The Panzer I was a light tank produced by Germany in the 1930s. Its name is short for Panzerkampfwagen I, abbreviated as Pz.Kpfw. I. The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 101 ("special purpose vehicle 101").
The Panzer IV was originally intended to be used only on a limited scale, so initially Krupp was its sole manufacturer. Prior to the Polish campaign, only 217 Panzer IVs had been produced: 35 Ausf. A; 42 Ausf. B; and 140 Ausf. C; in 1941, production was extended to Vogtländische Maschinenfabrik ("VOMAG") (located in the city of Plauen) and the Nibelungenwerk in the Austrian city of St. Valentin.
The Panzer IV was originally intended to be used only on a limited scale, so initially Krupp was its sole manufacturer. Prior to the Polish campaign, only 217 Panzer IVs had been produced: 35 Ausf. A; 42 Ausf. B; and 140 Ausf. C; in 1941, production was extended to Vogtländische Maschinenfabrik ("VOMAG") (located in the city of Plauen) and the Nibelungenwerk in the Austrian city of St. Valentin.
The Panzer IV was originally intended to be used only on a limited scale, so initially Krupp was its sole manufacturer. Prior to the Polish campaign, only 217 Panzer IVs had been produced: 35 Ausf. A; 42 Ausf. B; and 140 Ausf. C; in 1941, production was extended to Vogtländische Maschinenfabrik ("VOMAG") (located in the city of Plauen) and the Nibelungenwerk in the Austrian city of St. Valentin.
The Sd.Kfz. 223 was Command and Communications vehicle, distinguished by its large collapsible aerial antenna frame above the gun emplacement. It featured a crew of three, including a driver, commander, and machine gunner. The Sd.Kfz. 223 was produced in 567 units from 1936 to January 1944, benefiting from its dedicated armored chassis and Horch V8 gasoline engine for cross-country travel. The vehicle's design was closely related to the Sd.Kfz. 221, with a stepped rear upper hull section and a tapered hatch covering the engine compartment. The Sd.Kfz. 223 was used for reconnaissance and communications missions, with its light armor protection and 4x4 wheeled design providing it with the necessary strength for military service.
The Sd.Kfz. 222's development and deployment were marked by its success in early campaigns against unprepared opponents, but it faced significant vulnerabilities when confronting well-equipped Allied forces. The vehicle's armor-piercing vulnerability was discovered during tests, leading to its eventual replacement by the Sd.Kfz. 234 Puma. The Sd.Kfz. 222's history is a testament to the complexities of armored vehicle development and the impact of engineering compromises on battlefield performance.
The Skoda PA-II Turtle Armored Car, also known as the "Zelva" (Turtle), was a Czech-designed armored vehicle that saw limited military use during World War II. Developed by Škoda, the PA-II was based on the earlier PA-I design but featured a new streamlined armored body.
The AT-1 is a Soviet self-propelled gun prototype developed in the 1930s, based on the T-26 light tank chassis, featuring a 76.2 mm gun and designed for artillery support.
The BA-10 (Russian: Broneavtomobil 10) was an armored car developed in the Soviet Union in 1938 and produced through 1941. It was the most produced Soviet pre-1941 heavy armored car – 3311 were built in three versions. These versions were the BA-10, the BA-10M (improved version with new radio), and the BA-10ZhD (equipped for dual railway/road use).
The BA-20 armored car was developed in 1934 for use by HQ staffs, reconnaissance and communications units. It was derived from the civilian GAZ-M1 car using its chassis, which was itself a modified version of a Ford design, produced by the Nizhny Novgorod-based vehicle manufacturer GAZ.
The BA-20 armored car was developed in 1934 for use by HQ staffs, reconnaissance and communications units. It was derived from the civilian GAZ-M1 car using its chassis, which was itself a modified version of a Ford design, produced by the Nizhny Novgorod-based vehicle manufacturer GAZ.
KhT-130 (OT-130) Flamethrower tank was a variant of the T-26 light infantry tank model 1933, using a larger 45 mm gun turret (main gun was replaced with a flamethrower).
This elusive vehicle was rarely reported on in the West, and for some time its existence and many of the details surrounding it were unknown. Despite the secrecy surrounding it, however, the SU-122-54 was a very real vehicle that saw service, seeing use in some of the largest Soviet military actions of the 1960s. The SU-122-54 was developed, put into production, fielded, and retired, all whilst managing to remain largely a secret from NATO forces.
The SU-18 SPH is a Soviet self-propelled gun that was based on the T-18 chassis and used a 76.2-mm regimental gun model 1927. The design was based on a captured French Renault FT-17BS, but it replaced the turret with a truncated pyramid shape. The SU-18 had an ammunition capacity of 4-6 rounds and was known for its relatively slow speed and short range.
The T-18 light tank (also called MS-1) was the first Soviet-designed tank. Produced from 1928 to 1931, it was based on the Renault FT, with the addition of a vertically sprung suspension.
