Difference between revisions of "Pz.II F"

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{{Specs-Card|code=germ_pzkpfw_II_ausf_F}}
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{{About
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| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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| usage = other versions
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| link = Pz.II (Disambiguation)
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}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=germ_pzkpfw_II_ausf_F
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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The Panzer II F is a Rank I German Light Tank at BR 1.3. Performance is similar to other low tier German tanks, but the gun makes it stand out. With careful use, it is easily one of the best low-tier German tanks, but due to slow turret traverse and long reload between belts, it is just as easy to fail in.
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<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
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The '''Panzerkampfwagen II Ausführung F (Panzer II F)''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29_Sd.Kfz._Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 121''') is the sixth variant of the [[Pz.II (Family)|Panzer II light tank family]]. The Panzer II F variant was designed with thicker 30 mm armour on the tank hull's front and 30 mm armour on the turret's front. Instead of a split hatch, the commander cupola is fitted with a periscope on top of the turret. The side vision ports were protected by vertical bullet splash shields and two conical bolts above and below the visor to hold the 50 mm bulletproof glass in position. A triangle-shaped guard welded to the top of the superstructure at the front and back shielded the turret ring from small bullets and shrapnel. To the right of the driver's vision port, a fake armoured visor constructed of aluminium alloy was mounted onto the front of the hull. This was done in order to draw hostile fire away from the driver. The majority of the other components needed to construct the tank were carried over from earlier variants. It was armed with an improved Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 38 20 mm L/55 autocannon and a 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun. In March 1941, the first seven Panzer II F light tanks were completed. Production ceased in late July 1942. A total of 1,004 were assigned chassis numbers and went into service. They were mostly utilized as reconnaissance tanks on the Eastern Front, but some Panzer II F light tanks were transferred to Libya as replacements.
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 +
Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the Panzer II F variant is the successor to the [[Pz.II C|Panzer II C variant]] in the Panzer II light tank family. The gameplay is generally similar to the Panzer II C variant, with the exception that players may notice a significant increase in the firing rate of the primary 20 mm KwK38 L/55 autocannon. Armour protection is slightly improved, allowing the player to deflect shells from hostile tanks occasionally. However, since the tank is poorly armoured, players should not rely too heavily on the armour to exchange shots with the opponent. Players should be aware that the reload time of an ammo clip is substantially greater than that of most opponents and should not empty all cannon shells at once when confronted with an enemy tank in close combat.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
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The Panzer II F is slightly less protected than the Panzer II C coming before it, with 30mm front plating on its turret & hull instead of the 35mm on its predecessor. It still has three crew, so it is easy to oneshot-KO with most ammo types.
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
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<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
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The Panzer II F is slightly less protected than the Panzer II C coming before it, with 30 mm front plating on its turret and hull instead of the 35 mm on its predecessor. It still has only three crew, so it is easy to knock-out in one shot with most ammo types.
 +
 
 +
'''Armour type:'''
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 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour
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 +
{| class="wikitable"
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|-
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! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
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|-
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| Hull || 30 mm (11°) ''Front plate'' <br> 20 mm (73°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 35 mm (36°) ''Bottom glacis'' || 20 mm || 15 mm || 15 mm
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|-
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| Turret || 30 mm || 15 mm || 15 mm || 10 mm
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|}
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'''Notes:'''
 +
 
 +
* Suspension wheels are 10 m thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
 +
* Frontal lower plate is 35 mm thick at 36° angle, and covered by attached tracks, counting as additional 10 mm of armour; enough to deflect most shells it faces.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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Mobility is identical to the Panzer II C, they use the same engine, transmission, and weigh almost the exact same.  
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp=217|rbMinHp=124}}
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Mobility is identical to the [[Pz.II C]], they use the same engine, transmission, and weigh almost the exact same.
 +
 
 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
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{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
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{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
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''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun.''  
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
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<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
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{{main|KwK38 (20 mm)}}
  
