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CONTENTSIntroduction

Section1:ThePanzerI

Section2:ThePanzerII

Section3:LegionCondor

Section4:ContemporaryDocuments

MorefromtheSameSeries

TINTRODUCTION

HISBOOKformspartoftheseriesentitled‘Hitler’sWarMachine.’Theaimistoprovide the readerwith a varied range ofmaterials drawn fromoriginalwritings

covering the strategic, operational and tactical aspects of the weapons and battles ofHitler’swar.Theconceptbehindtheseriesistoprovidethewell-readandknowledgeablereaderwithaninterestingcompilationofrelatedprimarysourcescombinedwiththebestof what is in the public domain to build a picture of a particular aspect of that titanicstruggle.

Iampleasedtoreport thattheserieshasbeenwellreceivedandit isapleasuretobeable to bring original primary sources to the attention of an interested readership. Iparticularlyenjoydiscoveringnewprimarysources,andIampleasedtobeabletopresentthemunadornedandunvarnishedtoasophisticatedaudience.TheprimarysourcessuchasDieWehrmachtandSignal,speakforthemselvesandthereadershipIstrivetoserveistheincreasinglywellinformedcommunityofreader/historianswhichneedsnoeditorialleadand can draw its own conclusions. I am well aware that our community is constantlystrivingtodiscovernewnuggetsofinformation,andI trust thatwiththisvolumeIhavemanaged to stimulate freshenthusiasmand thatat least someof these factsandarticleswill be new to you and will provoke readers to research further down these lines ofinvestigation, and perhaps cause established views to be challenged once more. I amaware at all times in compiling thesematerials that our relentless pursuit of more andbetterhistoricalinformationisatthecoreourcommonpassion.Itrustthatthisselectionwillcontributetothatsearchandwillhelpallofustobettercomprehendandunderstandthebewilderingeventsofthelastcentury.

InordertoproduceaninterestingcompilationgivingaflavourofeventsatthetacticalandoperationallevelIhavereturnedoncemoretothewartimeUSIntelligenceseriesofpamphlets,which contain an intriguing series of contemporary articles onweapons andtactics.Ifindthisseriesofpamphletsparticularlyfascinatingastheyarewrittenin,whatwasthen,thepresenttenseand,assuch,provideuswithasenseofwhatwashappeningatthefaceofbattleaseventsunfolded.

ThefirstvehicletobeproducedinanynumbersforthePanzerwaffewas,ofcourse,thetinyPanzerI,whichatthetimewasknownastheMGPanzerwagen.Deliveryof318ofthesehadbeenmadebyAugust1935,alongwith15oftheZugfuhrerwagen,whichwaslater to become the Panzer III. One aspect of tank design which the Germans gotabsolutely right from the very outset was to identify the importance of radiocommunications.Althoughinitiallyonlythecommandtankswerefittedwithradiosthatcouldboth transmitand receive, theothervehicleswereat last equippedwith receivingradiosets,andthiswasamajoradvanceuponthethinkingofmanyofthecountrieswhichwould come to oppose Germany. Throughout 1934 exercises continued with theexperimentaltankunitsandanumberofothervaluablelessonsquicklybecameapparent,particularly the need for close co-operation between the air forces and the tanks on theground.At thispoint the first serious tank tacticswhichwere tobring somuchsuccess

duringtheSecondWorldWarbegantoappear.Itwassoonobviousthatthetanksneededto be employed on a relatively narrow front.A divisional frontwas estimated at aboutthreekilometres,agreatchangefromthewidefrontsoftheGreatWar.ItwasstillobvioustotheGermanHighCommandthatthedecisionswhichwerebeingmade,werebasedontheory,ratherthanpractice.Germany-andindeedeveryothernationofthetime-hadnopracticalexperiencetodrawupon,thereforeanumberofeducatedguessesweremade.

APanzerIinactionduringtheSpanishCivilWar

APanzerIIinflamesfollowingahitnearTobruk1941.

InJanuary1936GeneralBeckreportedtotheHighCommand,hisfindingsbeingbasedon a study of a French organisation. He was also very critical of the slow rise inproduction capacity which was hampering the development of the tank force.Interestingly,thedebateaboutwhichtaskstanksweresuitablefor,andwhetherspecialistmachineshadtobedevelopedforeachtask,wasalreadybeginningtotakeshape.Beck’sreport clearly stated that the three main tasks of the Panzers were supporting infantry,operating in unitswith othermobileweapons and, finally, combating other tanks.Beckhimselfwasunabletocometoadecisionaboutwhetherasingletankshouldbedevelopedwiththecapabilitytotakeoneachofthesepurposesorwhetheraspecialistvehicleshouldhedesignedforeachpurpose.

Ultimately thedecisionwas that the light tankswouldbeused inascouting roleandthatan infantrysupport tankwouldbedevelopedwhichwas later tocometofruition intheformofthePanzerIV;thisdecisioncastthePanzerIIIintheroleofmainbattletank.Amazinglythedecisionwastakenthatthe3.7cmgunwhichinitiallyequippedthePanzerIIIwouldbesufficientforthebattleconditions.ThevarioustypesofGermantankdesignweretocaterformosteventualitiesonthebattlefield.InitiallythePanzerIwasconsideredto be fit for training purposes only, howevermanufacturing proceeded very slowly andeventually both the Panzer I and II were earmarked for the reconnaissance role. ThePanzer III was essentially designed for break-through and anti-tank operations and thePanzer IV was designed to provide close support for the infantry battling their wayforwardagainstdug-Inpositions.Almostfromtheoutsetthelimitationsofthedesignfor

the Panzer I were obvious. The armament in the form of two machine guns, wasinadequate formost purposes on the battlefield. In addition the very thin armour gaveprotection only against rifle bullets: almost any battlefield weapon could penetrate thearmour.Moresignificantwasthefactthatthecrewwascomprisedofonlytwomen.

InOctober1935GeneralLiese,headof theHeere’sWaffenamtissuedareportwhichgavethelimitationsofthetanks.HenotedthattheMGPanzerwagen(PanzerI),althoughfittedoutonlywithtwo7.9mmmachineguns,couldbeadaptedtoattackarmouredcarsandotherlighttanksifitwasissuedwithspecialS.M.P.steelcoreammunition.InthecaseoftheMGPanzerII,itwasnotedthatthemuzzlevelocityofthe2cmguncouldpenetrateupto10mmofarmouredplateatarangeofupto700metres.ItwasthereforedecidedthatthePanzerIIcouldengagearmouredcarswithsuccess,andwasalsofullyfunctionalforcombatagainst tankswithapproximately thesamearmouras itself.Liesenoted that thetanksmostlikelytobeencounteredinlargenumbersinawaragainsttheFrenchwerethelightRenaultMl7andMl8tanks,ofwhichtherewereaboutthreethousandoperationalintheFrenchforcesatthetime.ItwasalsothoughtthatthePanzerIIwouldbetheequaloftheRenaultNC37andNC31tanks.AgainsttheheavierFrenchtanks,includingtheCharB, it was noted that the Panzer IIwas practicallyworthless.Despite these reservationslarge-scaledeliveryofthePanzerIIwasalreadyintrainandwasexpectedtocommencefrom1stApril1937.

The Panzer I actually entered active service in 1937 with the Legion Condor andprovedtobeanefficientmachinewithinitshighlyproscribedlimits.Therearethosewhostate that the Panzer IIwas also deployed in Spain although I can find no evidence tosupportthisclaim.PerhapsthereIssomeoneouttherewhocanresolvethedebate,forthetimebeingIcontinuetoerronthesideofcaution

Thank you for buying this volume in the serieswe hope youwill enjoy discoveringsomenewinsightsyouwillgoontotrytheothersintheseries.

BobCarruthers

Edinburgh2012

TSECTION1

THEPANZERIHEPANZERIwasa light tankproduced inGermany in the1930s.Thename isshort for the German Panzerkampfwagen I (armored fighting vehicle mark I),

abbreviated PzKpfw I. The tank’s official German ordnance inventory designationwasSdKfz101(specialpurposevehicle101).

DesignofthePanzerIbeganin1932andmassproductionin1934.IntendedonlyasatrainingtanktointroducetheconceptofarmoredwarfaretotheGermanArmy,thePanzerIsawcombatinSpainduringtheSpanishCivilWar,inPoland,France,theSovietUnionandNorthAfrica during theSecondWorldWar, and inChina during theSecondSino-JapaneseWar.Experienceswith thePanzerIduringtheSpanishCivilWarhelpedshapetheGermanarmoredcorps’invasionofPolandin1939andFrancein1940.By1941,thePanzerIchassisdesignwasusedforproductionoftankdestroyersandassaultguns.Therewere attempts to upgrade the Panzer I throughout its service history, including thoseforeignnationswhohadbeenequippedwiththePanzerI,toextendthedesignlifespan.ItcontinuedtoserveinthearmedforcesofSpainuntil1954.

ThePanzerI’sperformanceincombatwaslimitedbyitsthinarmorandlightarmamentoftwogeneralpurposemachineguns.Asadesignintendedfortraining,thePanzerIwasnotascapableasotherlighttanksoftheera,suchastheSovietT-26.Althoughweakincombat,itnonethelessformedalargeportionofGermany’stankstrengthinnumbersandwas used in all major campaigns between September 1939 and December 1941. Thesmall,vulnerable light tankwouldbe surpassed in importancebybetter-knownGermantankssuchasthePanzerIV,Panther,andTiger.Nevertheless,thePanzerI’scontributiontotheearlyvictoriesofNaziGermanyduringtheSecondWorldWarwassignificant.

TestingthecapabilitiesofaPanzerI

DevelopmenthistoryThepost-WorldWarITreatyofVersaillesof1919prohibitedthedesign,manufactureanddeploymentoftankswithintheReichswehr.ParagraphTwenty-fourofthetreatyprovidedfor a 100,000-mark fine and imprisonment of up to six months for anybody whomanufactured armoured vehicles, tanks or similar machines, which may be turned tomilitaryuse.

DespitethemanpowerandtechnicallimitationsimposedupontheGermanArmybytheTreatyofVersailles,severalReichswehrofficersestablishedaclandestineGeneralStafftostudythelessonswhichcouldbelearnedfromWorldWarIanddevelopfuturestrategiesandtacticsaccordingly.Althoughat first theconceptof the tankasamobileweaponofwarmetwithapathy,Germanindustrywassilentlyencouragedtolookintotankdesign,whilequietcooperationwasundertakenwiththeSovietUnionatKAMA.Therewasalsominormilitary cooperationwith Sweden, including the extraction of technical data thatproved invaluable to early German tank design. As early as 1926 various Germancompanies,includingRheinmetallandDaimler-Benz,producedasingleprototypearmedwithalarge75-millimetercannon(theGroßtraktor,“largetractor”,wassocodenamedtoveil the true purpose of the vehicle). Only two years later prototypes of the newLeichttraktor (“light tractor”), were produced by German companies, armed with 37-millimeterKwKL/45guns.TheGroßtraktorwaslaterputintoserviceforabriefperiodwiththe1PanzerDivision;theLeichttraktorremainedintestinguntil1935.

In the late1920sandearly1930sGerman tank theorywaspioneeredby twofigures:GeneralOswaldLutzandhischiefofstaff,LieutenantColonelHeinzGuderian.Guderianbecame themore influential of the two and his ideaswerewidely publicized. Like hiscontemporary Sir Percy Hobart, Guderian initially envisioned an armored corps(panzerkorps) composed of several types of tanks. This included a slow infantry tank,armedwithasmall-calibercannonandseveralmachineguns.Theinfantrytank,accordingto Guderian, was to be heavily armored to defend against enemy anti-tank guns andartillery.Healsoenvisionedafastbreakthroughtank,similar to theBritishcruiser tank,whichwastobearmoredagainstenemyanti-tankweaponsandhavealarge75-millimeter(2.95in)maingun.Lastly,Germanywouldneedaheavytank,armedwithamassive150-millimeter(5.9in)cannontodefeatenemyfortifications,andevenstrongerarmor.Suchatankwouldrequireaweightof70to100tonnesandwascompletelyimpracticalgiventhemanufacturingcapabilitiesoftheday.

Soon after rising to power in Germany, Adolf Hitler approved the creation ofGermany’sfirstpanzerdivisions.Simplifyinghisearlierproposal,Guderiansuggestedthedesign of amain combat vehiclewhichwould be developed into the Panzer III, and abreakthroughtank,thePanzerIV.NoexistingdesignappealedtoGuderian.Asastopgap,theGermanArmyorderedapreliminaryvehicletotrainGermantankcrews.ThisbecamethePanzerI.

ThePanzer I’sdesignhistorycanbe traced to1932’sLandwirtschaftlicherSchlepper

(LaS)(AgriculturalTractor)armoredfightingvehicle.TheLaSwasintendednotjusttotrainGermany’spanzertroops,buttoprepareGermany’sindustryforthemassproductionoftanksinthenearfuture:adifficultengineeringfeatforthetime.InJuly1932,KrupprevealedaprototypeoftheLandswerkKruppA,orLKA,withaslopedfrontglacisplateand large central casemate, a design heavily influenced by the British Carden Loydtankette. The tank was armed with two obsolescent 7.92-millimeter (.312 in) MG-13Dreysemachineguns.Machinegunswereknown tobe largelyuselessagainsteven thelightesttankarmorofthetime,restrictingthePanzerItoatrainingandanti-infantryrolebydesign.

A mass-produced version of the LKA was designed by a collaborative team fromDaimler-Benz,Henschel,Krupp,MAN,andRheinmetall,exchangingthecasemateforarotatingturret.Thisversionwasacceptedintoserviceaftertestingin1934.AlthoughthesetankswerereferredtoastheLaSandLKAwellbeyondthestartofproduction,itsofficialdesignation, assigned in 1938,was Panzerkampfwagen I Ausführung.A (‘modelA’ or,moreaccurately,‘batchA’).Thefirstfifteentanks,producedbetweenFebruaryandMarch1934,didnotincludetherotatingturretandwereusedforcrewtraining.Followingthese,production was switched to the combat version of the tank. The Ausf. A was under-armored, with steel plate of only 13millimeters (0.51 in) at its thickest. The tank hadseveraldesignflaws,includingsuspensionproblemswhichmadethevehiclepitchathighspeed, and engine overheating. The driver was positioned inside the chassis and usedconventionalsteering levers tocontrol the tank,while thecommanderwaspositioned intheturretwherehealsoactedasgunner.Thetwocrewmencouldcommunicatebymeansof a voice tube.Machine gun ammunitionwas stowed in five bins, containing variousnumbers of 25-round magazines. Author Lucas Molina Franco states that 833PanzerkampfwagenIAusf.Atankswerebuiltintotal,TerryGanderassessesthenumber818unitswhileBryanPerrettestimatesthenumbermayhavebeenaslowaslowas300.

