Difference between revisions of "Pz.II F"
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== Description == | == Description == | ||
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces prior to Update 1.41. | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces prior to Update 1.41. | ||
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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. | ||
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=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
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<!-- ''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 If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: 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).'' --> | <!-- ''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 If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: 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=== | ===Development=== | ||
| − | In 1934, the development of the new German tanks, which would be | + | 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. |
| − | 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 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 firing rate 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. | 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 firing rate 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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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. | 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 | + | 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. |
=== In-game description === | === In-game description === | ||
Revision as of 19:40, 29 December 2020
Contents
Description
The Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. F is a rank I German light tank with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB) and 1.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces prior to Update 1.41.
The performance is similar to other low-rank German tanks, but the gun makes it stand out. With careful use, it is easily one of the best low-rank German tanks, but due to slow turret traverse and long reload between belts, it is just as easy to fail in.
General info
Survivability and armour
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
| 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
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Main armament
The chief difference between the Panzer II F and its predecessor is the main gun. The II F uses the 20 mm KwK 38, which has almost double the fire rate compared to the KwK 30. 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 | -10°/+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 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belt | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | ||||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| Default | 36 | 34 | 26 | 19 | 14 | 10 | |
| PzGr | 36 | 34 | 26 | 19 | 14 | 10 | |
| PzGr 40 | 64 | 63 | 26 | 8 | 3 | 1 | |
| Belt details | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belt | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile Mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | |||||||
| PzGr | API-T | 780 | 0.15 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 47° | 60° | 65° |
| PzGr 40 | HVAP-T | 1,050 | 0.10 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 66° | 70° | 72° |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 10 (+8) | 1 (+17) | Yes |
Machine guns
Just like its predecessor, this tank has one coaxial 7.92 mm MG 34. 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 firerate 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 firing rate 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.
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 armor plating. The thickness of the frontal portion of the superstructure, turrets, and gun mantlet was increased to 30 mm. The armor 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 armor-piercing Pzgr 40 L'Spur shell, with an armor-piercing core made of solid tungsten carbide alloy. These measures greatly increased its armor 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 mantlets' armored viewports.
From 1941 to 1942, the four companies MAN, Deimler-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
- Skins
- Sights
See also
- Pz.II C: Predecessor vehicle
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 |
