Swinging The Sledgehammer The Combat Effectiveness Of German Heavy Tank Battalions In World War Ii
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Author | : Major Christopher W. Wilbeck |
Publisher | : Pickle Partners Publishing |
Total Pages | : 169 |
Release | : 2014-08-15 |
Genre | : History |
ISBN | : 1782897534 |
Download Swinging The Sledgehammer: The Combat Effectiveness Of German Heavy Tank Battalions In World War II Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
This thesis is a historical analysis of the combat effectiveness of the German schwere Panzer-Abteilung or Heavy Tank Battalions during World War II. During the course of World War II, the German Army developed heavy tank battalions to fulfill the concept of breaking through enemy defenses so faster, lighter mechanized forces could exploit the rupture. These heavy tank battalions had several different tables of organization, but were always centered around either the Tiger or the Tiger II tank. They fought in virtually every theater of Europe against every enemy of Germany. Ultimately, the German military created eleven Army and three Waffen-SS heavy tank battalions. Of the Army battalions, the German command fielded ten as independent battalions, which were allocated to Army Groups as needed. The German Army assigned the last heavy tank battalion as an organic unit of the elite Panzer Grenadier Division Grossdeutschland. The Waffen-SS allocated all of their battalions to a different Waffen-SS Corps. Because these units were not fielded until late in 1942, they did not participate in Germany’s major offensive operations that dominated the early part of World War II. Germany’s strategic situation after mid-1943 forced their military onto the defensive. Consequently, there are very few instances when heavy tank battalions attacked as a breakthrough force. During the latter part of the war, they were used in many different ways to provide defensive assistance along very wide frontages. This study assesses the German heavy tank battalions as generally effective, primarily because of the high kill ratio they achieved. However, based upon observations from a wide variety of examples, this study also outlines several areas where changes may have increased their effectiveness.
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Download Land-Isopoden aus dem Kaukasus-Gebiet Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
Author | : U.s. Army Command and General Staff College |
Publisher | : CreateSpace |
Total Pages | : 144 |
Release | : 2014-07-01 |
Genre | : History |
ISBN | : 9781500369774 |
Download Swinging the Sledgehammer Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
This thesis is a historical analysis of the combat effectiveness of the German schwere Panzer-Abteilung or Heavy Tank Battalions during World War II. During the course of World War II, the German Army developed heavy tank battalions to fulfill the concept of breaking through enemy defenses so faster, lighter mechanized forces could exploit the rupture. These heavy tank battalions had several different tables of organization, but were always centered around either the Tiger or the Tiger II tank. They fought in virtually every theater of Europe against every enemy of Germany. Ultimately, the German military created eleven Army and three Waffen-SS heavy tank battalions. Of the Army battalions, the German command fielded ten as independent battalions, which were allocated to Army Groups as needed. The German Army assigned the last heavy tank battalion as an organic unit of the elite Panzer Grenadier Division Grossdeutschland. The Waffen-SS allocated all of their battalions to a different Waffen-SS Corps. Because these units were not fielded until late in 1942, they did not participate in Germany's major offensive operations that dominated the early part of World War II. Germany's strategic situation after mid-1943 forced their military onto the defensive. Consequently, there are very few instances when heavy tank battalions attacked as a breakthrough force. During the latter part of the war, they were used in many different ways to provide defensive assistance along very wide frontages. This study assesses the German heavy tank battalions as generally effective, primarily because of the high kill ratio they achieved. However, based upon observations from a wide variety of examples, this study also outlines several areas where changes may have increased their effectiveness.
Author | : Christopher W. Wilbeck |
Publisher | : Aberjona Press |
Total Pages | : 276 |
Release | : 2004 |
Genre | : History |
ISBN | : |
Download Sledgehammers Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
"Although much is available about Tiger tanks' technical details and some of the most famous soldiers and units that employed them, until now, there has been little concerning the organization and tactical use of heavy tank battalions across the theaters in which they were employed. [Wilbeck] provides an in-depth look at heavy tank battalions' organizations and tactics, including the tactical doctrine by which these elite units were supposed to fight and case studies to illustrate how they were actually employed on the battlefield"--Page 4 of cover.