PzKpfwIAusf.FondisplayattheBelgradeMilitaryMuseum

ManyoftheproblemsintheAusf.AwerecorrectedwiththeintroductionoftheAusf.B. The engine was replaced by the water-cooled, six-cylinder Maybach NL 38 TR,developing 98 horsepower (73 kW), and the gearbox was changed to a more reliablemodel.Thelargerenginerequiredtheextensionofthevehicle’schassisby40cm(16in),and this allowed the improvement of the tank’s suspension, adding an additional bogiewheelandraisingthetensioner.Thetank’sweightincreasedby0.4tons.ProductionoftheAusf. B began in August 1935 and finished in early 1937—Franco writes 840 wereconstructed,butnotesthatonly675ofthesewerecombatmodels,whilePerrettsuggestsatotalnumberof1,500(offsettingthe lownumberofAusf.Aheproposes)andGanderatotalof675.

APanzerIcrewoftheCondorLegion.

TheNextGenerationTwomorecombatversionsofthePanzerIweredesignedandproducedbetween1939and1942.Bythisstagethedesignconcepthadbeensupersededbymediumandheavytanksand neither variant was produced in sufficient numbers to have a real impact on theprogressofthewar.ThesenewtankshadnothingincommonwitheithertheAusf.AorBexceptname.Oneof these, thePanzer IAusf.C,wasdesigned jointlybetweenKrauss-MaffeiandDaimler-Benzin1939toprovideanamplyarmoredandarmedreconnaissancelighttank.TheAusf.Cboastedacompletelynewchassisandturret,amoderntorsion-barsuspensionandfiveinterleavedroadwheels.Italsohadamaximumarmorthicknessof30millimeters(1.18in),overtwicethatofeithertheAusf.AorB,andwasarmedwitha20-millimeter(0.78in)EW141autocannon.Fortyofthesetankswereproduced,alongwithsix prototypes. Two tanks were deployed to 1 Panzer Division in 1943, and the otherthirty-eight were deployed to the LVIII Panzer Reserve Corps during the Normandylandings.

Thesecondvehicle, theAusf.F,wasasdifferentfromtheAusf.CasitwasfromtheAusf.AandB.Intendedasaninfantrysupporttank,thePanzerIAusf.Fhadamaximumarmourthicknessof80millimeters(3.15in)andweighedbetween18and21tonnes.TheAusf.Fwasarmedwithtwo7.92-millimeterMG-34s.Thirtywereproducedin1940,andasecondorderof100waslatercanceled.Inordertocompensatefortheincreasedweight,a new 150 horsepower (110 kW) Maybach HL45 Otto engine was used, allowing a

maximum road speed of 25 kilometers per hour (15.5 mph). Eight of the thirty tanksproducedwere sent to the 1 PanzerDivision in 1943 and saw combat at the Battle ofKursk.Therestweregiventoseveralarmyschoolsfortrainingandevaluationpurposes.

CombathistorySpanishCivilWar

On18July1936,warbrokeoutontheIberianPeninsulaasSpaindissolvedintoastateofcivil war. After the chaos of the initial uprising, two sides coalesced and began toconsolidate their position—the Popular front (the Republicans) and the SpanishNationalistfront.Inanearlyexampleofaproxywar,bothsidesquicklyreceivedsupportfrom other countries,most notably the SovietUnion andGermany,whowanted to testtheirtacticsandequipment.Thefirstshipmentofforeigntanks,fiftySovietT-26’s,arrivedon 15 October. The shipment was under the surveillance of the German Navy andGermany immediately responded by sending forty-one Panzer I’s to Spain a few dayslater.ThisfirstshipmentwasfollowedbyfourmoreshipmentsofPanzerIAusf.B’s,withatotalof122vehicles.

ThefirstshipmentofPanzerI’swasbroughtunderthecommandofLieutenantColonelWilhelmRittervonThomainGruppeThoma(alsoreferredtoasPanzergruppeDrohne).Gruppe Thoma formed part of Gruppe Imker, the ground formations of the GermanCondor Legion, who fought on the side of Franco’s Nationalists. Between July andOctober, a rapidNationalist advance fromSeville to Toledo placed them in position totake the Spanish capital, Madrid. The Nationalist advance and the fall of the town ofIllescastoNationalistarmieson18October1936causedthegovernmentofthePopularFront’s Second Republic, including President Manuel Azaña, to flee to Barcelona andValencia. In an attempt to stem theNationalist tide and gain crucial time forMadrid’sdefence, Soviet armor was deployed south of the city under the command of ColonelKrivosheinbeforetheendofOctober.Atthistime,severalT-26tanksunderthecommandofCaptainPaulArmanwerethrownintoaRepublicancounterattackdirectedtowardsthetownofTorrejondeVelascoinanattempt tocutoff theNationalistadvancenorth.Thiswas the first tank battle in the Spanish Civil War. Despite initial success, poorcommunication between the Soviet Republican armor and Spanish Republican infantrycausedtheisolationofCaptainArman’sforceandthesubsequentdestructionofanumberoftanks.Thisbattlealsomarkedthefirstuseofthemolotovcocktailagainsttanks.Rittervon Thoma’s Panzer Is fought for the Nationalists only days later on 30 October, andimmediatelyexperiencedproblems.AstheNationalistarmoradvanced,itwasengagedbythe Commune de Paris battalion, equipped with Soviet BA-10 armored cars. The 45-millimeter (1.7 in) gun in theBA-10wasmore than sufficient to knock out the poorlyarmoredPanzerIatrangesofover500meters(550yd).

AlthoughthePanzerIwouldparticipateinalmosteverymajorNationalistoffensiveofthewar,theNationalistarmybegantodeploymoreandmorecapturedT-26tankstooffsettheirdisadvantageinprotectionandfirepower.Atonepoint,vonThomaofferedupto500pesetasforeachT-26captured.AlthoughthePanzerIwasinitiallyabletoknockouttheT-26atcloserange—150meters(165yd)orless—usinganarmorpiercing7.92millimeterbullet, theRepublican tanksbegan to engage at rangeswhere theywere immune to themachinegunsofthePanzerI.

ThePanzerIwasupgradedinordertoincreaseitslethality.On8August1937,MajorGeneral García Pallasar received a note from Generalísimo Francisco Franco whichexpressedtheneedforaPanzerI(ornegrillo,astheirSpanishcrewscalledthem)witha20-millimeter gun.Ultimately, the piece chosenwas theBredaModel 1935, due to thesimplicityofthedesignovercompetitorssuchastheGermanFlak30.Furthermore,the20mmBredawascapableofperforating40millimetersofarmorat250meters (1.57 inat275 yd), which was more than sufficient to penetrate the frontal armor of the T-26.AlthoughoriginallyfortyItalianCV.35lighttankswereorderedwiththeBredainplaceoftheir original armament, this order was subsequently canceled after it was thoughtadaptation of the same gun to the Panzer I would yield better results. PrototypeswerereadybySeptember1937andanorderwasplacedaftersuccessfulresults.ThemountingoftheBredainthePanzerIrequiredtheoriginalturrettobeopenedatthetopandthenextended by a vertical supplement. Four of these tankswere finished at theArmamentFactory of Seville, but further production was canceled as it was decided sufficientnumbersofRepublicanT-26tankshadbeencapturedtofulfilltheNationalistleadership’srequest for more lethal tanks. The Breda modification was not particularly liked byGerman crews, as the unprotected gap in the turret, designed to allow the tank’scommandertoaim,wasfoundtobeadangerousweakpoint.

Inlate1938,anotherPanzerIwassenttotheArmamentFactoryofSevilleinordertomount a45mmgun, captured fromaSoviet tank (aT-26orBT-5).A secondwas sentsometime later in order to exchange the original armament for a 37-millimeterMaklenanti-tank gun,which had been deployed toAsturias in late 1936 on the Soviet shipA.Andreiev.Itremainsunknowntowhatextentthesetrialsandadaptationswerecompleted,althoughitissafetoassumeneitheradaptationwassuccessfulbeyondthedrawingboard.

PANZERIDELIVERIESTOSPAIN(1936–1939)

Date NumberofVehicles

October1936* 41

Dec-36 21

Aug-37 30

Endof1937 10

Jan-39 30

Total: 122

*FormedpartoftheCondorLegion

SecondWorldWar

DuringtheinitialcampaignsoftheSecondWorldWar,Germany’slighttanks,includingthePanzerI,formedthebulkofitsarmoredstrength.InMarch1938,theGermanArmymarchedintoAustria,experiencingamechanicalbreakdownrateofuptothirtypercent.However, the experience revealed to Guderian several faults within the GermanPanzerkorpsandhesubsequentlyimprovedlogisticalsupport.InOctober1938,GermanyoccupiedCzechoslovakia’sSudetenland,andtheremainderofthecountryinMarch1939.The capture ofCzechoslovakia allowed severalCzech tank designs, such as thePanzer38(t), and their subsequentvariants andproduction, tobe incorporated into theGermanArmy’sstrength.ItalsopreparedGermanforcesfortheinvasionofPoland.

APanzerIAusfBonthestreetsofCalais,FranceinMay1940,whileroundingupBritishprisonersofwar.

Polandandthecampaigninthewest

On1September1939,Germany invadedPolandusing seventy-twodivisions (including16reserve infantrydivisions inOKHreserves), includingsevenpanzerdivisions(1.,2.,3.,4.,5.,10.,“Kempf”)andfourlightdivisions(1.,2.,3.,4.).Threedayslater,FranceandBritaindeclaredwaronGermany.Thesevenpanzerandfourlightdivisionswerearrayedinfivearmies,formingtwoarmygroups.Thebattalionstrengthofthe1PanzerDivisionincludednolessthanfourteenPanzerIs,whiletheothersixdivisionsincludedthirty-four.Atotalofabout2,700tankswereavailablefortheinvasionofPoland,butonly310oftheheavierPanzerIIIandIVtankswereavailable.Furthermore,350wereofCzechdesign—the restwere either Panzer Is or Panzer IIs.The invasionwas swift and the last Polishpocketsofresistancesurrenderedon6October.Theentirecampaignhadlastedfiveweeks(with help of the Soviet forces which attacked on 17 September), and the success ofGermany’stanksinthecampaignwassummedupinresponsetoHitleron5September:whenasked if it had been the dive bomberswho destroyed a Polish artillery regiment,Guderianreplied,“No,ourpanzers!”

PanzerIAusf.AincombatduringtheGermaninvasionofNorway.

ThePoles suffered almost 190,000 casualties (including around 66,300 killed) in thecampaign, the Germans around 55,000 (including around 35,000 wounded. However,some832tanks(including320PzI,259PzII,40PzIII,76PzIV,77Pz35(t),13PzBefIII,7 PzBef 38(t), 34 other PzBef and some Pz38(t)) were lost during the campaign,approximately341ofwhichwerenevertoreturntoservice.ThisrepresentedaboutathirdofGermany’sarmordeployedforthePolishcampaign.DuringthecampaignnolessthanahalfofGermany’s tankswereunavailabledue tomaintenance issuesorenemyaction,andofalltanks,thePanzerIprovedthemostvulnerabletoPolishantitankweapons.

Furthermore, it was found that handling of armored forces during the campaign leftmuch to be desired. During the beginning ofGuderian’s attack in northern Poland, hiscorps was held back to coordinate with infantry for quite a while, preventing a fasteradvance.ItwasonlyafterArmyGroupSouthhaditsattentiontakenfromWarsawattheBattle of Bzura that Guderian’s armor was fully unleashed. There were still lingeringtendencies to reserve Germany’s armor, even if in independent divisions, to cover aninfantryadvanceortheflanksofadvancinginfantryarmies.Althoughtankproductionwasincreasedto125tankspermonthafterthePolishCampaign,lossesforcedtheGermanstodraw further strength from Czech tank designs, and light tanks continued to form themajorityofGermany’sarmoredstrength.

Months later, Panzer Is participated in Operation Weserübung—the invasion ofDenmarkandNorway.

Despiteitsobsolescence,thePanzerIwasalsousedintheinvasionofFranceinMay1940. Of 2,574 tanks available for the campaign, no fewer than 523 were Panzer Is.

Furthermore,therewereonly627PanzerIIIsandIVs.AtleastafifthofGermany’sarmorwas composed of Panzer Is, while almost four-fifths was light tanks of one type oranother,including955PanzerII,106CzechPanzer35(t),and228Panzer38(t).Fortheirdefense,theFrenchboastedupto4,000tanks,including300CharB1,armedwitha47-millimeter(1.7in)gunintheturretandalarger75-millimeter(2.95in)low-velocityguninthehull.TheFrenchalsohadaround250SomuaS-35,widelyregardedasoneofthebest tanksof theperiod,armedwith the same47millimetermaingunandprotectedbyalmost55millimeters(2.17in)ofarmoratitsthickestpoint.Nevertheless,theFrenchalsodeployed over 3,000 light tanks, including about 500WorldWar I-vintageFT-17s.Thetwo main advantages German armor enjoyed were radios allowing them to coordinatefasterthantheirBritishorFrenchcounterpartsandsuperiortacticaldoctrine.

NorthAfricaandcampaignsintheeast

Italian setbacks inEgypt and their colonyofLibya causedHitler to dispatch aircraft toSicily, and a blocking force to North Africa. This blocking force was put under thecommand of Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel and included the motorized 5th LightDivisionandthe15thPanzerDivision.ThisforcelandedatTunison12February1941.Uponarrival,Rommelhadaround150tanks,abouthalfPanzerIIIandIV.TherestwerePanzerI’sandIIs,althoughthePanzerIwassoonreplaced.On6April1941,Germanyattacked both Yugoslavia and Greece, with fourteen divisions invading Greece fromneighboring Bulgaria, which by then had joined the Tripartite Pact. The invasion ofYugoslavia included no less than six panzer divisions, which still fielded the Panzer I.Yugoslaviasurrendered17April1941,andGreecefellon30April1941.

PanzerbefehlswageninRussia.

