Documentary photos of World War II (75 photos). What happened to German tanks and planes after World War II

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 also became the most popular tank of the Second World War. Weighing 30 tons, the T-34 was protected by 45 mm sloped armor and armed with a long-barreled 76 mm cannon, which gave it superiority over any medium tank. initial period Great 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 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 tank brigades were armed with heavy Churchill tanks.

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 of a large number of M3/M5 Stuart tanks in the army can somehow be explained, then the adoption into service in 1944 light tank The M24 Chaffee testifies to the immaturity of American tank thought in those years.

However, the main tank battles The Second World War 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 World War II. Their 75 and 88 mm guns were capable of hitting tanks 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.

Although World War I saw the introduction of tanks, World War II revealed the true 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 IS-2 tanks.

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 was 2,212. 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 (it came with 70 shells), 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 advanced firepower did not have much impact on the course of the war due to the late introduction of these monsters.

Having lost First World War, Germany, under the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty, did not have the right to build tanks. German designers did not have the experience to create tracked armored vehicles. The first "Panzer" (Panzer Kampfwagen) Pz.Kpfw I And II were light tanks, their armament and armor were weak, and their maneuverability remained at the level of a caterpillar tractor. In Russian literature for many years It was not customary to call German tanks “Panzers”. Usually before them serial number They put the letter “T” (tank). To facilitate reading in the future, the reader will encounter similar names in the text.

The first “Panzers” were launched into mass production as agricultural tractors. The T-I tank, armed with two machine guns, was considered a training vehicle

Crews were trained on the first German tanks, practiced tactics and strategy for using tank units, and learned how to fight. The Germans began developing battle tanks in the mid-1930s, after Hitler came to power. In those years, it was believed that the main striking force should be two main tanks. One is fast, with good armor protection and light weapons. He had to break through the enemy’s defenses and build on success - this T-III. Second tank T-IV, not so fast, but with a more powerful weapon, must support the actions of the first with fire. The military demanded that the Troika's armor be able to protect the crew from enemy anti-tank gun fire from all directions.

In 1943, the T-III tank was discontinued, and the chassis was useful for the production of more powerful assault guns

On the heavier T-IV, thicker armor was placed in the frontal part, thinner armor was placed on the sides and in the stern. The crew consisted of five people: commander, gunner, loader, driver, gunner-radio operator. At that time, most light and medium tanks had a crew of 2-3 people, and the load on them was high. The commander, in addition to performing his direct duties, looked for targets, aimed the gun, and fired. He was assisted by a loader, and the driver controlled the combat vehicle. Increasing the crew size on T-III and T-IV made it possible to reduce the workload on tank crews.

Initially, the T-III's armament consisted of a 37 mm cannon, then it was replaced by a 50 mm cannon (this caliber was considered sufficient at the start of World War II). But in the summer of 1941, the inability of the 50-mm cannon to fight Soviet T-34 and KV tanks was revealed. Even the newest long-barreled 50 mm cannon could not penetrate their frontal armor. The Germans failed to install a more powerful 75-mm cannon. The supply of “troika” was exhausted.

On the T-III, the Germans placed the engine in the rear of the hull, and the gearbox and drive wheels in the front. The shaft transmitting torque from the engine to the transmission passed under the floor of the fighting compartment, which is why the tank turned out to be tall.

Main tank of the Wehrmacht

On the eve of the war in the German army, the task of fire support and destruction of crews of anti-tank guns, pillboxes and other enemy strongholds was assigned to medium tanks Pz.Kpfw IV (T-IV). Structurally, the “four” was similar to the “troika”: a body with many hatches and hatches, which was convenient for operating the combat vehicle. The engine was located in the stern, the transmission was located in the front, and the turret was in the middle part. But the “four” was larger due to the installation of a more powerful 75 mm gun. In those years, there were no targets on the battlefield that could withstand his fire.

The T-IV was armed with a 75-mm short-barreled cannon and its ammunition included high-explosive and fragmentation shells. Their destructive power was higher than armor-piercing 37- and 50-mm shells

The T-IV was not supposed to “climb” into enemy trenches. This task was assigned to the more “nimble” T-III. "Four", slowly moving behind the "troika", looking for important targets and destroying them high explosive shells, provided reliable fire cover for the T-III. The “four” was protected from enemy fire by powerful frontal armor, which was thicker than the armor of the sides and stern. In fact, the T-IV tank served as a self-propelled gun in battle.

