The Panzer-Lehr-Division (tank teaching division ) was an elite German armoured division during World War II. It was formed in 1943 onwards from training and demonstration troops (Lehr = “teach”) stationed in Germany, to provide additional armored strength for the anticipated Allied invasion of western Europe.[7] On 4 April 1944, the division was officially designated as the 130th Panzer Division; however, it is usually referred to as the Lehr Division.[8] It was the only WehrmachtPanzer division to be fully equipped with tanks and with halftracks to transport its mechanized infantry. On several occasions it fought almost to destruction, in particular during Operation Cobra,[9] and by the end of the war in Europe bore little resemblance to the unit that had originally been activated.[citation needed]
The VK 3002 (M) is a medium tank prototype created for the German Wehrmacht during World War II by the Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg (MAN) in response to a proposal by the Ministry of Armaments and War Production for a 30-ton tank to be used by the German Army in 1941. Daimler-Benz also created its project, known as the VK 3002 (DB), as a competitive prototype. Germany expected to face a weaker opponent when it attacked the Soviet Union in June 1941. The Wehrmacht was taken by surprise by the T-34’s sloping armour and the heavily armoured KV-1. German Generaloberst Heinz Guderian first proposed that a direct replica would be the most efficient way to combat the T-34. The Army Weapons Department rejected this due to difficulty in creating sufficient quantities of diesel engines and steel alloy. The Daimler-Benz VK 3002 (DB) was first ordered into production with an initial goal of 200 tanks, mainly due to Hitler’s preference for the design. The Waffenprufamt 6 committee, on the other hand, preferred the more traditional (in terms of German design and engineering) MAN VK 3002 (M) and placed orders for it in May 1942, before secretly cancelling the VK 3002 (DB) order. While the VK 3002 (DB) could have been less expensive and easier to construct, the Waffenprüfamt 6 committee preferred the MAN VK 3002 (M)'s roomier turret and more cutting-edge suspension. The MAN VK 3002 (M) also used the same engine as the Tiger I heavy tank, making production and maintenance easier. It also had larger tracks, which would aid in ground pressure on soft terrain. The VK 3002 (M) was built but never saw combat.
A unit that feels both brilliant and at the same time a move of desperation. The most skilled buck possible lacking in recent experience. Trainers are combat multipliers creating new better tankers. feeding them into the war seems short sighted at best. look at the Japanese who had increasingly outdated planes. leading to less strict standards and in time suicide pilots. on the other hand a unit of all chad ace tankers sounds giga.