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The chief difference between the Panzer II F and its predecessor is the gun. The II F uses the 20mm KwK38, which has almost double the fire rate compared to the KwK30 of its predecessor. The clip size is still the same as before - just ten shots. The reload is also identical, so while it is tempting to "spray-n-pray," it is more practical to use it like you would an autoloading tank at higher tiers. Also, when all SPAAG got their antitank belts halved or more in effectiveness, the Panzer IIs were spared this nerf, so you do not have to worry about changing ammunition performance with every shot, which makes the "autoloader-like" playstyle more attractive, unlike similar-BR Italian Tanks using 20mm autocannons, the [[AB41]] and [[L6/40]].
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The chief difference between the Panzer II F and its predecessor is the main gun. The II F uses the 20 mm KwK38, which has almost double the fire rate compared to the KwK30. The magazine size did not change, still limited to ten rounds of ammunition. The reload time is also identical, so while it is tempting to "spray-n-pray", it is more practical to use it like you would an autoloading tank at higher ranks and administer trigger control to make the shots count. With the Panzer II F, you do not have to worry about changing ammunition performance with every shot, which makes the "autoloader-like" playstyle more attractive, unlike similar-BR Italian tanks using 20 mm autocannons, the [[AB41]] and [[L6/40]].
  
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The belts used by this cannon are as follows:
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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|-
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! colspan="6" | [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK38]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
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|-
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! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
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! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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|-
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! ''Arcade''
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| rowspan="2" | 180 (10) || rowspan="2" | 450 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Vertical || 13.33 || 18.45 || 22.40 || 24.77 || 26.35 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
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|-
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! ''Realistic''
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| 8.33 || 9.80 || 11.90 || 13.16 || 14.00
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|-
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|}
  
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* Default belt is 50% AP-IT and 50% HEFI-T
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==== Ammunition ====
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* Unlockable full AP-IT belt with 46mm pen
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* Unlockable full HVAP-T belt with 64mm pen
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* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - 50% of this belt is useless against tanks or planes. However against other SPAA this belt can reliably take out crew, armament, ammo and engine. Having one belt in reserve does not hurt.
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* '''PzGr:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}} - Intermediate usage until the better PzGr 40 can be used. Decent enough versus light tanks and other vehicles from the rear. It inflicts underwhelming damage due to the lack of HE filler, yet still better than the PzGr 40.
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* '''PzGr 40:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}} - Best penetrating shell of this vehicle. However, the damage effects are very poor. In close combat, snipe for modules and crew members for increased survival rate. Nothing is more annoying than emptying a clip and then to get out-gamed during the reload because the enemy gunner survived. Against angled armour it is not very effective like any other ACPR shell, this is offset by the very high base penetration though.
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{{:KwK38 (20 mm)/Ammunition|HEFI-T*, API-T, HVAP-T}}
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
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[[File:Ammoracks_Pz.II_C.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the [[Pz.II C]] (identical).]]
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<!-- '''Last updated: 2.13.0.25''' -->
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! Full<br>ammo
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! 1st<br>rack empty
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! 2nd<br>rack empty
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! 3rd<br>rack empty
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! Visual<br>discrepancy
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|-
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| '''18''' || 11&nbsp;''(+7)'' || 7&nbsp;''(+11)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+17)'' || No
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|-
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|}
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'''Notes''':
 +
 
 +
* Ammunition is modeled as 18 magazines of 10 rounds.
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* Racks disappear after you've fired all magazines in the rack.
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* Right flank empty: 11&nbsp;''(+7)'' magazines.
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
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Just like its predecessor, this tank has one coaxial 7.92mm MG34. Due to slow turret traverse common to most lower-tier German tanks, this is not a very practical weapon.
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
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<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
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{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}
  
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== Usage in the battles ==
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Just like its predecessor, this tank has one coaxial 7.92 mm MG34. Due to the slow turret traverse common to most lower-rank German tanks, this is not a very practical weapon.
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''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
 
