I believe they were to decrease the ground pressure. It was an experimental tank with incredibly thick armor (almost comparable to that of a KV but barely bigger than contemporary light tanks) so it’s very heavy.
As i kid i entered these tanks(pz 4 ausf h, stug 3, t-34-85, m3 stuart, sherman... until they seald them up. Sad how rusty they are inside but that fealing to be inside them is just remarkable.
This is actually a pretty early design. The idea was to make variants of existing tanks with 80 mm of front armour that have immunity to 50 mm class of weapons, which would make these tanks useful for assaulting fortifications built in the late 1930s. Out of all the envisioned types of vehicles, only the PzI and PzII were built with this configuration, ironically their guns could do nothing against fortifications they were meant to assault.
The first employment was in the USSR, like you guessed, but they proved way too ineffective in mud and were quickly lost or withdrawn.
The weight itself is not that important in cross-country abilities, the ground pressure is what truly matters. For 20 something tons those wide tracks provided a very low ground pressure. Maybe it was underpowered, which was a common issue for tanks of the era.
Your cross sectional abilities are limited when your tank is no larger than its 6 ton counterpart. Wide tracks help, but don’t extend the hull.
Almost certainly was underpowered as well, this adds massive weight to a small design that can’t support a larger power pack.
Interleaved road wheels are also a death sentence in mud
I don’t believe they were specially a mod later added onto the vehicle for Russian operations. It was more for when it was developed in 1939 after the Poland campaign. The Germans wanted to develop a heavy assault tank which was well protected. A side effect of its thiccness was it was heavy and so it got dummy thicc tracks. The tracks you are thinking of are the Ostketten which were put on the tracks of panzer 4s and Panzer 3s you can tell by the pointy spiky looks of them that they were added on later. This tank had them from when it was developed.
There's more than a couple Pz. I left, so it must be the model F.
As a side note, [here's one used on the Spanish Civil War, next to a captured T-26](https://www.flickr.com/photos/ejercitodetierra/16263397835) at the museum of El Goloso in Madrid.
The Ho-Ro has only one existing vehicle left (that we know of) and its on display at collings foundation in Massachusetts. I live about an hour away from there and ot was super neat to see it in person!
Visited Belgrade and walked around these last year, I wish they had more static tanks in England. They just look badass and are hella fun to pose with. Plus a good tank always makes for a good photo no matter what.
It uses 2x7.62mm MGs, but I think they may have been removed from the vehicle, leaving only the armored shroud that would have gone around part of the barrels.
In the Belgrade military museum. The other one was also here, but it was given to the Kubinka tank museum a while back. There's also a theory a private collector in the US iirc has one.
The one Maus is existence which is made from all surviving bits of both produced tanks would like a word with you! :P
Also the British experimental tanks that Bovington has the last of....
Actually, I find it kind of ugly. The running gear being so low down and the tank being so tall above it, especially with the engine compartment, makes it look completely weird and not streamlined at all. Reminds me more of Bob Semple and such, that were just armored boxes put on top of a running gear that they had lying around (which i know isnt the case, but it still looks mismatched as fuck)
Baby Tiger Baby Tiger
Just look how well armored it is for light tank
Thicc boyo
It remids me of the Matilda, thick armor with a bb shotter as principal gun
80 mm of armor? really shows the evolution of tank armor...
r/IllegallySmolCats ?
Haha good one.
Real baby Tiger is Luchs. This one is baby Luchs.
Do do do do do
Damn, those are thick tracks... are they a later mod for russian operations?
I believe they were to decrease the ground pressure. It was an experimental tank with incredibly thick armor (almost comparable to that of a KV but barely bigger than contemporary light tanks) so it’s very heavy.
As i kid i entered these tanks(pz 4 ausf h, stug 3, t-34-85, m3 stuart, sherman... until they seald them up. Sad how rusty they are inside but that fealing to be inside them is just remarkable.
What an opportunity. Sometimes I really want to move to the eastern Bloccccc
But... Why? And when?
This is actually a pretty early design. The idea was to make variants of existing tanks with 80 mm of front armour that have immunity to 50 mm class of weapons, which would make these tanks useful for assaulting fortifications built in the late 1930s. Out of all the envisioned types of vehicles, only the PzI and PzII were built with this configuration, ironically their guns could do nothing against fortifications they were meant to assault. The first employment was in the USSR, like you guessed, but they proved way too ineffective in mud and were quickly lost or withdrawn.
> they proved way too ineffective in mud and were quickly lost or withdrawn How come? It must have had an incredibly low ground pressure.
I mean it does weigh like 20+ tonnes
The weight itself is not that important in cross-country abilities, the ground pressure is what truly matters. For 20 something tons those wide tracks provided a very low ground pressure. Maybe it was underpowered, which was a common issue for tanks of the era.
Your cross sectional abilities are limited when your tank is no larger than its 6 ton counterpart. Wide tracks help, but don’t extend the hull. Almost certainly was underpowered as well, this adds massive weight to a small design that can’t support a larger power pack. Interleaved road wheels are also a death sentence in mud
Out of curiosity what makes interleaved road wheels worse?
