Description of the tank pz kpfw 2 ausf c. Tank T-II - Other modifications. Combat use of tanks pzkpfw ii
German pre-war theory considered tank troops as the main tool for waging mobile warfare. This provision made it necessary to build independent tank divisions as the main offensive means of the coming war. The core of the tank fleet was to consist of a medium-class vehicle armed with an anti-tank gun and 2 machine guns and a heavy-class support vehicle with a larger caliber gun, not inferior in mobility to the first vehicle.
Foundations of creation.
Tanks weighing sixteen to twenty tons, in the German military literature of those years, were called "full-fledged combat tanks." After some time, they were embodied in the Pz.Kpfw III and Pz. Kpfw IV. However, design work, design refinement and development in production should have taken some time. Therefore, in order to speed up the creation of a tank industry, the organization of tank troops, as well as the training of tank crews, it was decided to order a light tank weighing five tons and two crew members, armed with machine guns.
The machine was supposed to have a relatively simple design, be cheaper to operate and manufacture. The result of the work carried out was the appearance of the tank Pz.Kpfw I. The new combat vehicle already in the thirty-fourth year went to complete the tank units. The tank coped very well with the role of a training vehicle, and later was used for combat operations.
Meanwhile, the development in the production of tanks of the main type, for a number of reasons, had to be postponed to a later date. To remedy the situation, a tank with the best combat characteristics was required, but at the same time easy to manufacture.
The terms of reference for the new tank were announced on 06.1934. The intermediate type of tank was supposed to have stronger armor protection than the Pz.Kpfw I, but be armed with a 20-mm automatic cannon (according to the German classification - a machine gun) and another rifle-caliber machine gun. The firms Henschel, MAH and Krupp took part in the design work. The design deadlines were initially defined as very tight, and in the spring of the thirty-fifth year, the contestants presented prototypes. To maintain secrecy, the project was called "agricultural tractor" - Las 100.
The samples of the MAH and Henschel firms presented to the commission were nothing more than a running gear without a turret. Both cars used boxed suspension and semi-elliptical leaf springs. The Krupp project looked like the Pz.Kpfw I prototype, with an enlarged turret and new weapons.
After reviewing all the proposed designs, it was decided to launch a series project from "MAH" as "2 cm MG Panzerwagen". Later, upon adoption, the name was changed to "Panzerkampfwagen II".
Pz. II, as well as its predecessor Pz. I, were exactly those machines, from the construction of which the German industry mastered the serial production of tanks, and tank troops went from crew training to combat coordination of large tank formations. The same vehicles became the basis of the tank fleet during the accumulation of experience in the first tank operations in Poland and Norway.
The first pre-production batch of a dozen Pz.Kpfw II Ausf.a1 was made by MAH, in the thirty-fifth year. The layout of the "two" practically did not differ from that of the Pz. I. The new machine had a load-bearing armored hull, made by welding with reinforcement from a stamped profile and corners. A characteristic difference between the machines of this series was the elliptical frontal part of the armored hull, made using casting. Tank turret with a small (21-22 degrees) rational tilt angle of the armor plates.
The first Pz.Kpfw II.
The armament of the Pz.Kpfw II Ausf.a1 tank is represented by a 2 cm KwK 30 automatic cannon, as well as an MG machine gun. It was mounted similarly to Pz. I, in a single mask, recessed into the body of the tower. The gun ammunition consisted of fragmentation and armor-piercing cartridges.
According to German data of the thirty-fifth year, the gun was able to penetrate centimeter armor at a distance of seven hundred meters. That should have made it possible to penetrate the armor of the Reno FT and NC-31 tanks - the most common vehicles of the French army and supplied to the Polish army.
At first, the Dreyse MG machine gun was installed in the tank. 13k, but was soon replaced by the MG 34.
Tank engine - Maybach HL 57 TR, 120 hp. A six-speed gearbox was connected by a cardan shaft passing at the bottom of the fighting compartment to the engine.
Running tank Pz.Kpfw II Ausf.a1 - three carts with two rollers, in relation to the side. Support rollers - three. Leaf springs. Driving wheels in front of the tank, sloths are raised above the surface.
The second batch of machines, numbering 15 pieces, was made in the same year. The new modification of the Ausf.a2 was distinguished by some improvements in the running and habitability of the fighting compartment due to ventilation.
The next batch of fifty tanks of the Ausf.a3 series was delivered in 1936. The engine and fighting compartments were separated by a partition, the design and dimensions of the access hatches to the filter and fuel pump in the bottom of the tank were redesigned. The location of the radiator was changed, it was moved to the stern, which improved its cooling. The springs have been reinforced, the drive wheels have lost their rubber bands. 
In the same year, thirty-six, MAN delivered the next batch of twenty-five vehicles of the Pz.Kpfw II Ausf.b version. In this modification, the tank received a new, more powerful Maybach HL 62 TK engine (140 hp). The engine itself, along with the transmission, was moved towards the starboard side. That allowed to increase the size of the fighting compartment. The exhaust system has undergone some changes. The transmission received a reduction gear, a planetary rotation mechanism and a tracked tank of a new form were installed.
The dimensions of the drive wheel are increased, the supporting rollers are reduced. The suspension itself has been reinforced and modified to reduce the risk of the track falling off when cornering. 
All these events in the life of Pz.Kpfw II took place against the backdrop of rapid changes in German industry and the army. In the summer of the thirty-fifth year, during the exercises of the German army, for the first time, a tank division was involved, then still reduced from three separate tank regiments. In the autumn of the same year, these three regiments deployed tank divisions. The command of the tank troops was created.
There was a formed creation of the tank industry. If in the thirty-fifth year four companies were involved in the program for the production of tank components and assemblies, as well as armor plates, then two years later there were already seven. 
Tanks Pz.Kpfw II Ausf.b took part in the exercises of the thirty-sixth year, during which their design caused a lot of criticism. Most of them concerned the chassis, both its mechanical strength and insufficient smoothness.
Therefore, it was decided to continue work on improving the design.
The first, truly mass-produced machine was the "two" Ausf.c, the release of which was organized starting from 04.1937. In addition to purely external changes, such as the shape of the tower and the dimensions of the driver's hatch, the changes affected the source of the main troubles - the chassis.
Modifications Pz.Kpfw II.
The official order to complete the refinement of the Pz.Kpfw II tank and start its production in a large series was announced on 04/01/37, three years after the TTT for the tank was published. By May of the thirty-seventh year, the Wehrmacht had only one hundred and fifteen Pz.Kpfw II tanks. It had to go to mass production.
ausf. A.
The first modification, released in a large batch, went into production in July 37th and received the Pz.Kpfw II Аusf index. A. The tank used an upgraded engine, an improved gearbox, as well as a new type of driver's observation devices. In total, during the thirty-fifth - thirty-seventh year, German industry handed over 332 Ausf vehicles to the military. A. 
All combat vehicles of this family had a common layout typical of German tanks. The transmission was located in front, while the engine was mounted at the rear. The fighting compartment is in the center of the tank, it also has a turret with installed weapons. The front part of the "two" is given under the control compartment, a transmission is mounted in it.
The placement of the transmission in the control compartment made it possible not only to reduce the length of the tank, but also the number and length of control rods. The location of the turret in the center of the tank reduced the effect of vehicle vibrations on the results of firing. The location of the transmission and engine in the bow and stern distributed the weight and made the tank's vibrations smoother. Repair and maintenance of the "two" was simplified due to easier access to both.
The disadvantage should be considered the presence of a cardan under the fighting compartment, the greater vulnerability of the drive wheels due to their front location. Oil fumes and transmission combustion products worsened the atmosphere in the habitable space of the tank.
Armored hull Рz.Kpfw II Аusf. A in its design consisted of two parts:
- the lower part, i.e. the body itself;
- turret box, the front of which formed a wheelhouse in which the driver of the Pz.Kpfw II was located.
Behind the driver was the workplace of the radio operator. He also performed the functions of a loader, for which he had to climb into the tower. Directly in the tower was the commander, who is also a gunner.
Tank gun 2 cm KwK 30 - to the left of the axis of the tank, to the right is a MG machine gun. The gun mask is equipped with two viewing windows covered with armored caps, controlled from the inside by means of a lever. The automatic cannon has its origins in the Swiss Solothurn cannon and is related to the 2 cm Flak 30 anti-aircraft gun, with which it had many interchangeable units. The differences were mainly in the length of the barrel, which was shortened in the tank version of the gun for fear of excessively increasing the dimensions of the tank. 