  
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This tank is similar to the Panzer II C - an average light tank for lower ranks with decent armor and decent mobility, but a very potent cannon. It does not like sloped armor well due to poor normalization of APCR rounds. The higher rate of fire is actually quite punishing, since it means that the normal player is spraying-and-praying and reloading more often. If used like an autoloader tank from higher ranks, however, it is actually somewhat clubby. Do not get overconfident in this tank just because your gun shoots fast and pens a lot - APCR postpen damage is not great. Furthermore, the slightly higher BR of 1.3 means it can see the insanely clubby B1 ter that it cannot pen reliably from the front OR the side even with the APCR belt.
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
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|-
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
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|-
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| Coaxial || 1,800 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
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|-
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|}
  
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Furthermore, poor turret traverse means that the tank can easily be outmaneuvered by a Stuart or BT. This relative difference is the same in both AB and RB/SB.
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== Usage in battles ==
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<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
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This tank is similar to the Panzer II C, an average light tank for lower ranks with decent armour and decent mobility, but a potent cannon. It does not work well against sloped armour due to the weak normalization of HVAP rounds. The higher rate of fire is quite punishing since it means that the typical player is continuously firing and reloading more often. If used like an autoloader tank from higher ranks, however, it becomes more accurate and effective. Do not get overconfident in this tank because your gun shoots fast and has excellent penetration; unfortunately, HVAP post-penetration damage is lacklustre here. Furthermore, the slightly higher battle rating means it can be pitted against the B1 ter, which it cannot reliably penetrate from the front or the side even when utilizing the HVAP belt.
 +
 
 +
Furthermore, poor turret traverse means that a Stuart or BT can easily outmanoeuvre the tank. This relative difference is the same in both AB and RB/SB.
  
 
Find a good position, be patient, and double-check before moving in. If you wish to brawl, have others covering your flanks to mitigate slow turret traverse.
 
Find a good position, be patient, and double-check before moving in. If you wish to brawl, have others covering your flanks to mitigate slow turret traverse.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
−
* Great penetration for tier with 64mm pen APCR belt
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* Decent frontal armour: when angled it can be immune to common opponents like the [[BT-5]], [[BT-7]], [[M3A1 Stuart|M3A1]] and [[A13 (Family)|A13]]
−
* Amazing fire rate for tier, identical to the Flak38 cannon
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* Overall superior firepower: autocannon shoots rapidly, resulting in denser fire, and with the PzGr 40 belt it can penetrate any tank, including the [[B1 bis]] when aiming correctly
−
* Decent and very trolly armor for tier against the inadequate low-end French or Japanese cannons
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* Fast top speed and good agility makes it a great flanker
−
* Low-ish profile
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* Curved turret armour of 30 mm plus -10 degrees gun depression allows it to hull-down on hills easily
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* Distinctive shape means friendly fire in Simulator is unlikely.
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* Small width means it can manoeuvre through or hide in narrow passages in urban maps, allowing it to ambush or flank unexpectedly
 +
* Low profile makes it easy to hide behind bushes or cover
 +
* In Simulator mode, friendly fire is less likely due to the very distinct shape and profile
 +
 
 +
'''Cons:'''
 +
 
 +
* Only performs well at close quarters combat, as both the AP and HVAP penetration drop below 30 mm past 500 m, making it struggle to penetrate common opponents such as the [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3]]/[[M5 Stuart (Family)|M5]] Stuart and B1 bis
 +
* Magazine-loaded armament means there is lengthy downtime for reloading where you are vulnerable
 +
* Survivability is still inadequate: unsloped armour plus closely-packed crew of 3 means it is very vulnerable to [[T-26]], BT-5 or [[M8 General Scott (Family)|M8 Scott]] which all have explosive AP
 +
* Although top speed is good, it is still slower than other light tanks like the infamous BT-5, [[M8 Greyhound (Family)|M8 Greyhound]] and M3/M5
 +
* Poor damage of 20 mm shells means that new players cannot effectively destroy spacious tanks like [[LVT(A)(1)]]
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* Low penetration when not using HVAP-T rounds. When stock it is useless against a B1 bis or M3/M5 (frontally)
 +
* Faster rate of fire than the previous C model can be punishing if you spray too much
 +
 
