or, more likely, blown up by the crew after they ran out of ammunition. 40 years have passed since then, but the picture of the terrible massacre is still before my eyes. Then I was clearly convinced of what a single tank destroyer can do."

"Ferdinand" (German: Ferdinand) is a German heavy self-propelled artillery unit (SPG) of the World War II class of tank destroyers.

The Ferdinand self-propelled gun was developed in 1942-1943, being largely an improvisation based on the chassis of the Tiger (P) heavy tank, which was not adopted for service, developed by Ferdinand Porsche. The debut of "Ferdinand" was Battle of Kursk, where the armor of this self-propelled gun demonstrated its low vulnerability to fire from Soviet main anti-tank and tank artillery. Subsequently, these vehicles took part in battles on the Eastern Front and in Italy, ending their combat journey in the suburbs of Berlin.

The combat use of the Ferdinands left an ambivalent impression. The most powerful 88-mm cannon was ideal for destroying enemy armored vehicles at any combat distance, and the crews German self-propelled guns indeed they accumulated very large accounts of destroyed and damaged Soviet tanks. Powerful armor made the Ferdinand practically invulnerable to shells from almost all Soviet guns when fired head-on.

On the other hand, the high security of “Ferdinand” to a certain extent played a negative role in his fate. Instead of a long-range tank destroyer, due to the massive and accurate fire of Soviet artillery, the German command at Kursk used Ferdinands as the tip of a ramming attack on the Soviet defense in depth, which was a clear mistake.
Immobilized self-propelled guns became easy prey for infantry, armed with means close anti-tank combat, for example, with Molotov cocktails.
The large mass of the Ferdinand made it difficult for it to pass over many bridges, although it was not prohibitively large, especially in comparison with the heavy tank Tiger II and the self-propelled gun Jagdtiger. The Ferdinand's large dimensions and low mobility did not have the best effect on the vehicle's survivability in conditions of Allied air supremacy.

"Sturmtiger" (German: Sturmtiger), complete official name- 38 cm RW61 auf Sturmmörser Tiger, also known as “Sturmpanzer VI” (German: Sturmpanzer VI) is a German self-propelled artillery unit (SPG) from the Second World War, a class of assault guns.

The Sturmtiger was designed as a vehicle for operating in urban environments, capable of withstanding fire anti-tank artillery from all directions. The frontal protection of early-release Sturmtigers was one of the highest among all armored vehicles used in World War II and was comparable to the armor of the Royal Tiger.

The main armament of the Sturmtiger was the 380-mm Raketenwerfer 61 ship-borne rocket launcher.
The bomb launcher fired rockets with a solid propellant engine, stabilized in flight due to rotation, achieved due to the inclined arrangement of its engine nozzles, as well as the inclusion of protrusions on the rocket body into the rifling channels of the gun barrel. Initial speed the rocket at the exit from the barrel was 300 m/s.

“Sturmtigers” were successfully used to destroy the fortifications of the Siegfried Line occupied by the Anglo-American troops, and in some episodes they showed the ability to successfully fight enemy tanks. So, in one case, the Sturmtiger managed to destroy three Sherman tanks with one shot.

"Maus" (German Maus - "mouse", the names Panzerkampfwagen "Maus" and Porsche 205 were also used) is a super-heavy tank designed in the Third Reich between 1942 and 1945 under the leadership of Ferdinand Porsche. It is the largest tank in terms of mass ever embodied in metal (combat weight - 188 tons). Only two copies of the vehicle were built, but there were 9 more tanks at the plant, which were in various stages of readiness. These tanks did not reach the front line due to their size and weight. Later they were assigned the task of guarding the Reich Chancellery and the OKH in Wünsdorf, but they were unable to complete this task either.

Without exaggeration, it can be said that tanks were one of the decisive factors in the Second World War. In terms of the degree of influence on the course of hostilities, only aviation can compete with them.

Tanks were in service with almost all armies that took part in the war. Their production was constantly growing, and at this time there was a qualitative shift - from mid-1942, the production of medium tanks exceeded the production of light ones. By the end of the war, the production of light tanks was stopped in the main warring states (except the USA and Japan). The dominant position on the battlefields was occupied by medium tanks, which turned out to be the most versatile, adapted to solve the widest range of combat missions.

Serial production of the world's first universal tank began in 1940. It was a Soviet medium tank T-34, which, in addition, became the most mass tank World War II. Weighing 30 tons, the T-34 was protected by 45 mm sloping armor and armed with a long-barreled 76 mm cannon, which gave it superiority over any medium tank of the initial period of the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War. The Soviet KV heavy tank also dominated the battlefield at that time. However, the basis of the Red Army's tank fleet in 1941 was the T-26 and BT light tanks, which were significantly inferior to the German Pz.III and Pz.IV tanks, as well as some others.

In German tanks, even on the eve of the war, the principle of separating the duties of crew members was implemented. For the “triples” and “fours” it consisted of five people. This circumstance, as well as the successful organization of tank units and formations and their well-established interaction with other branches of the military, allowed the German tank forces to achieve phenomenal success at the initial stage of World War II, which was clearly demonstrated in the Polish and especially in the French campaigns.