The gun barrel is equipped with a universal device that combines the functions of a flame arrester and a muzzle brake. Supply of gun cartridges through sector box magazines, which were attached to the left side of the gun. Spare magazines with cartridges were attached to the inside of the walls of the tower and hull. A fire extinguisher was mounted to the right of the gun. Firing from a cannon and a machine gun by means of an electric trigger.
Aiming tank weapons with the help of a two and a half times Zeiss TZF4 sight, which ensured firing at a distance of up to 1200 meters. Although most often the range of fire from a gun did not exceed six hundred meters, and from a machine gun - four hundred meters.
In the ammunition Pz.Kpfw II Аusf. A included shots with armor-piercing and fragmentation projectiles totaling 180 pieces.
The MG.34 tank machine gun had a rate of fire of 800-900 rounds per minute and was equipped with a case collector. In the gun mantlet, the machine gun is fixed without a stock. There were 1425 cartridges for the machine gun, stuffed into 19 sector stores. In the fortieth year, the second-hand machine gun was increased to 2100 rounds.
In addition, the crew of the tank was armed with MP-38 or MP-40 SMGs, as well as Walther or Parabellum pistols.
Much attention was paid to the review of the "two". For observation, the driver used a hatch closed with a triplex block, as well as hatches on both sides, also closed with a triplex. In addition to the purposes of observation, the hatches in the sides could serve for firing from the small arms of the crew. Hatches similar in purpose and design, both equipped with lids with slots and without, were in the stern and sides of the tower, as well as the rear sheet of the turret box. To replace damaged glasses, the crew had spare ones.
The commander of the Pz.Kpfw II conducted surveillance through a periscope mounted in the roof in the center of the tower, covered with an armored cap. The design of the periscope made it possible to have a vertical tilt angle from -15 to 25 degrees and an all-round view. Multiplicity constant - 2,5X. The device could be used as a sight, albeit less accurate when aiming, since the telescopic sight was rigidly fixed to the armament and even at low elevation angles, its eyepiece part moved and made aiming not very convenient.
The armored body of the "two" was made by welding from a sheet with a thickness of 5.10 and 15 mm. The turret box was mounted with bolts on the hull. The bottom of the tank is made of three sheets. Rear and front - at an angle, 10 mm thick. The main central sheet of the bottom is 5mm. The rigidity of the bottom was provided with additional parts - corners and longitudinal stiffeners. Cemented heterogeneous sheets were used to manufacture the tower and hull.
A design feature of the Pz.Kpfw II was the displacement of the turret relative to the axis of the tank by eighty-five millimeters to the left. What ensured the balancing of the machine, since the engine, relative to the axis, is shifted to the right. The tower was hexagonal in shape, there was no hanging floor, the tank commander was placed on a hanging seat equipped with a tie-down seat and a backrest. The tower stood on a ball chase.
Disembarkation-landing through the hatch in the roof, the hatch is equipped with single-leaf wings. In the right wing there is a hatch for signaling with flags. Turn the tower only manually.
The Maybach HL 62 TRM engine was installed in the engine compartment closer to the starboard side. The engine is six-cylinder, water-cooled. For access to the tank engine served as a double hatch in the roof of the engine compartment.
The fuel was synthetic gasoline with an octane rating of -76. The fuel consumption of the "two" is about 110 liters on the highway and 170 liters off-road per hundred kilometers. There are two petrol tanks, at the rear with a capacity of 68 liters and at the front with a capacity of 102 liters. Filling necks are displayed on the turret box on the right side of the tank.
Regular start of the engine by means of an electric starter, if not possible - manually using a handle, through a hole in the stern.
The designers of the Pz.Kpfw II provided the tank crew with quite comfortable working conditions. The driver sat on a tarpaulin seat, his workplace was equipped with the necessary control devices assembled on one dashboard (water and oil thermometers, speedometer, tachometer). Management by means of turning levers, as well as reverse, gas, brake, clutch pedals. The electric starter was started either from a button or from a magneto.
The chassis, in relation to the board, consisted of five rollers with a rubber band. All rollers with individual suspension. Support rollers, four on board. The lightweight roller was attached to the hull by means of an L-shaped lever, a hinge connected to the hull.
The caterpillar is steel, with a small link. Tracks of manganese steel, numbering 108 pieces, skeletal. The weight of the caterpillar is four hundred kilograms.
All Pz.Kpfw II tanks were equipped with radio communications. Line tanks - FuG 2 receivers, command vehicles of the company commander level and above - transceiver r / s FuG 5. Radio stations were mounted on the port side in the turret box.
Radio station FuG 5. simplex, power 10 watts. When working on a two-meter whip antenna, it provided stable communication in telephone mode for 6.4 km, in telegraph mode for 9.4 km.
In addition to the FuG 5, the vehicles of the battalion commanders and above were additionally equipped with medium-wave radio stations with a longer signal range for communication with the command, aviation, sappers and other units, including repair ones.
In addition to light signals and radio communications, the crew could send signals using the Walther rocket launcher, which, along with a supply of rockets, was stored in the rear of the tower.
Ausf.B.
Tanks of this modification were distinguished by minor changes, mainly related to the simplification of production technology.
Ausf.S.
Despite the fact that Pz.Kpfw II did not take part in the Spanish events, they still had a great influence on the fate of the "two". Experts agreed that the further saturation of anti-tank artillery of army units casts doubt on the future fate of lightly armored tanks, and on the other hand, the use of light tanks armed with rapid-fire guns was considered successful, with some reservations about the need to strengthen armor protection.
However, the German General Staff extended the contract for the production of Pz.Kpfw II. This decision can be explained, in addition to difficulties with the production of Pz.Kpfw III and Pz.Kpfw IV, by circumstances of a purely economic nature. It is no coincidence that the production of cheap and less metal-intensive Pz. II continued until the forty-third year.
In the thirty-eighth year, another modification appeared - Рz.Kpfw II Ausf.С. Improvements in this modification mainly affected its armor protection.
The bent frontal armor plate was additionally reinforced with a pair of armor plates welded at an angle of seventy degrees to each other. Lower -20 mm, upper - 14.5 mm.The forehead of the turret and turret box was reinforced during 1940-41 by hanging 20 mm screens. Tower mask screen - a shield of complex shape with additional bends at the top and bottom - to protect the joints of the loophole and the mask from bullets and shrapnel. However, he was soon abandoned.
The gap between the turret and the turret box was protected by a welded side. The thickness of the armored glass has changed from twelve to fifty millimeters. The shape of the armored cover of the driver's observation device has changed. The covers of the side instruments of the driver might not have gaps for observation.
The increase in booking led to an increase in the mass of the tank to nine and a half tons. However, this did not affect the speed characteristics of the car, they remained the same.
To improve visibility from the commander's seat, it was equipped with a commander's turret instead of a periscope. The manhole covers were protected with leather lining, thanks to which the crew members could do without helmets.
In the stern of the hull, as well as the turret, mortars could be installed to fire smoke grenades.
In the modification of Ausf.S. converted machines of previous series as they undergo overhaul. By the beginning of the company in France, seventy percent of the Pz.Kpfw II, the previous modifications, were brought to the level of Ausf.C. The rest was modernized until the forty-first year, with the outbreak of war, some of the machines never underwent modernization.
Ausf.D.
To equip the tank battalions of the "light" divisions of the Wehrmacht, tanks were required with better speed qualities than the existing ones. As a result, TTTs were published for a "high-speed" tank, with a higher power engine and armed with a 20-mm TP. The prototype of the new modification was made by Daimler-Benz. The vehicle was put into service as the Ausf.D and, by the time of its appearance, just coincided with the deployment of the first "light" divisions, which took place in the thirty-seventh - thirty-eighth years.
The Ausf.D modification is equipped with a new 180-horsepower HL 66 P engine, as well as a new type of chassis. The single fuel tank held 200 liters of gasoline, more than previous modifications, but the smell of running grew slightly from the greater consumption. Gearbox - seven-speed, three speeds reverse and seven forward.
The chassis consisted of 4 double large road wheels, a Christie-type suspension with the replacement of springs with torsion shafts. The caterpillar chain is small-linked with well-developed ground hooks.
In addition to the chassis, the Pz.Kpfw II hull has also undergone changes. Its design acquired a certain similarity with the Pz.Kpfw III. In fact, only the turret and layout made the Ausf.D related to the previous modifications. The speed characteristics of the machine have increased, but the increase in mass has led to a decrease in cross-country ability.