Author | : Kenneth W. Estes |
Publisher | : Fonthill Media |
Total Pages | : 299 |
Release | : 2018-04-17 |
Genre | : History |
ISBN | : |
Download German Heavy Fighting Vehicles of the Second World War Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
The German army faced tanks of superior size, armor and firepower from the outset of World War II. Although their Panzerwaffen handled the Polish campaign, war with France meant confronting superior heavy and medium tanks like the Char B and Somua, with 47 mm high velocity cannon that penetrated German tank armor with ease. French infantry disposed of effective antitank weapons and a portion of their 75 mm field guns were detailed as antitank guns. Even greater challenges emerged with the Russo-German War, for the Germans had no initial answer to the KV-1 heavy tank and T-34 medium. The successive technical shocks of superior tanks introduced by each side produced a gun-armor race that continued in some manner even after the war's end. The Germans placed a premium on technological quality and superiority over mass production, for which their industry (and, arguably, their regime) remained rather unsuited. Not satisfied with the advantage they obtained with the Tiger and Panther series tanks, the army leadership and Adolf Hitler himself pushed for larger and more powerful tanks than had ever been built.
Author | : Karlheinz Münch |
Publisher | : Rowman & Littlefield |
Total Pages | : 385 |
Release | : 2022-03-15 |
Genre | : History |
ISBN | : 0811769259 |
Download The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 was equipped with the heaviest tank destroying vehicles of the German armed forces. Initially activated as an assault gun battalion and redesignated in April 1943, the 653 received its first Ferdinand heavy tank destroyers (later modified and renamed Elephants) in May 1943 and went into action on the Eastern Front a month later. In 1944, the unit converted to the even more massive Jagdtiger. The seventy-five-ton, heavily armored Jagdtiger was the behemoth of the battlefield and boasted a 128mm gun-as opposed to the Ferdinand's 88-with a range of more than thirteen miles, making it deadly despite its limited mobility. Outfitted with these lethal giants, the 653 saw service in Russia, Italy, Austria, and Germany. The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II includes hundreds of photos, many never published before, of Germany's rarely seen tank destroyers, including the Ferdinand, Elephant, and Jagdtiger. Color illustrations focus on unit markings, numbering, and camouflage, and the accompanying text chronicles the unit's combat operations as well as personal accounts from the men who rode in these mechanical monsters.
Author | : Christopher Richard Gabel |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 104 |
Release | : 1986 |
Genre | : History |
ISBN | : |
Download Seek, Strike, and Destroy Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
In the seventy years that have passed since the tank first appeared, antitank combat has presented one of the greatest challenges in land warfare. Dramatic improvements in tank technology and doctrine over the years have precipitated equally innovative developments in the antitank field. One cycle in this ongoing arms race occurred during the early years of World War II when the U.S. Army sought desperately to find an antidote to the vaunted German blitzkrieg. This Leavenworth Paper analyzes the origins of the tank destroyer concept, evaluates the doctrine and equipment with which tank destroyer units fought, and assesses the effectiveness of the tank destroyer in battle.
Author | : Franz-Wilhelm Lochmann |
Publisher | : Stackpole Books |
Total Pages | : 707 |
Release | : 2008-04-16 |
Genre | : History |
ISBN | : 0811750922 |
Download The Combat History of German Tiger Tank Battalion 503 in World War II Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
Hundreds of photos of Tiger tanks in action. Text chronicles the unit's combat operations in the East and West. Personal accounts from the men who rode in these battlefield behemoths.
Author | : Harry Yeide |
Publisher | : Stackpole Books |
Total Pages | : 418 |
Release | : 2010 |
Genre | : History |
ISBN | : 0811705951 |
Download The Infantry's Armor Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
Tanks, amphibian tanks, and amphibian tractors in action in all theaters, from Africa and Europe to the Pacific How the battalions fought the war, often in the tankers' own words Crystal-clear maps The U.S. Army's separate armored battalions fought in obscurity by comparison with the flashy armored divisions, but they carried the heavier burden in the grim struggle against the Axis in World War II. The battalions participated in every armored amphibious assault that the army conducted. They did most of the bloody work in Italy, made vital contributions in France, and constituted the entire effort in the Pacific.
Author | : Peter Caddick-Adams |
Publisher | : Oxford University Press, USA |
Total Pages | : 929 |
Release | : 2015 |
Genre | : History |
ISBN | : 0199335141 |
Download Snow & Steel Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
A new assessment of the Battle of the Bulge, the largest and bloodiest battle fought by U.S. forces in World War II, offers a balanced perspective that considers both the German and American viewpoints and discusses the failings of intelligence; Hitler's strategic grasp; effects of weather and influence of terrain; and differences in weaponry, understanding of aerial warfare, and doctrine.