The Tiger II or Sdkfz. 182 (Sdkfz. 267 / Sdkfz. 268 for Command vehicles), also known as the King Tiger (officially Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. H/B, P), was delivered to the German Wehrmacht starting in October 1943 and represented one of the most advanced tank designs of World War II. A total of 492 units were produced, with the majority manufactured by Henschel and Krupp. The Tiger II combined the robust armor of its predecessor, the Tiger I, with sloped frontal armor up to 185 mm thick and the powerful 8.8-cm KwK 43 L/71 gun, capable of destroying almost any Allied tank at long range. Weighing 70 tons, with a top speed of 38 km/h (road) and a range of up to 170 km, it was prone to mechanical failures and fuel shortages, limiting its strategic effectiveness.
The E-series (Entwicklung; development series) consisted of a series of standardized tank types which were intended to replace existing German tanks of the Second World War such as the Panther, Tiger, Jagdpanzer IV, and Panzerjäger 38(t). However, most of them only reached the development stages and were not fully built.
The Panzerwerfer 42, also known as the Sd.Kfz. 4/1, was a German multiple rocket launcher from World War II that stood out for its combination of firepower and mobility. It was developed on the chassis of the “Maultier” half-track, a modified version of the Opel Blitz truck, to improve its ability to maneuver in difficult terrain. The vehicle was equipped with a 15 cm Nebelwerfer 42, capable of firing up to ten rockets simultaneously. These rockets, with a range of approximately 7,000 meters, could carry explosive, smoke, or incendiary payloads.
The Panzerkampfwagen III (PzKpfw. III for short), commonly known as the Panzer III, was a German medium tank in service from 1937. It played an important role in the Second World War as the Panzer III and its chassis was used on all fronts. From 1936 to 1942, 5,700 Panzer IIIs were built. In addition, more than 10,000 StuG IIIs (Sdkfz.142) based on the same chassis were built from 1940 to 1945.
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.
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.