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Panzerwaffe Vol. 1: German Armour and Armoured Units 1919-1945
Editor: John Prigent
Softback: 96 pages
Publisher: Ian Allen
Price: £16.99
ISBN: 978-0711-03-239-2

Introduction

This is the first in a new series of studies from the established British publishing house Ian Allen. The series seeks to cover the chronological development of the Nazi armoured corps over ten volumes, from its Imperial roots during the First World War, to its ultimate destruction at the end of the Second.

The series is fortunate in having John Prigent at the helm as series editor. His forward introduction sets out the store for future volumes; namely, that each separate volume will cover a specific period or campaign. The slight twist with this tried and tested format being the intention to match the quality of the photographic and illustrative content with comprehensive text. For modellers, the significant pull to this series will be the promised extensive use of previously unpublished period photographs.

The first study in this series is both an immediate divergence from the planned format and extremely ambitious in its scope, covering the German armoured corps’ painful birth pangs during the Great War, the constrained re-birth during the Inter-War period, the Invasions of Austria and Czechoslovakia, the Reich’s participation during the Spanish Civil War and finally the September Campaign. This involves no less than five separate authors within one single volume.

As some readers will already know, German tanks per se are not my main interest. However, two of the main aspects of this particular study, namely, the A7V and the September Campaign, are both subjects that hold a great deal of interest to me, and about which I have some knowledge. The following review naturally concentrates on these subjects (coincidentally the top and tail of the study).

Beginnings – The First German Tanks

The study’s opening chapter is written by the German author, Rainer Strasheim, and covers the difficult birth of German tank operations and emerging doctrine during the Western Front battles of the First World War. The chapter sets out the German Army’s first encounters with British Army tanks on the Somme (actually at the Battle of Flers-Courcellette, 15 September 1916), and their faltering attempts at countering their potential threat. Given the future prominence of the tank within the Nazi war machine, it is rather ironic that the Imperial German Army High Command’s initial reaction to the tank’s potential was extremely hesitant. Indeed, rather than counter the threat by mass-producing a tank of their own, the Germans would rely upon captured British vehicles, the sole exception being the famous A7V (or Allgemeines Kriegsdepartment 7 Abteilung Verkehrswesen, to give its full name). The author provides us with a good, albeit abbreviated, combat history of the fledgling Abteilungs deployed on the Western Front.

The author’s recognition of the use of captured British tanks is highly welcomed. Notably, the chapter includes some fine photographs of captured rhomboid Males and Females, and a number of Whippets – including an intriguing photograph of a Whippet up-gunned with a German 57mm gun (the same mounted on the A7V), which would make an interesting build. It is also very refreshing to see the A7V presented in a positive light. Historians commonly portray the A7V as a lumbering monster, unfit for the battlefields of the Western Front. This is far from the truth; those lucky enough to have a copy of Brisbane Museum’s excellent publication – Mephisto – will be aware that the A7V was far from being a failure, indeed, its bulk and heavy armament was well suited to the flat and open areas of Eastern France upon which it was fielded. Herr Strasheim addresses these past misrepresentations. The chapter closes with a brief overview of the use of AFVs in the tragic and confused infighting and near civil war (between various political factions) that greeted the coming of peace in Germany. In among the vaguely familiar photographs of arrogant Freikorps insurgents is a very interesting picture of a surviving A7V, which the author speculates may have been Chassis No 507 (originally named Cyklop, renamed Heidi) - very interesting stuff.

I do have a few minor criticisms of the opening chapter of the series. The A7V’s low production run allows for a comprehensive list of vehicles, which would aid the reading of the main text (and help the modeller). Regrettably, such a list is absent. The author is also part-mistaken in his account of Mephisto’s final battle – the most significant German tank action of the First World War at Villers-Bretonneux (24 April 1918). He suggests that the tank was finally damaged in an artillery exchange. This is far from certain, and indeed the current theory is that the tank was sabotaged by its crew, which is borne out by the damage to the tank as it appears today (on display at the Queensland Museum, Brisbane). Equally, the author’s views on A7V colour schemes (the author suggests irregular patches of green, red-brown and clay yellow) is not substantiated by the physical evidence collected by the Brisbane Museum during the vehicles sensitive restoration – although, admittedly the reality is that we’ll never know, with any certainty, the colours in which A7V’s were painted.

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Between the wars – Rebuilding, new tactics and new equipment

The following chapter is written by our own John Prigent. It covers the development of the Panzerwaffe during the early inter-war period, particularly in terms of tactics; in spite of the shackles placed upon Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. This development is best characterised by the inclusion of photographs of ‘dummy’ tanks being used for training purposes during the 1920s and 1930s – the German Army (the Reichswehr at this point) was forbidden from having the real thing. It is notable that these dummy tanks follow the ‘modern’ tank model set by the French FT-17. Again, these photographs scream potential modelling project.

The chapter moves at a lightning pace and the Reichswehr’s fumblings with dummy tanks is quickly left behind as Mr Prigent first briefs us on the top-secret Grosstraktor project (in collaboration with the Soviet Union), which looks like it comes straight out of Indiana Jones, before moving onto the equally-gargantuan Neubaufahzeug, which saw active service in Norway (1940). The bulk of the chapter comprises the development of the familiar Panzerkampfwagen types. Curiously, Mr Prigent also includes the two principle Czech ‘panzers’ (the Skoda Lt.35 and Lt.38), which might have sat better within the following chapter. I found this section to be very interesting and enlightening. My one criticism focuses upon the chapter’s failure to recognise the significance, in terms of both tactics and vehicle development, that the political change from Weimar Republic to Nazis State brought. However, on balance, the overall quality of this chapter (particularly the photographs) makes this omission forgivable.