Ausf.E.
Pz.Kpfw II modification Ausf.E. it was distinguished by a reinforced suspension, changes in the design of the drive wheel and sloth. A lubricated hinge is introduced into the caterpillar design.
By and large, the "two" modifications Ausf.D and E were not particularly in demand. The "light" divisions for which they were worth during 1939-40 were transferred to the state of tank divisions and they already needed Рz.Kpfw III and IV, and in addition to them, Czechoslovak vehicles 38 (t) were supplied for their acquisition.
The mechanical reliability of the Ausf.D and E tanks was inferior to the "ordinary" Pz. II and soon they began to be withdrawn from combat units for conversion into self-propelled guns and tanks armed with a flamethrower.
Ausf.F.
The combat use of tank troops in the Polish company accelerated the deployment of new tank formations. Which in turn increased the need for the material part. In November of the thirty-ninth year, it was decided to continue the release of Pz. II, subject to changes in the design due to new requirements, which consisted mainly in improving protection.
The first three prototypes were ready by 06.1940, two more the next month and four delivered between August and December, when the final series of "classic" "twos" was put into production as the Ausf.F.
A characteristic difference between the Pz.Kpfw II Ausf.F was the front sheet of the turret box for the entire width of the hull with a thickness of 30 mm. The turret's forehead armor increased to 30 mm, its sides to 15 mm. The thickness of the forehead of the hull ranged from 35 -25 mm.
One of the interesting innovations is a fake driver's observation device attached to the right side, which, according to the plan, was supposed to mislead the enemy shooters. This observation device is an improved type with a large viewing angle and a two-leaf lid adjustable from the tank.
The tank gun 2 cm KwK 30 was replaced by its modernized version 2 cm KwK 38. Its main feature was its lower weight and increased to 220 rpm. combat speed. The new gun was supposed to displace the 2 cm KwK 30, but in practice both guns continued to be used in parallel.
A Pz.Gr 40 sub-caliber projectile was developed for the gun, capable of penetrating up to 50 mm of armor at a distance of one hundred meters and up to 20 mm at a distance of half a kilometer. However, the armor effect of such shells was small.
Small improvements also touched the chassis, they touched mainly the steering wheel, which became a conical shape. In the Pz.Kpfw II Ausf.F, spent units of previous modifications were widely used, the price of the tank was reduced by almost fourteen thousand marks and its price was 35,000 marks.
Ausf.G.
This and subsequent modifications refers to the so-called "new type". During 1938-39, a number of works were carried out on the next generation of light tanks. All of them had standard army designations with the addition of nA - i.e. "new type."
October 18, 1938 The Army Weapons Department ordered MAH and Daimler-Benz to modernize the Pz.Kpfw II in order to increase the speed of this tank. In this case, the weight of the tank was not to exceed nine tons. The design of the hull and turret was the responsibility of Damler-Benz, while the chassis was to be designed by MAH. The armament of the tank was to remain the same, i.e. Kwk 39 and MG machine gun.
The design was completed and a prototype was made by mid-December next year. Work on the design of the Pz.Kpfw II suspension was carried out under the guidance of V. Knipkapf. Tank chassis - five-roller, large-diameter rollers, torsion bar suspension. Engine "Maybach" HL45 in 150 l / s. The maximum speed of this modification of the "two" is 50 km / h.
The tests were quite successful, the so-called "null-series" of seventy-five machines was ordered. But in total, in the period from 04.41-02.42, only twelve such machines were made.
The difference between the Pz.Kpfw II Ausf.G was that, with the same overall layout, the radio operator was located to the right of the driver, which was associated with the reconnaissance functions of the tank.
Ausf.J.
In the course of work on the study of the design of the "new type" tank
On December 22, 1939, Daimler-Benz and MAH commissioned a project for a light tank with the highest possible level of armor protection. Obviously, this project took into account the experience of using tanks in Poland, where Pz.Kpfw II were often used as support tanks for infantry units. This tank passed as a "new type reinforced tank" - nAV.
As in the previous case, Daimler-Benz was chosen as the contractor - as responsible for the tower and MAH - for the manufacture of the chassis. According to the plan, the chassis and turret will be presented on July 18-19, 39, and the total need for tanks of this modification was determined at 339 units, but only twenty-two Pz.Kpfw II Ausf.J.
With a frontal armor thickness of eighty centimeters and a side armor of fifty, the mass of the Ausf.J was eighteen tons, two tons more than required by the assignment. Distinguished from previous models was the hull - the turret box and the hull were one piece. Reservation of the tower had a noticeable angle of inclination. To increase the armor resistance of the tower, she did not have observation devices in the sides. The driver and radio operator got round hatches in the sides.
Armament of twin 2 cm KwK 38 m machine gun MG 34 - stabilized in the vertical plane.
The speed of movement dropped to thirty kilometers per hour, and low maneuverability made it impossible for a light tank, even with such outstanding armor for its class.Nevertheless, the Ausf.J was made in a small batch, seven of them were sent for testing to the troops, and some to the police divisions.
Ausf.H
An unrealized project of a tank for reconnaissance, which, while remaining within the weight characteristics of the "twos" of previous modifications, should have better mobility and armor protection. According to the April, forty-first year, the Program for the Development of Tank Forces, this modification was to be manufactured in an unprecedentedly large batch - 22,000 vehicles. Which should have included both Pz.Kpfw II in the reconnaissance version, and vehicles for advanced observers, as well as a chassis for installing a 50-mm gun for the tank destroyer production program. One of the armament options was a 20 mm front sight with a conical bore, based on the s.Pz.B 41.
ausf. M
Another unrealized project within the framework of the nA concept. According to the plan, the tank was supposed to be armed with a gun similar to that installed in the Рz.Kpfw III Ausf. J, but with a muzzle brake. Four experimental vehicles were produced, which were equipped with the usual 2 cm KwK 38.
ausf. L Luchs.
Рz.Kpfw II Ausf. L became the top of the Pz.Kpfw II nA line of vehicles.
The reason for the development of this modification was the insufficient effectiveness of wheeled armored vehicles for the purpose of conducting reconnaissance by tank troops - a conclusion to which in Germany came by the end of the thirties.
The order for the design of the tank was received by the MAH and Daimler-Benz companies on April 15, 1939. According to the TTT, the tank was supposed to be a vehicle capable of speeds up to 50 km / h, have armor up to thirty millimeters and be armed with a 20 caliber gun. or 37 mm.
For the construction of the chassis, already traditionally, "MAH" was responsible, while "Daimler-Benz" had to present a turret with a turret box. A similar order was received by the Skoda and VVM firms, then only open in Czechoslovakia.
Over time, the requirements for the tank were refined based on the newly gained combat experience. In particular, the battles on the territory of the USSR showed the need to improve the patency of combat vehicles.
The first prototype (index VK 1303) was assembled by MAN in April of the forty-second year. At the tests that took place in July at the training ground near Kummersvdorf
the tank traveled about two and a half thousand kilometers. In addition to the VK 1303, cars from the Skoda and VMM companies were tested. The tests were successful and soon the tank was assigned the index Pz.Kpfw II Ausf. L Luchs.
The most significant innovation was the increase to four people in the crew of the car. The commander and gunner had a workplace in the tower, the driver and gunner in the control department. When designing, the developments of Ausf were widely used. M.
Armored ship "Luchs" with a T-shaped cross-section, the turret box is wider than that of the previous machines. This measure made it possible to install a tower with a greater width, with a larger shoulder strap diameter. The tower did not have a commander's turret, it had to be abandoned due to the growth of the tank's overall height, the armor plates are located at an angle.
Instead of a turret, periscope observation devices were installed in the hatches of the loader and the commander. In addition to them, next to the loader, a viewing device is arranged on board.
The front plate of the hull had observation slots covered with triplexes and movable armored covers, and there were also observation slots in the sides of the hull.
Pz.Kpfw II "Luchs" is equipped with a 180-horsepower Maybach HL 66P engine, gearbox - six speeds, plus a synchronizer.
Suspension type Ausf.H, M. Rollers of large diameter with rubber, extreme suspension units with shock absorbers. The drive wheel is in front. The suspension is typical for German tanks - "chess type". This type of connection made it possible to connect a large diameter of rollers and a large number of them, such their arrangement made it possible to combine a high travel speed and even distribution of the load.
