During war in Poland, in the autumn 1939 Heereswaffenamt, has given out the task to firms Daimler-Benz and Kraus-Maffei on development and manufacturing of specialized "policeman tank" for using on seized territories. The new battle machine would replace the weak PzKpfw I (at right) in police units. The new tank should be to have the thick armoure, to protect from AT bullet hits , and also protect from shells of small antitank artillery. The requirements to the new tank were very inconsistent, and task - provisional. The project, begun in 1940 was soon postponed, and to it have returned only in the winter 1941-42, when active actions of partisans have begun. The tank with the armour more than 60 mm was now required and consequently it's weight should make 20 tons. But the dimensions of the tank should remain minimum. To create the tank have begun in 1942. The armour body have designed in firm Daimler-Benz. The thickness of its forward protection was increased up to 80 mm (under the report of Kubinka - 82 mm). In the tank the engine Maybach HL 45P was established. The suspension, its "baby," was build under a management of E.Knipkamp. The crew consist of 2 persons. Weight of the tank has exceeded 20,000 kg, and its arms - two machine guns MG 34. Its total up to the end 1942 was made 30 such tanks, which of losses of battle machines at the front, have set off there. So eight tanks was transported to 1st tank division on the East front, where at least three of them were seized by Soviet troops. Other were sometimes used for guards of the communications in Russia and Yugoslavia against partisans, with respectable results. The suspension of the tank provided to it a very smooth course, though the speed of its movement was small. Due to wide tracks the tank had good passableness. During tests of the body of one of captured PzKpfw I Ausf F it has appeared stronger, than the PzKpfw IV. It is explained by the fact that the design of its body was more rigid. The tower of the tank was cylindrical, but had additional protection from thin steel of the conic form. Many modern authors laugh over by this "monster", criticizing its opportunity on a battle field. But they forget, that this tank was created not for the destruction of other tanks, but against bandit groups, not versus other AFVs. I am absolutely convinced, that this is a "tractor, thinking, that he has become a Tiger", in something has overtaken the time. It was for "limited military conflicts with armed bandit groups". It is possible, that with such small, well-reserved and armed machine guns, these tanks could participate in battle actions such as in Afghanistan, Chechnya and others. Back to The Gauntlet No. 19 Table of Contents Back to The Gauntlet List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Craig Martelle Publications This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com