ThefinalmajorcampaigninwhichthePanzerIformedalargeportionofthearmoredstrengthwasOperationBarbarossa,22June1941.The3,300Germantanksincludedabout410Panzer I’s.By the end of themonth, a large portion of theRedArmy found itselftrappedintheMinskpocket,andby21SeptemberKievhadfallen,therebyallowingtheGermans to concentrate on their ultimate objective, Moscow. Despite the success ofGermany’sarmorintheSovietUnion,betweenJuneandSeptembermostGermanofficerswere shocked to find their tanks were inferior to newer Soviet models, the T-34 andKlimentVoroshilov(KV)series.ArmyGroupNorthquicklyrealizedthatnoneofthetankgunscurrentlyinusebyGermanarmorcouldpenetratethethickarmoroftheKV-1.TheperformanceoftheRedArmyduringtheBattleofMoscowandthegrowingnumbersofnewSoviettanksmadeitobviousthePanzerIwasnotsuitableforthisfront.Somelessbattle-worthyPanzerI’sweretaskedwithtowinglorriesthroughmudtoalleviatelogisticsproblemsatthefront.

Foreignservice

AfterGermany,Spain fielded the largestnumberofPanzer I tanks.A totalof122wereexported to Spain during the Spanish CivilWar, and, as late as 1945, Spain’s BruneteArmoredDivisionfielded93.ThePanzerIremainedinuseinSpainuntilaidarrivedfromtheUnitedStatesin1954whentheywerereplacedbytherelativelymodernM47Patton.Between 1935 and 1936, an export version of the Panzer IAusf.B, named theL.K.B.(LeichteKampfwagenB),was designed for export to Bulgaria.Modifications includedup-gunning to a 20-millimeter gun and fitting a Krupp M 311 V-8 gasoline engine.Although three exampleswere built, nonewere exported toBulgaria, although a singlePanzer IAusf.A had previously been sold. In 1937, around tenAusf.Aswere sold toChina during a period of Sino-German cooperation, which were used in the Battle ofNanjingby the3rdArmoredBattalion.A final orderwas supplied toHungary in1942,totallingeightAusf.B’sandsixcommandversions.Thesewereincorporatedintothe1stArmoredDivisionandsawcombatinlate1942.

VariantsBetween 1934 and the mid 1940s several variants of the Panzer I were designed,especiallyduringthelateryearsofitscombathistory.Becausetheywereobsolescentfromtheirintroduction,incapableofdefeatingforeignarmor,andoutclassedbynewerGermantanks, the Panzer I chassis were increasingly repurposed as tank destroyers and othervariants. One of the most well known variants was the kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen(“small armoredcommandvehicle”), built on theAusf.AandAusf.Bchassis—200oftheseweremanufactured.ThePanzerIAusf.BchassiswasalsousedtobuildtheGermanArmy’s first tracked tank destroyer, the Panzerjäger I. This vehicle was armed with aCzech47-millimeter(1.85in)anti-tankgun.

TSECTION2

PANZERIIHEPANZERIIwasthecommonnameforafamilyofGermantanksusedinWorldWar II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen II (abbreviated

PzKpfwII).Althoughthevehiclehadoriginallybeendesignedasastopgapwhilemoreadvanced tanksweredeveloped, itnonethelesswenton toplayan important role in theearlyyearsofWorldWarII,duringthePolishandFrenchcampaigns.Bytheendof1942it had been largely removed from front line service, and production of the tank itselfceasedby1943.Itschassisremainedinuseasthebasisofseveralotherarmoredvehicles.

HistoryIn1934,delaysinthedesignandproductionofthePanzerIIIandPanzerIVtankswerebecoming apparent. Designs for a stopgap tank were solicited from Krupp, MAN,Henschel,andDaimler-Benz.ThefinaldesignwasbasedonthePanzerI,butlarger,andwith a turret mounting a 20 mm anti-tank gun. Production began in 1935, but it tookanothereighteenmonthsforthefirstcombat-readytanktobedelivered.

ThePanzerII

TheMarderIIIwasahighlyeffectivetankkillercreatedfromthechassisofthePanzerII.

ThePanzerIIwasthemostnumeroustankintheGermanPanzerdivisionsbeginningwith the invasion of France, until it was supplemented by the Panzer III and IV in1940/41.Afterwards,itwasusedtogreateffectasareconnaissancetank.

The Panzer II was used in the German campaigns in Poland, France, the LowCountries,Denmark,Norway,NorthAfricaand theEasternFront.Afterbeing removedfrom front-line duty, itwas used for training and on secondary fronts. The chassiswasusedforanumberofself-propelledgunsincludingtheWespeandMarderII.

DesignArmor

ThePanzer IIwasdesignedbefore the experienceof theSpanishCivilWarof1936-39showedthatshell-proofarmorwasrequiredfortankstosurviveonamodernbattlefield.Prior to that, armor was designed to stop machine gun fire and High Explosive shellfragments.

ThePanzerIIA,B,andChad14mmofslightlyslopedhomogenoussteelarmoronthesides,front,andback,with10mmofarmoronthetopandbottom.ManyIICweregivenincreasedarmorinthefront.StartingwiththeDmodel,thefrontarmorwasincreasedto30mm.TheModelFhad35mmfrontarmourand20mmsidearmor.

Thisarmorcouldbepenetratedby towedantitankweaponssuchas theSoviet45mmandFrenchcanonde25andcanonde47.

Armament

Most tankversionsof thePanzer IIwere armedwith a 2 cmKwK3055 calibers longcannon.Somelaterversionsusedthe2cmKwK38L/55whichwassimilar.Thiscannonwasbasedonthe2cmFlaK30anti-aircraftgun,andwascapableoffiringatarateof600roundsperminute(280roundsperminutesustained).ThePanzerIIalsohada7.92mmMaschinengewehr34machinegunmountedcoaxiallywiththemaingun.

The2cmcannonprovedtobeineffectiveagainstmanyAlliedtanks,andexperimentswere made towards replacing it with a 37 mm cannon, but nothing came of this.Prototypeswerebuiltwitha50mmtankgun,butbythenthePanzerIIhadoutliveditsusefulness as a tank regardless of armament.Greater successwas had by replacing thestandardarmor-piercingexplosiveammunitionwithtungstencoredsolidammunition,butduetomaterialshortagesthisammunitionwasinchronicallyshortsupply.

Laterdevelopmentintoaself-propelledguncarriagesawthemountingofa5cmPaK38antitankgun,butthiswasseenasinsufficientforthetime,andthelarger7.62cmPaK36(r) was installed as an effective stop-gap. Themain production antitank versionwasfittedwitha7.5cmPaK40whichwasveryeffective.Artillerymountingbeganwithafew15cmsIG33heavyinfantryguns,butmosteffectivewasthe10.5cmleFH18,forwhich the Panzer II chassis became the primary carriage for the war. Most of theseversions retained a pintle mounted 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun for defense againstinfantryandairattack.

Mobility

Allproductionversionsof thePanzer IIwerefittedwitha140PS,gasoline-fuelledsix-cylinderMaybachHL62TRMengineandZFtransmissions.ModelsA,B,andChadatopspeedof40km/h(25mph).ModelsDandEhadaChristiesuspensionandabettertransmission,givinga top road speedof55km/h (33mph)but thecross country speedwasmuchlowerthanpreviousmodels,sotheModelFrevertedbacktothepreviousleafspringtypesuspension.Allversionshadarangeof200km(120mi).

Crew

ThePanzerIIhadacrewofthreemen.Thedriversatintheforwardhull.Thecommandersat in a seat in the turret, andwas responsible for aiming and firing the guns, while aloader/radiooperatorstoodonthefloorofthetankundertheturret.

VariantsDevelopmentandlimitedproductionmodels

PanzerIIAusf.a(PzKpfwIIa)

NottobeconfusedwiththelaterAusf.A(thesoledifferencebeingthecapitalizationofthe letterA), theAusf. awas the first limitedproductionversionof thePanzer II tobebuilt,andwassubdividedintothreesub-variants.TheAusf.a/1wasinitiallybuiltwithacastidlerwheelwithrubbertire,butthiswasreplacedaftertenproductionexampleswitha welded part. The Ausf. a/2 improved engine access issues. The Ausf. a/3 includedimproved suspension and engine cooling. In general, the specifications for the Ausf. a

modelswassimilar,andatotalof75wereproducedfromMay1936toFebruary1937byDaimler-BenzandMAN.TheAusf.awasconsideredthe1SerieundertheLaS100name.

APanzerIIwithaPanzerIfollowing,ontheWesternFront,1940

Specifications

•Crew:3

•Engine:MaybachHL57TRwith6geartransmissionplusreverse

•Weight:7.6tonnes

•Dimensions:4.38m(l)x2.14m(w)x1.95m(h)

•Speed:40km/h

•Range:200km

•Communications:FuG5radio

•Primaryarmament:2cmKwK30L/55gunwithTZF4gunsight,turretmounted

•Secondaryarmament:MG347.92mmmachinegun,coaxiallymounted

•Ammunition:18020mmand2,2507.92mmcarried

•Turret:360°handtraversewithelevationof+20°anddepressionto-9.5°

•Armour:13mmfront,side,andrear;8mmtop;5mmbottom

PanzerIIAusf.b(PzKpfwIIb)

Again, not to be confused with the later Ausf. B, the Ausf. b was a second limited

production series embodying further developments, primarily a heavy reworking ofsuspensioncomponentsresultinginawidertrackandalongerhull.Lengthwasincreasedto4.76mbutwidthandheightwereunchanged.Additionally,aMaybachHL62TRenginewasusedwithnewdrivetraincomponentstomatch.Deckarmorforthesuperstructureandturretroofwasincreasedto10–12mm.Totalweightincreasedto7.9tonnes.Twenty-fivewerebuiltbyDaimler-BenzandMANinFebruaryandMarch1937.

APanzerIIrollsintoAustriaduringtheAnschluss.

PanzerIIAusf.c(PzKpfwIIc)

AsthelastofthedevelopmentallimitedproductionseriesofPanzerIIs,theAusf.ccamevery close to matching the mass production configuration, with a major change to thesuspension with the replacement of the six small road wheels with five largerindependently sprung road wheels and an additional return roller bringing that total tofour. The tracks were further modified and the fenders widened. Total length wasincreasedto4.81mandwidthto2.22m,whileheightwasstillabout1.99m.Atleast25ofthismodelwereproducedfromMarchthroughJuly1937.

PanzerIIAusf.A(PzKpfwIIA)

Thefirsttrueproductionmodel,theAusf.Aincludedanarmorupgradeto14.5mmonallsides, as well as a 14.5 mm floor plate, and an improved transmission. The Ausf. AenteredproductioninJuly1937.

PanzerIIAusf.B(PzKpfwIIB)

IntroducingonlyminimalchangestotheAusf.A,theAusf.BsupersededitinproductionfromDecember1937.

PanzerIIAusf.C(PzKpfwIIC)

Few minor changes were made in the Ausf. C version, which became the standardproductionmodelfromJune1938throughApril1940.Atotalof1,113examplesofAusf.c,A,B,andCtankswerebuiltfromMarch1937throughApril1940byAlkett,FAMO,Daimler-Benz, Henschel, MAN, MIAG, and Wegmann. These models were almostidentical andwere used in service interchangeably. Thiswas themostwidespread tankversion of thePanzer II and performed themajority of the tank’s service in thePanzerunits during the war. Earlier versions of Ausf. C have rounded hull front, but manyvehiclesofAusf.Cwereup-armoredtofightinFrance.Thesehaveextraarmorsboltedontheturretfrontandsuperstructurefront.Alsoup-armoredversionshaveangledfronthulllikethatofAusf.F.Somewerealsoretro-fittedwithcommander’scupolas.

PzKpfwIIAusf.CattheMuséedesBlindés

APanzerIIAusfFliesknockedoutintheWesternDesert.

PanzerIIAusf.F(PzKpfwIIF)

Continuing the conventional design of the Ausf. C, the Ausf. F was designed as areconnaissancetankandservedinthesameroleastheearliermodels.Thesuperstructurefrontwasmadefromasinglepiecearmorplatewitha redesignedvisor.Alsoadummyvisorwasplacednexttoittoreduceanti-tankriflebulletshittingtherealvisor.Thehullwasredesignedwithaflat35mmplateonitsfront,andarmorofthesuperstructureandturretwerebuiltupto30mmonthefrontwith15mmtothesidesandrear.Therewassomeminoralterationofthesuspensionandanewcommander’scupolaaswell.Weightwas increased to9.5 tonnes.524werebuilt fromMarch1941 toDecember1942as thefinalmajortankversionofthePanzerIIseries.

PanzerIIAusf.D(PzKpfwIID)

With a completely new Christie suspension with four road wheels, the Ausf. D wasdevelopedasacavalrytankforuseinthepursuitandreconnaissanceroles.OnlytheturretwasthesameastheAusf.Cmodel,withanewhullandsuperstructuredesignandtheuseof aMaybachHL62TRM engine driving a seven-gear transmission (plus reverse). Thedesignwasshorter(4.65m)butwider(2.3m)andtaller(2.06m)thantheAusf.C.Speedwasincreasedto55km/h.Atotalof143Ausf.DandAusf.EtankswerebuiltfromMay1938throughAugust1939byMAN,andtheyservedinPoland.TheywerewithdrawninMarch1940forconversiontoothertypesafterprovingtohavepooroffroadperformance.

PanzerIIAusf.E(PzKpfwIIE)

SimilartotheAusf.D,theAusf.Eimprovedsomesmallitemsofthesuspension,butwasotherwisesimilarandservedalongsidetheAusf.D.

PanzerIIAusf.J(PzKpfwIIJ)

Continueddevelopmentof the reconnaissance tankconcept led to themuchup-armoredAusf. J,which used the same concept as the PzKpfw IF of the same period, under theexperimentaldesignationVK1601.Heavierarmorwasadded,bringingprotectionupto80mm on the front and 50mm to the sides and rear, with 25mm roof and floor plates,increasing total weight to 18 tonnes. Equipped with the sameMaybach HL45P as thePzKpfwIF,topspeedwasreducedto31km/h.Primaryarmamentwasthe2cmKwK38L/55gun.22wereproducedbyMANbetweenAprilandDecember1942,andsevenwereissuedtothe12thPanzerDivisionontheEasternFront.

PanzerkampfwagenIIohneAufbau

One use for obsolete Panzer II tanks which had their turrets removed for use infortificationswasasutilitycarriers.Anumberofchassisnotusedforconversiontoself-propelled guns were instead handed over to the Engineers for use as personnel andequipmentcarriers.

PanzerIIFlamm

BasedonthesamesuspensionastheAusf.DandAusf.Etankversions,theFlamm(alsoknownas“Flamingo”)usedanewturretmountingasingleMG34machinegun,andtworemotely controlled flamethrowersmounted in small turrets at each front corner of thevehicle.Eachflamethrowercouldcoverthefront180°arc,whiletheturrettraversed360°.

Theflamethrowersweresuppliedwith320litresoffuelandfourtanksofcompressednitrogen. The nitrogen tanks were built into armored boxes along each side of thesuperstructure.Armorwas30mmtothefrontand14.5mmtothesideandrear,althoughtheturretwasincreasedto20mmatthesidesandrear.