Which, in turn, had a positive effect on patency. But there was also a significant drawback - the complexity of maintenance and the possibility of ice rinks freezing in winter if they were clogged with mud or snow.Initially, the size of the order for Pz.Kpfw II "Luchs" was eight hundred vehicles. Of which only 100 were to be armed with the 2 cm KwK 38, all subsequent vehicles had to be built with the 5 cm KwK 39/1 L/60-50 mm gun with a 60 caliber elongation. Although a 20 mm gun was still considered sufficient for a reconnaissance vehicle.
Part of the internal volume of the "two" was given over for additional ammunition for the cannon and machine gun, the number of shots for the gun was three hundred and thirty pieces, the number of wine cartridges for the machine gun increased to 2250. Smoke 90-mm mortars were attached to the sides of the tower at the rate of three on board.
Naturally, a machine created for reconnaissance could not do without communications. There were two radio stations, one of them, FuG 5, served for communications in the unit, while the other, FuG 12, provided communications with higher headquarters.
The superiority of the Pz.Kpfw II "Luchs" over the "ordinary deuces" was undeniable. The recruitment of army units "Luchs" went in September forty-three. They were first sent to the reconnaissance battalions of the tank divisions of the Eastern, and then the Western fronts.
Description
By the beginning of the Wehrmacht's eastern campaign, there were 746 PzII tanks on the Soviet borders. In the summer of 1941, this tank was certainly outdated, the weak 20mm automatic gun successfully fought only the most lightly armored Soviet vehicles - the T-37, T-38 and T-40. Faced with the "T-26" or "BT-7", the German tank could only count on luck, because to defeat these vehicles.jpg)
it was necessary to approach them at a very short distance - less than 300 meters, which is almost impossible in a real battle. Newer Soviet vehicles such as the T-34 had an even more impressive advantage over the German tank. The weak armor of the PzII dictated the need for its use in the absence of a powerful anti-tank defense of the enemy. The armor of the PzII was easily pierced by regular 37mm and 75mm cannons of the Polish Army in 1939 and standard 45mm field guns of the Red Army in 1941. Despite numerous attempts to strengthen the armor, the tank was clearly inferior in terms of projectile resistance to its Soviet opponents. In addition, due to the small size of the turret, it was impossible to install a more powerful gun on the PzII, which would at least somehow increase the combat value of this outdated vehicle. .jpg)
It should be noted, however, that tanks of this type, according to the original project, were supposed to become training vehicles for German tankers, and only the lack of newer tanks - "PzIII" and "PzIV", their unsatisfactory production and entry into the troops, forced the German command to continue to use these hopelessly outdated tanks in combat operations. By 1942, the PzII was officially withdrawn from the German tank units. By the end of the war, approximately 145 vehicles of this type had survived in the German army. to favorites to favorites from favorites 0
By the beginning of World War II, specialists from the Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army (GABTU KA) had a rather vague idea of what the armored vehicles of a potential enemy were. Approximately the same, however, can be said about their colleagues from the allied countries of the USSR in the not yet created anti-Hitler coalition. For quite objective reasons, there was little available information about the tanks of Germany and its allies. Basically, it was limited to reference books, which sinned with inaccuracies. A full-fledged study of foreign technology became possible only after the outbreak of hostilities. In this sense, the USSR was almost ahead of the rest. The first trophies began to arrive from Spain, they were German Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A and Italian L3 / 35. In the summer of 1939, a Japanese Ha-Go light tank was captured in the Far East. The beginning of World War II significantly expanded the list of trophies, among which was the German light tank Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C.
Quietly took out and left - is called "found"
Despite the fact that the Pz.Kpfw.II was absent from the Soviet reference books of 1939, this tank became known even before the start of the war. Here it is worth dwelling separately on how this vehicle was designated in the USSR - a rather important question, since it explains the legend that the Pz.Kpfw.II was allegedly used in Spain. In some materials, even the year of the combat debut is called - 1938, despite the fact that the Germans themselves "do not admit" this. There are no Pz.Kpfw.II tanks in the list of tanks supplied to the Francoists.
The answer lies in the notation used in the Soviet Union. In 1939, a “light tank type II” appears in Soviet documents, which, apparently, became the source of the myth. The piquancy of what is happening is that under the "light tank type II" was meant ... Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B. This is how this tank was designated on information posters issued in October 1939. Moreover, in some reference books of the war period, this tank continues to be designated in the same way - despite the fact that at the same time it was also designated as the "German light tank T-Ia". Such confusion probably gave birth to the myth about the use of the Pz.Kpfw.II in Spain.
A clear demonstration of what exactly in Soviet reference books was referred to as the "German T-II tank"
Meanwhile, along with the “light tank Type II”, or T-II, even before the start of the war, it was known about another vehicle - the “light tank Type IIa”, or T-IIa. The description of this tank unambiguously indicates that by it the Soviet specialists meant the Pz.Kpfw.II in the Ausf.a or Ausf.b modification. This is evidenced by the description of the undercarriage: 6 road wheels of small diameter interlocked into bogies.
When exactly this tank became known, history is silent, but you can be sure that this is not a Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B. It is possible that information about him came from foreign intelligence, especially since the Germans did not particularly hide these vehicles, and they participated in various events.
So Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C arrived at the NIIBT training ground
For the first time, the Red Army encountered the Pz.Kpfw.II in the autumn of 1939. On September 17, 1939, hostilities began, which went down in history as the Polish campaign of the Red Army. By two o'clock in the morning on September 19, 1939, Soviet tanks broke into Lvov. A week earlier, battles began in the Lvov region between the Polish army and German troops, among which was the 2nd Panzer Division under the command of Lieutenant General Rudolf Fayel. The division operated northwest of Lvov, in particular, it took part in the battle with the Polish army for the city of Tomaszow-Lubelsky.
To begin studying the machine, first it was necessary to put it in order
As a result of the battles, the Polish army lost three and a half dozen armored vehicles in this area, including 7TP tanks, Vickers Mk.E tanks and TK-S tankettes. Some of these vehicles belonged to the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade under the command of Stanisław Maczek. A significant part of the brigade managed to escape to the Polish-Hungarian border. However, the Germans also got it here: at the SPAM (collection point for emergency vehicles), organized in Tomaszow-Lubelski, there were not only Polish, but also German tanks.
The same tank after restoration. The large cross on the front of the turret is clearly visible, which was an excellent target for Polish anti-tank gun crews.
For the first week, the 24th light tank brigade under the command of Colonel P. S. Fotchenkov, which occupied Lvov, settled in a new base. It is possible that from one of the captured Polish soldiers it became known about a large accumulation of Polish armored vehicles. At that time, the finally new borders between the USSR and Germany were not defined, which the Soviet tankers took advantage of:
“By order of the Military Council of the Ukrainian Front on October 6, a detachment of 152 people was organized with the necessary number of combat and transport vehicles to evacuate captured property from the Krasnobrod, Uzefov, Tomashov area, already occupied by German units.
Working selflessly, the detachment removed a lot of valuable property, including two German tanks, two German anti-tank guns, 9 Polish tanks, 10 tankettes and up to 30 guns; returned without loss.
Since there were no German lighting equipment, domestic-made lights were put on the tank
By the way, this list could also include a third German tank. According to the memoirs of A.V. Egorov, who served in the 24th light tank brigade, Senior Lieutenant Tkachenko stole a Pz.Kpfw.III, but the tank was quickly returned to its owners. Nevertheless, among the vehicles, information about which was prepared in the form of posters with performance characteristics and vulnerabilities, was the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.D. This is the same machine that, according to some historians, the Red Army captured in the fall of 1939. Naturally, she did not go to any study, but she still managed to get minimal information about her.
A completely different situation developed with another vehicle, the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C. This tank, which a detachment of the 24th light tank brigade dragged from SPAM in Tomaszow Lubelski, was not going to be returned to the Germans. He became legal prey and went to study at the training ground of the Research Institute of Armored Vehicles (NIIBT) in Kubinka near Moscow. Also, another tank, Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.A., was brought to the USSR.
"Is a modern combat vehicle"
Captured tanks arrived at the training ground in 1940. In the documents Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C received the designation T-IIb. The tank did not end up on SPAM in Poland because of some kind of mechanical failure. According to the inspection report, the car received several hits. In particular, a shell from a Polish anti-tank gun hit one of the hatches in the frontal part of the hull, damaging the gearbox housing. As a result, the tank lost its course and was probably abandoned by the crew. Wear of the spring attachment points of two road wheels was also found. These damages were the result of the active operation of the tank, released in 1938.