 +
== History ==
 +
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 +
===Development===
 +
In 1934, the development of the new German tanks, which would be the [[Pz.III E|Panzer III]] and [[Pz.IV E|Panzer IV]], was falling behind schedule despite an urgent need for tanks. As a stopgap solution until the designs were finalized, the Germany Army submitted a request for a new tank, designing it to Krupp, MAN, Henschel, and Daimler-Benz.
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 +
The product was a design based on the German Panzer I light tank, but it was larger with the addition of an extra bogie wheel and had a 20 mm autocannon as its main armament. The finished tank was designated the '''Panzer II''', and production started in 1935 but did not start delivering tanks until 18 months later. At this time, it was in a low rate production status by 1936 in the [[Pz.II C|Panzer II Ausf. C]] variant. In the 1940s, the Panzer II was upgraded to the '''Panzer II Ausf. F''', which entered into production in 1941 with increased armour and a torsion bar suspension system. A total of 524 Ausf. F were produced between March 1941 to December 1942.
 +
 
 +
The Panzer II Ausf. F had a 35 mm front armour and 20 mm side armour compared to the 14 mm all-around armour on the Ausf. C. The 20 mm autocannon on the turret was the same, based off the 20 mm FlaK 30, then in use with a rate of fire of 600 rpm from a 10-round magazine. The tank came with a coaxial machine gun as well. The turret was hand-cranked by the commander, who doubled as the gunner of the tanks. The crew of the Panzer II consists of three people, the driver, commander, and loader who doubled as a radio operator. The Panzer II Ausf. C could reach a speed of 33 mph with its torsion-bar suspension.
  
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*
+
===Combat usage===
 +
The Panzer II would serve in the initial stages of World War II in the Battle of Poland, France. It continued serving in the North African Campaign and Operation Barbarossa as Germany's most numerous tank (By May 1940, there were about a thousand Panzer Is and IIs, but only 381 Panzer III and 290 Panzer IVs). By 1941, it was clear that the Panzer II was starting to become obsolete. With the increasing quantity of Panzer IIIs and IVs, the Panzer II was relegated to reconnaissance duties.
  
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'''Cons:'''
+
Despite the up-armouring in the different Panzer II variants, the Panzer II could still be penetrated by the most towed anti-tank weapon in service at the time, leaving the crew at risk to enemy fire. By 1942, it was largely removed from front lines, and production ceased by 1943. The turrets of these obsolete tanks were used as gun turrets on defensive bunkers on the Atlantic Wall, and the chassis stayed in use for other purposes, such as a self-propelled gun and tank destroyer in the ''Wespe'' and ''Marder II'' respectively.
 +
 
 +
{{break}}
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{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
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{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
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The Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. F was the last production variant of the Pz.Kpfw. II tank. Serial production of the vehicle was meant to answer a need for new tank formations, as medium tanks were produced in very insufficient quantities. The design of the tank was similar to the Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. C, except for the bent forward portion of the hull, which was made of 33 mm thick solid armour plating. The thickness of the frontal portion of the superstructure, turrets, and gun mantlet was increased to 30 mm. The armour thickness on the sides and stern was 15 mm. On the right side of the frontal portion of the tank's superstructure, a fake driver's viewport was installed. In addition, the driver received a KFF-2 surveillance device, which allowed a viewing angle of 63° and was protected by a two-hinged lid. A container for the crew's things was affixed to the rear of the turret.
  
−
* Only three crew makes it easy to take out
+
The main section of the Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. F was equipped with a new 20 mm 2 cm KwK38 automatic cannon with a TZF 3a sight. In addition to improvements in its weapons' ballistic performance, in 1940 the tank received the pointed armour-piercing Pzgr 40 L'Spur shell, with an armour-piercing core made of solid tungsten carbide alloy. These measures greatly increased its armour penetration capabilities. The ammunition on the latest series of tanks was increased to 180 shells and 2,100 rounds. The turret was equipped with an improved rotation mechanism and a new design for the gun mantlet's armoured viewports.
−
* Sometimes lacking postpen damage against anything larger than reserves.
 
