Today we highlight the new Panzerjager 1 by bringing you the historical roll out of this weapon used in 1940 and give you a sneak peak at the loading dock showing them on the move to the front lines. It won't be long now!! Also read a compelling AAR from Deadcheck about the Axis actions to save Remagen and the work of a lone green tag Budicaesar who changed the outcome of a battle.
Panzerjager 1
Even before the Second World War, the famous German tank commander, Heinz Guderian, had predicted the need for highly mobile self-propelled anti-tank vehicles, later known as Panzerjäger or Jagdpanzer (tank destroyer or hunter).
In March 1940, the first attempt to build such a vehicle was made. This was the 4.7 cm PaK (t) (Sfl) auf Pz.Kpfw. It was more or less a simple improvisation, made by using a modified Panzer I Ausf.B tank hull and by mounting a 4.7 cm PaK (t) gun with a small shield on it. This vehicle proved to be an effective anti-tank weapon in the early period of the war, with a few examples remaining in service up to 1943.
The original designation for this vehicle was 4,7 cm PaK (t) (Sfl) auf Pz.Kpfw. I (Sd.Kfz.101) ohne Turm. Nowadays, this vehicle is mostly known as the Panzerjäger I. For the Panzerjäger I conversion, the Panzer I Ausf.B chassis was used, as it had a more powerful engine and was longer than the Ausf.A. The Panzerjäger I’s suspension and running gear were the same as those of the original Panzer I Ausf.B, with no change to its construction. It consisted of five road wheels on both sides. The first wheel used a coil spring mount with an elastic shock absorber in order to prevent any outward bending. The remaining four wheels were mounted in pairs on a suspension cradle with leaf spring units. There were two front drive sprockets, two rear idlers and eight return rollers in total (four on each side).
The main engine was the water-cooled 3.8 l Maybach NL 38 TR, giving out 100 hp at 3,000 rpm. Due to the extra equipment and larger weapon, the vehicle weight was increased to 6.4 tonnes. The added extra weight affected the crossroad performance but the maximum speed was unchanged at 40 km/h. The gearbox (ZF Aphon FG 31) had five forward and one reserve speeds.
The most obvious change was the removal of the tank turret and, in addition, the superstructure upper and rear armor were also removed. In place of the turret was a new gun mount for the 4.7 cm gun. For better stability, the gun mount was held in place by three metal bars. Two vertical bars were connected to the vehicle bottom and another larger one to the rear engine compartment. For this conversion, the gun wheels and trails were removed. In addition, the standard 4.7 cm PaK (t) gun shield was replaced with a smaller curved one. For the protection of the crew, the first series of Panzerjäger I had a five-sided armored compartment, the plates of which were 14.5 mm thick. This armored compartment was bolted to the vehicle hull, which made repairs much easier. The second series of produced vehicles had two additional (one on each side) armored plates added, which increase the directions from which the vehicle was protected. This armored compartment provided only limited protection from the front and sides due to weak armor thickness. This is one of the reasons that the crews of these vehicles used steel helmets. In a vague hope of increasing the armor protection, some crews added spare tracks to the vehicle’s front armor.
The gun used was the Skoda 47 mm Kanon P.U.V.vz.38, known as the 4.7 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 36 (t), or simply as 4.7 cm PaK (t) in German service. It was an effective weapon for its time. During the period of August 1939 to May 1941, some 566 4.7 cm PaK(t) were built by Škoda for the Germans. The standard Panzergranate Pz.Gr.36 (t) had a muzzle velocity of 775 m/s and a maximum effective ranger range of 1.5 km. The armor penetration of this round was 48-59 mm at 500 m and 41 mm at 1 km range with the standard AP round.
The total ammunition load was 86 rounds carried inside the vehicle in five different ammunition boxes. Only 10 HE rounds were carried, located behind the loader on the vehicle’s right side. On the right side of the crew fighting compartment, where the loader was seated, there was another ammunition box with 34 AP rounds. Some 16 AP additional rounds were placed under the gun. The remaining rounds were located at the rear fighting compartment under the gunner’s and loader’s seats.
The Panzerjäger I was operated by three crew members, who, due to the lack of space, had to perform more than one role. The driver, who was located inside the vehicle, was also the radio operator. The commander, who also acted as the gunner, was located on the left side of the armored compartment. The last crew member was the loader, who was located to the right side, beside the commander. To avoid being affected by harsh weather, the crew was provided with a folding tarpaulin cover.
Armor protection was minimal. The Panzer I’s maximal armor was only 13 mm thick, while the combat compartment’s armored shield was a bit thicker, at 14.5 mm. This armor only provided protection from small caliber rounds and was useless even against French 25 mm anti-tank guns. Being open-topped caused other issues, as the crew could be easily killed. The limited space inside the vehicle caused additional problems, as the crew often lacked space to carry extra equipment or personal belongings. For this reason, some vehicles were equipped with a large storage box place on the right fender. Article and photos by tanks-encyclopedia.com S!
Panzerjager's on the docks headed to the front soon!
AAR/Citation 3-29-21
DeadCheckExecutive Officer 16 ID. 2 Kampfgruppe
In the early hours of TZ3, the Axis were fighting desperately to hold the key town of Remagen, a strategic strong point for both factions. The town is surrounded by large steep hills, offering every advantage to the attacker. The Allied forces had dug in their defensive positions on top of the southwest hill, a hill which overlooks 3 key objectives and spawns, by placing several hundred meters of trenches and bunkers. This proved to be devastating to the defending force. Axis forces attempted to engage from the low ground as Allied tanks, ATGs, and infantry support fired on them from the hill. Several Allied squads flanked and maneuvered to gain a foothold in the town, but the Germans continued to hold their ground. Several men charged the hill with sappers in a vain attempt to kill the tanks that were wreaking havoc on the forces below, but were met with heavy and unrelenting fire from enemy crew-served weapons.
The combat was bloody, brutal, and continuous. The Axis struggled to come up with solutions. There are two key factors that turned the tide of the battle: Dooshie’s Raiders launched a fierce attack on the enemy forward base, catching the Allies by surprise, but was nevertheless met with fierce resistance. As the diversion of the FB attack drew men away from the tanks on the southwest hill, a special operation was conducted to dispose of the Allied armor. As the mission wasadvertised and volunteers requested, oneman responded. Budicaesar, a green but determined player, stepped up to the plate. As the Allied Air Force was focused on providing CAS to their FB, a Ju-52 flew over the forest on the southwest hill overlooking town and dropped a single sapper into the trees. Budicaesar waited until he heard firing from the trenches and stealthily closed the distance. The lone Fallschirmjager dispatched several complacent Allies with his blade, and moved in on the tank. As he navigated the endless and impressively built enemy trenches, his knife still dripping with the blood of his enemies, he spotted one of two remaining tanks and he sapped it to death. This act relieved his comrades under fire, and the Axis was able to take the hill. As soon as this occurred, the Raiders finished the enemy forward base attack and the attack objective was withdrawn from the town.
Proving once again that one soldier can make a difference!
S! to Budicaesar
TRUCK EWS RANGE CHANGING
Finally, when we release the next patch we will changing the truck EWS range from 700m to 1,000m. The purpose is to give the defender another minute to respond to the EWS before mobile spawns are set up.
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