#germany

This article will explore the development and service history of the Sd.Kfz. 234 heavy armoured car family, which includes the Sd.Kfz. 234/1, 234/2, 234/3, and 234/4. The Sd.Kfz. 234 series were the last to be produced by Germany during the Second World War, and were relatively uncommon. Despite this, they remain some of the most well-known armoured cars of their time. 

Among the many armored vehicles that saw service during World War II, few have attained the mythic status of the Panzerkampfwagen VI, also known as the Tiger I. This 57-ton beast marks the beginning of the German heavy tank line and is a textbook example of a tank of its class, capable of inflicting and taking heavy damage due to its powerful armament and thick armor protection.

The Battle of the River Plate was the earliest major naval battle of the Second World War. It saw the sinking of German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee and is often touted as an early success for the Royal Navy, though the actual facts of the battle somewhat muddle that case. The story of this famous battle actually starts a few months before the day it took place on December 13, 1939.

Back in 2023, I visited the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection at Fort Benning, Georgia (now Fort Moore) for the first time. One of the vehicles that piqued my interest was the MBT-70 and XM-803. I have enjoyed both vehicles in War Thunder, and seeing them in person was a great experience. In this post, I included a short history of each vehicle and some pictures I snapped while there.

Germany's anti-aircraft solutions take on many forms based on the Panzer IV, with vehicles like Wirbelwind, Ostwind, Ostwind II, and Zerstörer 45 that mount a rapid-firing autocannon. However, all have the same issue of having an exposed turret compartment that allows aircraft to strafe and knock out critical components and people within the turret. Kugelblitz changes that equation by having a fully enclosed turret, allowing the vehicle to spray 30 mm at incoming aircraft confidently. Let's explore the Kugelblitz a bit more to see what makes this vehicle tick!

The Sd.Kfz. 251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) was a half-track armored personnel carrier widely used by the German Wehrmacht during World War II. Developed by Hanomag, it became one of the most versatile and commonly deployed vehicles of its class, with over 15,000 units produced. Designed primarily as an armored transport for infantry, the Sd.Kfz. 251 was adapted into numerous variants to fulfill a wide range of battlefield roles. Powered by a Maybach HL42 TRKM 6-cylinder engine delivering 100 horsepower, the vehicle had a maximum road speed of 53 km/h and a range of up to 300 km on roads. It weighed approximately 7.8 tons, featured sloped armor ranging from 8 to 14.5 mm, and could carry a crew of two (driver and commander) along with up to ten soldiers.

This article will summarize the history of the Czechoslovak LT vz. 35 light tank, including its development and service with Germany during the Second World War. The LT vz. 35 was produced by ČKD and Škoda between December 1936 and April 1938. In German service, the LT vz. 35 was designated the Panzerkampfwagen 35(t), and remained in use until 1942.

The Leopard A1A1 (L/44) is a premium medium tank found in the German tech tree. Equipped with the renowned 120mm Rh120 L/44 cannon, capable of nearly 400mm of penetration with its DM13 APFSDS round, this tank has the potential to dominate the battlefield in skilled hands. While lacking armor, it excels in a sniper-focused playstyle due to its great mobility and firepower.  

The Panther, or Sd.Kfz.171, was a technical masterpiece of World War II, combining firepower, armor, and mobility in a way that surpassed many of its contemporaries. Designed as a response to the Soviet T-34, the Panther aimed to blend the maneuverability of a medium tank with the combat power of a heavy tank. At least 6,000 units were built from 1942 until the end of the war.

In the early 1960s, the West German Bundeswehr used the aging M41 Walker Bulldog as their primary reconnaissance tank. There was a clear need for a more modern, capable tank to fulfill this role. As a result, the Spähpanzer Ru 251, a light reconnaissance tank based on the Kanonenjagdpanzer 4-5 tank destroyer, was developed as a potential replacement. The Ru 251 was a fast, agile light tank, but it never reached full production, as it was overshadowed by the emerging Leopard 1 main battle tank.