Feldgrau.net

The main tank of the polish and french campaigns was the useless little panzer 1. I have read and heard that it was already in france mostly used for reconissance. I can hardly imagine a vehicle less suited for recoinassance, unless the commander was standing up(so you can actually see anything), and even then its still a extremely vulnerable, easy to spot vehicle. And after all this time I still don´t understand how the hell they could make ANY use of these tincans in combat no matter how well trained they were, and since there were 1500 or something of them Im guessing they werent ALL used for recoinassance. I am frankly a bit surprised that they werent all destroyed during the french campaing or at least in the beginning of barbarossa. And the same goes for the panzer II. Is there a site or someone that can explain how they managed to avoid annihilation?

Lets look at the numbers on inventory as of 1 Sept, 1939:

Pzkpfw I 1445
Pzkpfw II 1223
Pzkpfw III 98
Pzkpfw IV 211
Pzkpfw 38(t) 78
Pzkpfw 35(t) 211

Then as of 1 May, 1940:

Pzkpfw I 1077
Pzkpfw II 1092
Pzkpfw III 381
Pzkpfw IV 290
Pzkpfw 38(t) 237
Pzkpfw 35(t) 143

As you can see, the Pzkpfw I was not the overwhelming majority of the panzer strength of the Wehrmacht, the Pzkpfw II almost equalling it in numbers. These light tanks were not segregated into one vehicle units, either, all variants being distributed to units in general proportion. The I and II attacked soft targets while the heavier gunned III and IV dealt with strongpoints and enemy armor. The success of the Wehrmacht was not due to overwhelming strength but to better tactics and knowledge of their machines. The Poles and French both employed their armor piecemeal allowing the Germans to concentrate fire and destroy the enemy armor. Where the enemy concentrated and stood firm, such as the Polish AT gunners at Warsaw or the British at Arras, the Germans got a decided pounding.

Just the fact that it's technically a tank could be demoralising to the enemy so that probably helped a lot.

regards

I suppose that the comanders of the panzer if they are in a risky mission they would travel inside the panzer.
They know that a panzer commander outside it´s a geat an easy objetive.
I think....

Gotta go with Charlie on this one. Having been a grunt, even though a Pz I was just a coupla machine guns on treads, you can't kill it with a rifle! However, it can run over YOUR cover/concealment, as well as you, and then if you're still alive, shoot you with the MGs!! If used properly, it can still be a lethal weapon. Hell, in Vietnam, Montagnards were still killing Charlie with crossbows!!!

I'm with Tom and Charlie - one poor tank on the battlefield is better than 10 good ones in the factory...

Christian

Damn straight, Tom! That old gizmo was built for nothing but infantry support and keeping down the enemy in his fox hole - and nothing else.

And in Poland, they were not that bad at all. They DID create havoc among the Poles who found out that these things were NOT made of wood.

BTW: RVN Oct66-Mar68. Joscha

joscha wrote:BTW: RVN Oct66-Mar68. Joscha

What do u mean by that Joscha?

Aww, Jason, you couldn't figure it out? Republic of Vietnam...

No, I knew what it meant, but I was/am unclear what it had to do with the post at hand.

joscha wrote:Damn straight, Tom! That old gizmo was built for nothing but infantry support and keeping down the enemy in his fox hole - and nothing else.

Weren't even made for that, only as training vehicles...

Christian

There is a (true) story of General Streich who wanted to lead one of the attacks on Tobruk from the frontline and requested that a tank should be sent to provide cover for his Kübel. Rommel, who had already started his infamous quarrel with Streich, sent a Panzer I as a visible sign of his contempt. Of course, the vehicle was put out of action within minutes and Streich was lucky to escape unhurt.

That sounds a bit irresponsible, did he do it on purpose. Did the rest of the crew make it?

regards

Stefan

The more I hear of GFM Rommel the less and less respect I ahve for him. Now after 20 years study this report of yours put the final nail into his reputation - how petty.

Regards
Mitch

The secret of the Blitzkrieg was not the quality of the tanks used but the quality of the tactics adopted and the men who applied them. Pz.Is were not capable of forcing a breakthrough on their own, but they were as capable as any other tank of exploiting a breakthrough, chewing up field telephone lines that were the main form of signals equipment available to the Poles and French, shooting up transport columns or over running HQs and generally causing the confusion and paralysis in the enemy's rear that were the hallmark of the Blitzkrieg. They were definitely not a main battle tank designed to fight opposing armour like the early PzKpfw.III or a breakthrough tank like the early PzKpfw.IV, but they did have their uses against an enemy materially and psychologically unprepared for Blitzkrieg tactics.