Totalweightwas12 tonnes anddimensionswere increased to a lengthof4.9mandwidthof2.4malthoughitwasabitshorterat1.85mtall.AFuG2radiowascarried.Twosub-variants existed: theAusf.A andAusf.Bwhich differed only inminor suspensioncomponents.One hundred and fifty-five Flammvehicleswere built from January 1940throughMarch1942.Theseweremostlyonnewchassisbut43wereonusedAusf.DandAusf.Echassis.TheFlammwasdeployedintheUSSRbutwasnotverysuccessfulduetoitslimitedarmor,andsurvivorsweresoonwithdrawnforconversioninDecember1941.

5cmPaK38aufFahrgestellPanzerkampfwagenII

Conceived along the same lines as theMarder II, the 5 cm PaK 38 was an expedientsolution tomount the50mmantitankgunon thePanzer IIchassis.However, themuchgreatereffectivenessof the75mmantitankgunmadethisoptionlessdesirableandit isnotknownhowmanyfieldmodificationsweremadetothiseffect.

7.62cmPaK36(r)aufFahrgestellPanzerkampfwagenIIAusf.D(Sd.Kfz.132)

AfteralackofsuccesswithconventionalandflametankvariantsontheChristiechassis,itwasdecidedtousetheremainingchassistomountcapturedSovietantitankguns.Thehullandsuspensionwasunmodifiedfromtheearliermodels,but thesuperstructurewasbuiltup toprovidea largefightingcompartmenton topofwhichwasmountedaSoviet76.2 mm antitank gun, which, while not turreted, did have significant traverse. Onlydevelopedasaninterimsolution,thevehiclewasclearlytootallandpoorlyprotected,buthadapowerfulweaponandwasbetterthanwhattheGermanshadatthetime.

7.5cmPaK40aufFahrgestellPanzerkampfwagenII(MarderII)(Sd.Kfz.131)

Whilethe7.62cmPaK36(r)wasagoodstopgapmeasure,the7.5cmPaK40mountedonthe tank chassis of the Ausf. F resulted in a better overall fighting machine. Newproduction amounted to 576 examples from June 1942 to June 1943 as well as theconversionof75tanksafternewproductionhadstopped.TheworkwasdonebyDaimler-Benz,FAMO,andMAN.Amuchimprovedsuperstructureforthe7.62cmmountingwasbuiltgivingalowerprofile.TheMarderIIbecameakeypieceofequipmentandservedwiththeGermansonallfrontsthroughtheendofthewar.

LeichteFeldhaubitze18aufFahrgestellPanzerkampfwagenII(Wespe)

AfterthedevelopmentoftheFahrgestellPanzerkampfwagenIIformountingthesIG33,Alkettdesignedaversionmountinga10.5cmleichteFeldhaubitze18/2fieldhowitzerinabuilt-up superstructure.ThePanzer IIprovedanefficient chassis for thisweaponand itbecametheonlywidelyproducedself-propelled105mmhowitzerforGermany.BetweenFebruary1943andJune1944,676werebuiltbyFAMOanditservedwithGermanforcesonallmajorfronts.

MunitionsSelbstfahrlafetteaufFahrgestellPanzerkampfwagenII

Tosupport theWespe inoperation,anumberofWespechassiswerecompletedwithoutinstallationof thehowitzer, instead functioningasammunitioncarriers.Theycarried90rounds of 105 mm caliber. 159 were produced alongside the Wespe. These could beconvertedbyinstallationoftheleFH18inthefieldifneeded.

PanzerIIAusf.LintheMuséedesBlindés,Saumur.

PanzerkampfwagenIImitSchwimmkörper

OneofGermany’sfirstattemptsatdevelopinganamphibious tank, theSchwimmkörperwas a device built by Gebr Sachsenberg which consisted of two large pontoons thatattached to either side of a Panzer II tank. The tanks were specially sealed and somemodification to the engine exhaust and cooling was needed. The pontoons weredetachable. The modified tanks were issued to the 18th Panzer Regiment which wasformed in 1940. However, with cancellation of Operation Sealion, the plan to invadeEngland,thetankswereusedintheconventionalmannerbytheregimentontheEasternFront.

PanzerIIAusf.L(PzKpfwIIL)“Luchs”

A light reconnaissance tank, the Ausf. L was the only Panzer II design with theoverlapping/interleaved road wheels and “slack track” configuration to enter seriesproduction, with 100 being built from September 1943 to January 1944 in addition toconversionofthefourAusf.Mtanks.OriginallygiventheexperimentaldesignationVK1303,itwasadoptedunderthealternatenamePanzerspähwagenIIandgiventhepopularnameLuchs (Lynx).TheLynxwas larger than theAusf.G inmost dimensions (length4.63m;height2.21m;width2.48m).Itwasequippedwithasixspeedtransmission(plusreverse),andcouldreachaspeedof60km/hwitharangeof290km.TheFuG12andFuGSpr a radioswere installed,while 330 rounds of 20mmand 2,250 rounds of 7.92mmammunitionwerecarried.Totalvehicleweightwas11.8tonnes.

Limitedproduction,experimentsandprototypes

PanzerIIAusf.G(PzKpfwIIG)

The fourth and final suspension configurationused for thePanzer II tankswas the fiveoverlapping road wheel configuration termed Schachtellaufwerk by the Germans. ThiswasusedasthebasisfortheredesignofthePanzerIIintoareconnaissancetankwithhighspeed and good off-road performance. The Ausf. G was the first Panzer II to use thisconfiguration,andwasdevelopedwiththeexperimentaldesignationVK901.Thereisnorecord of theAusf.Gbeing issued to combat units, and only twelve full vehicleswerebuiltfromApril1941toFebruary1942byMAN.Theturretsweresubsequentlyissuedforuseinfortifications.

Specifications

•Crew:3

•Engine:MaybachHL66Pdrivingafivespeedtransmission(plusreverse)

•Weight:10.5tonnes

•Dimensions:length4.24m;width2.38m;height2.05m

•Performance:speed50km/h;range200km

•Mainarmament:7.92x94mmMG141automaticrifle,turretmountedwithTZF10sight

•Secondaryarmament:7.92mmMG34machinegun,coaxiallymounted

•Turret:360°handtraverse

•Armor:30mmfront,15mmsidesandrear

PanzerIIAusf.H(PzKpfwIIH)

Given experimental designation VK903, the Ausf. H was intended as the productionmodeloftheAusf.G,witharmorforthesidesandrearincreasedto20mmandanewfourspeedtransmission(plusreverse)similartothatofthePzKpfw38(t)nA.OnlyprototypeswereevercompletedbythetimeofcancellationinSeptember1942.

5cmPaK38aufPanzerkampfwagenII

Plannedasa light tankdestroyer, thefirst twoprototypesweredeliveredin1942butbythentheir50mmgunwasnotsufficientandtheprogramwascanceledinfavorof75mmweapons.

BrückenlegeraufPanzerkampfwagenII

AfterfailedattemptstousethePanzerIasachassisforabridgelayer,workmovedtothePanzerII,ledbyMagirus.Itisnotknownhowmanyoftheseconversionsweremade,butfourwereknowntohavebeeninservicewiththe7thPanzerDivisioninMay1940.

15cmsIG33aufFahrgestellPanzerkampfwagenII(Sf)

OneofthefirstgunmountvariantsofthePanzerIIdesignwastoemplacea15cmsIG33heavyinfantrygunonaturretlessPanzerIIchassis.TheprototypeutilizedanAusf.Btankchassis, but it was quickly realized that it was not sufficient for themounting.A new,

longer chassis incorporating an extra road wheel was designed and built, named theFahrgestellPanzerkampfwagen II.Anopen-topped15mm thick armored superstructuresufficientagainstsmallarmsandshrapnelwasprovidedaroundthegun.Thiswasnothighenoughtogivefullprotectionforthecrewwhilemanningthegun,althoughtheywerestillcovereddirectlytothefrontbythetallgunshield.Only12werebuiltinNovemberandDecember1941.Theseservedwiththe707thand708thHeavyInfantryGunCompaniesinNorthAfricauntiltheirdestructionin1943.

BergepanzerwagenaufPanzerkampfwagenIIAusf.J

AsingleexampleofanAusf.Jwithajibinplaceofitsturretwasfoundoperatingasanarmoredrecoveryvehicle.Thereisnorecordofanofficialprogramforthisvehicle.

PanzerSelbstfahrlafette1c

Developed in prototype form only, this was one of three abortive attempts to use thePanzerIIchassisformountinga5cmPaK38gun,thistimeonthechassisoftheAusf.G.Twoexampleswereproducedwhichhadsimilarweighttothetankversion,andbothwereput in front-line service, but production was not undertaken as priority was given toheavierarmedmodels.

PanzerIIAusf.M(PzKpfwIIM)

UsingthesamechassisastheAusf.H,theAusf.Mreplacedtheturretwithalarger,open-toppedturretcontaininga5cmKwK39/1gun.FourwerebuiltbyMANinAugust1942,butdidnotseeservice.

VK1602Leopard

TheVK1602wasintendedasa5cmKwK39-armedreplacementfortheAusf.L,withaMaybachHL157P engine driving an eight speed transmission (plus reverse).While thehullwasbasedonthatofthePzKpfwIIJ,itwasredesignedafterthePzKpfwVPanther,most noticeablywith the introduction of fully sloped frontal armor. Two versionswereinitiallyplanned,a lighter,faster18tonvariantandaslower,26tonvehicle; theformerwasabandonedatanearlystage.Subsequently,workonthefirstprototypewasabandonedwhenitwasdeterminedthatthevehiclewasunder-armedforitsweight,andversionsofthe PzKpfw IV and -V could serve just aswell in the reconnaissance rolewhile beingmore capable of defending themselves. This vehicle never received an officialPanzerkampfwagen title, but it would have been called the “Leopard” had it enteredproduction.ItsturretdesignwasadoptedfortheSdKfz234/2Puma.

TSECTION3

LEGIONCONDORHE CONDOR Legion (German: Legion Condor) was a unit composed ofvolunteers from the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and from the German Army

(WehrmachtHeer)which servedwith theNationalists during the Spanish CivilWar ofJuly 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legion developed methods of terror bombingwhichwere usedwidely in the SecondWorldWar shortly afterwards. The bombing ofGuernicawasthemostinfamousoperationcarriedoutbytheCondorLegionduringthisperiod.Hugo Sperrle commanded the aircraft units of theCondorLegion andWilhelmRittervonThomacommandedthegroundunits.

HistoryofmilitaryaidtoSpainFollowing themilitary coup inSpain at the start of theSpanishCivilWar, theSpanishSecondRepublicturnedtotheSovietUnionandFranceforsupport,andthenationalistsrequestedthesupportofHitler’sGermanyandfascistItaly.ThefirstrequestforGermanaircraftwasmade on 22 July,with an order for 10 transport aircraft.Hitler decided tosupportthenationalistson25or26July,butwaswaryofprovokingaEurope-widewar.TheReichAirTravelMinistryconcludedthatnationalistforceswouldneedatleast20Ju52s, flownbyLuftHansapilots, tocarry theArmyofAfrica fromSpanishMorocco toSpain.ThismissionbecameknownasOperationMagicFire(German:Feuerzauber).Thejoint Spanish-German “Spanish-Moroccan Transport Company” (Spanish: CompaníaHispano-Marroquí de Transporte, HISMA) and an entirely German company, the RawMaterials and Good Purchasing Company (German: Rohstoffe-und-Waren-Einkaufsgesellschaft, ROWAK) were established. This involvement was kept covert,hidden from both foreign and economic ministries, and funded with three millionReichmarks.

He-111EoftheCondorLegion,1939

TheorganisationandrecruitmentofGermanvolunteerswasalsokeptsecret.Thefirstcontingent of 86men left on 1August, unaware ofwhere theywere going.Theywereaccompanied with six biplane fighters, anti-aircraft guns and about 100 tons of othersupplies.TheywereplacedatTabladaairfieldnearSeville,andaccompaniedbyGermanAirtransportbegantheairliftofFranco’stroopstoSpain.Germany’sinvolvementgrewinSeptember to encompass the Wehrmacht’s other branches; Operation Magic Fire wasrenamedOperationGuido inNovember.Awidebeliefwas that thesoldierswould trainSpanishnationalists,andnotengage.TheheadoftheKriegsmarineprovidedsubmarinesfrom24October.TheGermannavyalsoprovidedvarioussurfaceshipsandcoordinatedmovement of German supplies to Spain. German U-Boats were dispatched to SpanishwatersunderthecodenameUrsula.

Ju52planeundergoingmaintenance

Inthetwoweeksfollowing27July,Germantransportmovednearly2,500troopsoftheArmyofAfrica toSpain.By11October, themission’sofficial end, 13,500 troops, 127machine guns and 36 field guns had been carried into Spain fromMorocco. Over thisperiod therewas amovement from training and supplymissions of overt combat. Theoperation leader, Alexander von Scheele, was replaced by Walter Warlimont. InSeptember, 86 tons of bombs, 40 Panzer PzKpfw I tanks and 122 personnel had beenlandedinSpain;theywereaccompaniedwith108aircraftintheJuly–Octoberperiod,splitbetween aircraft for the Nationalist faction itself and planes for German volunteers inSpain.

German air crews supported the Nationalist advance on Madrid, and the successfulreliefoftheSiegeoftheAlcázar.Ultimately,thisphaseoftheSiegeofMadridwouldbeunsuccessful.SovietairsupportfortheRepublicanwasgrowing,particularlythroughthesupplyofPolikarpov aircraft.Warlimont appealed toNaziGermany to stepup support.FollowingGermanrecognitionofFranco’sgovernmenton30September,GermaneffortsinSpainwere reorganised and expanded.The existingcommandstructurewas replacedwiththeWinterübungRügen,andthemilitaryunitsalreadyinSpainwereformedintoanewlegion,whichwasbrieflycalledtheIronRations(German:EiserneRationen)andtheIron Legion (German: Eiserne Legion) before Göring renamed it the Condor Legion(German: Legion Condor). The first German chargé to Franco’s government, GeneralWilhelm von Faupel, arrived in November, but was told not to interfere in militarymatters.

Its debut (combat test) was during Spanish CivilWar (1936-38). First 32 PzKpfw Ialongwith singleKleinerPanzerBefehlswagen I arrived inOctoberof1936.Only106

tanks, (102 Ausf A, Ausf B and 4 Kleiner Panzer Befehlswagen I) saw service with“Condor Legion” (Major Ritter von Thoma’s Panzer Abteilung 88 also known asAbteilungDrohne)andGeneralFranco’s“Nationalists”.Pz.Abt.88with its3companieswasbasedatCubasnearToledo,whereGermaninstructorstrainedfutureSpanishcrews,while the unit was used for training duties and combat (e.g. assault on Madrid).PanzerkampfwagenItanksprovedtobeoutclassedbySovietT-26andBT-5providedto“TheRepublicans”.