Despite the fact that French tanks were not inferior to German ones in armament, and even surpassed them in armor protection, they most often lost in battle. This was mainly due to the fact that most French tanks had crews of two or three people. Overloaded with responsibilities, the French tank crews were simply unable to correctly navigate the rapidly changing combat situation.

The British tank crews were in approximately the same position. Britain entered World War II with two main classes of tanks: infantry and cruiser. And if the first was represented by the rather successful Matilda tank, protected by 78 mm armor, then the second consisted of several types of weakly armored and unreliable tanks. One can only wonder how a country that built excellent ships and aircraft could not achieve acceptable technical reliability of its tanks for a long time. This was achieved only with the creation of the Cromwell tank, the first British universal tank, which appeared in 1943. By this time, there were practically no infantry tanks left in the British army - only two were armed with heavy Churchill tanks. tank brigades.

The United States of America entered World War II without really having any tanks or tank troops. However, the Americans quickly drew the right conclusions from the experience of others. As a result, already in 1942, production of the exceptionally successful M4 Sherman medium tank began, which became the basis of the tank fleet of the US armies and other Western allies in World War II. However, for American army The massive and long-term use of light tanks was typical. And if the presence in the troops large quantity While the M3/M5 Stuart tanks can somehow be explained, the adoption of the M24 Chaffee light tank into service in 1944 indicates the immaturity of American tank thought in those years.

However, the main tank battles of World War II took place on the Eastern Front. A characteristic feature of the Soviet-German tank confrontation was that the equipment of the opposing sides was almost completely updated over the four years of the war.

Faced with the T-34 and KB in 1941, which became an unpleasant surprise for them, the Germans first went for a serious modernization of their medium tanks Pz.III and Pz.IV, radically strengthening their armament, and then for the large-scale production of new heavy Tiger tanks " and "Panther". These two tanks, as well as the “Royal Tiger” that joined them in 1944, became one of the most powerful tanks of the Second World War. Their 75- and 88-mm guns were capable of hitting tanks of the anti-Hitler coalition from a distance of up to 3 thousand m! A feature of these vehicles was a certain defensive orientation in their design. Of the three main parameters - weapons, security and mobility - preference was clearly given to the first two.

This cannot be said about Soviet tanks - T-34-85 and IS-2. Unlike German cars, they had much more balanced characteristics, especially the “thirty-four”. As a result, they were the ones who emerged victorious from tank battles World War II.

19051

In 1937, the Wehrmacht needed a breakthrough tank that would have 50 mm armor and be one and a half times heavier than a tank Pz Kpfw IV. The design was entrusted to the engineering company Henschel in the city of Kassel.

The order from the arms department was taken over by E. Aders, head of the department of new developments, who was later recognized as the “father of tigers” (Tigerfater). His first car was the DW1 (breakthrough machine, Durchbruchswagen), made in a single copy. DW2 appeared in 1938. Having the same chassis as the DW1 (five rollers with individual torsion bar suspension), the vehicle reached speeds of up to 35 km/h. E. Aders began work on a revised specification in September (the mass was specified as 30 tons). At the same time, the companies Daimler-Benz, MAN and Design Bureau F. Porsche were involved in the project.

The designations of experimental vehicles at that time were standardized and the ordered vehicle was assigned the identifier VK3001. In the code, the first two digits are the design weight, the last are the sample number.

Tank Pz.Kpfw. VI "Tiger" of the 101st SS heavy tank battalion during training battles. France, spring 1944

The German high command inspects one of the first copies of the Tiger tank (PzKpfw VI Ausf. H) at the training ground, after completing regular tests. 1942

The newest German heavy tanks "Tiger" (PzKpfw VI "Tiger I") have been delivered to combat tests to the Mga railway station near Leningrad, but the cars immediately required repairs

E. Aders took the DW2 car as a basis. The Henschel company produced four prototypes, which differed slightly - two cars in March 1941 and the same number in October. What were these machines? With a combat weight of 32 tons, the 300-horsepower engine provided speeds of up to 25 km/h. The chassis consists of seven (pair and single) rollers, arranged in a checkerboard pattern, and three support rollers. The tank is armed with a short-barreled 75 mm cannon and two machine guns. The frontal part of the hull and turret were made of 50 mm armor plates, the sides - of 30 mm. The tank has a crew of five people.

While the VK3001 (N) was being finalized, the campaign against the USSR began. After the first battles, it became clear that the Henschel prototypes would not survive the battle with the KB and T-34. As for Porsche, he only tried his hand at designing tanks. Apparently this predetermined Porsche's further failures in the field of tank building. Two copies of this vehicle VK3001 (P) were manufactured in the winter of 40-41. The tank did not exceed the specified weight and, thanks to a pair of air-cooled engines, reached speeds of up to 60 km/h. Porsche offered an electric transmission and a longitudinal torsion bar suspension with six rollers on board. However, to master this complex structure within short term German industry was unable to implement the original plan.

