Third Reich: Tanks

   Some kind soul encouraged me to put up some of my WWII, 1/72 1/76, collection. So here, for treadheads everywhere are the tanks of the Third Reich. In the front are the Pz I training tank and the Pz II light tank. Behind are three variants of the Pz III, the Reich's first main battle tank which was the mainstay of the panzer regiments in '42 & '43. It started with a 37mm gun, then a 50mm and finally a long 50mm with spaced armour, known to the British Army as a Mark III Special.

   The Pz IV started as a minimally armoured support tank with a 75mm howitzer. It was upgunned to a long 75mm, the Mk IV Special, and finally equipped with spaced armour. In '44 it was the standard battle tank equipping one of the two battalions in a panzer regiment.

   Finally we have the heavies. From left to right, the Pz V Panther built to counter the T34 equipped the other battalion of tanks in a Panzer Regiment was classed as a medium but... It had a long 75mm that was almost as good as a  British 17pdr and heavy frontal armour. Technically it was a disaster with an appaling breakdown rate but it performs exceptionally on the wargames table. The Pz VI Tiger I heavy tank was designed to counter the Russian KVs. It had a variant of the feared 88mm flak gun. At the rear is the Tiger II which used Panther mechanics but was a deal heavier, which did nothing for its mobility or reliability.

   More later.