The remaining damage was caused by other factors. Most likely, the car, deprived of a move and abandoned by the crew, was thrown into a ditch, and the troops passing nearby began to slowly dismantle it for spare parts. This was a common occurrence: there are many photographs of cars with similar damage that were "vandalized" by German repairmen. In especially severe cases, the hull and turret remained from the tank, as well as large components and assemblies that could not be removed without heavy crane equipment. At the same time, the tank, standing on stumps (all elements of the chassis had already been removed from it), continued to be listed as temporarily losing its combat capability.
From the point of view of attachments, the tank was almost empty
In fairness, the vast majority of such victims of vandalism then returned to service, but after they were sent to the factories. For this reason, it is quite difficult to get a more or less real picture of the losses of German armored vehicles. The tank “privatized” by the Soviet tankers formally had only a hit in the checkpoint, which could be relatively easily changed from serious combat damage. But during the time spent in the ditch and on SPAM, the tank received additional "damage". The homely Germans removed from him part of the electrical equipment and wiring, crew seats, a radio station with an antenna, an instrument panel, an ammunition rack, a coaxial machine gun, tow hooks, spare parts, tools and accessories.
Thrifty German soldiers even removed the antenna from the tank along with the lodgement
With such a large number of malfunctions, full-fledged tests, similar to those that the Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A passed, were out of the question. From the testers, the employees of the NIIBT test site had to retrain as restorers. In order to return at least one tank to a working condition, the landfill workers used the “buy three shawarma and collect a kitten” method. The Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.A was used as a spare parts donor: the gearbox, the hatch on the front plate and a number of other parts were removed from it.
The Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C itself was completely dismantled. During the assembly process, the site employees described the components and assemblies of the tank in parallel, and also made their drawings. The result was a technical description, in some places even more detailed than the original manual for the tank.
It was not possible to fully assemble the restored car from "native" German parts. Headlights, battery, part of the instruments and tow hooks had to be taken from domestic cars. As a result, the tank was still able to be restored to running condition, but due to the lack of spare parts, there was no full-fledged test program for it. The maximum that could be done was to conduct a test run over a distance of 100 kilometers. Its purpose was to determine the performance characteristics of the T-IIb.
View of the engine room. One could only guess that there was a radio operator's hatch on the left side here.
It was not possible to get any documents for the tank, for this reason some design features of the Pz.Kpfw.II remained outside the field of view of Soviet specialists. This is especially true for very specific elements, which, for example, included the way the radio operator left the tank. The fact that for this at the same time served as an access hatch to the engine compartment, our experts did not know. However, this is not surprising: few people could guess that you can get out of the tank in such an exotic way.
Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C booking scheme
Soviet specialists did not pay much attention to the tank engine, since this engine was already known by the autumn of 1940. In Germany, the USSR quite officially acquired three Sd.Kfz.7 half-track tractors, which also used Maybach HL 62 engines. The ZF SSG 46 gearbox aroused more interest. The testers noted the high level of accuracy in the manufacture of the gearbox. Its advantage was the use of helical ground gears: their use increased wear resistance and reduced noise during operation. The experts also liked the use of a synchronizer and the layout of the rocker mechanism, devoid of long rods.
Gearbox ZF SSG 46, which pleasantly surprised by the high level of manufacturing precision
At the same time, the difficulty of removing the gearbox from the tank was indicated, for which it was necessary to remove the turret and turret box. The Pz.Kpfw.I and other German tanks had similar problems. Such was the fee for the layout with the front transmission.
The planetary turning mechanism, reliable and durable, received a positive assessment. But the Soviet specialists did not like the brakes, since they turned out to be difficult to regulate. The general conclusion about the transmission was the following: reliable in operation, easy to operate and can be attributed to one of the best types of mechanical transmissions.
Kinematic diagram of the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C transmission
The undercarriage of the tank aroused considerable interest among the testers. According to the specialists of the NIIBT test site, despite its low weight, it provided a smooth ride and rapid damping of oscillations. The spring suspension turned out to be compact and light, and the track rollers made of aluminum alloy were also light. The track tensioning mechanism was also praised. Somewhat difficult to manufacture, it proved to be simple and reliable in operation.
However, for Soviet tank building, spring suspension was already yesterday. After a series of experiments, it became clear that the future belongs to the torsion bar, which by the time the Pz.Kpfw.II was tested was serially installed on the T-40 reconnaissance amphibious tank.
Chassis diagram. The spring suspension was praised, but torsion bars were already used on Soviet light tanks by that time.
The hull and turret of the tank did not surprise the Soviet specialists. Their design seemed to be a completely logical development of the hull and turret of the Pz.Kpfw.I, which was partly the correct conclusion. The design of the driver's hatch was not liked, as it turned out to be inconvenient to use. However, the testers made the correct conclusion, assuming that the crew mainly used the turret hatch to climb into the tank.
The tactical and technical characteristics of the trophy indicated that its crew consisted of three people, but at the same time, the description of the fighting compartment said that only the commander was there. The fact is that all the seats were removed from the tank, so exactly where the radio operator was located remained a mystery. Moreover, there was no radio with an antenna on the tank either.
Viewing devices of the driver. They were only partially preserved: the German repairmen who passed by the wrecked tank “tried”
Surveillance devices aroused much more interest. On the one hand, according to the principle of placement, viewing devices differed little from those of the Pz.Kpfw.I. At the same time, the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C had upgraded viewing hatches with thicker glass. Our specialists were also interested in the fact that the same binocular viewing device was installed on the tank as on the Pz.Kpfw.III. The device itself was not preserved (cunning German mechanics took it out along with the glass block of the driver's viewing device), but the exact same one was on the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.G, which was bought in Germany in 1940. For testing, the device was removed from the Pz.Kpfw.III and placed in a light tank. In general, the visibility of the tank was found to be quite satisfactory.
Tower scheme
Based on the results of studying the captured German car, the following conclusions were made:
“The German captured tank T-2b (conditional name) 1938 represents a further development and modernization of type IIa tanks.
Comparing these tanks, it can be seen that the modernization took place along the line of changing the chassis of the tank.
1. The armament of the IIa and T-2b tanks is completely identical and consists of a twenty-millimeter automatic cannon coaxial with a normal-caliber machine gun and a submachine gun.
The armor of both vehicles is 6-15 mm, designed to protect only from rifle-machine-gun-armor-piercing fire of normal caliber.
The external shape of the hull is quite successful and provides a good layout of the chassis of the tank.
In terms of weapons and instruments, the following deserves the attention of designers of the domestic industry:
- a) The turning mechanism of the tower.
- b) Lifting mechanism of twin installation.
- c) Installation and fastening of the machine gun in the tower.
- d) Backup device for monitoring the driver.
2. As the engine on the tank, a serial Maybach automobile engine is installed (the same engine is installed on the Krauss-Maffei half-track tractors). The engine has been worked out well and is quite reliable in operation.
Starting the engine is provided, in addition to the electric starter, by an inertial starter.
3. On tanks II-a, the undercarriage is made on six small-diameter rollers (from each side), connected to 3 carriages.
On the T-2b tank, the suspension is independent and there are five road wheels of increased diameter on each side. The suspension is original in design, easy to manufacture and ensures constant contact of the rollers with the caterpillar. The suspension in its compactness and damping properties has an advantage over torsion bar suspensions.
The caterpillar is melkozvenchaty, lantern gearing with a small lateral clearance on the drive wheel, which guarantees the caterpillar from falling off.
4. The transmission scheme of the T-2b tank is similar to the T-2a, and is typical for German tank building. The presence of a six-speed gearbox with synchronizers provides the tank with good maneuverability and ease of control.
The planetary turning mechanism is large in size and weight, and difficult to manufacture. Its advantage is reliability in operation and the absence of the need for adjustment.
5. Access to units subject to frequent inspection and adjustment is good. The dismantling of the tank units is difficult (for example, the removal of the turret is required to remove the gearbox). The latter can be explained by the fact that the quality of the produced tanks is of high quality, which eliminates the need for frequent removal of units from the tank.
A common feature of the light tank T-2b is that, like all German tanks, it is made according to a single scheme adopted in Germany for tanks.
The use of a single scheme and common standard parts in the production of tanks significantly reduces the cost and speeds up the production of tanks, and facilitates the training of combat and repair personnel.
In terms of design and production design, the T-2b tank is a modern combat vehicle.