In May 1941, the Henschel company took up another experimental VK3601 equipped with a cannon, the projectile of which would penetrate armor 100 millimeters thick from a distance of 1.5 thousand meters. By the way, when this tank was manufactured, the thickness of the armor plates was also 100 millimeters. The vehicle, weighing 40 tons, reached speeds of up to 40 km/h. The chassis consisted of eight large-diameter rollers (it was later used on the Tigers).

In July 1941, the Ministry of Arms and Ammunition issued the F. Porsche Design Bureau and the Henschel company an order for VK4501. It was proposed that the vehicle would be designed for an 88-mm anti-aircraft gun of the 1936 model, which was converted into a tank. The cannon was created in the 20s through the efforts of two concerns - the German Krupp and the Swedish Bofors. Having the main purpose of combating air targets, this system nevertheless became famous as a powerful anti-tank weapon. The Germans tested the system in this role back in Spain. It was especially actively used in 40-42 on the battlefields of World War II against tanks with anti-ballistic armor - Soviet KB and T-34, British and American Shermans, Grants and Matildas. An armor-piercing projectile fired from it hit these tanks even at distances of 2 - 2.5 thousand meters.

The semi-automatic gun with a wedge-mounted vertical bolt was complemented by an electric trigger and a muzzle brake. After modernization, it began to be called 8.8cm KwK36 - an 8.8-centimeter gun of the 1936 model.

Both VK4501 tanks (H and R) were supposed to be produced by April 20, 1942 - Hitler's birthday. That is, there was not enough time. Both designers took the best from previous experimental machines. After comparative tests, the choice was made on Aders' car, although Hitler supported F. Porsche.

VK4501(P), which had the design designation "Porsche 101", weighing 57 tons, reached speeds of up to 35 km/h. The crew of the car is five people. The Krupp turret and armament were the same as those of the enemy tank. The thickness of the frontal armor plate of the turret and hull is 100 millimeters, the sides are 80 millimeters.

System air cooling a pair of ten-cylinder gasoline engines were designed by Porsche the best car for African desert conditions. In July 1942, the Nibelung company plant in Linz, Austria, even produced five vehicles and about 90 hulls, which received the designation "Tiger (P)" or Pz Kpfw VIP. Both of them found application: the first were used as training vehicles, and semi-finished products became excellent tank destroyers.

Since August 1942, the Henschel company organized mass production of tanks developed by Aders. Later, similar assembly lines were opened by Wegmann. "Tigers" were produced until August 1944. In 1942, 84 tanks were built, in 1943 - 647 vehicles, in 1944 - 623. In April 1944, the maximum monthly production was registered - 104 tanks.

The crew of the German tank Pz.Kpfw. VI "Tiger" demonstrates the capabilities of its vehicle to overcome anti-tank barriers

German tank crews at a halt and the PzKpfw VI "Tiger" tank

German heavy tank PzKpfw VI "Tiger" No. 232 of the 101st SS heavy tank battalion. Tank commander - Unterscharführer Kurt Klieber from Michael Wittmann's company

Initially, the vehicles were officially called Pz Kpfw VI Ausf H "Tiger I". Since February 1944, after the Tiger II was put into service, the name was changed to simply “Tiger I” or Pz Kpfw VI Ausf E. This car is not another modification of the “six”. There was only one modification. Although, of course, changes were still made to the design during production.

The combat weight of production vehicles exceeded the target weight by more than 10 tons. From the moment the tank appeared and for a year and a half, it was the strongest vehicle in the world in almost all respects. First of all, it had powerful armor. Aders gave the hull a box-like rectangular cross-section due to the slight inclination of the frontal and vertical installation of the side armor plates. This configuration speeds up and simplifies process. In addition, the armor plates were secured by welding and connected with spikes. This made it possible to achieve significant mechanical strength. One sheet was used to make the bottom. Armor - chromium-nickel-molybdenum rolled, homogeneous.

The interior of the Tiger was divided into four compartments. The driver was located in his own compartment on the left in front, and the radio operator on the right. The multi-stage shaftless gearbox had eight forward and four reverse gears mounted between them. A multi-disc main clutch operating in oil and a brake were placed in the gearbox housing. A differential turning mechanism with a double power supply provided turning in place and two fixed turning radii in each gear. The tank was controlled by a steering wheel through a hydraulic semi-automatic servo drive. If the steering wheel failed, two hand levers with disc brake drives were used.

The width of the viewing slot, through which the driver observed the surrounding situation, was regulated by a thick armored flap that moved vertically. In poor visibility, the driver was more oriented by the heading indicator (gyro-compass) located on the right, rather than visually. Hatches cut above the heads of the radio operator and driver were covered with covers equipped with periscope observation devices. While firing the frontal MG34 machine gun, the radio operator used his periscope to aim.

