Pzkpfw V

Hi all,
I was wondering if any of you have any idea as to why Germany never chose to adopt the 'original' Pzkpfw V, also called the PzKpfw NbFz V... The one developed in the 1930's and which is shown here...

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/neu.htm

The site doesn't get more specific than the design was 'problematic', but it seems to be on paper a decent tank which might've greatly helped cope with French armor in 1940'...

Armed with a 75mm L/24 cannon and a 37mm L/45 cannon

20mm of armor though that sort of thickness was standard at the time, and it looks big enough to have more plates welded on...

 

No-one knows?

Personally I think it looks quite imposing... certainly a cut above other German tanks at the time, at lease armor-wise

 

What was its performance like?

 

According to Wiki (With all the usual caveats),

Speed: 25 km/h on road
Range: 120 km on road.

However, one of the sources gives a top speed of 30kmh:

http://www.panzer.punkt.pl/galerie_1/pr ... hrzeug.gif

The other source also gives 30Kmh, but offers some more details:

http://www.onwar.com/tanks/germany/tfneubau.htm

Ground Clearance (m) 0.47

Length (m) 6.6 Barrel Overhang (m) 0
Width (m) 2.19 Height (m) 2.98

Not being a tank man particularly I've not got a great idea of whether these were good or bad though.

This from Wiki on the reason for their demise.

 

Complex possibly meaning too expensive as well.

 

It could well be that it was designed when resources were not rare and might have used lots of rubber or aluminium or something else they had limited stocks off

FNG

 

I read in a book about tanks that the Pzkpfw V was to complex to build quickly and in large numbers, and that it was plagued by several problem, but it did not state what the problems were. :-?

 

For one thing, the Germans must have been glad they didn't go for a two-turreted tank, since that kind of design failed wherever it appeared. It adds a lot to the complexity of a design and the requirements of its upkeep.

 

It looks not dis-similar to the fantasy tank created elsewhere on this forum, does it not?

 

Is it me or does the turret look small?

Also did germany make any other tanks with that type of wheel layout/suspesion as it looks unusual for a german tank

FNG

 

I think the turret looks small.

 

I think the Germans realised even then that the 'independent' tank style with multi turrets was not as effective as say light tanks and medium support tanks.

It also looks like a complicated machine to build that would have cost say 3 Panzer 2s and maybe 2 Panzer 3 or 4s.

I also think from memory they found that its suspension was complicated and problematic. I think some early Mk IIIs and IVs also had a similar track configuration, which was soon replaced and modified.

It does however looks good. Some where used in Poland to my knowledge ?

Kym

 

I think only 3 or 4 were made, and only used in Norway (mostly for propaganda purposes, though 1 was destroyed)

 

Thats right it was Norway. I thinkk there is a photo some where of one in service in Norway.

 

Given that one was knocked out by a french 25 mm at gun, the armour cannot have been that good.

Aglooka

 

the problem was, since it was por propaganda only, made of soft steel

 

Three were made with standard armour and send to Norway, two mild steel protoypes also existed. One mild steel prototype was later send to Norway to replace the destroyed tank.

(PS. It seems that the destroyed tank was actually immobilised and not destroyed by the at gun.)

More about these tanks at: http://www.achtungpanzer.com/neu.htm
(scroll halfway daown the page for the tanks in question).

Aglooka