Of no interest
Despite the rather flattering assessment of the training ground specialists, the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C did not really impress the Soviet tank builders. In 1939-40, Soviet tank building took a big step forward. An analogue of the Pz.Kpfw.II in the USSR was to be the SP-126 infantry escort tank, which later turned into the T-50. Even at an early stage of design, the German car was inferior to him in everything.
Designers were much more interested not in the light German tank, but in the medium Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.G, which really had a noticeable impact on Soviet tank building. This also applies to Soviet light tanks. At the same time, it was decided to bring Soviet light vehicles as close as possible to a medium tank in a number of characteristics.
General visibility scheme Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C
The second tank, Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.A, was sent for study to Leningrad, at NII-48. There, the car was included in the program for studying the quality of foreign armor. It's funny, but this car, according to the report, passes as "Polish tank of German production of welded structure" . The car was dismantled, and later the hull with the turret was shot, and a report was made. It was noted that the details of the hull were carefully made, and the welds after the shelling did not have cracks. The armor itself was considered fragile.
The Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C restored at the NIIBT test site as of April 1, 1941 was supposed to be placed in the museum at the test site. But after the start of the Great Patriotic War, traces of the tank are lost.
Dismantled "Polish German-made tank" Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.A under study in Leningrad
Already during the war, several Pz.Kpfw.IIs hit Kubinka. After the war, one tank remained here - Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F, turret number 28384. Most likely, it was made at the Ursus factory in Warsaw. It should be noted that during the Great Patriotic War, no research work on the study of the Pz.Kpfw.II was carried out in the USSR. By this time, for our tank building, it was yesterday.
Official designation: Medium Tank T2
Alternative designation: Cunningham T2
Start of design: 1929
Date of construction of the first prototype: 1930
Completion stage: one prototype built.
The M1921 medium tank, which was born in 1921, undoubtedly became, if not a breakthrough, then at least a landmark vehicle in the history of American tank building, which was only gaining momentum in those years.
In addition to the "classic" layout, this tank had good protection and armament, but a number of technical problems prevented its mass production in time, and even after standardization in 1928 as the Medium Tank T1, it still did not enter mass production. In parallel, from March 1926, work was underway on the M1924 tank, but this machine could not get out of the stage of sketches and scale models.
However, it is also impossible to say that American tank builders are fixated only on improving the M1921. The main “engine of progress” was engineer Harry Nox, who, thanks to his irrepressible energy, was able to literally push through several rather controversial (from a constructive point of view) designs and bring them to the stage of full-fledged prototypes.
When it became clear that it would not be possible to “squeeze” something more out of the M1921, Knox presented a project for a completely new medium tank, the already built prototype Light Tank T1 was used as a model for the appearance of which. In turn, the layout of the light tank was clearly borrowed from the British Medium Tank Mk.I.
Design of a medium tank, later designated Medium Tank T2, was started in 1929. The lead designer was the already mentioned Harry Knox, and a team of engineers was allocated by James Cunningham Son & Co. Actually, at its facilities, the construction and refinement of a prototype was subsequently carried out.
Structurally, the American "medium" was indeed very close to the British "medium". In the bow of the hull housed the power plant, which was based on a very powerful aircraft 12-cylinder air-cooled Liberty L-12 engine, derated from 400 to 338 hp to reduce the load on the transmission. The engine was installed with an offset to the right, since the driver's seat was located to the left of it.
To improve the living conditions of this crew member, a box-shaped superstructure was introduced with three hatches that opened up on hinges: a front one with a viewing slot and two side hatches. The engine compartment contained a lubrication and cooling system, and the exhaust pipe was brought to the starboard side. The fuel tanks were taken out of the hull and placed in the side boxes. At the same time, for ease of maintenance, air filters were installed in the fighting compartment.
Behind the partition, in the aft part of the hull, there was a combat and transmission compartment, which were made combined. For boarding and disembarking from the tank, only one double-leaf door was intended in the vertical aft armor plate of the hull. Due to the large volume, the layout of the workplaces of the rest of the crew members (commander / gunner, loader and second gunner) turned out to be quite spacious.
The armor of the T2 tank could hardly be called impressive, but the 19-22 mm thick frontal armor reliably protected against small arms fire (including heavy machine guns) and small fragments. The situation from the sides was a little worse, but even in this case, the security of the crew and vital units was considered sufficient.
The armament was very powerful. In a cylindrical turret mounted on the roof of the fighting compartment, an installation of a 5-shot 47-mm gun and a 12.7-mm Browning M2HB machine gun was mounted. On the roof of the tower was a commander's cupola with a single hatch.
In addition, in the frontal hull sheet, to the right of the driver, there was a T3E1 ball mount with a 37-mm semi-automatic cannon and a coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun. It is worth noting that this gun fired 1.91-pound projectiles with a muzzle velocity of 777 m/s. In theory, such a combination of barrels was deadly for any armored vehicle of a potential enemy, but in practice there were problems with the maintenance of such installations.
The undercarriage deserves special mention. Drawing analogies with the chassis of the Medium Tank Mk.I\Mk.II would not be very correct, since the British tank used a slightly different suspension system.
On the American T2, 12 road wheels were used on one side, assembled in 6 bogies with suspension on spring springs, 4 support rollers, a front guide wheel and a rear drive wheel. The caterpillar belt consisted of 80 metal tracks 381 mm wide. Open suspension elements were protected by a bulwark with hinged sections.
Tests of the prototype medium tank T2, which arrived at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in late December 1930, were initially very successful. With a combat weight of 14125 kg, the tank had a specific power of about 20 hp. per ton, which even in our time is considered more than an acceptable indicator.
Top speed was 25 mph (40 km/h) on paved roads, but was subsequently limited to 20 mph (32 km/h) to conserve undercarriage life. With a fuel reserve of 94 gallons (356 liters), the cruising range was 145 km. In general, reviews of the T2 were favorable and the matter could well have reached mass production, if not for two difficult circumstances.
The Great Depression, which began in 1929, led to such a significant reduction in military orders that subsequently manufacturing firms were forced to purchase the necessary equipment for their own money with a very illusory hope of payback.
Accordingly, money for the Medium Tank T2 modernization program was allocated on a very modest scale. But that was only half the trouble - the real problem was engineer GW Christie's fast M1928 and M1931 tanks, which really represented a revolutionary breakthrough. Despite weaker armor and modest armament, these vehicles developed simply fantastic speed and had the then promising "candle" suspension.
Despite this, the T2 tests were continued. In the process of practical firing, it turned out that the 47-mm automatic gun is unbalanced. They tried to eliminate this shortcoming by installing counterweights in front of the gun mantlet, which was done in May 1931.
Next, the T3E1 installation was dismantled (more for economic reasons), instead of which the T1 installation appeared with the old short-barreled 37-mm M1916 gun. However, this option was considered unsatisfactory, so in the summer of that year the gun was replaced by a 7.62-mm machine gun. Also increased the number of external fuel tanks to two on the port side.
After completing the first part of the test cycle, the tank was sent for revision. New track tracks were installed, as well as an anti-aircraft machine gun turret, although the T2's design was otherwise unchanged. When in January 1932 the tank was re-transferred to the Aberdeen Proving Ground, the weapons in the turret were dismantled from it. However, it was all in vain. The American "medium" developed by Harry Knox did not look presentable against the background of Christie's tanks, and it was in this situation that the Ordnance Department decided to hold "demonstration performances" with the participation of all competitors.
Somewhat earlier, medium tanks T2 and T3, as well as light tanks T1E1 and T1E2, were transferred for military testing to the 2nd tank company, which in October 1932 was reorganized into the 67th infantry company. The place of its deployment was Fort Benning, where American congressmen periodically came, on whose opinion the fate of many combat vehicles depended. Seeing the potential capabilities of Christie's tanks, it immediately became clear to them what to spend the already meager funds on - thus, by the beginning of 1932, the fate of the T2 was finally decided.
The only prototype built in the late 1930s. sent to the Aberdeen Proving Ground, where he became a museum piece. It was there for many decades and only recently the question of moving the Medium Tank T2 to the exposition of the new tank museum in Fort Lee was raised. In the meantime, the tank is in Anniston (Alabama) awaiting restoration.