Everything changed in the summer of 1941. Hitler’s tank crews were shocked to see their 75-mm shells bouncing off the armor of Soviet combat vehicles like peas. The problem of restoring parity has acquired exceptional importance. Since the turret ring of the “four” had a larger diameter than the shoulder strap of the “troika” (the tank was larger in size), a powerful long-barreled 75-mm cannon was installed on the combat vehicle, the projectile of which pierced 90-mm armor. But the armor of the “four” was insufficient by the standards of the Eastern Front. After all, German designers made doors on the side of the tank turret through which tank crews loaded ammunition. And it was more convenient to climb into the tank. But any cut in the armor weakens its protective qualities. And if a shell hits the “door” hanging on its hinges, then don’t expect anything good. The Germans knew about this. But they created the T-IV as a fire support tank. He was supposed to follow the breakthrough tank T-Sh and destroy enemy anti-tank weapons with the fire of a powerful cannon.

In battle, the T-IV could not expose the sides where the hatch doors were located to the enemy. When the Germans withdrew from produced by T-Sh, the T-IV tank became the main tank of the Wehrmacht. For additional protection, removable 5-mm steel screens were installed on the sides of the hull and on the T-IV turret. At the same time, the German leadership thought about stopping production of the T-IV in favor of a more powerful "Panthers".

Experts doubted the possibility of mass production of complex Panthers, so the T-IV tank was produced until the end of World War II, becoming the most popular Wehrmacht tank. A total of 9.5 thousand T-IVs were built. sizes

"Panther"

Today no one denies the fact that the German heavy tank Pz. Kpfw V "Panther" was created in the image and likeness of the Soviet "thirty-four". Just look at the shape of their hull and turret. Already in the first days of the war, the commander, shocked by the power and invulnerability of Soviet tanks, armored forces In Germany, General Heinz Guderian demanded that German designers carefully study the T-34 tank and immediately begin its serial production in Germany. At Guderian’s suggestion, a special commission was urgently created to study captured Russian tanks. The commission confirmed Guderian's opinion about the T-34's outstanding design features. At the same time, she noted that the Russians were able to create such advanced tanks and diesel engines for them that it would be impossible to copy them in German factories. The only thing that remained for the Germans was to do at least something similar. Thus began work on the future “Panther”.

Until the end of the war, the Germans produced 6 thousand Panthers. It was the second most popular (after the T-IV) Wehrmacht tank

During design new tank, the Germans tried to equip it with the most powerful gun of all guns with a 75 mm caliber, and cover impenetrable armor, the thickness of which was almost twice the thickness of the armor of the T-34 tank and reached 80 mm in the frontal part of the hull. The result was not a medium tank, as Guderian wanted it to be, but a real, 45-ton heavy tank. The Germans considered the Panther their best tank, and therefore devoted all their efforts to launching its mass production.

During the fighting it became clear that the Panther was not very suitable for an offensive. Relatively small caliber its guns did not make it possible to destroy the enemy’s powerful defenses. Too little explosives was placed in a 75 mm projectile. But the Panther's long-barreled cannon was good for shooting at enemy tanks. An armor-piercing projectile fired from it, flying at enormous speed, hit T-34 type tanks head-on from two kilometers away.

200 of the first Panthers took part in the last major offensive operation Wehrmacht 1943 on Kursk Bulge, after that the German army retreated all the time. The main targets for the Panthers until the end of the war were only advancing enemy tanks.

An attempt to equip the Panther with a more powerful 88 mm cannon led to the creation of a crazy fighter tank "Yagd Panther". It is also impossible not to mention the fact that the Panther was equipped with the most advanced at that time optical observation devices And aim.

Good optical observation devices and a sight made it possible to hit tanks even from a very long distance

"Tiger"

The most famous German heavy tank created during World War II was the Tiger. It appeared at the beginning of 1942 as a result of a competition between two well-known companies - Porsche and Henschel. True, the designers of Henschel and Porsche did not design the tank as a whole, but only the chassis and hull. The tower was developed by the famous arms company Krupp.

The installation of a powerful and heavy gun, as well as thick armor, sharply increased the mass of the Tiger tank: it exceeded 50 tons

Professor Ferdinand Porsche was so confident in the superiority of his project that he even ordered the start of mass production of heavy tanks. But I miscalculated. The Henschel company won, and it was their tank that went into production under the designation Pz.Kpfw VI and the personal name “Tiger”. And 90 ready chassis Porsche was later used to create the equally famous fighter tank "Ferdinand".

