Dimensions (L-W-H) 4.58 x 2.17 x 2.16 meters
Total weight, battle ready 10.8 tons
Crew 4 (commander, gunner, radio operator, driver)
Propulsion Skoda T-15 8-cylinder, petrol 220 hp
Suspension semi-elliptic leaf springs
Speed (road) 50 km/h
Range 200 km
Armament 3.7 cm Skoda A19 (3.7 cm KwK 38(t) L/47), 7.92 mm MG34
Armor 8 mm – 30 mm
Total production 4 (+1 post war)
Looking at German tank designs tends to make one question how great at engineering they were. All flat surfaces, nothing sloped. The Panzer IV was vulnerable to anti-tank rifles, for Pete’s sake!
Just something that’s been bugging me, lately.
ergonomic German tanks tended to have a larger crew being able to have a dedicated driver, commander and gunner at the very least if not also a radio operator,
Tanks like the early British cruiser tank and most Russian tanks were cramped.
German tanks were also less reliable than many American and British tanks.
No tank sadly had it all but German tanks had great guns and armor with well-trained crews. With a lot of things Germanys early start having trained and experienced crews was the secret sauce.
It was only latter with larger British and American tanks you had slopped armor and large interiors at a cost of being bulkier.
You have two choices sloped amor or tanks without a lot of space inside like the T -34 if you won’t do that you get big tanks.
So it was not great tech that made German tanks good but like the Airforce, experienced crews and well trained tankers who had radios its call blitzkrieg implying speed not heavy firepower for a reason.