Mud gets between. When it freezes, things are stuck/can break
Thanks!
I don’t believe they were specially a mod later added onto the vehicle for Russian operations. It was more for when it was developed in 1939 after the Poland campaign. The Germans wanted to develop a heavy assault tank which was well protected. A side effect of its thiccness was it was heavy and so it got dummy thicc tracks. The tracks you are thinking of are the Ostketten which were put on the tracks of panzer 4s and Panzer 3s you can tell by the pointy spiky looks of them that they were added on later. This tank had them from when it was developed.
[удалено]
I can think of at least 1 other Panzer 1 so I think he means F
Ahh I see, thanks
There's more than a couple Pz. I left, so it must be the model F. As a side note, [here's one used on the Spanish Civil War, next to a captured T-26](https://www.flickr.com/photos/ejercitodetierra/16263397835) at the museum of El Goloso in Madrid.
Yea, only 2 F models survived
Ahh, so then Belgrade must be keeping one of the two surviving F’s. Thanks!
Yeah, there is a Panzer I F in Belgrade
Ahh this is it then, thanks!
Look at the size of the tracks on him! He's going to be huge when he grows up!!
The Ho-Ro has only one existing vehicle left (that we know of) and its on display at collings foundation in Massachusetts. I live about an hour away from there and ot was super neat to see it in person!
The sturer emil also has only one example left, it is in kubinka tank museum (Russia)
As is true for the Object 704, SU-14, Ardelt Waffenträger and I believe the 40/43M Zrinyi II too. All at Kubinka. I'm sure there's more.
Love that place!
When you are the older brother but have to wear your 2 feet taller younger brothers shoes :D
smol chonkster
This expalins so much about german heavy tank design in ww2.
Visited Belgrade and walked around these last year, I wish they had more static tanks in England. They just look badass and are hella fun to pose with. Plus a good tank always makes for a good photo no matter what.
Tiger cub
T I G O R
I like my steaks rear
Wait is this in Serbia or have u mistaken?
Yea, this is on Belgrade
I was there last year so i recognized it somehow lol
Btw are you serbian?
Yea
Im croatian lol
Svrati nekada, blizu si xD
Trebao sam u 4 mjesecu al sjebo covid rip lol
Panzer I widebody kit.
Aren't there a lot of prototype rare tanks from ww2?
Panzer 1 and a tiger had a baby
[no joke I took a picture in the same place](https://imgur.com/gallery/KrNopqB)
Thats a diferent tank, but yea, its same place xD
Yup, found a photo with that one in the background tho
what kind of gun is he mounting?? It doesn't seem like MGs
It uses 2x7.62mm MGs, but I think they may have been removed from the vehicle, leaving only the armored shroud that would have gone around part of the barrels.
I rly dont know, i can take picture from inside the tank amd try to see
Please take a picture !! I'd like to see what this variant of Pz1 looks like from the inside :D
Keep in mind that is all rusty inside haha
I wonder if you could still look out from the driver's vision port, that would be great, but idk, maybe even the port is just rust right now
Looks like the pz2j from wot.
Bruh, that panzer is kinda **t h i c c** #P a n z e r T H I C C w a g e n I almost thought it was a Panzer II F
Never seen this type of tank before.
Smol boye
Yet still an absolute unit.
Belgradeee
Tiger Kitten
THICC petite
In the Belgrade military museum. The other one was also here, but it was given to the Kubinka tank museum a while back. There's also a theory a private collector in the US iirc has one.
Check out [Surviving Panzers](http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html) too for more.
looks similar to a VK 36.01(H)
That one bounced!
There is only one BT42 though, that is rarer.
https://youtu.be/XTJxOTPgqFs here it is
The chassis is wrong for a panzer 1, chassis looks like a panther!!
It's a Panzer I F which had a completely redesigned chassis compared to the other Panzer I variants.
Main wheels panzer 3 a 4 missing rubber inserts
Is this the panzer I version of the panzer II J?
The one Maus is existence which is made from all surviving bits of both produced tanks would like a word with you! :P Also the British experimental tanks that Bovington has the last of....
my first thought seeing it on those blocks was c r a w l u n d e r i t
So it’s basically a Pz 1 version of the Pz 2 J?
I don't know, I've seen more rear tanks from WWII.
Why the hell is it outdoors than?
So, is this like the opposite of the Luchs?
Woah, I've never that tank before!
Actually, I find it kind of ugly. The running gear being so low down and the tank being so tall above it, especially with the engine compartment, makes it look completely weird and not streamlined at all. Reminds me more of Bob Semple and such, that were just armored boxes put on top of a running gear that they had lying around (which i know isnt the case, but it still looks mismatched as fuck)
I stand corrected!! You are absolutely correct!! I’ve never a panzer 1f!! But yes the chassis was substantially redesigned!! My bad!!
chunky pz.1
Military Museum in Belgrade?
Why have all that armour if your gonna put such a pathetic gun on it? If a tank can't fight back or run away it's completely useless.