−
* Long-ish reload for tier of 7.4 seconds between belts can be very punishing if you spray-n-pray
 
−
* Slow turret traverse makes it unsuited to brawling
 
−
* Many other tanks at its tier easily outspeed and out-shoot it
 
  
−
*
+
From 1941 to 1942, the four companies MAN, Daimler-Benz, FAMO, and MIAG produced a total of 533 tanks.
  
−
== History ==
+
The tank was used extensively until the end of 1942. Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, tank destroyers, and flame tanks were designed using this variant as a base.
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
{{Navigation-End}}
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
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''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
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<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
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 +
;Images
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<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
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File:ArtImage Pz.II F.png|
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</gallery>
  
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== Read also ==
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;Skins
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''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_II_ausf_F Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
 +
;Sights
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI]
 +
 +
== See also ==
 +
<!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
−
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
  
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''ETC.''
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* [[Pz.II C]]{{-}}[[Pz.II C (DAK)]]
  
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== Sources ==
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== External links ==
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''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 +
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 +
* ''other literature.'' -->
  
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* ''topic on the official game forum;''
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* [[wt:en/news/2778/current/|[Vehicle Profile] PzKpfw II Ausf C/F and DAK]]
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* ''other literature.''
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 +
{{Germany light tanks}}

Latest revision as of 20:02, 12 April 2024

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This page is about the German light tank Pz.II F. For other versions, see Pz.II (Disambiguation).
Pz.II F
germ_pzkpfw_ii_ausf_f.png
GarageImage Pz.II F.jpg
ArtImage2 Pz.II F.png
Pz.II F
Germany flag.png Germany
I Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
2.0 1.7 1.7
Class:
Research:3 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:6 300 Specs-Card-Lion.png
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Description

The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausführung F (Panzer II F) (Sd.Kfz. Index: Sd.Kfz. 121) is the sixth variant of the Panzer II light tank family. The Panzer II F variant was designed with thicker 30 mm armour on the tank hull's front and 30 mm armour on the turret's front. Instead of a split hatch, the commander cupola is fitted with a periscope on top of the turret. The side vision ports were protected by vertical bullet splash shields and two conical bolts above and below the visor to hold the 50 mm bulletproof glass in position. A triangle-shaped guard welded to the top of the superstructure at the front and back shielded the turret ring from small bullets and shrapnel. To the right of the driver's vision port, a fake armoured visor constructed of aluminium alloy was mounted onto the front of the hull. This was done in order to draw hostile fire away from the driver. The majority of the other components needed to construct the tank were carried over from earlier variants. It was armed with an improved Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 38 20 mm L/55 autocannon and a 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun. In March 1941, the first seven Panzer II F light tanks were completed. Production ceased in late July 1942. A total of 1,004 were assigned chassis numbers and went into service. They were mostly utilized as reconnaissance tanks on the Eastern Front, but some Panzer II F light tanks were transferred to Libya as replacements.

Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the Panzer II F variant is the successor to the Panzer II C variant in the Panzer II light tank family. The gameplay is generally similar to the Panzer II C variant, with the exception that players may notice a significant increase in the firing rate of the primary 20 mm KwK38 L/55 autocannon. Armour protection is slightly improved, allowing the player to deflect shells from hostile tanks occasionally. However, since the tank is poorly armoured, players should not rely too heavily on the armour to exchange shots with the opponent. Players should be aware that the reload time of an ammo clip is substantially greater than that of most opponents and should not empty all cannon shells at once when confronted with an enemy tank in close combat.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull35 / 20 / 15
Turret30 / 15 / 15
Crew3 people
Visibility73 %