On the battlefield "Tiger" could not be confused with Soviet tanks. Its shapes turned out to be unusual. The designers had to make a vehicle with very thick armor and a powerful cannon in a short time. The Germans did not have time to develop new technology. Thick armor plates, and their thickness in the frontal part reached 100 mm, are very difficult to connect. Therefore, to simplify assemblies armor plates were placed vertically. This made it possible to make the top armor plate very wide and to place a huge turret with a powerful 88-mm cannon on it, capable of hitting T-34 and KV tanks from any distance. The Tiger weighed almost as much as two Panzer IV tanks. To provide the tank with acceptable maneuverability, it was equipped with very wide tracks.

From the Western Front came the Allied legend of the German Tiger as the most powerful and invulnerable tank in the world.

For the first time in large numbers, “Tigers” entered the battlefield in 1943 on the Kursk Bulge, where they demonstrated their power over our tanks armed with 45- and 76-mm cannons. The Tigers' superiority over Soviet combat vehicles did not last long. In 1944, 100 mm armor could no longer protect the Germans from shells from the new Soviet IS-2 and T-34-85 tanks, as well as powerful self-propelled units Su-100, ISU-122 and ISU-152. On Western Front, the Allies did not have tanks like the IS-2. The Americans and British, when they first encountered the Tigers in battle, were amazed by their combat power. The Germans themselves did not think so and stopped production of these tanks in August 1944. The main reason was that the Soviet newest heavy tanks “Tiger” were no longer afraid. The "Tiger" was replaced by the "Royal Tiger" or "Tiger II".

Externally, “Tiger II” (also called the “Royal Tiger”) was strikingly different from its predecessor. The configuration of the "Royal Tiger" was influenced by the T-34 with its angled hull and turret armor plates. However, the size and weight of the “Royal Tiger” were much larger: the Soviet T-34 weighed 32 tons, and the German tank - 68! It was the heaviest production tank in the world. But most importantly, the “Royal Tiger” stood even more powerful gun. The frontal armor of the "Royal Tiger" was simply fantastic for those times - 150 mm in the hull and 180 mm in the turret!

Even the bottom of the Royal Tiger's hull was 40 mm thick - almost like the frontal armor of the T-34 (on our tank the thickness of the front and side armor was 45 mm). The sides of the new tank were twice as thick

In 1943, when the “Royal Tiger” was still being created, the main caliber of tank and anti-tank guns on the battlefield was 76 mm caliber. Then the armor of the “Royal Tiger” seemed impenetrable. But in war everything changes very quickly. And when the “super tigers” went into battle in 1944, there was something to meet them: T-34-85, IS-2 and heavy self-propelled guns beat “ Royal Tigers" with the same success as the regular "Tigers". Thus, no tank in the world could withstand a 122-mm shell from the IS-2 tank. For example, such a projectile pierced the turret of the “Royal Tiger” from almost one and a half kilometers away. And then the Germans began to have new problems.

The first Tiger was intended for the offensive. The second generation “Tiger” was supposed to solve defensive problems - to hold back the advance of Soviet tanks. He was better protected and armed, but less mobile.

By the end of the war, Germany had lost the bases that supplied the steel industry with such an important element for armor production as molybdenum. As a result, tank armor was not as strong as before. But the main disadvantage of the “Royal Tiger” was its large mass. It was almost impossible to quickly transfer these tanks from one sector of the front to another. Moreover, there were too few of these miracle tanks (less than 500 were built in total) and they did not have any impact on the outcome of World War II. Soviet "thirty-fours" and American "Shermans" at the end of the war were usually used in large quantities, it was not difficult for them to get around and shoot the enemy with different directions. There was no salvation for the Germans here. There are many examples of how the crews of the “Royal Tigers”, seeing that they were being bypassed from the side, abandoned their tanks and fled soon after the start of the battle. So several German supertanks went to our troops as trophies.

The cruising range of the “Royal Tiger” when fully refueled, even on the highway, did not exceed 100 km, and the Germans did not have special tractor-trailers. The stuck giant tank could not be moved

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.

The British, the authors of the tank (in fact, the tank is an Assyrian invention) saw enormous potential in this machine, so they forbade the Germans to create their own samples of this type of equipment. But even before the Nazi Party came to power, in the late twenties, the famous German companies Krupp, Rheinmetal and Daimler-Benz secretly created several light and medium tanks at their enterprises.