SomePanzerkampfwagenIcapturedby“TheRepublicans”wererearmedwithFrenchHotchkiss 25mm Model 1934 or 1937 anti-tank guns mounted in a modified turret(PzKpfwIAusf.Amit20mmFlakL/65BredaModel1935).DuringSpanishCivilWar,PzKpfwIAusfBwasexperimentallyarmedwith Italian20mmBredaModello (model)1935lightanti-aircraftgunmountedinamodifiedturret, inordertoincreaseitscombatpotential.Somesourcesstatethatthreetankswereconvertedthatway.

DornierDo17E-1oftheCondorLegion

AbackviewofaPanzerIfromtheCondorLegioninSpain.

PzKpfwIsequippedtwoNationalist tankbattalions(AgrupaciondeCarros)-1stand2ndTankBattalion.GermanHighCommand used the opportunity of theSpanishCivilWartotest theirnewweaponsandtacticsofBlitzkrieg.ItsverythinarmorofferedonlyprotectionagainstsmallfirearmsanditstwinMGswerenomatchforanythingotherthaninfantryunitsandprovedcompletlyuselessincombat.

ThefollowinginformationisprovidedonGruppeImker-thecodenameoftheGermanGroundContingentoftheCondorLegion:

•1Pz.Kp(fromthe1BattalionofPanzerRegiment6(Neuruppin))

•2Pz.Kp.(fromtheIIBattalionofPanzerRegiment6(Neuruppin))

•TransportKp

•TansportKp

•Nachrichtenzug(SignalsPlatoon)

•Werkstatts-Kp(WorkshopCompany)

•1Pak.Kdo.(AntitankGunCommand)

Upon the completion of training, the Spanish tank companies retained their GermanPz.Kpfw.1s and accompanied them to the front.TheGerman training companieswouldthenreceiveanothersupplyoftankstobeusedforthenexttrainingsession.Armygroundpersonnel in Spain never exceeded 600 men at any time. Gruppe Imker (Group

Beekeeper) had a staff, under the command of oberstleutenant von Thoma, whichcoordinatedandmaintainedalldirectcommunicationstoGermany.Imker’sPanzerunitswerecodenamedGruppe“Drohne”orGroup“Drone”.

Eachcompanyhad11Pz-Iswith3companiestoaBattalion(Agrupacion)andaT-26companyaddedlater(capturedtanks).

Overleaf is a collection of documents to Cpl Eugene Alexejen of Legion Condor,awardedSpanishcross in silver.Hewas in theCondorLegionwithPanzerRegiment6“Neuruppin”ofthethirdPanzerDivision.

In Spain in early October 1936 General der PanzertruppeWilhelm Josef Ritter vonThomawassentbytheGermanhighcommandtoSpainasthecommanderofthegroup“Imker”(Beekeeper), thegroundcontingentoftheGermanCondorLegion.Taskedwithtraining Franco’s Spanish Nationalist officers and men in tanks, infantry tactics andartilleryandsignalsemployment.CplEugeneAlexsejenwouldhavebeenpartofthisandwouldhavehelpedinthefrontlineincombat.

MotivationIn the years following the Spanish CivilWar, Hitler gave several possible motives forGerman involvement. Among these were the distraction it provided from German re-militarisation;thepreventionofthespreadofcommunismtoWesternEurope;thecreationof a state friendly to Germany to disrupt Britain and France; and the possibilities foreconomicexpansion.AlthoughtheoffensiveonMadridwasabandonedinMarch1937,aseries of attacks on weaker Republican-controlled areas was supported by Germany;despiteprolongingtheCivilWar,itwouldhelptodistracttheotherwesternpowersfromHitler’s ambitions in centralEurope.TheoffensiveonVizcaya, amining and industrialcentre, would help fuel German industry. On 27 June 1937, Hitler (in a speech atWurzburg)declaredhesupportedFrancotogaincontrolofSpanishore.

Theleft-handdocumentroughlytranslatesto:InthenameoftheGermanpeopleIgiveCorporalEugeneAlexejenasrecognitionforfineserviceasavolunteerintheSpanishWarofIndependencetheGermanSpanishCrossinSilverwith

Swords,Berlinthe6june1939.TheFuhrerandSupremeCommanderoftheWehrmacht.Centreisan“HonorDeed”showinghisservicewiththeregimentbetween1935and1937.Roughlytranslateditreads:

HonorDeedofCplEugeneAlexejenhasfrom1Nov1935-30Sept1937inThirdCompany,PanzerRegiment6“Neuruppin”fulfilledhiscompulsoryservicewithhonor.“Neuruppin”the30september1937.SignedCaptainand

CompanycommanderOntherightisanawarddocumentfortheSpanishRedCrossofMilitaryMerit.ThetextfortheSpanishcampaignawardshownabovetranslatesroughlyasfollows:Spanisharmy:onthemeritoriousserviceinoperationsduringthewar—SergentEugeneAlexejen—S.E.thechiefofstateandgeneralissimooftheNationalistArmyhasseenfittogivetheCampaignMedalandfortherecordandtothesatisfactionoftheapplicant,issuedonbehalfof“SE”.Burgosto1st

December1938,IIItriumphantyear—TheMinisterofNationalDefence

Discussions over German objectives for intervention occurred in January 1937.Germanywas keen to avoid prompting aEurope-widewar,which at the time they feltcommitting further resources to Spain would do. Contradictory views were held byGerman officials: Ernst von Weizsäcker suggested it was merely a matter of gracefulwithdrawal;HermannGöringstatedthatGermanywouldneverrecognisea“redSpain”.Ajoint Italian–German decision, that the last shipments would be made by the start ofFebruary,wasagreed.

IthasbeenspeculatedthatHitlerusedtheSpanishCivilWarissuetodistractMussolinifrom Hitler’s own designs on and plans for union (Anschluss) with Austria. TheauthoritarianCatholic,anti-NaziVaterländischeFrontgovernmentofautonomousAustriahad been in alliance with Mussolini, and in 1934 the assassination of Austria’sauthoritarian president Engelbert Dollfuss had already successfully invoked ItalianmilitaryassistanceincaseofaGermaninvasion.

A communique in December 1936, from German ambassador in Rome Ulrich vonHassellillustratesanotherpoint:

The role played by the Spanish conflict as regards Italy’s relations with France andEngland could be similar to that of theAbyssinian conflict, bringing out clearly theactual, opposing interests of the powers and thus preventing Italy from being drawnintothenetoftheWesternpowersandusedfortheirmachinations.Allthemoreclearlywill Italy recognize the advisability of confronting the Western powers shoulder toshoulderwithGermany.

OperationalrecordThe Condor Legion, upon establishment, consisted of the Kampfgruppe 88, with threesquadronsofJu52bombersandtheJagdgruppe88withthreesquadronsofHeinkelHe51fighters, the reconnaissance Aufklärungsgruppe 88 (supplemented by theAufklärungsgruppe See 88), an antiaircraft group, the Flakbteilung 88, and a signalsgroup, theNachrichtenabteilung88.Overall commandwasgiven toHugoSperrle,withAlexanderHolleaschiefofstaff.ScheelewastransferredtobecomeamilitaryattachéinSalamanca.TwoarmouredunitsunderthecommandofWilhelmRittervonThoma,withfourtankseach,werealsooperational.

TheNationalistsweresupportedbyGermanandItalianunitsandmaterialsattheBattleofMadrid.However, themilitarysituation inMadridremainedpoor for thenationalists,andbothGermanandItalianaircraft (underFranco’sdirection)beganbombingraidson

thecityasawhole.TheGermanswerekeentoobservetheeffectsofcivilianbombingsand deliberate burning of the city.Offensives involvingGerman aircraft, aswell as thebombings, were unsuccessful. Increasing Republican air superiority became apparent,particularly the strengthof theSovietPolikarpov I-15 and I-16 aircraft.HistorianHughThomasdescribestheirarmamentsas“primitive”.Faupel,inNovember–December,urgedthecreationofasingleGermanunitof15,000–30,000,believing itwouldbeenough toturn the tideof thewar to theNationalists.Hans-HeinrichDieckhoff argued thiswouldinsufficient, and that largermeasures could provoke thewrath of theSpanish.Betweenlate1936andearly1937,newaircraftweresenttotheCondorLegion,includingHenschelHs123divebombers,andprototypesof theHeinkelHe112andMesserschmittBf109,withthelastprovingthemostsuccessful.TheHeinkelHe111wasaddedtothebomberfleet,alongwiththeDornierDo17(EandFtypes).OlderaircraftwerepassedontotheNationalists.Bytheendof1936,7,000GermanswereinSpain.

German forces alsooperated in theBattleof Jarama,whichbeganwith aNationalistoffensiveon6February1937.ItincludedGerman-suppliedgroundforces,includingtwobatteries ofmachine guns, a tank division, and the Condor Legion’s anti-aircraft guns.BombingbybothRepublicanandNationalistaircraft, includingJu52sfromtheLegion,helpedensureastalemate.ItshoweduptheinadequacyoftheLegion’saircraft,facedwithsuperiorSoviet-madefighters.VonThormarequestedIrishnationalistsupport fora tankadvanceatonepoint,nevertobereplicated.UseofHe51andJu52s,andtheLegion’santi-aircraftgunsusedingroundroles,onlypartlymitigatedwhatwasasignificantdefeatfor the Nationalists at the Battle of Guadalajara duringMarch. A joint Italian-GermangeneralhadbeensetupinJanuary1937toadviseFrancoonwarplanning.Thedefeatofasignificant Italian force and the growingSoviet superiority in tanks and aircraft led theGermanstosupportaplantoabandontheoffensiveonMadridandinsteadconcentrateaseriesofattacksonweakerRepublican-controlledareas.Whilstmanycountriesbelievedmotorised troops to have been proven less effective than first thought, it was theinadequacyoftheItaliansasafightingforcethatdominatedGermanthought.

TheVizcayaCampaign

The isolated area of Vizcaya, a predominantly Basque part of northern Spain, was themost immediate target, in what was called the War in the North. It was largely aNationalistandItalianoffensive,butwassupportedbyaconsistentlyre-equippingCondorLegion.Theterrainwasfavourable,withtheplanescomingoverarangeofmountainstothe south, masking their entrance. Sperrle remained in Salamanca; Wolfram vonRichthofenreplacedHolleinJanuaryasdeputyandinactualcommand.SincetheBasqueair forcewasvery limited,evenfighterswereused inground-attackroles.TheLegion’sair force initiallyattacked the townsofOchandianoandDurango.Durangohadnoanti-aircraftdefence,andonlyminorotherdefences.AccordingtotheBasques,250civiliansdiedonthe31March,includingthepriest,nunsandcongregationofachurchceremony.The Germans, with their air raids, were hated. The Basque ground forces were in fullretreattowardsBilbao,throughthetownofGuernica,whichwasattackedon26AprilinoneofthemostcontroversialattacksoftheSpanishCivilWar.

Guernica

In Operation Rügen, waves of Ju 52 and He 51 planes bombed and strafed targets inGuernica. The number of casualties is a matter of controversy, with perhaps 200–300peoplekilled;thenumberreporteddeadbytheBasqueswas1,654deadand889wounded.SeveralexplanationswereputforwardbytheNationalists,includingblamingtheattackontheRepublicans, that theattackon the townhadbeenaprolongedoffensive,or that theRentería bridge, outside Guernica, was the true target. However, the nature of theoperation itself, including the formationandarmamentsused,makes this seemunlikely.GuernicawasacleartargetoftheCondorLegion,ratherthantheNationalistsasawhole.TheoffensiveonBilbao,when iteventuallycameon11July,wassupportedbygroundunits of the Condor Legion, and extensive air operations. It proved the worth of theCondorLegiontotheNationalistcause.

RuinsofGuernica(1937)

ThefirstEnglish-languagemediareportsof thedestruction inGuernicaappeared twodays later.GeorgeSteer, a reporter forTheTimes,whowascovering theSpanishCivilWarfrominsidethecountry,authoredthefirstfullaccountofevents.Steer’sreportingsetthe tone for much of the subsequent reportage. Steer pointed out the clear Germancomplicity in the action. The evidence of three small bomb cases stamped with theGermanImperialEaglemadeclear that theofficialGermanpositionofneutrality in theCivil War and the signing of a Non-Intervention Pact was a sham. Steer’s report wassyndicated to the New York Times and then worldwide, generating widespread shock,

outrage,andfear.

Furthercampaigns

The Condor Legion also took part in the Battle of Brunete, designed as a RepublicanoffensivetotakethepressureoffnorthernSpain,wherefightingwasongoing.TheLegionwas sent from the north to reinforce the broken line. There were repeated raids onRepublicanarmouredvehiclesandlaterdefensivepositionsbybothbombersandfightersbased at Salamanca. Republican aircraft were ineffective, despite Nationalist fears,comparedwithGermanaircraft;theMesserschmittBf109wasshowntobesuperiortotheI-15andI-16modelsusedbyRepublicanforces.TheLegionlost8aircraft,butclaimed18 victories. German tactics were also improved with the experience of Brunete,particularlytheenmasseuseoftanksbytheNationalists.

The Nationalists returned to focus on the capture of northern Spain. German testaircraft,withlatestmodels,facedanoutdatedBasqueairforce,althoughitdidhavesomeRussian planes. Heavy aerial bombardment from 200 Nationalist, German and ItalianplaneswasusedfarbehindBasquelinesinAugust1937,leadingtothefallofSantanderaftertheBattleofSantanderon1September.TheformalbattleinAsturiasendedwiththefallofGijónon21October.AlargeamountofammunitionshadbeenusedbytheLegion,including a million machine gun rounds and 2,500 tonnes of bombs. Germanyimmediately began to ship industrial production back to Germany. Sperrle arguedrepeatedlywithFaupel,andagainstHISMA’smonopoly.FaupelwasreplacedbyFranco,through Sperrle. Sperrle also returned to Germany and was replaced by HelmuthVolkmann; followingdisagreementswithVolkmann,VonRichthofenwouldbe replacedwithHermannPlocherinearly1938.