The Panzer II F is slightly less protected than the Panzer II C coming before it, with 30 mm front plating on its turret and hull instead of the 35 mm on its predecessor. It still has only three crew, so it is easy to knock-out in one shot with most ammo types.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 30 mm (11°) Front plate
20 mm (73°) Front glacis
35 mm (36°) Bottom glacis 		20 mm 15 mm 15 mm
Turret 30 mm 15 mm 15 mm 10 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 10 m thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
  • Frontal lower plate is 35 mm thick at 36° angle, and covered by attached tracks, counting as additional 10 mm of armour; enough to deflect most shells it faces.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB49 / 10 km/h
RB and SB44 / 9 km/h
Number of gears6 forward
1 back
Weight9.1 t
Engine power
AB267 hp
RB and SB140 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB29.3 hp/t
RB and SB15.4 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 49 10 9.1 217 267 23.85 29.34
Realistic 44 9 124 140 13.63 15.38

Mobility is identical to the Pz.II C, they use the same engine, transmission, and weigh almost the exact same.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB249 → 320 Sl icon.png
RB283 → 364 Sl icon.png
SB344 → 442 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications5 970 Rp icon.png
4 480 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost410 Ge icon.png
Crew training1 800 Sl icon.png
Experts6 300 Sl icon.png
Aces75 Ge icon.png
Research Aces135 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
20 / 30 / 30 % Sl icon.png
106 / 106 / 106 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
270 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
270 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
480 Rp icon.png
Cost:
360 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
480 Rp icon.png
Cost:
360 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
270 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement ger.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
300 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
270 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
20mm_kwk_30_AP_ammo_pack
Research:
270 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
380 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
480 Rp icon.png
Cost:
360 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
20mm_kwk_30_APCR_ammo_pack
Research:
480 Rp icon.png
Cost:
360 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

20 mm KwK38 cannon
Shoulder stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in one plane while moving
Ammunition180 rounds
Belt capacity10 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
7.8 → 6.0 s
Fire rate450 shots/min
Vertical guidance-9° / 20°
Main article: KwK38 (20 mm)

The chief difference between the Panzer II F and its predecessor is the main gun. The II F uses the 20 mm KwK38, which has almost double the fire rate compared to the KwK30. The magazine size did not change, still limited to ten rounds of ammunition. The reload time is also identical, so while it is tempting to "spray-n-pray", it is more practical to use it like you would an autoloading tank at higher ranks and administer trigger control to make the shots count. With the Panzer II F, you do not have to worry about changing ammunition performance with every shot, which makes the "autoloader-like" playstyle more attractive, unlike similar-BR Italian tanks using 20 mm autocannons, the AB41 and L6/40.

20 mm KwK38 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 180 (10) 450 -9°/+20° ±180° Vertical 13.33 18.45 22.40 24.77 26.35 7.80 6.90 6.36 6.00
Realistic 8.33 9.80 11.90 13.16 14.00

Ammunition

  • Default: API-T · HEFI-T* - 50% of this belt is useless against tanks or planes. However against other SPAA this belt can reliably take out crew, armament, ammo and engine. Having one belt in reserve does not hurt.
  • PzGr: API-T - Intermediate usage until the better PzGr 40 can be used. Decent enough versus light tanks and other vehicles from the rear. It inflicts underwhelming damage due to the lack of HE filler, yet still better than the PzGr 40.
  • PzGr 40: HVAP-T - Best penetrating shell of this vehicle. However, the damage effects are very poor. In close combat, snipe for modules and crew members for increased survival rate. Nothing is more annoying than emptying a clip and then to get out-gamed during the reload because the enemy gunner survived. Against angled armour it is not very effective like any other ACPR shell, this is offset by the very high base penetration though.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
HEFI-T* 5 4 3 2 2 2
API-T 37 34 23 14 9 6
HVAP-T 48 45 31 20 13 8
Shell details
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
HEFI-T* 900 0.12 0.1 0.1 10.2 79° 80° 81°
API-T 800 0.15 - - - 47° 60° 65°
HVAP-T 1,050 0.1 - - - 66° 70° 72°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Pz.II C (identical).
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
18 11 (+7) 7 (+11) 1 (+17) No

Notes:

  • Ammunition is modeled as 18 magazines of 10 rounds.
  • Racks disappear after you've fired all magazines in the rack.
  • Right flank empty: 11 (+7) magazines.