Under Hitler, the process of tank development accelerated many times over and was carried out almost openly. Neither England nor France reacted in any way to the hasty modernization of the German army. And at that time, not only technology was modernized, but also a new approach to conflict was born. A special place according to the new strategy, it was allocated to tank units. In this regard, the government of the Third Reich commissioned several companies to develop a project for a light tank. The Krupp machine turned out to be the best. Since July 1934, it began to be mass-produced under the Pz brand. Kpfw. I Ausf. A (Panzer Kampfwagen I Ausf. A. Panzer - tank; Kampawagen - literally a military van; followed by the model number and its version, this tank was version A). Over two years, German industry produced 818 tanks of this version.

So, the Wehrmacht received its first battle tank. Should the Allies be afraid of the tank threat from Germany? It was still early, the car was lightly armored and lightly armed, but it was the first German production tank. The reorganization of troops and the replenishment of the newly created Panzerwaffe - the armored forces of the Third Reich with a new fleet of vehicles did not end there. In July 1934, MAN received an order to develop a light tank equipped with a 20mm cannon. Pz. Kpfw. II (Sd. Kfz. 121) was developed by MAN. In November 1935, 10 prototypes were built. In 1937, production of the most widespread variants began - Pz. II Ausf. A, B and C.
And the second German tank can hardly be called a combat tank. Germany did not have experienced engineers in this field, but the design of each tank is a labor-intensive, multi-year process that requires large expenses, and the results achieved were not always successful. As proof of this, we can consider the tanks of Western European powers - England and France, which were not entirely successful, but they had over 15 years to improve the tank!

The German designers could not be mistaken, it was too expensive, the Wehrmacht was feverishly turning from a toothless turtle into a treacherous wolf, fast and strong, which needed tank fangs. That is why the Germans created such dysfunctional machines from a military point of view that could not withstand the tanks of other countries; they did not want to rush and thereby make people laugh. Everything had to be weighed in order for subsequent tank models to be powerful enough.

The Germans collaborated to some extent with specialists from Soviet Russia, where their beliefs about unprofitability finally dissipated. By the way, cooperation with the Soviet Union took place, so Guderian “studied” at the Soviet tank school, where he received enough knowledge to create tank units in the Third Reich (and even the Panzerwaffe structure).

German engineers were able to see Soviet tanks, which were not at all bad examples of equipment of their period. “Of the four companies, only one - Daimler-Benz - received an order to build a pilot batch of 10 vehicles. In 1936, these tanks were transferred for testing under the army designation Pz. Kpfw. III Ausf. A. They clearly bore the mark of the influence of the designs W. Christie - five large diameter road wheels." - wrote Mikhail Muratov. "These were the tanks that he created American tank New genius - J. W. Christie. No one appreciated Christie's achievements except Soviet designers. An American tank was purchased and transported to the Soviet Union using false documents in which it was listed as an agricultural tractor. In the Soviet Union, the “tractor” was produced in huge quantities under the BT brand,” wrote Viktor Suvorov.

The Germans did not even intend to import Christie’s brainchild into their country under the guise of a “tractor,” but where did the “stamp of influence of designs” come from? Most likely, German designers became acquainted with technological solution Christie in the USSR, collaborating with Russian tank builders. This knowledge will be useful to them in the future. But cooperation alone was not enough, in addition, if you compare the German Pz.Kpfw. III with Soviet pre-war developments, there are practically no similarities. The main thing that German military theorists and designers learned was that there was a need for single-turret vehicles, with a clear delineation of “responsibilities.” This was the main prerequisite for the creation of the Pz. Kpfw. III and Pz. Kpfw. IV. The Troika was supposed to destroy the tanks, and the Four were to fight the entrenched enemy infantry. This concept reduced the number of possible errors when designing new machines.

On June 22, 1941, the Wehrmacht had 410 serviceable Pz.Kpfw.I tanks, with only 74 vehicles in the first line tank units. Another 245 tanks were being repaired or converted. By the end of the year, almost all of the deployed Pz.Kpfw.Is—428 units—were lost on the Eastern Front. They were almost never seen in combat units, and during the entire next year - 1942 - the Red Army destroyed only 92 Pz.Kpfw.I. In the same year they were withdrawn from service. The remaining vehicles were converted mainly into ammunition transporters. A certain number of them were used as part of police units in battles with partisans, and in Germany - for the preparation and training of tank crews. In general, the T-I and T-II tanks did not justify their worth in the war against such a formidable opponent as the USSR and their production was soon curtailed.

