Axis Combat Tanks.pdf

ORLD WAR 2 FACT FILES

Axis Co b t Tanks PETER CHAMBERLAIN AND

CHRIS ELLIS

Publis hed 1978 by Arco Publishi ng Company, Inc.

2 19 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10003

Copyright © 1977 by Peter Chamberlain and

hris Il is

All rights reserved Pri nted in G reat Britain Library of CoDgr~s Cataloging in Publication Data

Chamb erlain, Pe ter. Axis combat tanks (World Wa r 2 fact fil es) 1. Tank (Military science) I. E ll is, Chris, joint author. ll. Title. U 446 .5. 42 358'.18 77-2440 [ N 0-668-04372- 5

$4.95

Arco Publishing Company, Inc. Ne\vYork

Introduction

:METROf'OLITAN UBRARY SYSTEM·

Tanks were a prime offensive arm of the military commanders in World War II. The power and potential menace of the tank captured popular imagination from its very first appearance as a new weapon of war in 191 5. By 1939 the tan!.. ha become a dramatic symbol of the military ambitions of the three major nation f the Axis powers - Germany, Italy , and J apan. T anks had captured the headline in the Spanish Civil War, and had been used in Italy 's invasion of Abyssin ia. 1n the vast mihtary parades in Germany in the late 1930s, the German propaganda machine had ensured that serried rows of tanks passing in review had been well-emphasised in pho tographs and news reels. Thus, when war was declared in September 1939 the tank had a formidable reputation as an uns toppable fighting machine which w uld ride rough shod over any other forces in its path. The early sue esse , notably of the German panzer divisions in Poland and F rance , and again in the Soviet U nion and the We stern De ert in the summer of 194 1, seemed to support this reputation. . However, the G erman reputation is owed more to the arc hitects of the pan zer di vi ion, and the great tank co mmanders such as Ro mmel and Gude rian, than to the eq uipment itself, tho ugh German tanks were built to excellent standa rd" and ere of superior engineering quali ty . In the 1930s, the Germa ns embarked on a rearmam nt pr gramme which gave them ar mou red divisions with a range of tanks to fulfi l the fu nctions decreed by their tactical doc trine . Th u: there were the Panzerkampfwagen (Pz.Kpfw.) 1 and 11, inexpens ive and simple vehi les for train ing and reconnaissance, and the Pz. Kpfw. 111 and I V. the main fig hting tan s of th e division s. None of these tank was pdeh were built in 1943, the low priority afforded tanks by the Japane"e meant that production was slow to start. Only 60 Chi-Nu were actually built nJ none left Japan, being retained for home defence in 1945 in the face of an e . pe I J lI ied invasion of Japan. Except as noted here, details were as for the ~ pe 'F .

DATA WEIGHT 18,800 kg 18.5 tons HEIGHT 2.61 m 8 ft 7 in LENGTH 5.73m 18ft9in WIDTH 2.33 m 7 ft 8 in ENGINE 240 hp SPEED Road 39 kmh 24 mph RANGE 210 kID 130.5 miles ARMOUR THICKNESS Max 50 mm

Min 8mm

Medium Tank Type 4 Chi-To and Medium Tank Type 5 Chi..Ri These new designs of the 1944-45 period were essentially enlarged and much lengthened versions of the Type 3. Both had a long Model 4 75 mm gun developed from an AA gun. Type 5 also had a 37 mm gun in the hull front. Only six pilot models of Type 4 and one pilot model of Type 5 existed, and the critical war situation of the time precluded production . The armour maximum was 75 mm in both models. They weighed 30 tons and 37 tons respectively.

Medium Tank Type 5 Chi-Riwith turret reversed; the 37 mm gun can be seen in the hullfront

60

Medium Tank Type 4 Chi-To; this vehicle is being examined hy an American Ordnance Officer

Amphibious Tank Type 2 Ka-Mi This was essentially an amphibio u \er ion of Light Tank Type 95 Ha-Go, by and for the Japanese Navy. It had a redesigned hull of more generous dimensions and carried buoyancy tanks fore and aft which could be released from inside the tank. Twin rudde r and twin screws were provided for water propulsion, with a marine-type steering wheel in the turret. The turret ring was waterproofed with a rubber seal. The ehicle was of aU welded construction and it was the most widely used amphibiou tank of World War II.