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Sources:
Sources:
R.P. Hunnicutt “Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank. Part I". Echo Point Books & Media. ISBN-10:1626548617. 2015
George F.Hofmann, Donn Albert Starry "Camp Colt to Desert Storm"
Warspot: Scaling Method (Yuri Pasholok)
WW2Vehicles: United States T2 medium tank
Surviving rare US pre-1945 Tanks
PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEDIUM TANK T2 Medium Tank Model 1932
| COMBAT WEIGHT | 14125 kg |
| CREW, pers. | 4 |
| DIMENSIONS | |
| Length, mm | 2760 |
| Width, mm | 2440 |
| Height, mm | ~2500 |
| Clearance, mm | 400 |
| WEAPONS | one 47 mm cannon and coaxial 12.7 mm Browning M2HB machine gun in the turret, one 37 mm cannon in the hull and one 7.62 mm Browning M1919 machine gun |
| AMMUNITION | 75 rounds, 2000 rounds for 12.7 mm machine gun and 4500 rounds for 7.62 mm machine gun |
| AIMING DEVICES | telescopic sight М1918 |
| BOOKING | hull forehead - 19 mm hull board - 6.4 mm hull feed - 6.4 mm tower - 22 mm roof - 3.35 mm bottom - 3.35 mm |
| ENGINE | Liberty, 12-cylinder, 338 hp at 750 rpm, water-cooled |
| TRANSMISSION | mechanical type |
| CHASSIS | (on one side) 12 track rollers interlocked in 6 bogies, 4 support rollers, front guide and rear drive wheel, caterpillar of 76 steel tracks 381 mm wide and 108 mm pitch |
| SPEED | 40 km/h highway (max.) 32 km/h (normal) |
| HIGHWAY RANGE | 145 km |
| OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME | |
| Climb angle, deg. | 35° |
| Wall height, m | ? |
| Ford depth, m | ? |
| Ditch width, m | ? |
| MEANS OF COMMUNICATION | — |
Cases when a more advanced tank, adopted for service, were replaced by a modification inferior to it in terms of characteristics, are extremely rare. In Soviet tank building, the KV-1s became such an example, which in many respects turned out to be a necessary measure. Less heavy than the KV-1, this vehicle also had less thick armor, but its reliability and mobility increased due to a reduction in weight and a more advanced gearbox. At the same time, the tank itself has undergone a lot of alterations and improvements.
In the case of the Germans, the most striking example of such a paradoxical rearmament waspz. Kpfw. II ausf. F . Here it was about the actual return, with minor modifications, to a less perfect modification of the "two" (ausf. C) than already adopted (ausf. D).
Back to springs
The question that the La.S.100 chassis is far from perfect was raised in the 6th Department of the Department of Armaments as early as January 1937. Despite the fact that MAN was working on a modernized version of the car with a new chassis, Heinrich Knimkamp insisted on starting work on a completely different chassis. It was supposed to have a torsion bar suspension and a slightly different layout of the units. The chassis received the designation La.S.138, its prospects were rated very highly. In correspondence, employees of the 6th department of the Department of Armaments La.S. was called devoid of a future and was looking forward to the launch of a new version of the Pz.Kpfw.II.
In fact, the situation was not at all as rosy as it was seen by German engineers. For starters, work on La.S.138 dragged on. In addition, on June 18, 1938, in the midst of preparations for production, the Ordnance Department (Waffenamt) authorized the development of a tank codenamed VK 9.01. Such a decision can definitely be considered a sign that a threat looms over La.S.138.
The new commander's cupola was one of the innovations of the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F. She migrated from the modernization of Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.c-C
And the tank itself, which received the designation Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.D, turned out to be not as ideal as it seemed to its creators. It turned out that simultaneously with the transition to a torsion bar suspension, the combat weight of the vehicle increased by two tons. Of course, far from one suspension was to blame for this. The designers strengthened the armor of the frontal part of the hull and the turret box, and the placement of internal components and assemblies was somewhat changed. Nevertheless, such an increase in mass did not at all please the 6th department of the Department of Armaments.
Finally, soon struck back and conditionally retired La.S.100. The Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.c built on this platform and the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.A-C following it turned out to be much more successful vehicles in terms of suspension reliability. It turned out that the designers gave up on the springs completely in vain. As a result, 43 Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.Ds, manufactured from October 1938 to April 1939, were simply lost in a much larger volume of Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C. As for the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.E, the seven chassis produced in this modification did not become "ordinary" tanks and were used as a base for the construction of flamethrower vehicles.
The driver's viewing device migrated from the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.D to the new vehicle
Against this background, it is not surprising that already at the beginning of 1939, the order department for tanks and tracked vehicles (Wa J Rü-WuG 6) planned the release of a new series of tanks - 9.Serie / La.S.100. According to the original plan, the first five tanks of the 9th series were supposed to be received in May 1940, the end of the production of a batch of 404 9.Serie / La.S.100 was expected in December of the same year. This meant that the release of the "bad" tank would continue.
On secondary production bases
The spring and summer of 1939 were a time of major changes in the German tank building program. The MAN company, the developer and main production site for the Pz.Kpfw.II, as well as a number of other enterprises, switched to the production of the Pz.Kpfw.III. For this reason, Pz.Kpfw.II production volumes were rapidly declining. From 81 tanks in March 1939 in May, they fell to 14 vehicles, and in the future, the monthly output never exceeded the figure of 10 tanks.
This copy was intended for military operations in Africa. The front mudguards quickly "left"
In the summer of 1939, the FAMO (Fahrzeug-und Motoren-Werke GmbH) plant in Breslau (now Polish Wroclaw) remained the only production site for this tank. Just in 1939, FAMO began to produce an 18-ton Sd.Kfz.9 half-track tractor. The mastery of this very difficult vehicle in terms of design significantly influenced the timing of the launch of the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C.
The order was small (35 tanks), but production problems led to the fact that in July FAMO managed to deliver only two tanks. In August, their number increased to five, the same number was handed over in September. But after the October growth (eight tanks), only two vehicles were delivered in November. This was followed by a long pause, only in April 1940 was it possible to release the last nine tanks.
This picture was connected with the high losses of Pz.Kpfw.II in the Polish campaign. With irretrievable losses of 83 tanks, there were much more damaged vehicles. To repair them, it was necessary to use spare parts that were intended, among other things, for assembling tanks at FAMO.
A fake viewing device, installed to the right of the real one, was the hallmark of this modification of the tank.
As of November 11, 1939, FAMO and Alkett were supposed to be used as assemblers of the new 9.Serie / La.S.100. The Waffenamt continued to consider May 1940 as the start date for production, but here new factors had already begun to interfere with the plans of the military. The Polish campaign showed that the armor of the Pz.Kpf.II needed to be strengthened. On the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.c-C, the issue was resolved by installing shielding, while on the new tanks, the frontal armor of the hull and turret was reinforced from the very beginning to 30 mm. This required alteration of the hull and turret blueprints, and as of 24 January 1940 the blueprints were still in progress.
Another design change was added on 7 March 1940. Instead of a double hatch, the commander received a turret with viewing devices, which significantly improved his visibility. At the same time, the innovation again shifted the start date for the release of 9.Serie/La.S.100. The tank and tracked vehicle orders department moved the start of production to June 1940. However, later it turned out that great optimists worked there.
The May-June 1940 campaign cost the German tank forces 240 Pz.Kpfw.II. Again, a large number of damaged cars accumulated. An additional factor hindering the release was the fact that now FAMO and Alkett were also involved in the release of Pz.Kpw.III. Soon the Alkett plant received the first order for the production of StuG III self-propelled guns. It became more and more obvious that 9.Serie/La.S.100 would not be produced in Spandau. The final decision on this issue was made on September 19, 1940. The contract was completely transferred to FAMO, but even there they were not ready to fulfill it. Another platform was needed for the production of long-suffering light tanks. And it was not found in Germany at all.
This tank was lost during the fighting in Africa. The new muffler and flue devices, covered with an armored casing, make it easy to distinguish pz.
Kpfw.
II ausf.
F from earlier machines
As a result of the Polish campaign, Polish enterprises were at the disposal of the Germans. Among them was the Ursus plant, which was part of PZInż (Państwowe Zakłady Inżynierii). The tanks and armored vehicles produced by PZInż turned out to be of little interest to the Germans in terms of continuing their production. Ursus became part of FAMO, changing its name to Famo-Warschau. At the same time, the plant was often still referred to as Ursus in correspondence. It was here that it was decided to create an additional site for the production of tanks. So Ursus became the only factory in the territories captured by the Germans during the Second World War, which produced German tanks and self-propelled guns.