Average tank PzKpfw III was the Wehrmacht's first truly battle tank. It was developed as a vehicle for platoon commanders, but from 1940 to early 1943 it was the main medium tank. German army. PzKpfw III tanks of various modifications were produced from 1936 to 1943 by Daimler-Benz, Henschel, MAN, Alkett, Krupp, FAMO, Wegmann, MNH and MIAG.

PzKpfw III tanks received their baptism of fire during Operation Barbarossa. In 1942-1943, the tanks were re-equipped with a 50-mm KwK L/60 cannon. At the end of the summer of 1940, 168 tanks of versions F, G and H were converted for movement under water and were to be used during the landings on the English coast. The immersion depth was 15m; fresh air It was supplied with a hose 18 m long and 20 cm in diameter. In the spring of 1941, experiments were continued with a 3.5-m pipe - a “snorkel”. Since the landing in England did not take place, a number of such tanks from the 18th Tank Division crossed the bottom of the Western Bug on June 22, 1941.

PzKpfw III were used in all theaters of war - from the Eastern Front to the African desert, being loved everywhere German tank crews. The amenities created for the crew's work could be considered a role model. Not a single Soviet, English or American tank of that time had them. Excellent observation and aiming devices allowed the Troika to successfully fight the more powerful T-34, KB and Matildas in cases where the latter did not have time to detect it.

Production of PzKpfw III tanks was discontinued in 1943, after approximately 6,000 vehicles had been produced. Subsequently, only the production of self-propelled guns based on them continued.

Hitler, appointing himself commander-in-chief in December 1941 ground forces, began to work intensively on issues of technical equipment for the army. He showed particular interest in armored forces. At this point, superiority was revealed Soviet tank T-34 over German vehicles. It was decided to make up for this deficiency in the following way: to release the previously developed design of the Tiger tank weighing almost 60 tons and, in addition, to construct more light type a tank weighing 35-45 tons, which was later dubbed the “panther”. On January 23, 1942, the design of this tank was presented to Hitler. In May 1942, Hitler approved the design of the Panther tank proposed by MAN and placed an order for special railway platforms for transporting super-heavy tanks.

The report dated June 23, 1942 indicated that the following production of combat vehicles was planned for May 1943:
Armored vehicles based on the old T-II tank - 131 pcs. Panther tanks - 250 pcs. Tiger tanks - 265 pcs.
In August 1942, Hitler demanded that ideas be reported to him on how long it would take to install a long-barreled 88-mm cannon on a Tiger tank, which would penetrate 200 mm of armor. Coming for repairs T-IV tanks he ordered to equip them with long-barreled cannons, thereby trying to increase their power.

In September 1942 it was compiled new plan production of tanks and self-propelled guns, according to which by the spring of 1944 the following level of monthly production should be achieved:

Lungs reconnaissance tanks"leopard" - 150 pcs. "Panther" tanks - 600 pcs. "Tiger" tanks - 50 pcs.
Total tanks - 800 pcs. Assault self-propelled guns - 300 pcs. Light self-propelled guns - 150 pcs. Heavy self-propelled guns - 130 pcs. Super-heavy self-propelled guns - 20 pcs.

In order not to greatly reduce the production of tanks, an order was issued according to which self-propelled guns should not be made from improved grades of steel. But, despite this decision, it was clear that the center of gravity in industry began to shift, which was very risky, from the production of tanks to the production of self-propelled guns, i.e. from the offensive to the defense, or more precisely, to the defense with insufficient means, since already at that time, complaints began to come from the front that self-propelled guns mounted on the T-II chassis and the 38-ton Czech tank, do not meet the requirements of war.

Continuous orders requiring constructive changes in the process of producing combat vehicles, and thereby creating countless various types with a large number of spare parts, were a major mistake. All this led to the fact that repairing tanks in the field became an insoluble problem.