Whilst thenextmajorcampaign–MadridorBarcelona–wasdiscussed, theCondorLegion was moved to Soria and began a week of strikes against Republican airfields,halted by theRepublican advance onTeruel and the ensuingBattle ofTeruel.Both theLegion’s land and air forces were used, and the Legion moved to Bronchales. Poorweatherresultedinfewflights,andthetownfelltoRepublicanforceson6January.Upto100 sorties a day were launched during the Nationalist’s counter-offensive through theAlfambravalley.TheJunkersJu87AwasusedforthefirsttimeontheadvanceonTeruel,which was retaken on 22 February. The continued Nationalist offensive on Aragon inApril–June1937,includingtheBattleofBelchite,involvedbombingraidsandtheuseoftheLegion’sgroundforces.TheLegionwasswitched to focus in thenorth, towards theSegre river, before moving south again following Nationalist successes. The Legionmoved itsmainheadquarters toBenicarlo;single-enginedplanesoperatedfromairfieldsnearby,andtwin-enginedplanesfromZaragoza.Hitler’swordstohiscolleaguesbeliedachange in attitude about thewar inGermany– that a quick victory in thewarwas notdesirable,amerecontinuationofthewarwouldbepreferable.GermanpolicywouldbetopreventaRepublicandefeat.However,casualtieswerebeginningtomountfortheLegionand, combined with a resurgence in Republican air activity, the Nationalist advancestalled.Thiswas,perhaps,becauseofthereluctanceofcommandersinGermanytosupplyreinforcements,with theCzechoslovakiacrisismounting.Argumentsover thebill to the

Germans – now rising at 10millionReichmarks amonth – continued, unresolved.TheLegion’smaterielhadbeenexhausted.

On 24–25 July, Republican forces launched the last major offensive of the war, theBattleoftheEbro.ReconnaissanceunitsoftheCondorLegionhadnoticedatroopbuild-up,andwarnedNationalistsforces.Thewarningwentunheeded.AlthoughtheRepublicgainedground,RepublicanforcesfailedtogaincontrolofGanesa,with422sortiesbytheLegion (with around70 aircraft operational) having considerable effect.The rest of thebattlesawaseriesofattacksusingartilleryorairstrikes,followedbyaNationalistgroundadvance.However,tensionsinCzechoslovakiaandashortageofpilotsinGermanyledtothe return of 250 pilots from the Legion, around half of them being bomber crews.Although trained Spaniards made up some of the shortfall, Volkmann complained tocentralcommandinBerlin,whichwouldleadtohisrecallinSeptember.Duringthebattle,whichsaw113daysoffighting,only10aircraftwerelost(somebyaccident)and14werebadlydamaged;theLegionclaimedaround100Republicanaircraft,athirdofthoselost.Only5aircrewhadbeenkilled,and6captured.AidfromGermanytemporarilyhaltedinmid-September.Germany andNationalist Spain settled the issue ofGerman interests inSpanishmines.

TheLegion tooka shortbreak fromactiveduty to receivenewaircraft, includingBf109Es,He111EsandJs,andHs126As,bringingitsstrengthto96aircraft,aroundafifthof the Nationalist’s force as a whole. Von Richthofen returned to Spain in overallcommand,withHansSeidemannaschiefofstaff.Thisreinforcementmayhavebeenthesinglemostimportantinterventionbyaforeignsideinthewar,enablingacounterattackafter the Battle of the Ebro. It mainly took part in operations against the remainingRepublican air force during January–February 1939,with considerable success.After ittook part in parades inBarcelona and elsewhere, andminor duties overMadrid, itwasrapidly dissolved. The men returned on 26 May; the best aircraft were returned toGermanyandtherestoftheequipmentboughtbythenewSpanishregime.

TheCondor Legion claimed to have destroyed 320Republican planes using aircraft(eithershotdownorbombedontheground),andshotdownanother52usinganti-aircraftguns.Theyalsoclaimed tohavedestroyed60ships.They lost72aircraftdue tohostileaction,andanother160toaccidents.

Maritimeoperations

TheMaritime Reconnaissance Staffel 88 (German: Aufklärungsstaffel See 88) was theCondor Legion’s maritime unit under the command of Karl Heinz Wolff. Operatingindependentlyof the land-baseddivision, it actedagainstenemyshipping,ports, coastalcommunications and occasionally inland targets such as bridges. It used floatplanes,starting with the Heinkel He 60, which began operating at Cadiz in October 1936.Missions started as reconnaissance but, following the move from Cadiz to Mellila inSpanishMoroccoinDecember1936,thefocusshiftedtoattacksonshipping.Itwasagainmoved inFebruary1937 toMálaga,newlycaptured,and then toMajorcawhenMálagaprovedunsuitable.Beginning in June, operationswere expanded to allowattackson allRepublicanports,solongasnoBritishshipswerepresent.10shipswereattackedinthe

second half of 1937; however, theNorwegian torpedoes being used proved ineffective,andstrafingorbombingtargetswasusedinstead.

ThearrivalofMartinHarlinghausen(knownas“IronGustav”)sawoperationsexpand,and operations targeted Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona and Cartegena. As naval activitydeclined, inland targetsbecamemorenumerous,andnightmissionsbegan.Activities insupport of ground forces became themain focus of the unit until the end of hostilities.Both Wolff and Harlinghausen received the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords andDiamonds.Intotal,elevenmenwerekilledinaction,andfiveothersdiedduetoaccidentorillness.

Otheroperations

Overtly, theKriegsmarinewas part of force enforcing theNon-InterventionAgreementfrom interfering in the Civil War. However, this agreement was clearly broken byGermany.Asaresult,theGermanpocketbattleshipDeutschlandstoodguardoverCeutato prevent interference from Republican ships while Franco transported troops to theSpanishmainland.Bymid-October,theGermanNorthSeaGrouparoundSpainconsistedofthepocketbattleshipsDeutschlandandAdmiralScheer,thelightcruiserKölnandfourtorpedo boats. After the Germans claimed that Leipzig had been attacked by anunidentifiedsubmarine,itdidformallywithdrawfrominternationalpatrols.

OperationUrsula(namedafterthedaughterofKarlDönitz)sawagroupofGermanU-boatsactivearoundSpain.Itbeganon20November1936,withthemovementoftheU-33andU-34 fromWilhelmshaven.Any identificationmarkswereobscured, and thewholemissionwaskeptsecret.Difficulties in identifying legitimate targetsandconcernsaboutdiscoverylimitedtheiroperations.DuringtheirreturntoWilhelmshaveninDecember,theRepublicansubmarineC-3wassunk;theGermansclaimedthiswasduetoatorpedofiredfrom U-34, although the Republican’s enquiry claimed its loss was due to an internalexplosion. Their return marked the official end of Operation Ursula. However, it doesseemthatfurthersubmarinesweresent inmid-1937,butdetailsof theoperationarenotknown;sixarebelievedtohavebeeninvolved.

Abwehr

The German Intelligence service, the Abwehr, working independently of the LegionCondorwas secretly involved inOperationBodden.Thiswas to laterplayapart in thedetectionoftheOperationTorchinvasionfleet.

MilitaryadvantagesgainedTraining

It is known that the leaders of theArmywere hesitant about becoming involved in theconflict,andresistedacallmadebytheItaliangovernmentforadualtransferofgroundtroops to fight in Spain. The involvement of the Luftwaffe, however, was not entirelyrestrictedandacommonlyheldviewpointisthattheinvolvementoftheLuftwaffeintheCivilWar constituted a provingground for troops employed later duringWorldWar II.ThisviewissupportedbythetestimonyofHermannGöring,laterReichsmarschallofthe

Luftwaffe,whenontrialat theInternationalMilitaryTribunal inNürnberg.WhenaskedaboutthedecisiontousetheLuftwaffe,Göringstates:

“CondorLegion”infantrytrainingschoolinÁvila,Spain.

When theCivilWarbrokeout inSpain,Franco sent a call for help toGermany andaskedforsupport,particularlyintheair.OneshouldnotforgetthatFrancowithhistroopswasstationedinAfricaandthathecouldnotgetthetroopsacross,asthefleetwasinthehands of the Communists, or, as they called themselves at the time, the competentRevolutionaryGovernmentinSpain.Thedecisivefactorwas,firstofall,togethistroopsover to Spain. The Fuehrer thought the matter over. I urged him to give support [toFranco] under all circumstances, firstly, in order to prevent the further spread ofcommunisminthattheaterand,secondly,totestmyyoungLuftwaffeatthisopportunityinthisorthattechnicalrespect.

This was also a view put forth in western media following the disengagement ofGermanforcesfromSpain.

DozensofMesserschmittBf109 fighters andHeinkelHe111mediumbombers, andfromDecember 1937, at least three Junkers Ju 87Stuka dive-bombers, first saw activeservice in theCondorLegion against Soviet-supplied aircraft.TheStuka’s firstmissionflowninSpainwasFebruary1938.EachoftheseaircraftplayedamajorroleduringtheearlyyearsoftheSecondWorldWar.TheGermansalsoquicklyrealizedthatthedaysofthebiplanefighterwerefinished.TheHeinkelHe51fighter,aftersufferingmanylossesduringthefirst12monthsoftheconflict,wasswitchedtoagroundattackroleandlater

sawserviceasatrainer.

Otherunits

The Condor Legion also included non-aircraft units. Panzer crews operatingPanzerkampfwagen I light tankswere commanded byWilhelmRitter von Thoma. TheGermansalsotestedtheir88mmheavyanti-aircraftartillerywhichtheyusedtodestroyRepublican tanks and fortifications using direct fire, as well as enemy aircraft in theirdesigned role. German involvement in Spain also saw the development of the first airambulanceserviceforevacuationofwoundedcombatants.

Technicaladvances

OneimportantfactorinWorldWarIIwhichisthoughttohavedirectlyresultedfromtheconflict is the technical development of theMesserschmittBf 109.TheV3–V6 typesenteredserviceinSpaindirectlyfromoperationaltrialsaroundJanuary1937.Inthespringof1938thesewerejoinedbytypeCaircraftwithtypeEsbeingfirstfieldedinDecember1938.

AsaresultofcombatinSpainimprovementswerealsomadetothe88mmgun.

Tactics

Alongside the potential for gains in combat experience it is also thought that variousstrategic initiatives were first trialed as part of Luftwaffe involvement in the conflict.Theories on strategic bombing were first developed by the Luftwaffe with the firstexhibitionof“carpetbombing”intheSeptember1937Asturiascampaign.AsthefightingprogressedintoMarch1938ItalianpilotsunderFieldmarshalHugoSperrlewereinvolvedin thirteen raids againstBarcelona involving fire and gas bombs.These particular raidsresultedinthedeathsofthousandsofcivilians.[citationneeded]It isworthnotingthatasubsequentcommanderoftheLegioninSpain,WolframFreiherrvonRichthofenwastobecome heavily involved in the operation of the Luftwaffe as part of OperationBarbarossa.

Bf109C-1,Jagdgruppe88,LegionCondor

Tacticsofcombinedor jointoperationswereaparticular focus.Closeair support for

Nationalist troops, attack bombing of Republican troop concentrations, and strafingbecamefeaturesofthewar.TheLegionworkedcloselyinmissionswhichmaximizedthefightingabilityoftheNationalistairforceandtroops,theItalianCTV,andpilotsfromtheAviazioneLegionaria(LegionaryAirForce).GermanAiraceAdolfGallandwastoclaimafterWorldWarIIthatalthoughtherewasafocusontakinglessonsfromtheconflictinSpain, he believed the wrong conclusions were drawn by the GermanHigh CommandwithparticularrespecttotheLuftwaffe:

Whatevermayhavebeen the importanceof the testsofGerman arms in theSpanishCivilWarfromtactical,technicalandoperationalpointsofview,theydidnotprovidetheexperiencethatwasneedednorleadtotheformulationofsoundstrategicconcepts.

ReactiontoGermaninvolvement

Various sympathetic writers participated in condemning the scarcely concealedinterferencebyGermanyandItaly.AnexamplewasHeinrichMann,whoappealedfromexile in France with the slogan “German soldiers! A rogue sends you to Spain!” inresponsetotheLegion’sinvolvement.

Other states tacitly approved the fight of the German Legion against the Soviet-suppliedSpanishRepublicanside.

TreatmentinNaziGermany

Aspartofhislongterm“Blumenkrieg”strategyHitlerdrewparallelsbetweentheconflictinSpainandthepeacefulmethodsheusedtogaincontrol inGermany.Theregimealsomade use of the conflict as an opportunity for political education and aggrandizement.Highlighting of themilitary aspects and success story forGerman arms is also evidentwiththepublicationofvariouspulpsemi-autobiographicalworksin1939,mostnotably:

•WirfunkenfürFranco(literallyWetransmitforFranco)byHellmutFühring,

•AlsJagdfliegerinSpanien(AsafighterpilotinSpain)byHannesTrautloft,

•DasBuchderSpanienflieger(TheSpanishPilot’sBook)byHauptmannWulfBley.

Eachbookhadahighcirculation;inthecaseofBleythecirculationwasestimatedatover1millionbookssold.Althoughaccurateinparttheseworksarenowacceptedbyscholarsontheperiodandconflictaslacedwithpropagandawhichemphasizesdaringescapadesandfailstoaddresstherealitiesofmilitarycombatingeneral.

SECTION4

CONTEMPORARYDOCUMENTS

“RECONNAISSANCEBYLIGHTTANKPLATOONS”

FROMINTELLIGENCEBULLETINMAY1943

1.INTRODUCTIONInGermantankorganizations,a light tankplatoonconsistingofsevenPz.Kw.2’s isanorganicpartbothoftheregimentalheadquarterscompanyandthebattalionheadquarterscompany.Theregimentallighttankplatoonisnormallyusedforreconnaissancepurposes.Germandoctrinecoveringthereconnaissancedutiesofpatrolsdrawnfromtheseplatoonsis summarized below. (It assumes that superior German forces are conducting anadvance.)

2.THEDOCTRINEa.Teamwork

Teamwork,theGermanspointout,isthesecretofsuccessfulreconnaissance.Theybelievethathaphazardlyformedreconnaissancepatrols,madeupofmenwhohaveneverworkedtogetherbefore,areoflittlevalue.

b.ReconnaissanceBeforeH-Hour

(1)

Orders.—Orders given to light tank patrols which are to perform reconnaissancebeforeH-hourinclude:(a)Informationabouthostileforcesandtheterrain.(b)Germanintentions(especiallythoseofapatrol’sownandflankingunits).(c)Compositionofthepatrol.(d)Timeofdeparture.(e)Lineofadvanceandobjectives.(f)Methodandprocedureofreporting(radioormotorcycle).(g)Positionofthepatrolcommander,andofthecommandertowhomhewillreport.(h)Actiontobetakenoncompletionoftask,oronmeetingsuperioropposingforces.

