Panzerfaust was a german anti-tank weapon for infantry, its was cheap, had a single shot and was recoilless. It consisted of a small, disposable preloaded launch tube firing a explosivr anti-tank warhead, and was operated by a single soldier. They had a range from 30m (Panzerfaust klein) up to 150m for the Panzerfaust 150.
The Panzerfaust was used in great numbers from 1942, but we often think of the last defence of Berlin when we see it. I must admit it breaks my heart to see women and young boys holding a close combat anti-tank weapon because one maniac deep under ground wouldnt surrender...
These are the versions of the Panzerfaust that was produced and used in WW2in some numbers, Panzerfaust 150 barely saw any action as it was put into production only two months before the war ended.
Its quite brilliant with its simlicity actually...
Doesnt this break your heart? Hitlerjugend member shown how to use the Panzerfaust...
The Landkreuzer 1000 "Ratte" (Rat) was another one of Hitlers "I get madder-tanks get bigger" strategy as an answer to the heavy russian tanks the germans encountered on the eastern front. We have already seen how this led to the quite succesfull(at least performance wise) Tiger and the absurdly Maus but the madness didnt stop there, at least not on the drawing board. In 1942 Krupp (yes-they did make money of everything that needed steel!) suggested an even bigger tank. Or lets be honest-this is a warship on land!
Numbers: Weight: 1000 tons Length: 35 metres Width: 14 metres Height: 11 metres Armour: up to 250mm of steel.... Armament: 2*280mm canons (yes-the same as the triple 28cm on light german battleships...) Crew: 20-40 Speed: 40km/h (I think this is optimistic...)
There was also plans for two compartments with a BMW motorcykle for scouting.
Albert Speer stoppet the project i 1943, probably seeing the madness in it all, before a prototype was constructed. Seeing these drawings of its size, I can understand why-this thing would have been impossible to use in mobile warfare, its as easy as that, and its a hell of an expencive gun turret....
Theres some debate as to what the secondary armament would have been, suggestions are either flak-guns or 50-128mm anti-tank guns.
Its so big its beyond funny...
One suggestion on what it might have looked like
Heres another suggestion to what it might have looked like
The Tiger Tank as it is most known as, or in the usual light german language "Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf.E" , is one of the most known tanks from WW2-if not the best known. The reason of course is that it was an absolutely masterpiece of engineering, and head to head swept all other tanks away from the moment it began hitting the battlefields of Europa in 1942. Brief background history:
The Tiger was the german response to russian tanks-especially the great T-34- giving up a much better fight than expected in the inasion of Russia fra 22.june 1941. The germans soon realised they needed a bigger tank. Actually they needed a bigger gun-but to hold a bigger gun-you need a bigger tank-and the Tiger was the answer. The best gun against the russian big tanks was the 88gun, wich was actually a flak gun but proved for a fantastic anti-panzer gun as well. The Tiger was the first tank equipped with the 88mm gun. Production began in 1942 and ended in 1944, when it was faded out for the Tiger 2-or the King Tiger as most call it. (more on that beast in another article!) Fun fact: The Bovington Tank Museum has a running Tiger tank, the only one in the world! The tank numbered 131 was captured in Tunisia in 1943. See video and the bottom of this article
Fun fact 2: Because of its weight naturally the Tigerhad problems with
sinking into...well-mostly everything. The recomended test for the crew
was this: TAke one of the other crewmembers on your back and stand on
one fot. If your fot sinks in, so will the Tiger Numbers:
Weight:56.9 tons
Length:6.3 metres
Width:3.7 metres
height: 3.0 metres
Main armament: 88mm
Secondary armamaent: 2*7.92 MG
Speed: 38km/h
Armour: Up til 120mm at the turret, 100mm in the front-this was strong enough to resist a direct hit frem the american Sherman tanks 75mm guns, its main opponent at the western front. About 1300 Tigers were produced from 1942 til 1944.
Problems:
Even a Tiger have problems- for the Tiger tank this was mainly related to the fact that it was timeconsuming and expencive to produce. While russian factories were pouring out T-34`s many of the Tigerparts had to be handmade, it also used a lot of fuel (which became a big issue for Germany as the war starting going poorly) and there was also some problems with traction and transportation. Despite this problems, the Tiger was the most feared sight on the battlefields in 1942-1944, a fully working Tiger tank was almost impossible to destroy for enemy tanks, and it kill-.death ratio on the battlefield was legendary. In the largest tank battle in history-the battle of Kursk in russia, the Tigers fell as often to mechanical problems as they did to enemy fire.
Tiger Ace:
Michael Wittman is the most famous tank commander from the Tigers, involved in panzer battles from the invasion of Poland (not in a Tiger then of course) and until 1944 when he was killed in France. He is most known from the Battle of Villers-Bocage, when he from a Tiger tank destroyd 14 enemy tanks, 15 personel carriers and 2 anti-tank guns. In 15 minutes-with a little help of course.... This is how this column of british vehicles looked after Wittmann had a go at them from a single Tiger...
Tiger assembly line
Tiger destroying a russian tank at the battle of Kursk
A Tiger battalion has the right of way. Always.
Tiger tanks in russia 1943 (Probably the Grossdeutschland division)
Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus is the heaviest tank ever built, and was a part of the "the mader I get the bigger it gets" tactics Hitler used, especially in the later parts of the war. Ferdinand Porsche, most known for considerably smaller vehicles was the architect behind the MAUS. People who say germans dont have a sense of humor-calling this tank "MAUS" (Mouse) proves you wrong. This is a beast even compared to the other super-tanks from WW2, and reminds me more of a small warship than a moveable object on land. But it did move. Slowly,deeply and litte-but it did move. Lets get some basic facts out of the way so we can get to the good stuff-the photos!
Weight: 188 tons (jupp.Tons. About the same as 6 US Sherman tanks....) Length: 10.2 metres Width:3.71 metres Height:3.63 metres Main gun: 128mm Secondary gun: 75mm Speed: 13-19km/h some diagreement on this
Fun fact : Because of its enormeous weight, the MAUS couldnt use bridges. It was therefore equipped with a snorkel, and had to be connected to another MAUS for power to the electrodieselengines while crossing rivers. Yup-crossing as in going under water. I said it reminded me of a warship...
Did it see combat one might wonder?
No it didnt-only 2 were ever produced and they were blown up by own crew when the area around the factory was overrun. There is in fact one remaining today, in a museum in Russia-more on this with the photos:
Early drawing
Size does matter...
I mean really...just look at that thing!
Size does have it challenges...like sinking...
Grab a shovel were almost there...
This turret from the V2 (Second version built) was put on the V1 hull
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