The PzKpfw IV medium tank is the most mass tank Wehrmacht. The only German tank that was in mass production throughout the Second World War. Developed by Krupp as a tank for tank battalion commanders. From 1937 to 1945, over 8 thousand 700 units were manufactured. Tanks of this brand were produced in 10 modifications.
Finally, I intervened in the discussion of the increasingly deteriorating situation on the tank front. general staff, which demanded that the production of all types of tanks be abandoned, with the exception of the Tiger tank and the Panther tank, which were not yet ready for mass production. Hitler was persuaded to agree to this proposal; The Ministry of Arms and Munitions also welcomed the resulting simplification of production. The only thing this group of innovators didn't think about was that with the cessation of production T-IV tanks German ground forces should be limited to 25 Tiger tanks produced monthly. The consequence of this could be the complete destruction of the German ground forces for very short term. However, thanks to the prompt intervention of specialists, it was possible to prevent the cessation of production of the T-IV; this tank was produced until the end of the war.

The Pz.Kpfw.V “Panther” tank became the most famous German tank of the Second World War.

The first production “Panther” left the MAN factory on January 11, 1943. The tanks of the “zero” series (20 units) were designated Ausf.A. They had nothing in common with the cars of the same name, produced since September 1943. Characteristic feature The first production "Panthers" had a commander's cupola with a protrusion on the left side of the tower and a single-chamber muzzle brake guns. The tanks were equipped with Maybach ML 210 P45 engines and had frontal armor 60 mm thick. They were used only in the rear for crew training.

The first batch of Pz.Kpfw.V “Panther” was planned to be manufactured by May 12, 1943 - the date was not chosen by chance, May 15 was supposed to begin German offensive near Kursk - Operation Citadel. However, during February and March, the military did not accept most of the 77 manufactured tanks, and in April they did not accept a single one. In this regard, the timing of the offensive was postponed to the end of June. By the end of May, the Wehrmacht received the long-awaited 324 Panthers, which made it possible to equip the 10th tank brigade. But problems that arose with tank crews mastering the complex TZF 12 binocular sight and the desire to commission another 98 tanks released in June forced the start date of the offensive to be moved from June 25 to July 5. Thus, difficulties with the production and deployment of the first Panthers among the troops influenced the timing of the summer offensive on the Eastern Front in 1943.

196 tanks took part in Operation Citadel. Their combat debut was not successful - only for technical reasons 162 Panthers failed. Due to the lack of tractors, the Germans managed to evacuate only a small number of tanks; 127 vehicles remained in the territory occupied by the Red Army and were lost forever.
Back in the late 30s. The German companies Krupp, Rheinmetall-Borzg and Henschel built several heavy tanks, called “big tractors” (Grosstraktoren) for secrecy purposes. Subsequently, the Wehrmacht command did not show much interest in creating heavy tanks.

The leisurely pace of development of these tanks was disrupted in May 1941, when Hitler demanded that by April 20 (that is, by his birthday) 1942, the creation of a heavy tank capable of withstanding the heavy tanks that, according to his information, were available to the British (!) army. The Fuhrer had not yet been informed about the availability of the KV-1 and KV-2 tanks in the Red Army, although there were several weeks left before the invasion of the USSR!

On instructions from the Armament Directorate, projects heavy tank represented by Porsche and Henschel. The Porsche project VK 4501(P) was developed by its chief designer and owner, Professor F. Porsche, and envisaged the creation of a tank weighing 58 tons with a fundamentally new electric power transmission. In field tests carried out since April 20, 1942, this tank was inferior to its competitor - the VK .4501 (HI) combat vehicle from Henschel (chief designer - E. Aders). This tank received the standard designation Pz. Kpfw. VI "Tiger" (Sd. Kfz. 181) and launched into production in July 1942. Between August 1942 and May 1943, the first 285 tanks of this type rolled off the Henschel assembly lines. Before the end of serial production of the Tiger in July 1944, 1,355 vehicles out of 1,376 ordered were produced. Created in just 12 months, the Pz. Kpfw. VI was an extremely heavy and bulky machine. It was difficult to transport - the tank, due to the large width of the tracks (725 mm), did not fit into the railway dimensions, and it had to be “re-shoeed” into tracks 520 mm wide.

