Tiger II, perhaps the most advanced Panzer Panzer is an abbreviation of "Panzerkampfwagen", a German compound noun which translates as "Armoured Combat Vehicle". It became synonymous with German tanks during the 1930s, and is usually shortened to become PzKpfw. Panzers were used in both Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht. Panzer models include the following, which were battle tanks used by Germany in the Second World War:
Individual variations of these basic marks were given an 'Ausführung' (version) letter, and consequently the field of Panzer recognition is extremely complex. Entire books have been written to explain the differences between a Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. E(U) and a Pz.Kpfw III Ausf. F(U), for example.
Tank destroyers were 'Panzerjäger' or Jagdpanzer, self-propelled infantry guns were 'Sturmgeschütz' ('Assault guns'), whilst self-propelled artillery pieces were usually referred to as 'Sonderkraftfahrzeug' ('Special-purpose vehicle').
'Panzer' may cause confusion when referring to the PzKpfw V Panther. It should be noted that the German term "Panzer" means armor or tank, whereas the German for "Panther" is the same as in English. The German "Panzer" does not translate as "Panther". Rather, it is derived from Old French pancier, meaning "armor for the belly".
|
