ICM: Panzerwaffe steel cats in 1:35 DS3524

ICM: Panzerwaffe steel cats in 1:35 DS3524

 Before the outbreak of World War II, the Third Reich's armored forces (Panzerwaffe) were primarily equipped with light and medium tanks. The results of the battles on the Eastern Front in 1941 showed that to successfully counter Soviet tanks, new types of armored vehicles with powerful guns and thick armor were required. In early 1943, production of the Pz.Kpfw V Panther tank with a 7.5 cm KwK42 L/70 long-barreled 75 mm cannon began. The weight of this tank, depending on the modification, ranged from 43 to 45.5 tons. This tank was classified as both medium and heavy based on various criteria. Many military historians consider it one of the best tanks of World War II. The Pz.Kpfw V also served as the basis for the Jagdpanther tank destroyer and the Bergepanther recovery vehicle. In the winter of 1944, production began on another tank, the Pz.Kpfw VI Ausf.B Konigstiger, developed by Henschel under the direction of E. Aders. This tank featured heavy armor and a long 88 mm gun. Its armor-piercing shell was capable of hitting any Allied tank at a range of 2,000 meters or more. Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B tanks served in heavy tank battalions until the end of the war, with a total of 479 Königstigers produced between 1944 and 1945.