page_title: Tanks in World War II
section_title: Germany
hierarchical_section_title: Tanks in World War II / Tanks of the major combatants / Germany
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Scherl Bilderdienst Ausbildung bei der Panzergrenadier-Division "Großdeutschland", die sich überwiegend aus Freiwilligen aus allen Gauen des Reiches zusammensetzt und die im Verlaufe dieses Krieges unsterblichen Ruhm an ihre Fahnen geheftet hat. Besonders sorgfältig und vielseitig ist die Ausbildung des Ersatzes für diese Kerntruppe, die bei der Ersatzbrigade "Großdeutschland", dem Heimattruppenteil der ruhmreichen Division, erfolgt. UBz.: Panzer-Pionier im Deckungsloch, Jeder der jungen Rekruten muss sich bei den Übungen, wie es im Ernstfall oft geschieht, vom Panzer überrollen lassen. So gewöhnt man die Soldaten, dem anrollenden Panzer ruhig entgegenzusehen und im richtigen Augenblick zur Nahbekämpfung anzusetzen. Die erprobte Form des Deckungsloches ermöglicht das Ausweichen nach allen Angriffsrichtungen. Foto. Schwahn 5.11.43 5558-43 Information added by Wikimedia users.EN translation: Training to avoid being run over by tanks Scherl Photo Service - Training for the Panzer Grenadier Division "Gross Deutschland", made up for the most part of volunteers from every province of the Reich [deleted]. Particular care and comprehensive training of replacements is done for this core group, which will reinforce the regular troops of the glorious Division. Shown here: A panzer combat engineer in a foxhole, which each recruit has to practice, [deleted], to avoid being run over by tanks. This allows soldiers to get used to calmly look at an approaching tank and move at the right time in combat. The tested shape of cover hole allows evasion to all directions of attack. (Germany, training for the replacement brigade of Panzer Grenadier Division "Gross Deutschland", Panzer IV overrunning a foxhole) [Note - "[deleted]" indicates unimportant parts not translated. The foxhole mentioned is located below the front track]
context_page_description: Tanks were an important weapons system in World War II. Even though tanks in the inter-war years were the subject of widespread research, production was limited to relatively small numbers in a few countries. However, during World War II, most armies employed tanks, and production levels reached thousands each month. Tank usage, doctrine and production varied widely among the combatant nations. By war's end, a consensus was emerging regarding tank doctrine and design.
context_section_description: Germany's armored force was not especially impressive from a technical standpoint at the start of the war. As noted above, it was their advanced combined arms doctrine and unrivaled command-and-control capability that gave German mechanized forces their advantage on the battlefield.
  Pre-war plans called for two main tanks: the main tank was to be the Panzer III medium tank, supported by smaller numbers of the howitzer-armed Panzer IV. However, by the beginning of the invasion of Poland, only a few hundred of these vehicles were available. As a result, the invasions of Poland and France were carried out primarily with the less capable Panzer I and Panzer II light tanks (armed with machine guns and a 20 mm gun respectively), with some gun-armed light tanks of Czechoslovak design (Panzer 35(t) and Panzer 38(t), both armed with a 37 mm gun). Even in 1941, Panzer III production amounted only to about a thousand tanks, forcing the Germans to use Czech tanks as substitutes for the Panzer III. As the war proceeded, production of heavier tanks increased.
  The Panzer III was intended to fight other tanks; in the initial design stage a 50 mm (2 inch) gun was specified. However, the infantry at the time were being equipped with the 37 mm (1.46 inch) PaK 36, and it was thought that in the interest of standardization the tanks should carry the same armament. As a compromise, the turret ring was made large enough to accommodate a 50 mm (2 inch) gun should a future upgrade be required. This single decision later assured the Panzer III a prolonged life in the German Army.
  The Panzer IV was intended to carry a gun that could be used in support of infantry or other tanks, and was initially armed with a short-barreled 75 mm howitzer to fire high explosive (HE) fragmentation shells. In 1941 an average of 39 Panzer IV model tanks per month were built, and this rose to 83 in 1942, 252 in 1943, and 300 in 1944.
  During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, it was discovered that the Soviet T-34 tank outclassed the Panzer III and IV. Its sloped armor could withstand most German weapons, and its 76.2 mm gun could penetrate the armor of all German tanks. This forced the Germans to improve their existing models. The Panzer III, which was intended to be the main medium tank, was upgraded to a longer, higher-velocity 50 mm gun.
  Thus the Panzer IV, originally intended to be a support tank, became the de facto main medium tank re-armed with a long-barreled, high velocity 75 mm gun to counter the T-34; the Panzer III, with its smaller turret ring, could not mount a gun larger than 50 mm, which had become inadequate against Allied tanks. The Germans started to develop newer, heavier tanks. This included the Panzer V Panther, which was intended to be the new main German medium tank, with comparably sloped armor to that of the T-34. The Panther tank was a compromise of various requirements. While sharing essentially the same engine as the Tiger I tank, it had better frontal armor, better gun penetration, was lighter overall and thus faster, and could handle rough terrain better than the Tigers. The trade-off was much weaker side armor; the Panther proved to be deadly in open country and shooting from long range, but was vulnerable in close-quarters combat or to flank shots.
  The Germans also started to develop a new series of heavy tanks. The first was the Tiger, which outclassed all its opponents in terms of firepower and armor when it was first put into operational use. The even heavier Tiger II (deemed "King Tiger" by Allied troops) supplemented the Tiger I late in the war. Its powerful gun - and unlike the Tiger I, its very heavy sloped armor - made it superior to nearly every Allied or Soviet tank in a one-on-one confrontation, but poor mobility, speed and reliability limited its use.
  Plans were made for a super-heavy tank, the Panzer VII Löwe, which was cancelled during the design stage in favor of the yet heavier Panzer VIII Maus of which only two incomplete prototype were made. Panzer IX and Panzer X were drawings only
caption: Panzer IV Ausf. C
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