After World War I: Heinz Guderian

Tanks were a major part of World War II. Many countries had their own tanks which they used in different strategies during the war. These vehicles were invented long before there was the technology of World War II. The Germans were known for their heavy class tanks, while the Americans were recognized for their medium Sherman tanks. The Allied forces would not have won World War II if it were not for their tanks.

In the winter of 1944, Allied forces in Europe found themselves at the mercy of a massive German offensive. It only took days for the thirteen divisions of German armor to push the allies into such a retreat that contemporary press named the battle after the “bulge” that appeared in the Allied lines. Initially, German soldiers outnumbered the Allies 2:1, while their tanks, the Panzer IV and the Tiger II, completely outclassed their allied counterparts. However, within the weeks, the offensive collapsed. The tanks were out of gas. There was not even enough aviation fuel for the Luftwaffe to cover the retreat (Cole).

The Battle of the Bulge, a massive German counteroffensive which began in December 1944, ultimately produced the largest casualty rate in any one battle throughout World War II. The Allied Forces alone lost almost 80,000 at the Battle of the Bulge. This casualty rate could have been much higher if Hitler would’ve grasped the importance and value of supply and logistical support. As a result, more than 1,500 tanks within Hitler’s most elite Panzer units simply ran out of gas only days after the “Bulge” broke through the Allied western front lines. However, the purpose of this paper is not to examine what could

A considerable factor in the astonishment that is the Battle of Normandy, is the distinct advantages both sides possessed heading into this bout. Germany and its technological advancement, is a clear reason for their sudden expansion, and the annihilation of other countries. Correspondingly, they had a weapon so fast, it was impossible to hear individual shots fired from the gun at once. The MG42, better known as “Hitler’s Zipper”, was the death machine responsible for sending hundreds of men to meet their maker that day. This weapon was the most rapid firing gun the world had ever seen. Uniquely capable of releasing up to 25 bullets per second. Bullets that travelled at a shocking 2,000 miles per hour. Germany had set up five MG42 posts along the beach. For this reason the location of the battle was also in Germany’s favor.

The deadliest tank in World war II until the arrival of the German Tiger II was the Russian T-34 medium tank, it was one of the technological wonders of the War. Designed, built, and used for the Soviet Union, the T-34 stunned the invading German army. The 3rd Reich attempted to clone the infamous tank, but its attempted never challenged the supremacy of the soviet colossus. The story of the T-34 is truly a remarkable one. Unlike its western counterparts the T-34 did not emerge from previous models of tank development, it was the result of overnight industrialization at tremendous human cost because of a ruthless Russian industrialization. The infamous tank was Communist leader Stalin’s way of Russia showing the world that it could outgun, out produce, and overwhelm the industrial west. Mass production of T-34 tanks began in 1940. The deadly T-34 was one of the most outstanding tanks of the second World War, and was controlled by a crew of five men. It mounted a 76.2 mm cannon with two 76.2 mm machine guns, and was coated in 80 mm

     In the first phase of World War II in Europe, Germany sought to avoid a long war. Germany's strategy was to defeat its opponents in a series of short campaigns. Germany quickly overran much of Europe and was victorious for more than two years by relying on a new military tactic called the "Blitzkrieg" (lightning war). Blitzkrieg tactics required the concentration of offensive weapons (such as tanks, planes, and artillery) along a narrow front. These forces would drive a breach in enemy defenses, permitting armored tank divisions to penetrate rapidly and roam freely behind enemy lines, causing shock and

The nazis had the best tanks in world war two. The Germans had 64 different kinds of tanks some of the more popular ones used was the panzer series and the panther series they also had tiger tanks

World War II was the first war to heavily employ tanks. The tanks ranged in variety for each of the individual nations. It has been said that the German Panzer tank was top dog on the battle field during the war but especially at the beginning of the war. This statement although true is not because the common belief that they were built better than other nation’s tanks but because German strategy and the preparedness of the tanks themselves and the crews operating them was vastly better than competing nations such as France and the Soviet Union.

“The bigger the tank, the bigger the stopping power”-said Adolf Hitler. Tanks were the main armored vehicle of World War 2 because they were effective on the battlefield and easy to build.Tanks played a major role in the war and could be found in almost all of the battles.Tanks in World War 2 were made better to devastate their opponent both physically and mentally, but they weren’t without flaws.

Tanks ultimately became a foundation of ground armies. Tank design had sophisticated considerably by World War II and were

When the war began, Hitler had mass produced many tanks to fight against the Soviets. One tank being the Panzer 1. This was a light tank that was fast to make and easy to maneuver. But the problem was that it was only armed with machine guns. Hitler thought the

WWII had lots of ups and down. There was a lot of good types of tanks followed by some flaws. The 3 main countries with tanks was America, Germany, and Russia. America used the sherman.

Since ancient times, weapons, armor and maneuverability have been a continual growing dynamic in warfare. Armored units have invariably been a primary weapon of war. Beginning in prehistoric times, sleds were used to move heavy objects. Later on, in the ancient middle east, horse-drawn carts were utilized to transport weapons. Chariots later evolved from those carts. The most developed horse pulled chariots were lightweight, two-wheeled, chariots and armored. Most chariots riders armed themselves with archers or spear men; this concept was also used in the evolution of the modern day tank. These chariots and their operators were the beginning of the what we know as the tank today(Tucker 1-2).

Despite losing both World Wars in the same century, the German military continues to be one of the most studied militaries in the history warfare. Not because of its ultimate failures, but because of its operational and tactical victories on the battlefield. The strategies of German General’s such as Heinz Guderian. Erwin Rommel and Erin von Manstein are among the names of those studied and considered some of the finest military general’s in the history of warfare. Guderian for his lightning success of the Polish invasion, Rommel for victories in France and North Africa and Von Manstein for France and his efforts on the Russian front. Despite amazing victories of the blitzkrieg, and clear tactical and operational success, Germany ultimately loses World War II, the Second World War it started in the same century. Many would argue that the chief reasons for Germany’s ultimate failure was the lack of strategic vision and thinking by Adolf Hitler as well as his micromanagement on the battlefield. This paper briefly examines this theory as well as other reasons laid out by scholars including the idea that Germany and the Axis power had no coordinating headquarters, weak alliances, and over used military power to achieve national goals. In its conclusion, this paper will attempt, if possible, to confirm the principal reason why Germany failed to win World War II.

The Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausführung E (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 181) was a masterpiece of German engineering in World War Two, and dominated the battlefield even after its obsolescence. There are many reasons for the great success of the Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausführung E (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 181) on the battlefield, notably its armor and armament, and also the factors which ultimately led to its downfall.