Machine guns

7.92 mm MG34 machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition1 800 rounds
Belt capacity150 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate900 shots/min
Main article: MG34 (7.92 mm)

Just like its predecessor, this tank has one coaxial 7.92 mm MG34. Due to the slow turret traverse common to most lower-rank German tanks, this is not a very practical weapon.

7.92 mm MG34
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 1,800 (150) 900 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

This tank is similar to the Panzer II C, an average light tank for lower ranks with decent armour and decent mobility, but a potent cannon. It does not work well against sloped armour due to the weak normalization of HVAP rounds. The higher rate of fire is quite punishing since it means that the typical player is continuously firing and reloading more often. If used like an autoloader tank from higher ranks, however, it becomes more accurate and effective. Do not get overconfident in this tank because your gun shoots fast and has excellent penetration; unfortunately, HVAP post-penetration damage is lacklustre here. Furthermore, the slightly higher battle rating means it can be pitted against the B1 ter, which it cannot reliably penetrate from the front or the side even when utilizing the HVAP belt.

Furthermore, poor turret traverse means that a Stuart or BT can easily outmanoeuvre the tank. This relative difference is the same in both AB and RB/SB.

Find a good position, be patient, and double-check before moving in. If you wish to brawl, have others covering your flanks to mitigate slow turret traverse.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Decent frontal armour: when angled it can be immune to common opponents like the BT-5, BT-7, M3A1 and A13
  • Overall superior firepower: autocannon shoots rapidly, resulting in denser fire, and with the PzGr 40 belt it can penetrate any tank, including the B1 bis when aiming correctly
  • Fast top speed and good agility makes it a great flanker
  • Curved turret armour of 30 mm plus -10 degrees gun depression allows it to hull-down on hills easily
  • Small width means it can manoeuvre through or hide in narrow passages in urban maps, allowing it to ambush or flank unexpectedly
  • Low profile makes it easy to hide behind bushes or cover
  • In Simulator mode, friendly fire is less likely due to the very distinct shape and profile

Cons:

  • Only performs well at close quarters combat, as both the AP and HVAP penetration drop below 30 mm past 500 m, making it struggle to penetrate common opponents such as the M3/M5 Stuart and B1 bis
  • Magazine-loaded armament means there is lengthy downtime for reloading where you are vulnerable
  • Survivability is still inadequate: unsloped armour plus closely-packed crew of 3 means it is very vulnerable to T-26, BT-5 or M8 Scott which all have explosive AP
  • Although top speed is good, it is still slower than other light tanks like the infamous BT-5, M8 Greyhound and M3/M5
  • Poor damage of 20 mm shells means that new players cannot effectively destroy spacious tanks like LVT(A)(1)
  • Low penetration when not using HVAP-T rounds. When stock it is useless against a B1 bis or M3/M5 (frontally)
  • Faster rate of fire than the previous C model can be punishing if you spray too much

History

Development

In 1934, the development of the new German tanks, which would be the Panzer III and Panzer IV, was falling behind schedule despite an urgent need for tanks. As a stopgap solution until the designs were finalized, the Germany Army submitted a request for a new tank, designing it to Krupp, MAN, Henschel, and Daimler-Benz.

The product was a design based on the German Panzer I light tank, but it was larger with the addition of an extra bogie wheel and had a 20 mm autocannon as its main armament. The finished tank was designated the Panzer II, and production started in 1935 but did not start delivering tanks until 18 months later. At this time, it was in a low rate production status by 1936 in the Panzer II Ausf. C variant. In the 1940s, the Panzer II was upgraded to the Panzer II Ausf. F, which entered into production in 1941 with increased armour and a torsion bar suspension system. A total of 524 Ausf. F were produced between March 1941 to December 1942.