DATA CREW 6 WEIGHT 12,500 kg 12.3 tons HEIGHT 2.8 m 9 ft 2in LENGTH 7.50 m 24 ft 6~ in WIDTH 2.33 m 7 ft 8 in ENGINE 6-cyl air-cooled diesel, SPEED Land 37 kmh 23 mph

Water 9.65 kmh ARMOUR THICKNESS

115 hp

6 mph

Max 12 mm

Type 2 Ka-Mi with released buoyancy tanks

Amphihious Tank Type 2 Ka-Mi 61

DATA

Amphibious Tank Type 3 Ka-Chi

CREW

Though not obviously connected in appearance, this was in fact based closely on the Medium Tank Type I C hi-He , with the same motor and general layout. The running gear was greatly modi fied. There was a turret extension for added buoyancy , and safety which was discarded once ashore . As in the T ype 2, the buoyancy tanks co uld be dropped when ashore . T he Type 3 was used much less extensiyely than the maJler Type 2. Note that while other amphibious tank designs were de\ eloped b) the Japanese, no others passed the prototype stage .

7

28,800 kg 28.3 tons 3.8 m 12 ft 6 in 10.3 m 33 ft 9 in 3.0m 9ft9J,2in Model 100 air-cooled diesel, 240hp SPEED Land 32 kmh 20 mph Water 10.5 kmh 6.5 mph ARMOUR THICKNESS Max 50 mm WEIGHT

HEIGHT LENGTH WIDT H ENGINE

ROMA N IA At the outbreak of the war, Romania had in service a number of Skoda buih R.I light tanks-delivered between 1936 and 1937. These were in use with the 1st Royal Cavalry Division. Also received from Skoda before the war were a number of L T Yz 35 tanks (R.II) which were used by the 1st Royal Armoured Divisi'Jn in Ru sia . Many were lost at Stalingrad. The G ermans delivered a small number of Pz.Kpfw.IVs and Pz.Kpfw. lI l Ns in 1942 to supplement the R.II of the I t Royal Armoured Division. Early in 1943, about 50 Pz.Kpfw. 38(t)5 were delive,ed to replace losses suffered on the Don. In late 1943 to August 1944 a con iderable number of Pz .Kpfw. IV Ausf H were delivered to Romanian Armoured Divisions. T hese were used against the Germans from August 1944.

DATA CREW 2 WEI G HT 4,000 kg 3.9 tons HEIGHT 1.88 m 6 ft 2 in LENGTH 3.4 m 11 ft 2 in WIDTH 1.68 m 5 ft 6 in ENGINE Praga AH 6-cyl, 60 SPEED 45 kmh 28 mph ARMOUR THICKNESS 12 mm

hp

A Romanian Pz.Kpfw ./1I Model N in Russia 62

R .II (LT Vz 35) in service with a Romanian tank unit in Russia

Skoda -built R.I . Light Ta nk

SLOVA

IA

The LT Yz 35 tanks that were in service with the Czech Army in Slovakia were retained by the Slovak rmy and used in the Soviet Union from 1941. The Germans delivered new Pz.Kpfw. 38(l)s to the Slovaks from 1941 to 1944, these also being used on the Eastern Front. In addition , the Slovaks received some Pz.Kpfw. I1s and Pz. Kpfw .11I Ns, some of which were used against the Germans in the Slo\ak rising of September 1944.

,

.

Slovak Pz .K p/w.38(t) tanks

A Slovak tank unit passing Ihrol,l gh a Russian lown 64

WORLD WAR 2 FACT FILES This new series, prepared by experts who co mpil e t he w orld's foremost military, naval and aviation reference books, covers the fighting forces of the principal countries which took part in the Second World War. Each study provides a reada ble narrative supplemented by separate sections on technical details of w eaponry, logistics and general administration that are seldom given in campaign and battle studies. ANTI-TANK WEAPONS MACHINE GUNS BRITISH ESCORT SHIPS A M ERICAN GUNBOATS A ND M INESWEEPERS MORTARS AND ROCKETS ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS UGHT AND MEDIUM AELD RTILLERY SELf·PROPELLED ANTI-TANK AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS HEAVY ARTlLLERY INFANTRY. MOUNTAIN AND AIRBORNE GUNS AWED PISTOLS, RIFLES AND GRENADES AXIS PISTOLS. RIFLES AND GRENADES SUB -MACHINE GUNS AND AUTOMATIC RIFLES AXIS SUBMARINES ALLIED SUBMARINES AIRCRAFT CARRIERS ALLIED COMBAT TANKS

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