Bergepanzer VI Ferdinand/Elefant

German Reich (1944) Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV) – 3 Built The introduction of the 65-tonne heavy Ferdinand anti-tank vehicle gave the Germans a well-protected and armed tank destroyer. While not perfect and plagued with many mechanical problems, it caused havoc amongst the Soviet tanks during the Battle for Kursk in July-August 1943. The greatest disadvantage …

Medical Toldi eü20

Kingdom of Hungary (1941-1944) Armored Ambulance Vehicles – 12-13 Used During World War Two, Hungary was one of Germany’s allies in Europe that operated a fairly large mostly domestically-produced armored force. One of their earlier mass-produced armored vehicles was the Toldi light tank. While a good design for the pre-war era, it quickly became obsolete …

Sd.Kfz.250 mit 5 cm PaK 38

German Reich (1944-1945) Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun – At Least 1 Vehicle Modified, Possibly 2 The occupying Axis forces in Yugoslavia during World War II were constantly under threat by the ever-increasing Partisan activities. Given that the Germans lacked production capabilities and were short of manpower, the forces operating in Yugoslavia were in short supply of …

Munitionspanzer für Sturmpanzer IV

German Reich (1943) Ammunition Supply Vehicle – 6 Converted Even before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Germans were aware that an ammunition supply vehicle based on a tank chassis was desirable. Given the limited production capacity for tanks, allocating resources for such a project was not possible. Instead, the Germans decided to …

Toldi 44M Buzogányvető

Kingdom of Hungary (1944-1945) Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Rocket Vehicle – 1 Prototype Built Despite having a limited industrial capacity, Hungary managed to produce a fairly large number of tanks during the Second World War. However, these were generally outdated when compared to more modern Soviet or German designs. The Hungarians did make some attempts to improve …

Panzerkampfwagen VII VK65.01

German Reich (1939) Heavy Tank – 1 Incomplete Prototype Built At the start of the Second World War, the Germans decided to initiate the development of their heaviest tank by that point, known as Panzerkampfwagen VII VK65.01. This vehicle was to weight 65 tonnes, possibly even more. It represented a further development of the earlier …

Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf.A in Croatian Service

Independent State of Croatia (1942) Light Tank – 4 Operated With the fall of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in April 1941, the Nezavisna Država Hrvatska (NDH) (Eng: Independent State of Croatia), was created. While theoretically independent, it was actually a German puppet state created to act as a buffer zone from parts of the former …

Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F in Hungarian Service

Kingdom of Hungary (1942) Heavy Tank – 22 Operated Hungary, under the leadership of Admiral Miklós Horthy, aligned itself with Nazi Germany before the war and during the early stages of World War II. This alliance was partially motivated by Hungary’s territorial ambitions and a desire to regain lost territories. As such, Hungarian forces, including …

Raketenwerfer auf Fahrgestell Panzer IV

German Reich (1942?) Self-Propelled Rocket Launcher – 1 Prototype Built Rockets used during the Second World War were notorious for their lack of accuracy. These were often fired in large salvos to saturate an area rather than target specific points with precision, while also having a pronounced psychological impact. This approach could indeed be effective …

Bergepanzer IV

German Reich (1944) Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV) – 21 To 36 Built Armored vehicles, such as tanks, are designed to withstand enemy fire to a certain extent due to their protection and robust construction. While they can be damaged by enemy hits, this does not always result in complete destruction. Many times, the damage only …

Rheinmetall Begleitwagen

German Reich (1935) Medium Support Tank – 1 Mild-Steel Chassis Built + 1 Wooden Mock-Up During the 1930s, the German Army wanted to introduce a new tank design to deal with fortified enemy positions. Two firms were contracted to develop and build a prototype, namely Krupp and Rheinmetall. While Krupp’s vehicle would serve as the …

Panzerkampfwagen VI (7.5 cm) VK30.01(H)

German Reich (1939) Heavy Tank – 4 Built + Components For 4 Additional Vehicles Despite having a rather underdeveloped military industry that was barely providing enough tanks for the new Panzer Divisions, the Germans decided to begin developing a new heavy tank project in 1937. After a few years, the 30-tonne heavy VK30.01 would emerge. …

Light Tank M3 Stuart in Hungarian Service

Kingdom of Hungary (1942) Light Tank – 4 Operated During the Second World War, tank warfare played a significant role on various fronts, and all involved countries faced numerous challenges in terms of tank production and utilization. Hungary, being a smaller player, had limited industrial capacity and resources compared to major powers, like Germany or …

Renault R35 in Polish Service

Republic of Poland (1939) Light Tank – 45 To 53 Operated Prior to the start of the Second World War, the Polish state was surrounded by two hostile countries, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Fearing a possible attack at some point, the Poles tried to create a strong armed force supported by armored units. …

VK45.01(P) mit Rammhaube “Rammtiger”

Germany (1942) Obstacle-Clearing Tank – Possibly Up To 3 Built During the Second World War, the warring nations felt the need to adapt their tank chassis for specialized roles based on the specific combat situations they encountered. The Western Allies, with their significant resources and production capabilities, were able to develop a wide range of …

Pantsir S1 in Serbian Service

Republic of Serbia (2020) Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Vehicle – 6 Purchased In 2019, Serbia made a deal with Russia, acquiring six Pantsir S1 self propelled anti-aircraft systems, significantly boosting Serbia’s anti-aircraft defense capabilities. The Pantsir S1 was designed as a versatile complex intended to engage multiple targets at once using two 30 mm cannons and guided …

Geschützwagen IVb für 10.5 cm leFH 18/1

German Reich (1939) Self-Propelled Artillery – 12 Built (2 Prototypes+ 10 Pre-Production Vehicles) Click here to partake! The development of the Panzer division concept in Germany during the 1930s played a significant role in creating an effective offensive force. The mass concentration of tanks within these divisions provided considerable firepower, allowing them to overcome most …

D-8 and D-12

Soviet Union (1931) Armored Car – Around 60 Built During the 1930s, the Soviet Army was rather poorly armed and equipped. The process of introducing new domestic military designs was slow and tedious and was lacking in all regards. Armored cars were in huge demand, and the existing pool of vehicles consisted of obsolete and …

Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette für 7.5 cm L/41 Sturmgeschütz (Sturmgeschütz III L/41)

German Reich (1941) Self-Propelled Assault Gun – At Least 1 Prototype Built During the battles across the Soviet Union and North Africa in 1941, the Germans were hard-pressed as their anti-tank and tank guns proved to be almost useless. In desperation, the Germans often employed the 8.8 cm anti-aircraft or even some larger caliber artillery …

Neubaufahrzeug

German Reich (1934) Medium Tank – 5 Built (2 Soft Steel Prototypes + 3 Production Vehicles) Years prior to the start of the Second World War, the German Army experimented with different tank designs. Early attempts lead to the introduction of a small series of experimental prototypes. In those early days of German tank development, …