The Panzer II Ausf. F had a 35 mm front armour and 20 mm side armour compared to the 14 mm all-around armour on the Ausf. C. The 20 mm autocannon on the turret was the same, based off the 20 mm FlaK 30, then in use with a rate of fire of 600 rpm from a 10-round magazine. The tank came with a coaxial machine gun as well. The turret was hand-cranked by the commander, who doubled as the gunner of the tanks. The crew of the Panzer II consists of three people, the driver, commander, and loader who doubled as a radio operator. The Panzer II Ausf. C could reach a speed of 33 mph with its torsion-bar suspension.

Combat usage

The Panzer II would serve in the initial stages of World War II in the Battle of Poland, France. It continued serving in the North African Campaign and Operation Barbarossa as Germany's most numerous tank (By May 1940, there were about a thousand Panzer Is and IIs, but only 381 Panzer III and 290 Panzer IVs). By 1941, it was clear that the Panzer II was starting to become obsolete. With the increasing quantity of Panzer IIIs and IVs, the Panzer II was relegated to reconnaissance duties.

Despite the up-armouring in the different Panzer II variants, the Panzer II could still be penetrated by the most towed anti-tank weapon in service at the time, leaving the crew at risk to enemy fire. By 1942, it was largely removed from front lines, and production ceased by 1943. The turrets of these obsolete tanks were used as gun turrets on defensive bunkers on the Atlantic Wall, and the chassis stayed in use for other purposes, such as a self-propelled gun and tank destroyer in the Wespe and Marder II respectively.


Archive of the in-game description

The Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. F was the last production variant of the Pz.Kpfw. II tank. Serial production of the vehicle was meant to answer a need for new tank formations, as medium tanks were produced in very insufficient quantities. The design of the tank was similar to the Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. C, except for the bent forward portion of the hull, which was made of 33 mm thick solid armour plating. The thickness of the frontal portion of the superstructure, turrets, and gun mantlet was increased to 30 mm. The armour thickness on the sides and stern was 15 mm. On the right side of the frontal portion of the tank's superstructure, a fake driver's viewport was installed. In addition, the driver received a KFF-2 surveillance device, which allowed a viewing angle of 63° and was protected by a two-hinged lid. A container for the crew's things was affixed to the rear of the turret.

The main section of the Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. F was equipped with a new 20 mm 2 cm KwK38 automatic cannon with a TZF 3a sight. In addition to improvements in its weapons' ballistic performance, in 1940 the tank received the pointed armour-piercing Pzgr 40 L'Spur shell, with an armour-piercing core made of solid tungsten carbide alloy. These measures greatly increased its armour penetration capabilities. The ammunition on the latest series of tanks was increased to 180 shells and 2,100 rounds. The turret was equipped with an improved rotation mechanism and a new design for the gun mantlet's armoured viewports.

From 1941 to 1942, the four companies MAN, Daimler-Benz, FAMO, and MIAG produced a total of 533 tanks.

The tank was used extensively until the end of 1942. Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, tank destroyers, and flame tanks were designed using this variant as a base.


Media

Images
  • ArtImage Pz.II F.png
Skins
Sights

See also

External links


Germany light tanks
Pz.II  Pz.II C · Pz.II C (DAK) · Pz.II C TD · Pz.II F · Pz.Sfl.Ic
Sd.Kfz.234  Sd.Kfz.234/1 · Sd.Kfz.234/2 · Sd.Kfz.234/2 TD
Marder  Marder A1- · Marder 1A3 · Begleitpanzer 57 · DF105
SPz PUMA  PUMA · PUMA VJTF
Wheeled  Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41) · Class 3 (P) · Radkampfwagen 90 · Boxer MGS
Other  Ru 251 · SPz 12-3 LGS
Argentina  TAM · TAM 2C · TAM 2IP · JaPz.K A2
Czechoslovakia  Pz.35(t) · Pz.38(t) A · Pz.38(t) F · Pz.38(t) n.A. · Sd.Kfz. 140/1
France  Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK
Lithuania  Vilkas
USA  leKPz M41
USSR  SPz BMP-1

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