A horseshoe-shaped turret, curved from 80 mm armor plate with vertical walls, was allocated for the fighting compartment, as well as middle part body, which was separated from the engine compartment by an armored partition. to the right of the cannon workplace loader, on the left - gunner. Both had narrow viewing slits with glass blocks in front of them. The turret was rotated using a hydraulic drive by the gunner by pressing the pedal with his foot. The tank commander duplicated the horizontal aiming.

The commander was assigned a cylindrical turret mounted on the roof of the turret at the rear left with a hatch and five viewing slits. Since July 1943, it was replaced by a unified (same as on the Panther) spherical turret with seven periscope observation devices around the perimeter and a circular contour for moving and mounting an anti-aircraft machine gun. Three throwing devices designed to fire smoke grenades were installed on the front wall of the tower.

An 88-mm cannon (L/56) and a coaxial 7.92-mm machine gun mounted to the right of it were installed in an armored mantlet (110 mm thick). The ammunition rack was placed below the turret shoulder strap - under the turret floor and along the walls of the fighting compartment near the driver. The semi-automatic gun and unitary cartridge ensured a combat rate of fire of 8 rounds per minute.

German heavy tank Pz.Kpfw. VI "Tiger" with tactical number "211" from the 503rd Tank Battalion, in the Belgorod area. German offensive"Citadel"

German tanks Pz.Kpfw. VI "Tiger" of the 506th heavy tank battalion in the spring of 1944 in western Ukraine

German tank Pz.Kpfw. VI "Tiger" of the 502nd heavy tank battalion in the Nevel area, Pskov region. January 1944

The Tiger became the first German production tank to have a new chassis invented by G. Kniepkamp. One side had eight triple road wheels arranged in a checkerboard pattern on a torsion bar suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers on the front and rear blocks. By the way, the Germans have already used this chassis design on light vehicles - armored personnel carriers and artillery half-track tractors. The suspension evenly distributed the weight of the machine along the track, lightly loading each roller, and also made it possible to save rubber on tires. Since January 1944, rollers without tires with internal shock absorption (the same as on the Panther) were used.

A 12-cylinder Maybach HL210P45 liquid-cooled carburetor engine with a power of 650 hp was installed in the engine compartment. In May 1943, in connection with the transition to the unification of tank production, it was replaced by the more powerful HL230P30, already tested on Panthers.

A progressive transmission with hydraulic servos and a torsion bar suspension made the Tiger an easy-to-control tank with a smooth ride. The driver did not expend significant physical effort and did not become overtired when driving the tank. The controls were easy to master. The driver was not required to have high qualifications, and if he died, he could be replaced by any crew member.

495 early Tigers were equipped with underwater driving equipment, which allowed them to overcome water obstacles up to 4 meters deep on the bottom. In addition, the first production vehicles were armed with the S-melee weapon (Schrapnell). It served to defeat soldiers who tried to “board” a damaged tank. Five grenade launchers located at the edges of the tank’s hull fired shrapnel grenades upward at 1.5-2 meters. Exploding, they covered everything around 360 degrees with steel balls.

In addition to line tanks, 84 command tanks were produced. In order to install a second radio station, the gun's ammunition load was reduced to 66 rounds and the coaxial machine gun was removed.

Tigers of the 2nd SS Division "Das Reich" on the march in the forest near Kirovograd

German paratroopers ride on the armor of a Pz.Kpfw tank. VI "Tiger" of the SS division "Das Reich". Late 1943

Camouflaged German heavy tank Pz.Kpfw. VI "Tiger" of the 102nd SS heavy tank battalion advances to the front line near the Orne River. There are obviously additional fuel tanks installed at the rear.

The Tigers first entered battle on the Eastern Front in the fall of 1942 near Leningrad near the Mga station. Later they took part in battles on all fronts.

Technical characteristics of the heavy tank Pz Kpfw VI Ausf H:
Year of manufacture – 1942;
Combat weight - 57000 kg;
Crew – 5 people;
Main Dimensions
Body length – 6200 mm;
Length with gun forward – 8450 mm;
Width – 3700 mm;
Height – 2860 mm;
Security:
The thickness of the armor plates of the frontal part of the hull (angle of inclination to the vertical) is 100 mm (24 degrees);
The thickness of the armor plates on the sides of the hull (angle of inclination to the vertical) is 80 mm (0 degrees);
The thickness of the armor plates of the front part of the turret (angle of inclination to the vertical) is 110 mm (8 degrees);
The thickness of the armor plates on the roof and bottom of the hull is 26 and 28;
Weapons:
Gun brand – KwK36;
Caliber – 88 mm;
Barrel length – 56 kpb;
Ammunition - 92 rounds;
Number of machine guns – 2;
Machine gun caliber - 7.92 mm;
Machine gun ammunition - 4800 rounds;
Mobility:
Engine type and brand – “Maybach” HL230P45
Engine power – 700 l. With.;
Maximum speed on the highway – 38 km/h;
Fuel capacity – 570 l;
Cruising range on the highway – 140 km;
Average ground pressure is 1.04 kg/cm2.

