In keeping with the emphasis placed on speed and mobility, the German Armed Forces in World War Il were supplied with a dazzling array of fighting vehicles capable of performing almost every battlefield function.

Taking pride of place among the German divisions were such excellent tanks as the Panzer

III, Panzer IV, Panther and Tiger, ably supported by a range of self-propelled anti-tank guns, infantry-support guns and heavy artillery. For the infantry there were armoured cars and half-tracks, allowing them to keep up with the tanks in true Blitzkrieg style.

This book tells the story of these important war machines, from the secret training vehicles of the Weimar period to the heaviest self-propelled guns of World War Il. The text provides a wealth of fascinating and comprehensive information while the illustrations - skilfully drawn and in full color - add startling visual impact.

Written by Chris Ellis and Peter Chamberlain

Illustrated by John Batchelor Edited by Bernard Fitzsimons

Compiled by lan Close

Published by Chartwell Books Inc

A Division of Book Sales Inc

110 Enterprise Avenue

Secaucus, New Jersey 07094

Library of Congress Catalog

Card Number 76-14637

This edition © 1976

Phoebus Publishing Company

BPC Publishing Limited

169 Wardour Street, London WIA 2JX

This material first appeared in Purnell's History of the World Wars Specials © 1975

Phoebus Publishing Company

Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis have collaborated on a large number of publications and are widely recognized as leading experts in the weapon and fighting vehicle field. Peter Chamberlain is a consultant to the Imperial War Museum.

John Batchelor, after serving in the RAF, worked in the technical publications departments of several British aircraft firms, and went on to contribute on a freelance basis to many technical magazines. Since then his work for Purnel's Histories of the World Wars and Purnell's World Wars Specials has established him as one of the most outstanding artists in his field.

When Germany went to war in 1939, she had the most professional and modern army in the world. Pride of place belonged to the Panzer divisions, the embodiment of a radically new concept of warfare - the Blitzkrieg. The Panzer division was designed as a highly mobile, self-contained fighting force, capable of smashing through the enemy's defences, creating confusion and, finally, collapse. To achieve these aims each division was equipped with a formidable range of fighting vehicles.

This book tells the story of those fighting vehicles - from the secret training machines of the Weimar period, through the intense innovative and experimental phase, to World War I itself.

From the lightest four-wheeled armoured car to the heaviest tank and self-propelled gun, the vehicles are analyzed, model by model. The text provides a wealth of fascinating and comprehensive information while the illustrations - skillfully drawn and in full colour - add the necessary visual impact.

Armoured Cars Six-Wheelers .

Four-Wheelers ..

Eight-Wheelers

Armoured Half-Tracks..

Light Half-Tracks .

The First Panzers..

Trial by Combat The Czech Tanks

Early Heavy Tanks..

The Time of Victory Command Vehicles

Amphibious Tanks..

Light Tanks...

The Defensive Period

The Tiger ...

The Panther ...

Tiger lI

Super Heavy Tanks Self-Propelled Guns.

Sturmgeschütz.

Panzerjäger..

Jagdpanzer.

Panzerartillerie

Sturmpanzer .

Flakpanzer

The Giant Guns