German Tank Names
Gonzo
Panther etc.......and why only the Mark V and up. Did the PzKw I, II, III
and IV have nicknames and if not why not? Who came up with Tiger, Panther
and King or Royal Tiger? Anyone got an answer?
Usagi Techworks
Wasn't there a German tradition or cultural flair for naming
machines as "cats" in order to demo their strength, speed,
endurance.
I think the Pz1 thru 3 had none since they were developed early in
the war and only when the crews began to name their tanks in the
cat's variety did this become a formal nomenclature.
L.
Martin Rapier
> I was wondering how and when German tanks got their nicknames.....Tiger,
> Panther etc.......and why only the Mark V and up. Did the PzKw I, II,III
> and IV have nicknames and if not why not? Who came up with Tiger,Panther
> and King or Royal Tiger? Anyone got an answer?
No idea.
I do know that after the Hornisse, Wespe and Hummel (Hornet, Wasp & Bumble
Bee) were named Hitler decided that he didn't want armour naming after
insects so the Hornisse became the Nashorn (rhino). As the story goes, the
Wespe and Hummel were still called that, but _very_quietly_.
Cheers
Martin.
Rich Rostrom
>I was wondering how and when German tanks got their nicknames.....Tiger,
>Panther etc.......and why only the Mark V and up. Did the PzKw I, II, III
>and IV have nicknames and if not why not? Who came up with Tiger, Panther
>and King or Royal Tiger? Anyone got an answer?
>
The Pz IIL (a recce version) was dubbed "Luchs" (Lynx).
Not sure why the Mark I - Mark III got no nicknames.
There were nicknames for many of the tank-chassis-based vehicles
for other purposes, such as SP artillery, SP AT guns, SP AA guns,
assault guns, and tank destroyers.
105mm arty on a Mark II chassis: Wespe (Wasp)
150mm arty on a Pz 38(t) chassis: Grille (???)
76mm AT on a Pz 38(t) chassis: Marder (Marten)
also with 76.2mm AT (captured Soviet)
75mm tank destroyer on a Pz 38(t) chassis: Hetzer (Baiter)
150mm howitzer on a Mark IV chassis: Brummbar (Grizzly Bear)
88mm AT on a Mark IV chassis: Hornisse (Hornet) or
Nashorh (Rhinoceros)
150mm howitzer on a Mark IV chassis: Brummbar (Grizzly Bear)
150mm arty on a Mark IV chassis: Hummel (Bumblebee)
37mm AA on a Mark IV chassis: Mobelwagen (Furniture Van)
37mm AA on a Mark IV chassis: Ostwind (East Wind)
Quad 20mm AA on a Mark IV chassis: Wirbelwind (Whirlwind)
Twin 37mm AA on a Mark IV chassis: Kugelblitz (Ball Lightning)
88mm AT tank destroyer on Porsche proposed Tiger chassis: Elefant
VK3001 prototype at Porsche: Leopard
--
It seemed incredible that the petty manipulations | Rich Rostrom
we had done so quietly in the dark could result in |
such a glorious catastrophe. | rrostrom@
--- Vladimir Peniakoff, _Popski's Private Army_ | 21stcentury.net
Edward Mueller
tanks. Hitler himself named many of the tanks (i.e. Elefant, Nashorn).
Mobelwagen was named by the tankers themselves, but I don't know of any
other examples such as that. Royal and King were added to the Tiger II by
allied troops out of fear/respect. Consequently the Germans used the new
names afterwards. Maus well that's just German humour..
Edward Mueller
Gonzo <sell...@escape.ca> wrote in message news:8btbp7$pif@beast...
Dave Gower
military hardware reflected the politicization of the military. The tanks
up
to Mark 4 were initiated before the war, so were primarily a product of
military thinking. After the shock of meeting superior Soviet tanks, and
then the reverse before Moscow, the Nazi party wanted to increase the
propaganda value of German tank technology. Hitler was never shy about
joining in these conversations, but decisions on such matters were usually
the result of committees involving the military (who were themselves
increasingly either Nazi party members or sympathetic) Speer's production
ministry, other officials and private industry.
Cheers
ken...@cix.compulink.co.uk
rros...@21stcentury.net (Rich Rostrom) wrote:
> Not sure why the Mark I - Mark III got no nicknames.
The Mk I - IV were all designed and designated pre war. I can find no
named variant that went into production before 1942. It seems that
names were not applied to established types.
Ken Young
ken...@cix.co.uk
Maternity is a matter of fact
Paternity is a matter of opinion
Greg
[nicknames]
>150mm arty on a Pz 38(t) chassis: Grille (???)
AFAIR Grasshopper
Pozdrawiam
Greg
Per Andersson
>150mm arty on a Pz 38(t) chassis: Grille (???)
Bison, I think.
Per Andersson
"Money is no object. It is a force of nature to which all things must bow."
ken...@cix.compulink.co.uk
rros...@21stcentury.net (Rich Rostrom) wrote:
> 150mm arty on a Pz 38(t) chassis: Grille (???)
That is what I have got in my sources. However the gun was an
infantry gun not the 150mm field howitzer.