It is prohibited to take written orders and situation maps on reconnaissance. Specialprecautions are insisted upon when markings of any kind are made on maps used onreconnaissance;thesemarkingsarerequiredtobeofakindwhichwillnotrevealGermandispositionsifthemapsarecaptured.

Information Needed Beforehand.—For its disposition and method of work, the

(2)

Germanpatroldependsonknowing:(a)Uptowhatpointcontactwiththeoppositionisunlikely.(Untilreachingthispoint,the patrol saves time by advancing rapidly and avoiding elaborate protectivemeasures.)(b)Atwhatpointcontactisprobable.(Afterthis,increasedalertnessismaintained.)(c)Atwhatpointcontactiscertain.(Herethepatrolisreadyforaction.)

The patrol commander is also given necessary particulars regarding air support andinformationastotheattitudeofthecivilpopulation.

(3)

MethodofAdvance.—The light tank patrol advances rapidly from one observationpoint to thenext,makinguseat firstof roadsandpaths,but later, as it approacheshostile forces, using all available cover. When approaching villages, woods, ordefiles, thepatrol leaves the road in sufficient time toupset theopposition’saimedantitank-firecalculations.

(4)

Command.—TheGermanpatrolcommandermakesarapidestimateofourposition,andtriestoattackandoverrunusifhethinksthatweareweak.Ifsuchamovedoesnot seemadvisable,heattempts todiscover the typeandstrengthof theoppositionencountered,withoutbecominginvolvedincombat.

“Keen, capable, andwell-trainedofficersornoncomsmustbe selected to command thelight tank patrol,” the Germans state. “These must be constituted of quick-thinking,resourceful troops who have functioned as a unit long enough to know and haveconfidenceintheirleader.”

c.ReconnaissanceafterH-Hour

(1)Mission.—The mission of reconnaissance after H-hour is to explore the hostileposition in detail, to protect German deployment, and to discover hostile gunpositions,aswellasnaturalandartificialobstaclesinthelineofadvance.

(2)

HowPerformed.—Themission is carried out by light tank patrols (whichmay bereinforced)operatingaheadorontheflanks,asinreconnaissancebeforeH-hour.Thereconnaissancetanksemployedimmediatelyaheadortoaforwardflankaredetailedautomaticallybythefirstwaveoftheattackingforce.(Normally,onelight tankperplatoon of heavier tanks in the first wave, and always the same light tank. Theremaining light tanks work behind the first wave, performing other duties.) Thereconnaissance tanks advance rapidly,making for suitable high ground. They keep300 to 500 yards ahead of the firstwave, andmaintain visual contactwith it. Thereconnaissance tanks observe from open turrets or, if fired on, through theirtelescopes, with turrets closed. They advance by bounds, from cover to cover,keepingtheterrainaheadundercontinuousobservation.

Thetanksinthefirstwave,especiallythePz.Kw.4’s,coverthereconnaissancetanksas

theyadvance.

Whenthereconnaissancetankscontactourinfantry,theyattempttooverrunusand,ifthey are successful, they report and continue their mission. A reconnaissance tankdiscoveringhostileantitankweaponsandartillery reports them, takesupaposition,andwaitsfortherestofitscompany.Whilewaiting,itfiresonhostileantitankweapons.

Tanks are avoided, but are observed from concealed positions. The reconnaissancetanks report suitable terrain for meeting an attack by hostile tanks. As under thecircumstancesdescribedinthepreviousparagraph,eachreconnaissancetankwaitsfortherestofitscompany.

Opposition which begins to retreat is promptly attacked, the reconnaissance tanksreportingthedevelopmentandcontinuingthepursuit.

Intheeventofanattackbytheopposition,thereconnaissancetankstakeupaposition,meettheattack,report,andwaitfortherestoftheircompaniestocomeup.

Inalltheseinstances,thereconnaissancetanksavoidobstructingthefieldoffireoftheheaviertanksfollowingthem.Throughout,thelighttanksreportbyradioifitisavailable,byprearrangedflagorsmokesignals,orbysignificantfiringormaneuvering.

PZ.JÄG.IIAUSD,EFÜR7.62CMPAK36(SD.KFZ.131):S.P.ANTITANKGUN(RUSSIAN)CATALOGOFENEMYORDNANCEORIGINALLYPUBLISHEDBYU.S.

OFFICEOFCHIEFOFORDNANCE,1945

ThePz.Kpfw.IIchassisembodyingthesuspensiononfourlargebogiewheelshasbeenusedasaself-propelledmountfortheGermanmodifiedRussiangun7.62cmPak36(r)aswellasthePz.Kpfw.IImodelsutilizingfivebogiewheels.Theseequipmentsareusedinanantitankcapacity.

Theturretandsuperstructureoftheoriginaltankhasbeenremovedandreplacedbyahighbox-likesuperstructureshieldofapproximately15mmthickness,slopingabout75°tothehorizontal.Centrallylocatedabovethelowershieldsuperstructureisathree-sidedshieldofapproximately10mmthicknesswithaslottedfrontplatethroughwhichthelongmuzzleofthegunprojectswelloverthefrontofthechassis.Theoriginalshieldofthegunhasbeenretained.

The gun, 163 1/2 inches in length including the muzzle brake, is of monoblocconstruction.Thebreechmechanism is of the falling-wedge type.The elevatinggear isoperatedbyahandwheellocatedontheleftsideofthegun;thetraversinggearisontheright. The estimated elevation of the piece is -5° to +22°; traverse 65°. Its muzzlevelocitiesareas follows:H.E. shell,1805 f/s;A.P.C. shell,2430 f/s.FiringA.P.C. shellthisgunwilldefeat3.2inchesofhomogeneousarmorof30°obliquityat1000yards,and4.1inchesatnormal.

SPECIFICATIONS

•Weight:10.5tons

•Length:16ft.(excl.gun)

•Width:7ft.,6ins.

•Height:6ft.,9ins.

•Groundclearance:12ins.

•Treadcenters:5ft.,10ins.

•Groundcontact:7ft.,10ins.

•Widthoftrack

•Tracklinks:96(est.)

•Pitchoftrack:Fordingdepth:3ft.

•Theoreticalradiusofaction:Roads:115miles,Cross-country:75miles

•Speed:Roads:28m.p.h.,Cross-country:12m.p.h.

•Armor:Frontplate:30mm,Sides:15mm,Shield:15mm

•Armament:7.62cmPak36(r)

•Ammunition:—

•Wt.ofProjectiles:A.P.C.:16.7lb.,H.E.:12.6lb.

•Engine:Maybach,140B.H.P.

•Transmission:5speedsforward,1reverse

•Steering:Epicyclicclutchbrake

•Crew:4(probably)

GW.IIFÜR15CMS.I.G.33:S.P.HEAVYINFANTRYHOWITZER

CATALOGOFENEMYORDNANCEORIGINALLYPUBLISHEDBYU.S.OFFICEOFCHIEFOFORDNANCE,1945

This vehicle consists of the 15 cm. heavy infantry howitzer mounted in the hull of amodified, turretlessPz.Kpfw. II chassis.The chassis is approximately three feet longerthanthatofthestandardPzKwIItankandhassixbogiewheelsinsteadoftheusualfive.The sprockets, rear idlers, bogiewheels, return rollers, steering assembly, gear box andhullnosearethoseofthePz.Kpfw.II;theinstrumentpanelisthatofaPz.Kpfw.III.Thefrontshieldisinonepieceextendingstraightacrossthefullwidthofthesuperstructure.Thedriver’svisorisofthedoubleshuttertype.TheroadperformanceofthisequipmentapproximatesthatofthePz.Kpfw.IItank.Thegun,astandardinfantrysupportweapon,ismountedlowinthehull,projectingthroughaverticalslotintheshield.Thegunshieldis15mmthickandisofshallowconstruction.Itextendsaboutathirdofthedistanceofthesuperstructuretotherear.Unlikethe“Wasp”therearenoprotectingsideplatesalongtheentirelengthofthesuperstructure.

Thegun is64.57 inches in length,hasamuzzlevelocityof790 f.s. andamaximumeffectiverangeof5140yards.Thecastingcontainingtherecuperatorandbuffer,housedunderneath thebarrel,extendsalmost to theendof thebarrel.Thebreechmechanismissimilar to the 10.5 cm. I.F.H. 18.The elevating qear is operated from the right and thetraversinggearfromtheleft.Infieldmountingitstraverseis11°,itselevation0°to+73°.

Twotypesofammunitionarefired,the15cm.I.Gr.33andthe15cm.I.Gr.38.TheH.E.capacity ishigh,21.8%.Theonlyothershell that theweaponisknowntofire isasmoke shell, the15 cm. I.Gr. 38Nb.The samepercussion fuze, s. I.Gr.Z. 23,which

weighs75lbs.,isusedineachcase.

SPECIFICATIONS

•Weight:(approx.)12tons

•Length:(approx.)18ft.

•Width:7ft.,4ins.

•Height(approx.):5ft.,6ins.

•Groundclearance:13ins.

•Treadcenters:6ft.,2ins.

•Groundcontact:Widthoftrack:111/8ins.,

•Pitchoftrack:35/8ins.

•Tracklinks

•Fordingdepth:3ft.

•Theoreticalradiusofaction:Roads:118miles,Cross-country:78miles

•Speed:Roads:25m.p.h.,Cross-country:15m.p.h.

•Armor:Frontplate:15+20mm,Sides:15mm

•Gunshield:15mm

•Armament:15cm.s.I.G.33

•Ammunition(rds.)

•Engine:140B.H.P.Maybach,HL62TRM

•Transmission:6forwardspeeds,1reverse

•Steering:Epicyclicclutchbrake

•Crew:Probably4

GW.II(WESPE)FÜR10.5CMLE.F.H.18/2(SD.KFZ.124):S.P.LIGHTHOWITZER(WASP)CATALOGOFENEMYORDNANCEORIGINALLYPUBLISHEDBYU.S.

OFFICEOFCHIEFOFORDNANCE,1945

This equipment, known as the “Wasp,” consists of the 10.5 cm. light field howitzermountedonachassiswhich,withtheexceptionthatthereareonlythreereturnrollers,isthat of a normal Pz. Kpfw. II tank, Models A-C, with five bogie wheels. Its roadperformanceapproximatesthatofthePz.Kpfw.IItank.

Thegunisthe10.5cm.1.F.H.18Mwithmuzzlebrake.Itismountedattherearofthechassiswithinanopentopboxtypeshieldwhichis10mmthick,itsmuzzlebrakebeingalmostflushwiththefrontofthechassis.Itsrecuperatorandbuffermechanisms,mountedon the bottom and top of the barrel, respectively, are clearly visible beyond the shield.Overlapping the gun shield and sloping back to the rear of the superstructure are sideplates, also 10 mm thick. The fighting compartment is open at the top and rear. Itssilhouetteishigh.

Thepiecehasanormal-chargemuzzlevelocityof1542f.s.andamaximumrangeof11,650yards.Firingthelongrangecharge(Fern-ladung)thegunhasamuzzlevelocityof1772f.s.andamaximumrangeof13,500yards.Allcharges,exceptthelongrange,canbefiredwithoutthemuzzlebrake.Ithasatraverseof32°andanelevationof-5°to+42°.It isreportedtofirefourtypesofammunition, the32.6lb.HE(F.H.Gr.—Feldhaubitze

Granate—field howitzer shell), the cast steelHE (F.H.Gr. Stg.—Stahlring—steelring),the25.9 lb. hollowcharge (10cm.Gr. 39 rotRohlLadung—redhollowcharge), and a32.5lb.smokeshell.

SPECIFICATIONS

•Weight:12tons

•Length:15ft.,9ins.

•Width:7ft.,4ins.

•Height:7ft.,101/2ins.

•Groundclearance:13ins.

•Treadcenters:6ft.,2ins.

•Groundcontact:7ft.,10ins.

•Widthoftrack:111/8ins.

•Pitchoftrack:35/8ins.

•Tracklinks

•Fordingdepth:3ft.

•Theoreticalradiusofaction:Roads:125miles,Cross-country:70miles

•Speed:Roads:24m.p.h.,Cross-country:—

•Armor:Frontplate:—,Sides:—

•Armament:10.5cm.l.F.H.18(M)

•Ammunition(rds.):—

•Engine:MaybachHL62TR,140h.p.

•Transmission:6speedsforward,1reverse

•Steering:Epicyclicclutchbrake

•Crew:—

PZ.KPFW.IIAUS.F(SD.KFZ.121):LIGHTTANKS

CATALOGOFENEMYORDNANCEORIGINALLYPUBLISHEDBYU.S.OFFICEOFCHIEFOFORDNANCE,1945

Produced in 1941. This is the latest type of Pz.Kpfw. II tank identified in action. Themajor modifications appearing in this model are (1) increased thickness of the basicfrontalarmor,(2)newdesignofhullnose,(3)useofuninterruptedlengthofplateforfrontverticalsuperstructureplate,(4)useofdummyvisormountedalongsidethedriver’svisor.

ThesingleskinnoseoftheModelFhullisconstructed,offlatplates35mmthickwithaBrinellhardnessof426and isnearervertical than the superimposednoseplate in theearlierreinforcedmodels.Thismodificationtothenoseofthehullhasshorteneditslengthbyapproximatelyfiveinches.

Theturretfrontandmantletremainunalteredexceptfortheomissionoftheadditionalplatesandacorrespondingthickeningofthebasicarmorto30mm.ModelFisequippedwith a new driver’s visor of the double shutter type. A dummy visor, a one-piecealuminum casting, is mounted alongside the driver’s visor on the right, presumably todrawfirefromthelatter.

ThesuspensionarrangementoffivebogiewheelsandfourreturnrollersisthesameasthatutilizedinthepreviousmodelsA,BandC.ThepowerplantconsistsoftheHL62TRMaybach,a6-cylinder,water-cooledgasolineenginerating140B.H.P.at2600r.p.m.

Thetransmissionisofnormalsynchromesh,manualcontroltype,providingsixforwardspeeds and one reverse, and the steering system utilizes the epicyclic clutch and brakeprinciple.

Armamentcomprisesone2.0cmKwK30gunwithcoaxial7.92M.G.34inturret.

ModelsGandJhavebeenmentionedinanofficialGermandocumentbuttherearenodetailsavailable.

SPECIFICATIONS

•Weight:10.5tons

•Length:14ft.,9ins.

•Width:7ft.,4ins.

•Height:6ft.,6ins.

•Groundclearance:13ins.

•Treadcenters:6ft.,2ins.

•Groundcontact:7ft.,10ins.

•Widthoftrack:111/8ins.

•Pitchoftrack:35/8ins.

•Tracklinks:106

•Fordingdepth:3ft.

