Category: World War 2
-
SU-152
Type: Self-Propelled Artillery/Tank Destroyer Nation: Soviet Union Period: World War 2 Location: Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe, Drzonów, Poland Versatile bunker buster The SU-152 was built on the chassis of the KV-1S heavy tank. Designed to attack enemy fortifications, it was replacing the T-34-based SU-122 which had been found unsuitable to fight against tanks. “SU” stood for…
-
T-34/85
Type: Medium Tank Nation: Soviet Union Period: World War 2 Location: Kienitz, Germany Late-war upgrade The T-34/85 was an improved version of the Soviet Union’s standard medium tank of the Second World War. First produced in January 1944, the new model was a much more efficient combat vehicle due to its 85 mm gun and…
-
Panzerkampfwagen V Panther Ausf. G (Sd.Kfz. 171)
Type: Medium Tank Nation: Germany Period: World War 2 Location: Restaurant “Le Tank”, Celles, Belgium Gaining weight Although the Germans classified the Panther as a medium tank, its 45-ton weight was more comparable to contemporary Allied heavy tanks like the Soviet KV-1 or the American M26 Pershing. Originally the Panther had been designed to weigh…
-
Panzerkampfwagen V Befehlspanther Ausf. A (Sd.Kfz. 171)
Type: Medium Tank Nation: Germany Period: World War 2 Location: Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster, Germany Complacent conquerors The first predecessor of the Panther programme had been the VK 20 design series (Vollkette = fully tracked) which had been initiated in 1938. But since Nazi Germany seemed to be able to conquer large parts of Europe with…
-
Panzerkampfwagen V Panther Ausf. G (Sd.Kfz. 171)
Type: Medium Tank Nation: Germany Period: World War 2 Location: Oorlogsmuseum Overloon, Netherlands Another wonder weapon In 1943 Hitler and the Wehrmacht had very high hopes for the brand-new Panther tank, which they had wanted to be ready for Operation Zitadelle – their large-scale summer offensive in the East. This operation had already been delayed…
-
Panzerkampfwagen V Panther Ausf. D (Sd.Kfz. 171)
Type: Medium TankNation: GermanyPeriod: World War 2Location: Breda, Netherlands A common enemy While the expensive Tiger was only built in small numbers and deployed in specialised heavy tank battalions, the Panther was intended to become the new backbone of the regular Panzer Divisions. Although this would never be fully achieved, the Panther was a much…
-
Panzerkampfwagen V Panther Ausf. A (Sd.Kfz. 171)
Type: Medium Tank Nation: Germany Period: World War 2 Location: Overlord Museum, Colleville-sur-Mer, France Debut debacle The Panther was a major leap forward in tank design for Nazi Germany, representing a good balance of the „iron triangle“: Mobility, protection and firepower. However, it was rushed into production and especially the early Ausf. D and Ausf.…
-
Panzerkampfwagen V Panther Ausf. G (Sd.Kfz. 171)
Type: Medium Tank Nation: Germany Period: World War 2 Location: Grandmenil, Belgium A panic reaction? The Panther was considered one of the best medium tanks of World War 2, but it had to go a very long way to earn this reputation. Its origins date back all the way to 1938, when a project was…
-
M26A1 Pershing
Type: Heavy Tank/Medium Tank Nation: USA Period: World War 2 Location: Bastogne Barracks, Belgium Why change a winning team? The M26 was named after General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War 1. Since the ill-fated M6 had not been approved for production, the Pershing became the…