Panzer projects & prototypes.

[Panzerknacker]

Minenraumgerät mit Pzkpfw III antrieb.



Minenraumgerat 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.

[snebold]

The Pz IX and X must have represented an all new technology. They were probably the first (and last) pregnant tanks, intended as they were to give birth to a range of smaller tanks. Sadly for the Germans the pregnancy of the tanks was longer than the war. Perhaps a scheme intended to produce tanks which consumed less strategic raw materials.....

[Major Walter Schmidt]

The British were close, The Mark I (female)!

[Panzerknacker]

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.

[snebold]

Good looking thing the Magirus ARW, almost race car-like in design. Why didn´t they build them? I think the Germans also tested 10x10 chassis´s at this time and found them too expensive. The later 8x8´s were also quite expensive...
Do you any more data on these (beatiful) vehicles?

[Panzerknacker]

Yes, I have a little more, here anothe picture of the Magirus ARW.




And the Büssing Nag ZRW ( zehnradwagen 10 wheel vehicle)



The Büssing 10x10 was tested next to the 2 AZW models in 1930/31, the reason why those were not manufactured in serie, was simple, the awful budgetary situation of the German Army in those post 1929 crisis years.

[Panzerknacker]

Porsche Typ 245.

Despite beaing better know by heavy tanks and tankhunters Doktor Porsche designed and proposed a number medium and light recce tanks in 1942/43, the most important type was the light typ 245, it asumed sevral shapes as follow:

Porsche Typ 245 - Sonderfahrzeug V - 1943
Leichtes gepanzertes Mehrzweckefahrzeug fur Aufklarung und Begleit.
Light Armored Multipurpose Vehicle for Reconnaissance and Escort.
Armament: 55mm MK 112 gun & 7.92mm MG42.
Crew: 3 men / Weight: 15000kg / Armor: 30-80mm / Max.Speed: 58km/h.



Porsche Typ 245/1 - 1943
Leichter Panzerkampfwagen.
Light Tank.
Armament: 55mm MK 112 gun & 7.92mm MG42.

Porsche Typ 245/2 - 1943 Leichter Mehrzwecke-Panzerkampfwagen.
Light Multipurpose Tank.
Armament: 55mm MK 112 gun & 7.92mm MG42.

Porsche Typ 245/10 - 1943 Leichter Panzerkampfwagen zur Verwendung gegen Erd un Luftziele.
Light Tank for use against Ground and Air Targets.
Armament: 55mm MK 112 gun.

Porsche Typ 245/11 - 1943 Aufklaerungs-Panzer.
Light Reconnaissance Tank.
Armament: 55mm MK 112 gun & 7.92mm MG42.



The most bizarre thing of this designs is the main gun, the MK 112 made by Rheinmetall Borsig was a fast firing gun for aeronautical use, not really suited for firing high velocity armor piercing shells....

http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/show...t=4127&page=13

[Churchill]

That looks like a rolling pillbox.

[Panzerknacker]

Wao... I proudly announce that this topic, my topic is the first one military related to surpass the 100,000 lectures in the history of ww2incolor forum.

[Major Walter Schmidt]

What do you mean? theres only 363 posts..er I mean 364

[Major Walter Schmidt]

wow! Would it stand cannon fire from a P-47?

[Panzerknacker]

The P-47 had no cannons, but .50 caliber machineguns, in any case the Lowe would withstand a lot of damage from automatic aircraft weapons without any problems.

[snebold]

Why the 4 piece frontal armour, when you could do with two. It seems a bit complicated (= expensive), the 80mm turret roof is eccentric, but the large mantlet takes up much of the turret´s frontal area and somewhat makes up for the thinner armour compared to the Tiger II.
All that "moving" armour around the gun must have made it very heavy; it probably wouldn´t have been fast training- or elevating...

[Splinter54]

Good evening.

Does anyone of you know the name of this - project? - tank?

Looks like a Krupp Chassis and a Porsche turret Hybrid.

Thanks in advance

[Panzerknacker]

A bit tricky, the chasiss is Panzer IV and the turret...well the turret look like a tiger definately but... there was no a tank like that.

Why the 4 piece frontal armour, when you could do with two. It seems a bit complicated (= expensive), the 80mm turret roof is eccentric, but the large mantlet takes up much of the turret´s frontal area and somewhat makes up for the thinner armour compared to the Tiger II.
All that "moving" armour around the gun must have made it very heavy; it probably wouldn´t have been fast training- or elevating...

I dont know it seems that they didnt want or didnt like to use cast armor and emsambled the turret from laminated plates instead.