A German Tiger tank cuts down a tree for a spectacular photo. Poland. Summer 1944

German soldiers under the cover of a Pz.Kpfw tank. VI "Tiger" from the 502nd heavy tank battalion near Narva. In the background, to the left, is another tank of the same type, and further, to the right, another “Tiger”

The commander of a German heavy tank "Tiger" looks through binoculars

View from a German Pz.Kpfw tank. VI "Tiger" during the battle. A burning T-34 is visible ahead. USSR, 1944

A damaged and burnt-out Pz.Kpfw heavy tank. VI Ausf. E "Tiger" of the "medium" series of release from the 3rd Tank Regiment of the 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf". The number of the Soviet trophy team is “308a”. Lake Balaton area

Heavy German tank Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. H "Tiger" from the 502nd heavy tank battalion of the Wehrmacht, knocked out near Leningrad. Most likely, this "Tiger" was shot down in the winter of 1943

Damaged heavy tank Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. H "Tiger" from the 509th heavy tank battalion of the Wehrmacht. Tactical number of the tank is 331. The tank is painted with brown blurred spots over the standard dark yellow “Dunkel-Gelb”. In the background is a Soviet regimental gun mod. 1927 horse-drawn. November 1943, Kyiv area

G.K. Zhukov, N.N. Voronov and K.E. Voroshilov inspecting the first captured Tiger at an exhibition of captured weapons at the Gorky Central Park of Culture and Culture in Moscow in the summer of 1943 - Pz.Kpfw. VI "Tiger" of the 502nd battalion of heavy tanks of the Wehrmacht (tactical number of the tank - "100"), captured Soviet troops near Leningrad in the fall of 1942. Noteworthy is the unusual mounting of the equipment box on the side of the turret, which was never seen later.

Exhibition of captured German armored vehicles in Kyiv. Soviet soldiers inspecting captured German heavy tanks PzKpfw VI "Tiger" with numbers S54 and S51 of the 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler". Winter 1945

Disabled war veteran at a German trophy exhibition military equipment in Moscow. In the center is a Pz.Kpfw tank. VI "Tiger" of the 502nd battalion of heavy tanks of the Wehrmacht (tactical number of the tank - "100"), captured by Soviet troops near Leningrad

Although the first world war marked by the appearance of tanks, the Second World War showed the real fury of these mechanical monsters. During the fighting, they played an important role, both among the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition and among the Axis powers. Both warring sides created a significant number of tanks. Below are ten outstanding tanks of World War II - the most powerful tanks of this period ever built.
10. M4 Sherman (USA)

The second most popular tank of the Second World War. Produced in the USA and some others Western countries the anti-Hitler coalition mainly due to the American Lend-Lease program, which provided military support for foreign allied powers. The Sherman medium tank had a standard 75 mm gun with 90 rounds of ammunition and was equipped with relatively thin frontal armor (51 mm) compared to other vehicles of the period.

Developed in 1941, the tank was named after the famous general Civil War in the USA - William T. Sherman. The vehicle took part in numerous battles and campaigns from 1942 to 1945. The relative lack of firepower was compensated by its enormous quantity: about 50 thousand Shermans were produced during the Second World War.

9. "Sherman-Firefly" (UK)

The Sherman Firefly was a British variant of the M4 Sherman tank that was equipped with a devastating 17-pounder anti-tank gun, more powerful than the original Sherman's 75 mm gun. The 17 pounder was destructive enough to damage any famous tanks of that time. The Sherman Firefly was one of those tanks that terrified the Axis countries and was characterized as one of the deadliest fighting vehicles of the Second World War. In total, more than 2,000 units were produced.

PzKpfw V "Panther" is a German medium tank that appeared on the battlefield in 1943 and remained until the end of the war. A total of 6,334 units were created. The tank reached speeds of up to 55 km/h, had strong 80 mm armor and was armed with a 75 mm gun with ammunition from 79 to 82 high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing shells. The T-V was powerful enough to damage any enemy vehicle at that time. It was technically superior to the Tiger and T-IV tanks.

And although the T-V Panther was later surpassed by numerous Soviet T-34s, it remained a serious opponent until the end of the war.

5. “Comet” IA 34 (UK)

One of Britain's most powerful fighting vehicles and probably the best that the country used in World War II. The tank was armed with a powerful 77-mm cannon, which was a shortened version of the 17-pounder gun. Thick armor reached 101 millimeters. However, the Comet did not have a significant impact on the course of the War due to its late introduction to the battlefield - around 1944, when the Germans were retreating.

But be that as it may, during its short service life this military vehicle has shown its effectiveness and reliability.

4. "Tiger I" (Germany)

Tiger I is a German heavy tank developed in 1942. It had a powerful 88-mm gun with 92–120 rounds of ammunition. It was successfully used against both air and ground targets. The full German name of this beast is Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf.E, but the Allies simply called this vehicle “Tiger”.

It accelerated to 38 km/h and had non-tilted armor with a thickness of 25 to 125 mm. When it was created in 1942, it suffered from some technical problems, but was soon freed from them, turning into a ruthless mechanical hunter by 1943.

