First World War - US tanks & armored cars
Tanks and armored vehicles around 250 armored military vehicles in September 1918.
While the British and the French were quick to build their first operational tanks, the German High Command was questionable at best of their ability that was until mid-1917 when it came success that proved a well-coordinated attack using tanks in an appropriate manner could break and create havoc in the back lines they had reason not to push the production of the first tank, infantry, as elite assault squads were a stürmptruppen simple and much less expensive way to achieve this breakthrough, as they had shown numerous times throughout 1917, and especially during the 1918 offensives in the spring the military blockade has also played a role, which limits capacity of an already exhausted industry to produce enough materials and labor to build reservoirs swarms This reduces the chances of launching tank offensives in full force There were repugnance for this new dishonorable weapon as described in propaganda and newspapers, from ancient and profound traditional means of P Aristocratic Russian officer, who dominated both the chief of staff and the Kaiser himself.
However, the Germans were also naturally fond of new technologies of war and besides official point of view, an engineering department of Kriegsdepartement 7 Allgemeine army Abteilung Verkehrswesen was quickly established to study the reservoir designs and produce under the cover of a small department in charge of road safety, it has been mirrored the British unified Landship Committee which led the entire development of the British tank actually high command had asked for designs for an armored vehicle before war, but all models have been rejected This was to change in September 1916 when the British brand has sent the biggest secret in France, have been put into action for the first time their psychological effect, despite the losses and failure tactics of the operation far exceeded any other aspect This side effect has come seriously Consider ation as to the moral mid-1917 low, disobedience and even full-scale mutiny has become a problem of many allied units, the product of a four-year crane a war of attrition.
In fact, many project were sent to the committee in 1917 and only a few were selected The A7V was the first project of the engineer Joseph Vollmer committee had to choose an appropriate basis for mobility in the field the battle was the natural choice Holt chassis the Germans knew they were used by the Allies as a basis for their own Holt tractors tanks have been used by the Austrian army, and built in number in Budapest licensed This was also the snowcat available evidence After J Vollmer trials not only decided to build an extended version of the chassis, it also chose a dual motor to propel the vehicle a wooden model was tested in spring 1917, followed by a tank unarmored Armament and armor were equipped with latest single disc beginning Röchling armor was relatively thick as 30 mm 1 18 to the front, but th No traditional mild steel, it was less than French and British armor main gun finally chose was the pistol of Belgian rapid fire Nordenfelt, s hort, lightweight and compact, almost recoilless It was robust and available in large quantities from various Belgian arsenals in 1914.
The first A7Vs were ready for action in March, have their advantages became clear All were equipped with a gun, in a good position straithforward They had good curved tracks, thick armor and had plenty of ammunition for their many more guns, they were large and impressive, perfect for the desired psychological effect, and had an excellent power to weight ratio, being fast for their size, faster than anything the Allies could field but disadvantages also appeared Avril, in particular during the attack only Villers -Bretonneux 21, were all machines 18 in all, were put together in action Several broken early in the action, others were in trenches and abandoned the muddy terrain, and only three, which were more advanced, met the enemy troops, and especially the three British tanks followed this was the first battle -and only- reservoir tank of the war to end all wars, but this epic duel ended in a draw the two British tanks wife is retired and the other two damaged A7Vs by infantry bullets and shrapnel, however, the only one who fought the British male, after three hits British 6-pdr was notably faster and more accurate, was evacuated British male soon lost under heavy mortar fire, but the result of the total commitment of the A7V mistaken at best the combination of very low ground clearance of 20 cm 7 87 high center of gravity down the slopes and the hull overhanging proven without doubt the Germans, as he did for the French, the lack of capacity of the armored boxes based on Holt chassis to face a cratered terrain and large trenches or soil bou them.
After this failure, the suspect already ordered staff to study other models quickly, canceling the initial order of 100 A7Vs The A7V-U, with tracks full length, was designed after taking many tanks Mark IV It became clear that this concept was much more capable of coping with actual conditions on the battlefield in fact, 50 Mark IV's were captured during the aftermath of the battle of Cambrai, has a British offensive at the end of 1917 they were recovered, repaired and those unable to be repaired in the operating conditions, left as spare parts for other reserves most of theses have been repackaged by the BAKP 20, equipped with new German weapons including 5 7cm February 24 Belgian guns fresh off QF-base materials, painted with brand new units and large Maltese cross Then they were sent to assault squads trained, operating as Beute Mark IV or Mark IV Beutepanzer Captured Mark IV Almost all women were converted to men in the pro cess, some also equipped with a 13 mm 0 52 heavy anti-tank gun T- gewehr up their initial before Lewis gun They also added an additional hatch roof dome security exhaust They were used in the summer offensive in batches of three, sometimes with reserve tanks, and high overall rate of attrition they proved slower than the rapid pace of sturmtruppen they were supposed to cover and generally often failed Beute All Mark IVs left field for various reasons were blown and their weapons recovered this tank had a significant impact on German designs, including A7V-U short.
This mid-1918 project did not work on time production began in September, but no units were equipped in October as it was expected by November, it was all over the A7V-U was like a version much more taller and wider mark IV It was ten tons heavier and less maneuverable, despite being equipped with the same engine and transmission A7V However, this design was not the only one who attain the state -Major Several other projects have been tested, including Treffaswagen a kind of armored tractor with front wheels massive, designed to crush the barbed wire a prototype built by Hansa Lloyd works Bremen was tested in February-March 1917, but the project was canceled in favor of the A7V in May 1917, officers attended the first tests of a rather unconventional prototype using pedrail solution Hansa Lloyd works Bremen.
This Orionwagen as he was named, was a back sheet turtle protection with a small rear driver's compartment on a mounting rack eighteen feet each side track direction was provided by a steel front wheel concept was not It was based on new Orion prewar product standard 4 ton truck, an unusual but powerful solution that makes his trademark Each foot has a large spring between the upper and lower track buffer which allowed to move to the forward while assuming the role of the suspension of the entire system proved motor 45 hp 33 6 kilowatts soon not to the task, because the finished prototype was heavier than expected It failed in some tests as passing trenches and pass various obstacles the concept yet had strong supporters within the OHL and development continued as a transport field the second prototype ty more successful It was developed at the end of 1917, did not have front wheel steering was more compact and powered by a more powerful engine has also been replaced with a sheet and was projected to a rear turret fully crossed with up to four machine guns or 2 cm 0 79 Tankabwehrkanone Becker M 11 But as the OHL is now fixed on the no order came A7V the team behind however decided to produce a new design for 1919 in the hope of new orders Orionwagen III This is an improved version thereof, with two turrets, one carrying the 20 mm 0 79 in Becker M 11 and the other two Mauser guns.
A reduced model has produced specifications of the final version of 120 tons, 13 m x 6 42 6 19 7 ', 4 mm 77 March 03 in the guns.
German tanks World War and armored cars (19141918), German, tanks, armored vehicles, cars.