During the redeployment of the Tiger units, another problem arose: most of the bridges on the territory of the USSR could not support a vehicle weighing 57 tons. Therefore, the tanks had to overcome water obstacles along the bottom, using special equipment for this.
The most advanced design of the tank was, perhaps, its armament. The turret was equipped with an 88-mm KwK 36 cannon, developed on the basis of an anti-aircraft gun. Flak guns 18.
The first baptism of fire of Pz. Kpfw. VI took place in October 1942 and turned out to be extremely unsuccessful: several tanks were knocked out, one was captured Soviet troops and thoroughly studied. The consequence of this was the acceleration of the creation of the IS-2 and T-34-85 tanks, as well as the development of methods to combat new tanks.
In addition to the only standard modification of the Pz described above. Kpfw. VI Ausf. E, since 1943, a command tank developed on its basis with more powerful communications equipment was produced. Tanks Pz. Kpfw. VI "Tiger" entered service with individual heavy tank battalions and tank regiments of some tank divisions. Several copies of such tanks were also used in the armed forces of Hungary and Italy. As of March 1, 1945, the front-line units of the Wehrmacht and SS troops had 142 Pz tanks. Kpfw. VI Ausf. E (including 31 command tanks). There were 43 more vehicles in the reserve army, 5 of which were training vehicles.
German tank building lost to the Soviet one during the war. The reason can be cited as the discrepancy between available resources and stated ambitions, as well as too large number modifications, which hampered both mass production and maintenance.

The history of tank building in Germany began with the circumvention of the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919, according to which the country could not create combat vehicles. Secretly from the whole world, Daimler-Benz, Krupp and Rheinmetall enterprises created light and medium tanks.

Hitler's rise to power gave a huge boost to the German tank industry, and in July 1934 mass production of the Pz light tank began. Kpfw. I Ausf. A. It was not successful due to weak weapons and armor, but it served as an impetus for the creation of the armored forces of the Third Reich - Panzerwaffe.

Names of German tanks of World War II

It is worth dwelling on the long and incomprehensible names of combat vehicles. IN German it is customary to combine words into one long one, thus the words panzer kampf wagen (armored fighting machine) were folded into one, after which they were reduced to Pz. Kpfw. in the name of the tank. This was followed by the model number in the form of a Roman numeral, followed by the modification.

Pre-production samples were called Volkettenkraftfahrzeug (tracked vehicle). The name was abbreviated, after which the expected weight in tons and the prototype number were added to it, for example, VK 7201.

German tanks of World War II

At first, the Panzerwaffe consisted of about 3,200 light Pz.Kpfw. I, Pz.Kpfw. II and medium Pz.Kpfw. III, Pz.Kpfw. IV. In accordance with the strategy of lightning war, these tanks were created with the expectation of high speed, sacrificing protection and firepower.

Fights in Western Europe and Poland showed that the firepower of 37-75mm short-barreled guns was not enough, and clashes with the USSR army finally changed the vector of development of German tanks.

In 1942, the Panzerwaffe introduced a new German tank, the Tiger PzKpfw VI, designed to destroy enemy tanks. Later the Panther PzKpfw V and the Royal Tiger VI PzKpfw Ausf were added. B.

These formidable vehicles were distinguished by strong frontal armor and powerful long-barreled guns, which easily hit any armored target. However, significant shortcomings such as low mobility, poor maneuverability and reliability did not allow them to become the ultimate weapon of the Wehrmacht.

The distinctive features of German tanks of World War II were:

• Robust frontal armor, high weight and low mobility
• Powerful long-barreled guns with excellent surveillance and guidance systems
• Four-stroke gasoline engines
• Chassis with a staggered arrangement of rollers, characterized by low reliability and labor-intensive repairs

There are also several interesting experimental developments, for example, the super-heavy tanks Mouse, E-100 and Rat, the latter of which was not even partially embodied in metal, but is stunning in its size.

Post-war German tanks

In 1965, Leopard 1 appeared, which turned out to be a reliable and successful car. During its creation, the emphasis was placed on the high efficiency of the weapons, comfortable working conditions for the crew and high mobility. At the same time, they sacrificed protection for the armor.

The tank turned out to be so successful that it was in service with the Bundeswehr ( armed forces Federal Republic of Germany) until 2010.

An interesting project was the MVT 70/KPz 70, developed jointly with the USA. Original layout, 152 mm gun capable of launching missiles, automatic loader and active suspension.

There were more interesting projects, for example, VT1-1 and VT1-2 with two-gun casemate turrets or KPz 90 with a flat turret, based on the Leopard 2.

Modern German tanks

In 1972, the founder of one of the best tanks modernity - Leopard 2, equipped with a 105 mm cannon. In 1979, the serial Leopard-2, which is in service with many countries today, went into production.

Nowadays, the German army is armed with modern tanks Leopard-2A4 and 2A5, for which it is possible to upgrade to the level of 2A6 and 2A7+.