•Theoreticalradiusofaction:Roads:125miles,Cross-country:85miles

•Speed:Roads:30m.p.h.,Cross-country:15m.p.h.

•Armor:Frontplate:35mm,Sides:20mm

•Armament:One2.0cmKwK30,One7.92mmM.G.34

•Ammunition(rds.):2cmgun180M.G.2550

•Engine:140B.H.P.MaybachHL62TRM

•Transmission:6forwardspeeds,1reverse

•Steering:Epicyclicclutchbrake

•Crew:3

PZ.KPFW.II(F)(SD.KFZ.122):FLAMETHROWERTANK

CATALOGOFENEMYORDNANCEORIGINALLYPUBLISHEDBYU.S.OFFICEOFCHIEFOFORDNANCE,1945

Theflamethrowertank,Pz.Kpfw.II(F)isaconversionofPz.Kpfw.II,ModelsDandE,which employed the fourbogiewheel suspension, and shouldnot be confusedwith theModelF,whichutilizesthefivebogiewheeltypeofsuspension.TheroadperformanceoftheflamethrowertankapproximatesthatofModelsDandE.

Theflamethrowerprojectors,havinga rangeofabout35yards,aremounted insmallturrets set well forward on each trackguard. The turrets have 180° traverse while theprojectorsthemselveshavealimitedelevation.Fuelissuppliedfromtwotanks,providedwith armored shields, which are mounted externally on the trackguards, and bycompressednitrogenfromthefournitrogencylinderslocatedinside,belowtheturret.Thetanks have a capacity of 35 gals. each. Two small cylinders mounted just behind theprojector turrets contain acetylene,which is used for fuel ignition.The flamethrower iscontrolledelectricallyfrompanelsintheturret.

Since thisequipment isessentiallyaclose-combatweapon, the tank is liberally fittedfor smokeproduction to screen itsmovements.Notonly is thenormal smokegeneratorrackfittedattherear,butthereisoneachtrackguardatriplesmokegeneratordischarger,aimed to fire forward, and bowden cable controlled from the turret. Armament alsoincludesamachinegunonaballmountingintheturret.

SPECIFICATIONS

•Weight:11tons

•Length:16ft.

•Width:7ft.,6ins.

•Height:6ft.,9ins.

•Groundclearance:12ins.

•Treadcenters:5ft.,10ins.

•Groundcontact:7ft.,10ins.

•Widthoftrack:111/8ins.

•Pitchoftrack:63/4ins.

•Tracklinks:55

•Fordingdepth:3ft.

•Theoreticalradiusofaction:Roads:125miles,Crosscountry:85miles

•Speed:Roads:30m.p.h.,Cross-country:12m.p.h.

•Armor:Frontplate:30mm,Sides:15mm

•Armament:Twoindependentflamethrowers,OneM.G.

•Ammunition:Flamethrower—70gals.,M.G.1800rds.

•Engine:140B.H.P.Maybach,HL62TRM

•Transmission:6speedsforward,1reverse

•Steering:Epicyclicclutchbrake

•Crew:3

PZ.KPFW.IIAUSD,E(SD.KFZ.121):LIGHTTANKS

CATALOGOFENEMYORDNANCEORIGINALLYPUBLISHEDBYU.S.OFFICEOFCHIEFOFORDNANCE,1945

Produced in 1939.Comparatively fewof thesemodelsweremade and thesewere laterconvertedtoflamethrowertanks(Pz.Kpfw.II,Aus.(F)).

Model D—Although the hull, turret, and superstructure of this model are similar topreceding models, its suspension arrangement of four large, rubber-tired, Christie-typebogie wheels which touch the top and bottom of the track make it easy to recognize.ModelsDandEaretheonlyPz.Kpfw.IItankswiththistypeofsuspension.Thebogiewheelsarelargeenoughtoeliminatereturnrollers.Thefrontdrivesprocket,rearidler,andthedry-pin,center-guidetrackcompletethesuspensionassembly.Thetrackcanbefittedwithsnowspuds.Theseareinsertedintheouterwebmembersandheldbyasplitcotter-pin.

ThepowerplantistheMaybachHL62TR,six-cylinder,water-cooledengineratedat140B.H.P.Thetransmissionprovidesfiveforwardspeedsandonereverse.Thesteeringsystemembodiestheepicyclicclutchandbrakeprinciple.

ThenormalPz.Kpfw.IIarmamentofone2cmKw.K.30withonecoaxial7.92mmM.G.34ismounted.Armorplatethicknessesrangefrom30mmfrontto15mmsides.

ModelE—SameasModelD.

SPECIFICATIONS

•Weight:10tons

•Length:16ft.

•Width:7ft.,6ins.

•Height:6ft.,9ins.

•Groundclearance:12ins.

•Treadcenters:5ft.,10ins.

•Groundcontact:7ft.,10ins.

•Widthoftrack:—

•Pitchoftrack:—

•Tracklinks:96(est.)

•Fordingdepth:3ft.

•Theoreticalradiusofaction,Roads:125miles,Crosscountry:85miles

•Speed:Roads:30m.p.h.,Cross-country:12m.p.h.

•Armor:Frontplate:30mm,Sides:15mm

•Armament:1—2.0cmKw.K.30,1—7.92M.G.34

•Ammunition:—

•Engine:Maybach140B.H.P.

•Transmission:Synchromesh,5speedsforward,1reverse

•Steering:Epicyclicclutchbrake

•Crew:3

PZ.KPFW.IIAUSA,B,C(SD.KFZ.121):LIGHTTANKS

CATALOGOFENEMYORDNANCEORIGINALLYPUBLISHEDBYU.S.OFFICEOFCHIEFOFORDNANCE,1945

ModelAwasproduced in1937, followedbyBandCin1938. It isnotknownwhetherthereareanyimportantdifferencesbetweenthesemodels.Allhadasuspensionconsistingoffiveequallyspacedrubber-tiredbogiewheelsoneachsidemountedindependentlyonsuspensionarmspivotedonhullandprovidedwithquarterellipticleafsprings.Therearefour8½in.diameterreturnrollersoneachside,a2ft.,7in.diametersprocket,anda2ft.,1in.diameteridler.

The frontal armor of this serieswas originally only 15mm thick and the hull had aroundednoseformedbythebendingofasingleplatewhichalsoincorporatedtheglacisandnoseplate.AtsometimeafterthebattleofFrance(1940)thearmorofthesemodelswas reinforced by bolting 20mm armor plates on the front of the tank.The additionalarmoronthefrontofthehullconsistedofflatnoseandglacisplateswhichentirelyalteredtheappearanceof thehull andnoseandgave theeffectof spacedarmor in frontof theroundedpartofthebasicplate.Thegunmantletarmorwasthickenedbytheadditionofa15mmplate.

TheMaybach,HL62TR,6-cylindergasolineengine,whichcomprisesthepowerplant,hasaratingof140h.p.

The armament consists of a 2.0 cm gunwhich is fired by a trigger on the elevatinghandwheel,andacoaxial7.92mmM.G.34whichisfiredbyatriggeronthetraversinghandwheel.

Thesemodelsareoftenconvertedforuseasmountsforheavyanti-tankgunssuchasthe7.5cmPak40andthe7.62cmPak36(r),aswellasthe10.5cml.F.H.18M,knownas theWasp,and the15cms.I.G.33; thesuspension for the latterhavinga sixthbogiewheel.

SPECIFICATIONS

•Weight:10tons

•Length:15ft.,23/4ins.

•Width(overall):7ft.,4ins.

•Height:6ft.,53/4ins.

•Groundclearance:13ins.

•Treadcenters:6ft.,2ins.

•Groundcontact:7ft.,10ins.

•Widthoftrack:111/8ins.

•Pitchoftrack:35/8ins.

•Tracklinks:105

•Fordingdepth:3ft.

•Theoreticalradiusofaction:Roads:125miles,Cross-country:85miles

•Speed:Roads:30m.p.h.,Cross-country:15m.p.h.

•Armor:Frontplate:15+20mm,Sides:15mm

•Armament:One2.0cmKwK30,One7.92mmM.G.34

•Ammunition:2.0cmgun180,M.G.1425

•Engine:140h.p.MaybachHL62TRM

•Transmission:Crash-typegearbox,6fwd.speeds,1reverse

•Steering:Epicyclicclutchbrake

•Crew:3

PZ.KPFW.IIAUSA1,A2,A3,B,C:LIGHTTANKS

CATALOGOFENEMYORDNANCEORIGINALLYPUBLISHEDBYU.S.OFFICEOFCHIEFOFORDNANCE,1945

TheearlydevelopmentofthePz.Kpfw.IIisindicatedbyfivemodels,a1,a2,a3,bandc.Theywereconsideredasprototypetanks.

Modela1—Hadasuspensionarrangementofsixsmallbogiewheels,eachsidemountedon three hull pivots connected by an outside girder. There were four return rollers,sprocket, and a cast rear idler. Itweighed about 8.4 tons,wasmannedby a crewofthreeandmountedone2cmKwK30andacoaxial7.92mmM.G.34intheturret.Itwaspoweredbya six-cylinderMaybach (HL57TR)gasolineengineandwas fittedwithepicyclicandbrakesteeringwithoutafinalreductiongear.Thefrontalarmorwas20mminthickness,thesides15mm.

Modela2—SameasModela1exceptforvariationinconstructionofenginecompartmentandweldedrearidlerinsteadofcast.

Model a3—Same as Model a1 except for minor modifications in the suspensionarrangementandcoolingsystem.

Modelb—IncorporatedanimprovedMaybach(HL62TR)engine,aswellasanewtrackwithwiderdriving sprockets,bogiewheels and return rollers.A final reductiongearwasalsointroduced,whichnecessitatedslightalterationsinthestructureofthefrontofthehull.Themodelweighed9tons.

Model c—An entirely new suspension comprising five independently sprung bogiewheelsoneachsidemadeitsappearanceinthismodel.It isbelievedthatthetorsionbar system of bogie wheel suspension originated in this tank. Modifications to thedrivingsprocket,rearidler,andreturnrollers,thelatterofwhichnownumberedfour,weremade. Improved epicyclic and steering brakes were also introduced, the latterbeingequippedwithautomatictake-uptocompensateforwear.Modelcweighed91/2tons.

SPECIFICATIONS

•Weight:81/2to91/2tons

•Length:15ft.,2ins.

•Width:7ft.,4ins.

•Height:6ft.,5ins.

•Groundclearance:13ins.

•Treadcenters:6ft.,2ins.

•Groundcontact:7ft.,10ins.

•Widthoftrack:111/8ins.

•Pitchofrack:35/8ins.

•Tracklinks:106

•Fordingdepth:3ft.

•Theoreticalradiusofaction:Roads:102miles,Cross-country:60miles

•Speed:Roads:30m.p.h.,Cross-country:15m.p.h.

•Armor:Frontplate:20mm,Sides:15mm

•Armament:One2cmKwK30,OneM.G.34

•Ammunition(rds.):2cmgun180,M.G.2550

•Engine:HL57TRorHLTRM62

•Maybach:140B.H.P.

•Transmission:6speedsforward,1reverse

•Steering:Epicyclicclutchbrake

•Crew:3

PZ.JÄG.IIAUS.A-EU.FFÜR7.5CMPAK40(SD.KFZ.131):S.P.ANTITANKGUN

CATALOGOFENEMYORDNANCEORIGINALLYPUBLISHEDBYU.S.OFFICEOFCHIEFOFORDNANCE,1945

Producedin1942.ThisantitankequipmentwasencounteredinthebattleofTunisia.Itiscomposed of the 7.5 cm antitank gunmounted on a Pz. Kpfw. II chassis and its roadperformancewillcloselyfollowthatofthePz.Kpfw.IItank.

Thegun,whichretainsitsoriginalshield,recoilsystem,traversingandelevatinggears,ismountedonaplatformhighonthehullandfiresforward.Aprotectiveshield10mmthick,whichslopesawaytotherearofthechassis,hasbeenprovided.Theshieldisnearlyrectangularexceptforaprojectingportioninfrontofthegunmountingitselfandthetopand back are apparently open. The traverse of the gun is limited due to the gun shieldfoulingtheprotectiveshield.Abarrelsupportfortravellingisfittedinfrontofthehull.

The piece, 134 inches in length, is amonobloc type, semiautomatic,with horizontalslidingbreech.Itconsistsofbarrelwithshoes;breechringwithlockingring;breechblockwithfiringmechanism;semi-automaticgearandmuzzlebrake.Therecoilmechanismiscomprised of a buffer cylinder, filled with a mixture of glycerine and distilled water,mountedinthecradleandsecuredbyanuttothefrontendplate.Thepistonrod,whichisconnected to the gun lug, is hollow, and is fitted with a bronze piston head. Ports aredrilledintheconicalpartofthepiston.Ataperedrodisscrewedintothefrontplugofthecylinderandprojectsintothehollowpistonrod.Duringrecoilthepistonmovestotherear

and theoil is forced from thebuffer cylinder through theports in thepiston andhencethrough the annular space between the tapered rod and a bushing fitted in the piston.Recoilcontroliseffectedbyabrasscontrolplungerscrewedtotheendofthetaperedrod.Therecuperatorishydro-pneumatic.

SPECIFICATIONS

•Weight:10tons

•Length:15ft.,2¾ins.

•Width:7ft.,4ins.

•Height:6ft.,5¾ins.

•Groundclearance:13ins.

•Treadcenters:6ft.,2ins.

•Groundcontact:7ft.,10ins.

•Widthoftrack:111/8ins.

•Pitchoftrack:35/8ins.

•Tracklinks:105

•Fordingdepth:3ft.

•Theoreticalradiusofaction:Roads:118miles,Cross-country:78miles

•Speed:Roads:25m.p.h.,Cross-country:12m.p.h.

•Armor:Frontplate:15+20mm,Sides:15mm

•Armament:7.5cmPak40A.T.gun.

•Max.effectiverange:3200yards.M.V.(Wt.12.6lb.):H.E.1800f.s.M.V.(Wt.15lb.):A.P.C.2525f.s.

•Elevation:-5°to+22°.Traverse:65°::

•Penetrationofhomogeneousarmor—A.P.C.B.C.shell

500yds.:4.0″at30°,4.8″normal

1000yds.:3.6″at30°,4.3″normal

1500yds.:3.2″at30°,3.9″normal

2000yds.:2.8″at30°,3.4″normal

2500yds.:2.5″at30°,3.0″normal

•Ammunition:—

•Engine:MaybachHL62TRM,140h.p.

•Transmission:Crash-typegearbox,6fwd.speeds,1reverse

•Steering:Epicyclicclutchbrake

•Crew:Probably4