The Tiger was a formidable machine, which forced the Allies to develop more advanced tanks. It symbolized the strength and power of the Nazi war machine, and until mid-war, no Allied tank was strong enough or powerful enough to withstand the Tiger in a direct confrontation. However, during the final stages of World War II, the Tiger's dominance was often challenged by the better armed Sherman Fireflies and Soviet tanks IS-2.

3. IS-2 “Joseph Stalin” (Soviet Union)

The IS-2 tank belonged to a whole family of heavy tanks of the Joseph Stalin type. It had characteristic sloped armor with a thickness of 120 mm and a large 122 mm gun. The frontal armor was impenetrable to German 88 mm anti-tank gun shells at a distance of more than 1 kilometer. Its production began in 1944, a total of 2,252 tanks of the IS family were built, about half of which were modifications of the IS-2.

During the Battle of Berlin, IS-2 tanks destroyed entire German buildings with high-explosive fragmentation shells. It was a real battering ram of the Red Army as it advanced towards the heart of Berlin.

2. M26 “Pershing” (USA)

The United States created a heavy tank that belatedly took part in World War II. It was developed in 1944, total quantity The number of tanks produced amounted to 2,212 units. The Pershing was a more complex model compared to the Sherman, had a lower profile and more large caterpillars, which provided the car with better stability.
The main gun had a caliber of 90 millimeters (70 shells were attached to it), powerful enough to penetrate the Tiger's armor. "Pershing" had the strength and power to frontally attack those vehicles that the Germans or Japanese could use. But only 20 tanks took part in combat operations in Europe and very few were sent to Okinawa. After the end of World War II, Pershings took part in Korean War and continued to be used in American troops. The M26 Pershing could have been a game changer if it had been deployed to the battlefield sooner.

1. "Jagdpanther" (Germany)

The Jagdpanther was one of the most powerful tank destroyers of World War II. It was based on the Panther chassis, entered service in 1943, and served until 1945. It was armed with an 88 mm cannon with 57 rounds and had 100 mm frontal armor. The gun maintained accuracy at a distance of up to three kilometers and had a muzzle velocity of over 1000 m/s.

Only 415 tanks were built during the war. The Jagdpanthers received their baptism of fire on July 30, 1944 near Saint Martin De Bois, France, where they destroyed eleven Churchill tanks within two minutes. Technical excellence and cutting edge firepower did not have much impact on the course of the war due to the late introduction of these monsters.

The production of tanks in Germany after the First World War began in the summer of 1925 with the development of the Grosstraktor ("big tractor") machine, which was carried out by three companies: Daimler-Benz, Rheinmetall and Krupp. However, it was not enough to make tanks; they had to be tested somewhere else. German politicians and the military found a solution to this issue with the help of the USSR. In December 1926, an agreement was signed in Moscow on the creation of a Soviet-German tank school in Kazan, and in fact a training and testing center. Its first chief was Lieutenant Colonel Malbrandt, after whom the project received the code name “Kama” (Kazan - Malbrandt).

Before its closure in 1933, 65 Soviet students from “the command staff of tank and mechanized troops with a large percentage of combatant commanders” and 30 German officers. Among the latter were future major military leaders: Ritter von Thoma, general of tank forces, in 1942 - commander of the German Afrika Korps. Joseph Harpe - Colonel General, commander of the 4th Panzer Army, Wilhelm Bittrich - Obergruppenführer, commander of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps.

The first-born of German tank building was the heavy tank Grosstraktor (“big tractor”). In July 1929, two such vehicles were tested at the Soviet-German Kama test site near Kazan.

Some publications report that “Major G. Guderian, who then served in the department of the Reichswehr automobile troops, also came here. True, not as a student, as many historians claim, but as an inspecting person.” Beautiful, isn't it? The “father” of German tank forces inspects a facility in the USSR. True, G. Guderian himself does not even mention such a trip in his memoirs, but he describes in detail his trip to Sweden in 1929. And he was a major until February 1930. Most likely, this version is not true.

In addition to training students, the school studied and tested “small” and “large tractors” brought by the Germans - prototypes tanks manufactured in Germany in circumvention of the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. In the spring of 1929, six “big tractors” arrived in Kazan, two from each of the above-mentioned companies. In 1930-1931, two “light tractors” from Krupp and two “Rheinmetall” were added to them. The training of students and the study of tanks continued until the Nazis came to power in Germany. In August-September 1933, the German staff left the school, and all military equipment and weapons.

The Leihttraktor (“light tractor”) is another German machine that was tested in the USSR in the late 1920s.

At the same time, in the late 1920s and early 1930s, plywood silhouettes of tanks with bicycle wheels, which were pushed by soldiers, were used in Reichswehr maneuvers. Later the models were installed on passenger cars.

Running mock-ups of tanks were widely used in Reichswehr and Wehrmacht maneuvers in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Mass release armored vehicles, as well as the deployment of tank troops, began after Hitler came to power.