Austria and Czechoslovakia – 1938

This brief chapter outlines Hitler’s objectives for Europe very clearly and sets out the Nazi’s own interpretation of German Anschluss, through the initial annexation of Austria and subsequently of Czechoslovakia (both in 1938). Both campaigns were bloodless but do provide a very good illustration of a proto-superpower flexing its muscles. The most telling aspect being the Heer’s desperate attempts to field mechanised units, in order to ensure a speedy invasion. Indeed, the author, Carlos Caballero Jurado, describes both the requisition of buses and removal vans, and the unplanned refuelling of vehicles at Austrian petrol stations, which again suggests extremely interesting modelling opportunities. At best, this chapter provides a tantalising glimpse of a very interesting subject matter (it is only five pages long!).

The Spanish Civil War

The Wehrmacht’s covert involvement (through the Legion Condor) in the bitter Spanish Civil War probably merits more than the nine pages that the study has to offer. Nevertheless, the nine sides of (predominantly) photographs and text included within the study is genuinely interesting and will provide modellers with a useful introduction to a controversial and oft-neglected subject area. The photographic focus is upon the Pz I, but the text offers tantalising possibilities of Panzer Gruppe crewed FT-17s and T-26s (both types captured from Republican forces). It is quite ironic that German and Soviet tanks were ranged against each other (in Spain) whilst both states were on the verge of forming a secret alliance with each other that would ultimately plunge the world into war.

The Polish Campaign

The September Campaign (as it is popularly known in Poland) is a subject that has been close to my heart for well over twenty years. Consequently, the study’s final chapter, written by the American author William Russ, was always going to hold the greatest interest and come under the greatest scrutiny.

I must freely admit that my initial reading of the chapter resulted in much consternation and quite a bit of gnashing of teeth. Mr Russ is a well-known authority on the German Army’s involvement in the September Campaign, being the author of Case White: The German Army in the Polish Campaign September 1929 (Fall Weis being the German Army’s codename for their invasion). Having re-read the chapter and checked my own sources (primary and secondary), it would appear that the chapter is written wholly from the German perspective; possibly based upon official unit histories. If that is the intention, then so be it. Personally, I believe such an approach is a weakness as all it does is perpetuate the myth that the Panzerwaffe was (in 1939) a fully formed invincible force, which was very far from the truth. Perhaps the most galling example of this is Mr Russ’ description of the Battle of Mokra (which is incorrectly spelt in the text, as Morka (sic)). The study’s text would have you believe that the Battle was a mere walk in the park for the 4 Panzer Div, which is far from the truth. At Mokra, the Polish Army deployed the Wolynska Brygada Kawalerii (part of Armii Krakow defending the south western border with Germany), which was an elite formation comprising four cavalry regiments (fighting a mounted infantry), two divisional artillery and armoured regiments, an AA regiment and two battalions of supporting infantry. The Brigade was supported throughout the second half of the Battle by armoured train No 53 Smaily. Contrary to the Mr Russ’ account of the Battle, the 4 Panzer Div had a very bad day. Their opening move was to advance in close order onto the open ground to the west of Mokra (a small village), only to be met with very precise and lethal anti-tank and artillery fire from the Brigade, who were concealed to the immediate east of the local railway line. Within the space of an hour, the Polish Cavalry Brigade had destroyed over 100 of the Panzer Division’s AFVs. Mr Russ neglects to mention this imposing statistic. The 4 Panzer Div would eventually gain ground but only after sustaining further loses, and after the timely intervention of the Luftwaffe. The Wolynska Cavalry Brigade, in the mean time, would fall back and live to fight another day. It is disappointing that this chapter appears to stick loosely to the myth of invincible German Panzers sweeping across Poland with little resistance from the Polish armed forces.

As with all half-truths, there is more to the story of the September Campaign. I’ve already intimated the important role played by the Luftwaffe (curiously, their role is spelt out quite clearly in Volume 2 of this series), but I could also add the misguided Polish strategy (of waiting for the intervention of France and Great Britain from the west) and the treacherous invasion of Eastern Poland by the Soviets (on 17 September 1939). Once again, Mr Russ fails to mention these factors, which undoubtedly contributed to the Panzerwaffe’s rapid advances.

In spite of my criticisms of some aspects the text; there are still positives to the study’s closing chapter. The clear positives for the modeller are the many (previously unpublished) photographs, which illustrate a wide variety of panzer types and units. Interesting pictures include a column of Kfz 13 AC on an autobahn, a traffic jam of Pz Is and IIs being observed by a camo-smock clad SS infantryman, and, rather ironically, some Polish 7TPs dwarfing a trio of Pz Is.

Conclusion

I must concede that German tanks (the A7V is an exception) are not my thing. However, the conflicts that they served in are of great interest to me. I appreciate that there are many constraints that face both author and publisher, and that a complete study may neither be technically nor financially viable. Nevertheless, in my opinion and in an ideal world, the sections on the First World War, the Spanish Civil War and the September Campaign could all have been significantly expanded. The September Campaign almost merits a complete study of its own – it did after all last longer than the Battle for France. Then again, perhaps I’m biased.

The huge positive with this study for modellers is the illustrative material. Speaking personally, the photographic material on the A7V would justify the cost of the study to me alone – the remainder being a fortunate and unexpected bonus. The minor downside, and neither authors nor publisher are at fault here, is that many of the illustrated vehicles are in panzer grey, which results in some dark images.

Regardless, I think that this will be a cracking series for those modellers interested in the Panzerwaffe and I would thoroughly recommend it to them.

Thanks to Ian Allen Publishing for the review sample.

For full details on all Ian Allen Publishing titles please see their website: Ian Allen Publishing