This tank was produced by the Ursus factory in the summer of 1941. He was part of the 31st Panzer Regiment of the 5th Panzer Division.
The first 10 tanks of the 9th series at the Polish plant were planned to be released in September 1940, by July 1941 they were going to reach the level of 40 vehicles per month. These plans also turned out to be far from the real picture. On October 1, 1940, they were corrected until the release of the first three cars in December 1940, but this also turned out to be an unrealizable dream. In December, the plans looked like this: the release of seven tanks in January 1941, the next ten - in February. On March 1, realizing that this could no longer continue, Alkett was connected to help in mastering production. Through the joint efforts of Alkett and Ursus, seven tanks were finally delivered in March 1941. As for the FAMO plant, the first tanks of the 9th series left Breslau only in August 1941.
Temporary long-liver
By the beginning of 1941, the 9.Serie/La.S.100 modification tank, designated Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F in the series, was in a rather delicate situation. In June 1940, the 6th Department of the Ordnance Department initiated work on the creation of the VK 9.03, a light tank of the 10-ton class. The MAN designers developed the car, while Heinrich Knipkamp took an active part in the work. With armament and armor similar to the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F, the vehicle should have become much faster. The 9.Serie/La.S.100 was supposed to be a temporary replacement for this promising light tank.
Weak armor forced tankers to experiment. In this case, tracks were used as additional armor.
In the two years that have passed since the decision was made to start production of the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F, the vehicle has changed little. Technically, the new tank repeated the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C. The main changes were made to the hull and turret. It was decided to abandon the complex frontal part of the hull. Instead, they made a much simpler design, similar in shape to the additional armor installed on the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.c-C.
The new modification can be easily distinguished by the shape of the frontal part of the turret box. The designers abandoned the bevel on the right side, and the driver received a viewing device similar to that installed on the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.D and Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.E. To the right of it was placed a mock-up viewing device made of aluminum. As planned by the authors, this was supposed to confuse enemy soldiers.
The shape of the left side of the engine plate has changed slightly, but the change in the muffler has become much more noticeable. In order to place a block of smoke devices on the aft plate, the muffler had to be made noticeably shorter. The turret also underwent minimal changes, almost no different from the modernization of the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C. In a word, if it were not for production problems, there were no obstacles to a quick transition to the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C.
The same tank from the other side
The first alterations to the design of the new tank began even before it was launched into mass production. They were connected with the fact that the first parts of the African Corps went to North Africa. In order for the tanks to work normally in the desert, it was necessary to strengthen their ventilation system. Thus, the very first production Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F had the possibility of a quick conversion to a tropical version. Armor kits were supplied by two factories: Deutsche Edelstahlwerke from Reimscheid, as well as Eisen und Hüttenwerke AG from Bochum.
Tank with serial number 28329, produced by Ursus in February 1942. The vehicle, which was part of the 5th SS Panzer Division "Viking", already has a turret box
Production unfolded rather slowly. After the release of seven tanks in March 1941, Ursus delivered no more than 15 vehicles per month during April - June. The plant reached its design capacity of 20 tanks per month only in July. As for FAMO, here the situation turned out to be absolutely awful. For the whole of 1941, Breslau never managed to overcome the bar of ten tanks per month. As a result, Warsaw was forced to speed up the pace so that the monthly shipment of both plants corresponded to the planned one. By the end of 1941, 233 Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F.
One of the tanks lost by the Germans in Tunisia in the winter of 1943
The arrival of new tanks to the troops began closer to the summer of 1941. At that time, a lot of questions had accumulated about the tanks of the Pz.Kpfw.II family. The fact that the 20-mm automatic gun clearly does not correspond to the realities of modern warfare was clearly shown by the campaign in France. Could not boast of Pz.Kpfw.II and high mobility. According to this indicator, he did not stand out against the background of medium tanks.
It is not surprising that there was no place in the promising rearmament program for the Pz.Kpfw.II. This program, dated May 30, 1941, was designed for five years and provided for the supply of 2592 VK 903 to tank units. They were planned to be used as reconnaissance vehicles.
But, as often happens, the plans did not always correspond to reality. The result of the VK 903 program turned out to be sad: this car was never built either in the series or even in metal. However, even if this tank had been born, it would most likely have shared the fate of its "younger brother", the VK 901, also known as the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.G. With sin in half, MAN built 45 of these tanks, which did not take root in the troops.
The reconnaissance tank VK 13.01 turned out to be a more promising direction. This vehicle was the first German light tank to have a two-man turret. Having evolved into VK 13.03, it eventually turned out to be a German reconnaissance tank with the most successful fate. True, even in 1941 there was still no certainty in this. Work on the tank was delayed, and the Pz.Kpfw.38(t) n.A. program was launched to secure it. and Škoda T-15.
One of the captured Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F at the Research Range of the Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army (NIP GABTU KA). Kubinka, 1944
The delay in work on the creation of "full-fledged" reconnaissance tanks and the experience of fighting on the Eastern Front forced the 6th Department of the Armaments Department to look for alternatives. Beginning in November 1941, Pz.Kpfw.IIs began to be equipped with mounts for installing additional periscopes. The loss by this time of more than a third of the Pz.Kpfw.II of their original number in June 1941 gave the German military food for thought. More and more reports came from the units that light tanks poorly corresponded to the realities of hostilities.
Judging by the mark on the front sheet, the car was knocked out at least once
Despite this, the first half of 1942 saw the peak of production of the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F. The record was set in May - 56 tanks. At the same time, it was in May 1942 that an ax was raised over the Pz.Kpfw.II production program.
Back in March of 1942, the Pz.Kpfw.II (F) flamethrowers decided to be converted into self-propelled artillery mounts. The same thing happened with the Pz.Kpfw.38(t). The final decision to reduce the production of Pz.Kpfw.II was made in the summer of 1942. On June 7, Field Marshal Keitel proposed to completely switch to the production of self-propelled guns based on them. Hitler agreed to the production of half of the tanks in this form. On June 29, the share of self-propelled guns increased to 3/4, and on July 11 it was decided that this month would be the last for the Pz.Kpfw.II.
Same tank, left side view
In 1942, FAMO and Ursus produced 276 Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F. In total, 509 of them were made, that is, much more than was originally expected. Due to the fact that the contracts were repeatedly renegotiated, the numbering of the cars turned out to be a little torn. According to the research of Thomas Yentz and Hilary Doyle, the serial numbers were distributed as follows:
- Ursus - 28001–28204;
- FAMO - 28205–28304;
- Ursus - 28305–28489;
- FAMO - 28820–28839.
The cessation of production of the Pz.Kpfw.II did not mean at all that these tanks would quickly disappear from the units. As of September 1, 1942, there were 1039 tanks of this type in the troops. The statistics of losses, which in the second half of 1942 only once exceeded the figure of 40 tanks (43 in November 1942), clearly shows that these vehicles were slowly withdrawn from the first line. The surviving Pz.Kpfw.IIs were gradually transferred to other tasks: they were used for reconnaissance, as command vehicles and artillery observer vehicles.
Unlike the Pz.Kpfw.38(t), which were mostly converted into self-propelled guns or tractors, the Pz.Kpfw.II continued to serve. Most often they were used in units where there were self-propelled guns on the Pz.Kpfw.II chassis. As of October 1, 1944, the troops still had 386 tanks of this type.
As is often the case, the native "body kit" from the shelves completely disappeared, in some places along with the mounts
Periodically, the cars were sent to the factories, where they underwent major repairs, then again sent to the troops. Such a fate was, for example, the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F, now located in the Patriot park. Unfortunately, its chassis number has not been preserved, but the turret number (28384) suggests that the tank was produced at the Ursus factory in March 1942. Not earlier than the spring of 1943, the tank underwent a major overhaul, during which the old paint was completely removed from it, repainted in dark yellow Dunkelgelb nach Muster. Judging by the surviving markings, the tank was used as a command vehicle of the second battalion.
Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F booking scheme compiled by Soviet specialists
Captured Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.Fs repeatedly fell into the hands of the Red Army. But they were almost of no interest to Soviet specialists. For Soviet tank building, this tank was yesterday back in 1941. The analogue of the German light tank was the Soviet T-70, against which the Pz.Kpfw.II had very little chance on the battlefield.
Sources and literature:
- NARA materials.
- Materials of TsAMO RF.
- Panzer Tracts No. 2–3 - Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf.D, E, and F development and production from 1937 to 1942, Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary Louis Doyle, Darlington Publication, 2010.
- Materials from the photo archive of the author.
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