In October 1935, the first three tank divisions were formed. In 1938, in addition to them, two more were formed. The structure of the tank divisions was approximately the same: a tank brigade of two regiments, each with two battalions of three companies. Of the three companies, two are light tanks and one is mixed. Motorized Rifle Brigade, a motorized rifle regiment consists of two motorized rifle and motorcycle rifle battalions. Reconnaissance Battalion; anti-tank division; a motorized artillery regiment, which included two light divisions; engineer battalion and rear units. According to the staff, the division had 11,792 military personnel (including 394 officers), 324 tanks, 421 armored personnel carriers, 10 armored vehicles, 36 field artillery systems mechanically driven, 48 anti-tank guns of 37 mm caliber. In practice, however, this state was never fully observed. For example, armored personnel carriers were listed only on paper - even in 1941, only one company in a motorized rifle regiment was equipped with them. The remaining units on the march were transported by trucks.

Moto infantry divisions- Infanteriedivision (mot), which appeared in 1937, consisted of three infantry regiments (three battalions each), a reconnaissance battalion, an artillery regiment, an anti-tank division, an engineer battalion and a communications battalion. They were not supposed to have tanks according to the state.

But in the light division (leichte Division) there were 86 units. Each such division consisted of two cavalry rifle, reconnaissance, artillery regiments, a tank battalion, support and communications units.

Pz.I Ausf.B training tanks during demonstration runs. 1936

Heavy multi-turreted tank Nb.Fz. In 1934-1935, the Krupp and Rheinmetall companies produced five such machines.

By the beginning of World War II, the number of tank formations in the Wehrmacht had increased significantly. Six tank and four light divisions took part in the attack on Poland. Based on the experience of the Polish campaign, the latter (originally intended for combat operations together with cavalry) were reorganized into tank ones. As a result of the reorganization that began in July 1940 after the victory in the West, the number of Wehrmacht tank divisions was doubled. This process took place by fragmenting the tank brigades of existing divisions and creating new formations on the basis of the released tank regiments. Now in all Wehrmacht tank divisions there was only one tank regiment of two or three battalions. The general reduction in tanks in the division was largely compensated by the quantitative and qualitative increase in the strike capabilities of the tank companies of the battalions. Before the French campaign, a company of medium tanks, as of February 21, 1940, consisted of eight Pz.IV tanks, six Pz.II tanks and one command tank on a Pz.I chassis. The staff, approved on February 1, 1941, included fourteen Pz.IV and five Pz.II vehicles in a company of medium tanks. In fact, in all tank divisions at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa there was no 3rd platoon in the company, and it consisted of ten Pz.IV. Even more radical changes befell the light tank companies. Before the French campaign, companies of this type included seven Pz.III, eight Pz.II, four Pz.I and one command tank on a Pz.I chassis. The staff of February 1941 already provided for seventeen Pz.III tanks and five Pz.II tanks. In the end against Soviet Union Germany had already fielded 19 tank divisions, and ended the war with 27 such formations (20 in the Wehrmacht and seven in the SS).

Light tanks Pz.I Ausf.A during one of the parades often held in Germany in the 1930s.

At first, the SS divisions did not have tanks and in their organization were more like infantry formations, including only two motorized regiments. In the winter of 1942/43, motorized SS divisions received a company of Tiger heavy tanks. Well, by the beginning of Operation Citadel, all SS divisions had more tanks than any army tank division. At that time, the SS divisions were in the process of being reorganized into the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th SS Panzer Divisions. In October 1943, they were fully staffed, leaving the previous names accordingly. From that moment on, the organization and armament of the Wehrmacht and SS tank divisions became different: the latter always received the best and the latest technology, had more motorized infantry.

In May 1943, at the direction of Hitler, the motorized infantry formations of the Wehrmacht and SS troops were renamed Panzergrenadierdivision.

The first kilometers on Soviet soil - the Pz.35(t) tank of the 6th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht moves through the territory of the Lithuanian SSR. 1941

After undergoing several more reorganizations, the German tank divisions met the end of the war, having been formed according to the staff approved in the summer of 1944 (Panzerdivision 44). According to this staff, the division consisted of a headquarters, one tank, two panzergrenadier and artillery regiments, a tank destroyer division, a reconnaissance battalion, an anti-aircraft artillery division, a reserve battalion, a communications battalion, a sapper, motor transport, quartermaster and sanitary battalions, a repair park and a field post office.

In total, the German tank division of the state in 1944 had 200 tanks, 49 assault and self-propelled guns, 6 forward artillery observer vehicles, 6 repair and evacuation tanks, 21 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (8 of them on a tank chassis), 290 armored personnel carriers, 16 armored vehicles, 16 motorcycles, 770 light and 78 heavy machine guns, 32 flamethrowers, 18 120 mm and 50 81 mm, 29 20 mm anti-aircraft guns Flak guns 38 and 9 37 mm Flak 36 anti-aircraft guns, 13 75 mm anti-tank guns RaK 40, 12 88-mm Flak 36/37 anti-aircraft guns, 4 105-mm K18 cannons, 13 105-mm leFH 18 howitzers and 8 150-mm sFH 18 howitzers.

