Rare Crazy Panzer Projekts.

[Soren]

Look at that mine clearing vehicle, it's got tracks that are atleast 100mm thick! And by the looks of it they are attached in a manner which allow quick replacement of one when it was destroyed in a blast. The belly is probably 200mm or thicker. So an AT mine should be no problem.

As for the effectiveness of the vehicle, well it was probably excellent when you knew where there were mines, but it was probably way too slow and heavy to have around everytime it would be needed. Would've been a real pain in the ass having to drag than thing around while trying to invade a place like the USSR.

 

[CharlesBronson]

According to "Panzer Tracts" the belly armour in The Alkett raumgerät was 50 mm thick, wich was enough to withstand the explosions, considering the rise up emplacement of the crew.

 

[CharlesBronson]

3.7cm Selbsfahrlafette L/70

Design of 1935 by Reihnmetall Borsig. A long AAA flak gun mounted in a fully traversible turret with coaxial machinegun

The chassis was an armored Hansa-Lloyd-Goliath Zgkw 3t. No much more data available, it was tested by cavalry units in 1936.

 

[HealzDevo]

The tank that couldn't decide between being an armoured car, a tank and a half-track so tried to be all three at once... Interesting project. Obviously wasn't very successful as there is no further data on it...

 

[CharlesBronson]

The tank that couldn't decide between being an armoured car, a tank and a half-track so tried to be all three at once...

Probably was made because the german army needs a bit of everything in those pre-war days.

 

[HealzDevo]

Yes, still does seem like it would have been hard to use being all three at once...

 

[CharlesBronson]

Other proto of the pre-war period.

Mannschaftstransportwagen ARW Magirus

The Magirus variant of the ARW was slightly better armored, so in order to save some weight special cast aluminium alloy center roadwheels were developed and manufactured for this model.

Also the turret was different, it had a two crew but with 2 MG 08 7,92mm water cooled machineguns, no cannon installed. The machineguns mounting allowed some independet movement and the turret itself could turn 360 º by hand.

A single prototype of this heavy armored car was completed for test trials in the winter 1930.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Auto Union Kätzchen

The Kätzchen ( little cat or kitty) proposal for an armored personnel carrier in the same way and the BMM proposal ( based in panzer 38 t)

Just a prototipe made, no production series.

 

[Matt308]

Great pics, CB.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Thanks, maybe is just me but the name "kitty" sounds a bit "gay" for a military vehicle

 

[Matt308]

Doesn't it also translate to "p#ssy" too? That's worse than "kitty".

 

[CharlesBronson]

Yea, maybe the guy in charge to name the new panzer was a surviving SA member...you know what I mean.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Pzkpfw IX X Propaganda Panzers

Two designs wich were published in the german propaganda magazine "signal" in late 1944, the development is purely fictional and was made with the purpose to misinformate the allied intelligence services. Of course given the german inclination for the super heavy panzers those designs does nor appeared so irrational, at list at that time.


"The mighty Panzer X breaching into the Eastern front", sketch published in Signal oktober 1944.

The stimated data for the Panzer X ( that is stimated according "Signal" ) armor was 240 mm in the front and 120 mm in the sides, the main gun was a 105 mm kwk, weight 150 tons.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Panzerkampfwagen IV with Torsion Bar Suspension

The suspension of the early tanks developed by the German army leading up to World War II tended to use coil-springs or leaf-springs exclusively. The Panzer III even utilized coil- and leaf-spring suspension until the standardization of the Ausf. E. The first German torsion bar designs appeared after E. Kniepkamp took charge of WaPruef 6 in 1936.

The torsion bar design was preferred for several reasons including its survivability and reduced tendency for blockage by ice, snow, or mud.

Another attractive feature of the torsion bar suspension was the handling and running characteristics. Because torsion bar suspension allowed each wheel to move independently, the ride was drastically impoved over earlier designs. Unfortunately, at the time of the standardization of the Panzer IV, improvement of the ride was not seen as a priority. Therefore, Krupp ultimately decided to use the bogie pairs on leaf springs rather than the torsion bar layout. Ultimately, the engineers at Krupp found themselves at constant odds with the Heeres Waffenamt.

The prototype was converted in a experimental bruckenlegerpanzer ( brigde laying tank)​

 

[Ramirezzz]

maybe it was already posted before but anyway
warhistory: Чудо-юдо - шведский Ñ'яжелый броневичок 1929 года....

 

[JugBR]

how about this one ?

One of the most interesting prototypes based Panzer III's chassis was Minenraumpanzer III - mine clearing/mine destroyer tank developed by Krupp. It proved to be unsuccessful and never entered production.

Achtung Panzer! - PzKpfw III

 

[CharlesBronson]

Here you got more information about the mine destroyer Pz III

Minenraumgerät mit Pzkpfw III antrieb.

Minenraumgerät mit Pz III antrieb = Mine destroyer apparatus with pz III transmition.

Is not know wich firm developed this specializated mineclearer tank in mid 1941. Originally was tough that the extended suspenssion was used to roll over the mines and the enlenghtened torsion bars arms would be capable to withstand the blast. However that is simple not possible because the average antitank mine would cut off the pins of the track.

More evidence has been brought in the way of photos, in those a steel cross bar is seen in the front, that bar was used as the conection for two heavy steel rollers.

The extension of the tracks and suspenssion was designed to minimizate the noise, blast and stress on the crew manning the Raumgerat when it hit a mine. No operational use of the two Minenraumgerät Pz III antrieb is recorded.

 

[Soren]

Regarding the Kätzchen, it actually looks like a very good design, very similar to the M113.

 

[fly boy]

Damn!

der alder that like the first time i have known that you said damn

 

[CharlesBronson]

Regarding the Kätzchen, it actually looks like a very good design, very similar to the M113.

I dont like the open top, a hand grenade or an airburst shell and you are done.

2cm Flakvierling auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen IV

The 2cm Flakvierling auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagern IV, popularly known as the Möbelwagen ( furniture van or furniture truck), never actually entered volume production. The chassis was a simple conversion of the basic Panzerkampfwagen IV with a wider superstructure and large shields surrounding the 2cm Flakvierling 38. Hitler saw at least two demonstrations of the vehicle (in early 1943 and in October of 1943), but both times vetoed production. The chassis was ultimately used to create a Möbelwagen using the 3.7cm FlaK43.