Special Sub-Topic: Panzerwaffe Click Here To Play: Panzerwaffe

Which of the following tank types was produced from before the beginning of World War Two right through to the end of the war ?

PzKw IV. The Panzer 4 was the most important tank for German forces during World War Two. The Panzer 3 chasis was produced all through the war but was relegated to self-propelled artillery use only after 1944.

Which formation did the famous Panzer leader Erwin Rommel lead during the 1940 French campaign, before he became the leader of the Afrika Korps ?

7th Panzer Division. The 7th Panzer Division started out as the 2nd Light division with only one tank battalion. Following the Polish Campaign (1939) two battalions were added and the designation was changed to 7th Panzer division. The 1st, 3rd and 4th Light Divisions similarly became the 6th, 8th and 9th Panzer Divisions.

What size main gun did the NbFz type tank have ?

75 mm. This was an experimental tank and only two were produced. However, both were used during the Norwegian Campaign in 1940. One was destroyed in combat.

Who was the only high commander of German tank forces during World War Two to have served in the German tank forces of World War One ?

Joseph Sepp Dietrich. Sepp Dietrich was a Sergeant-Major in the 1st Lancers during World War One which had several A7V tanks, Germany's first tank. He rose to command a Panzer Army during World War Two as an SS General.

What size main gun did the PzKw VI have ?

88 mm. Known as the Tiger tank, the PzKw VI was a deadly tank and overpowered most of its opponents. It came too late in the war to turn the tide and was produced in too few numbers.

How many Panzers did German Armed Forces have for the 1940 invasion of France and the Low Countries ?

2,439. The tank forces of both France and the Soviet Union greatly outnumbered the fleet size of the German armed forces at the start of the campaign against the West in 1940. Many French tanks were more armored, had larger guns and were faster than their German opponents. However, the Germans had a much better organization of their tank forces.

Which officer first proposed creating "Sturmartillerie" (fixed gun on a tank chasis) or assault guns in order to provide support to infantry units ?

Colonel Erich von Manstein. This was in 1935 and resulted in a supremely capable armored vehicle. Many tank types, PzKw 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were used as chassis for "Sturmartillerie" or assult guns. Towards the end of the war, many more assault guns were produced than regular tanks since they were cheaper and quicker to produce. Von Manstein later became a Field Marshall.

Which German company designed and (initially) manufactured the famous Panther tank ?

MAN. This tank, known as the PzKw V, was considered by most experts as the best medium tank of World War Two. It weighed 30 tons initially and was a direct counter to the famous Russian T-34.

In 1943 how Reichsmarks did it cost to produce one Tiger tank ?

800,000. This was at least twice the cost of producing a Panther tank which was better in most circumstances than the Tiger.

What was the dominant tank type used by the 6th Panzer Division during the opening stages of the French campaign, 1940 ?

PzKw (35)ts. This was a Czech tank of prewar design. Without the large number of Czech tanks obtained by the Wehrmacht prior to World War Two, the German forces would not have had enough tanks for any campaign at all.

Where did the 21st Panzer Division serve during its initial operations ?

North Afica. This division was formed in February 1941 in North Africa from the 5th Light Division. After the surrender in Africa, it was re-formed and fought in Normandy and in Russia.

When were the first three Panzer Divisions formed ?

October 1935. The first three Panzer divisions were formed in the cities of Weimar (1st), Würzburg (2nd) and Berlin (3rd) - they were mostly comprised of Panzer I type tanks but had some PzKw IIs as well.

In general, which Army formation was the best equipped Panzer formation during the second half of the war ?

Gross-Deutschland Division - elite division. Hitler always favored the SS Divisions in terms of equipment but he especially favored the Gross-Deutschland, which grew from a regiment during the Polish campaign to a full sized division and was active mostly in Russia during the entire war.

Which SS Division was known as the "Wiking" Division and was made up of volunteers from the Scandanavian countries as well as Belgian, French, German and Danish volunteers ?

5th SS Division. This formation was lavishly equipped and was instrumental in saving several army divisions in the Cherkassy pocket in 1944.

How was the Panzer I armed ?

Twin MG13 machine guns. This was a very light tank (6 tons) and easily destroyed in battle. Its most important function became that of a training vehicle.