As a result, the 1944 tank division was a very powerful formation, however, due to big losses, which German troops carried on the Eastern Front, tank formations had a large shortage of military equipment and weapons. In this regard, the Wehrmacht command had to make some deviations from staffing structure. For example, it was allowed to include Pz.IV/70 self-propelled guns in the companies of a tank regiment instead of Pz.IV and Panther tanks, which were in short supply. In addition, it was possible to form battalions with a smaller number of tanks in a company - 17, 14 or even 10 vehicles. As a result, according to the 1945 staff, only 42 tanks and 38 self-propelled guns remained in the division.

Tank divisions destroyed at the fronts were dealt with differently: some became the basis for the formation of new ones, others were restored under their previous numbers, and still others ceased to exist or were transferred to other branches of the army. This is how the 14th, 16th and 24th tank divisions destroyed in Stalingrad and in Africa - the 21st tank divisions were revived. But the 10th and 15th, which capitulated in May 1943 in Tunisia, were not restored. The 18th Tank Division, after the battles near Kiev in November 1943, was transformed into the 18th Artillery Division. In December 1944, it was transformed into a tank corps with the same name, which also included the Brandenburg motorized division.

In February-March 1945, several named divisions - "Holstein", "Schlesien", "Yuteborg" and others - were formed in the Wehrmacht. Most of them had a rather vague organization, far from the regular one. Due to the lack of people and equipment, they most often represented combat groups, and sometimes they were tanks only on paper. As a rule, they included only one tank battalion. Only the Muncheberg tank division had the strongest, although rather motley, composition. So, on April 7, 1945, shortly before the start of the battle for Berlin, this division had one Pz.III, three Pz.IV (two under repair), 24 “Panthers” (five under repair), one Pz. tank destroyer. IV/70, one Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyer, 13 Royal Tigers (five under repair). From April 16 to April 19, 1945, the Muncheberg division fought with Soviet troops on the Seelow Heights, and then on the near approaches to Berlin and in the city itself. Latest tanks The division lost on May 1 in the area of ​​the Berlin Zoo and at the Brandenburg Gate. The next day, the remnants of the division surrendered to units of the Red Army.

The Panzerwaffe tank brigades formed during the war were most often created as temporary formations. Thus, on the eve of Operation Citadel, the 10th Tank Brigade was formed, which included the tank regiment of the motorized division "Gross Germany" and the 39th tank regiment of the Panthers. This brigade had almost 300 tanks - more than any tank division.

The tank brigades created in the summer of 1944 were much weaker. They were staffed in two states. The 101st and 102nd had a three-company tank battalion (33 Panthers in total), a panzergrenadier battalion and an engineer company. The brigade had 21 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, the 105, 106, 107, 108, 109 and 110 tank brigades were organized in almost the same way, but with a reinforced panzergrenadier battalion and 55 anti-aircraft self-propelled guns. They existed for no more than two months, after which some of them were deployed into tank divisions.

In September 1944, the 111th, 112th and 113th tank brigades appeared. Each had three companies of 14 Pz.IV tanks, a two-battalion panzergrenadier regiment and a company of 10 assault guns. They were always assigned a battalion of Panthers. In October 1944 they were disbanded.

Medium tank Pz.IV Ausf.F2. Judging by the presence of loader viewing devices on the front and right side plates of the turret, this vehicle was converted from an F1 modification tank.

In addition to divisions and brigades, the Wehrmacht had separate heavy tank battalions, the number of combat vehicles in which ranged from 35 to 55. In total, 10 such battalions were formed in the Wehrmacht and 3 in the SS troops. In 1944, several army battalions were transferred to the SS troops. Separate battalions could be operationally subordinate to the commanders of tank or motorized divisions, which, in turn, were consolidated into tank corps, the number of which by the summer of 1944 reached 18 in the Wehrmacht and five in the SS troops. In January 1945 there were 22 corps in the Wehrmacht and four in the SS. The corps could be part of tank or field armies, or act independently.

At the beginning of the war, the highest operational formation of the Panzerwaffe was the tank group. In October 1941, the tank groups were renamed armies. Several such associations of non-permanent composition operated in the East and West. Until the end of the war, the Red Army was opposed by the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th tank armies. At the end of 1942 in North Africa the 5th was formed tank army, and in September 1944 the 6th SS Panzer Army began to form.

Unlike the Soviet tank armies, which, as a rule, had a permanent combat strength (two tanks and one mechanized corps), the composition of the German tank armies was constantly changing. They included tank and army corps, tank, panzergrenadier and infantry divisions, divisions of SS troops, brigades of assault guns, artillery units, etc. Moreover, in 1941-1943 tank armies always included tank formations (corps or divisions), and with In 1944 this became optional. Surprisingly, very often the German tank army consisted only of infantry formations.

Mikhail Baryatinsky

From the book “German tanks in battle”