I do not think that field modifications of tanks were mostly quickly destroyed on the Eastern Front, but that they were simply the remains of machines that were not destroyed and by that time already obsolete and retired from the front, modified for further service, and that rather most of them died for mechanical wear and taking them to smelters when they reached the end of their life, because no one saw them as promising to make parts for them. And instead of a few oddities being produced or used, people today are rather unaware that Germany put about 1000 FT-17s into service, although they were all used more as fortresses with little or no mobility at airfields, warehouses, rail hubs in places , where a larger attack by partisans could be expected, a few pieces as coastal artillery, one of these is still standing in Norway.
There was a german artillry officer named Becker, who was tapented with engineers knowledge/ idess. The german army staff noted this and allowed this officer to create , Sonderkommando Becker '/ Special commando Becker. This unit collected captured dutch, belgian and french vehicles of every kind, even repairsble wrecks. Mr. Becker converted this vehicles for need of german forces, for this he used the original factories, that german/ germanized czech companies could produce/ develop regular vehicles. This Mr. Becker converted this captured vehicles into vehicles needed in lesser numbers. This means Commanding/ Staff tanks, Artillry observers tanks, Artillry fire leading tanks, Artillry ammunition carriers, Tanks for engineers/ pioneers, tanks for repair/ craftmans teams, tanks for medics, and self propelled artillry/ antitank guns. Mr. Becker served in wwll mostly as technical expert, but after D- Day he fought brave and competent with a unit, using his improvised selfpropelled guns.
The PZ IV's gun wasn't upgraded until the invasion of Russia and probably not until late 1941 or early 1942 along with the PZ III getting the longer barrel 5.cm L/60 gun. Romels tanks were not up gunned until after the battle of Gazala when they ran into the M-3 Grant tank
The Germans also used captured tanks to re-equip Panzer and Panzer grenadier units destroyed on the eastern front, and the remnants transported back to France. These remnants were not yet suitable for deployment in battle until casualties could be replaced and trained-up. German tank factories were struggling to keep up with the many demands. However with French tanks the new recruits could build up tank skills while waiting for their new panzers that arrived in small batches per month. Some divisions were not rebuilt because the cadres surviving were too few, so they got posted to other divisions. One panzer division that was destroyed [the 15th] was rebuilt as a panzer -grenadier [15th] division because there were not enough available tanks to equip a full regiment, so instead only a single tank battalion was authorized, and sometimes it was equipped with assault guns instead. P-G tank battalions also had fewer tanks than in a standard panzer battalion. As time went on the number of tanks in units shrank, and only the SS Panzer, and elite army units like Grossdeutschland and Lehr, and also Panzer Div Hermann Göring got the best and most generous equipment allocations. The Germans did use captured Shermans in the West [after D-Day], and T-34 in the east, but this was mainly for deception purposes.
Panzer 3 variant F with a 50mm main gun was produced from 1939 onwards. And for example the 1st Panzer Division invaded Russia in June 1941 with 43 x P2s; 20 x P4s and 71 x P3s all armed with a 50mm cannon.
French tanks were some of the best in terms of protection anf armament. What they lacked was good radio communication, and small 1-man turrets which were impractical. The Germans won primarily because of their superb communications, orders could be relayed in minutes, were the French took hours. The French GHQ were still fighting WW1, and the British lost confidence in them after the French screwed up at Arras and the Dyle.
wow very informative sir good job, awesome this really was a shocker to me because i personally thought the tiger won the war against the czech army, and conquered berlin!
Surprising! This really just proves how quickly the III Reich lost their most newest designs and resorted to using many captured equipment. We all see the Germans riding fancy Kampfwagens or a column of heavy duty vehicles towing cannons when mostly it all rested on man-energy and the use of animals - mainly horses (as said in the video)! Great photo gallery to help people get a wider image of it all.
French armor was used on the East front, to equip some Panzerdivision after the huge losses following Barbarossa. They were then replaced by German tanks, but still equipped first rank units, up to 1944, like the 21st PzDiv in Normandy. The tanks were then hopelessly outdated (like their german counterparts, Panzer II, short barrel 75mm Panzer IV and 50mm Panzer III)
French French Lorraine 37L and French Hotchkiss H39 were used extensively by Germans mounting 7.5 cm, 10.5 cm and 15 cm guns.
I do not think that field modifications of tanks were mostly quickly destroyed on the Eastern Front, but that they were simply the remains of machines that were not destroyed and by that time already obsolete and retired from the front, modified for further service, and that rather most of them died for mechanical wear and taking them to smelters when they reached the end of their life, because no one saw them as promising to make parts for them. And instead of a few oddities being produced or used, people today are rather unaware that Germany put about 1000 FT-17s into service, although they were all used more as fortresses with little or no mobility at airfields, warehouses, rail hubs in places , where a larger attack by partisans could be expected, a few pieces as coastal artillery, one of these is still standing in Norway.
There was a german artillry officer named Becker, who was tapented with engineers knowledge/ idess. The german army staff noted this and allowed this officer to create , Sonderkommando Becker '/ Special commando Becker. This unit collected captured dutch, belgian and french vehicles of every kind, even repairsble wrecks. Mr. Becker converted this vehicles for need of german forces, for this he used the original factories, that german/ germanized czech companies could produce/ develop regular vehicles. This Mr. Becker converted this captured vehicles into vehicles needed in lesser numbers. This means Commanding/ Staff tanks, Artillry observers tanks, Artillry fire leading tanks, Artillry ammunition carriers, Tanks for engineers/ pioneers, tanks for repair/ craftmans teams, tanks for medics, and self propelled artillry/ antitank guns. Mr. Becker served in wwll mostly as technical expert, but after D- Day he fought brave and competent with a unit, using his improvised selfpropelled guns.
The PZ IV's gun wasn't upgraded until the invasion of Russia and probably not until late 1941 or early 1942 along with the PZ III getting the longer barrel 5.cm L/60 gun. Romels tanks were not up gunned until after the battle of Gazala when they ran into the M-3 Grant tank
its not only french, without the chech tanks the invasion of france would not even be possible
Some interesting photographs,thank you. French armour has fascinated me for a long time. Excellent video. By the way, it's "cut the mustard" 😀
The Germans also used captured tanks to re-equip Panzer and Panzer grenadier units destroyed on the eastern front, and the remnants transported back to France. These remnants were not yet suitable for deployment in battle until casualties could be replaced and trained-up. German tank factories were struggling to keep up with the many demands. However with French tanks the new recruits could build up tank skills while waiting for their new panzers that arrived in small batches per month. Some divisions were not rebuilt because the cadres surviving were too few, so they got posted to other divisions. One panzer division that was destroyed [the 15th] was rebuilt as a panzer -grenadier [15th] division because there were not enough available tanks to equip a full regiment, so instead only a single tank battalion was authorized, and sometimes it was equipped with assault guns instead. P-G tank battalions also had fewer tanks than in a standard panzer battalion. As time went on the number of tanks in units shrank, and only the SS Panzer, and elite army units like Grossdeutschland and Lehr, and also Panzer Div Hermann Göring got the best and most generous equipment allocations.
The Germans did use captured Shermans in the West [after D-Day], and T-34 in the east, but this was mainly for deception purposes.
Panzer 3 variant F with a 50mm main gun was produced from 1939 onwards. And for example the 1st Panzer Division invaded Russia in June 1941 with 43 x P2s; 20 x P4s and 71 x P3s all armed with a 50mm cannon.
French tanks were some of the best in terms of protection anf armament. What they lacked was good radio communication, and small 1-man turrets which were impractical. The Germans won primarily because of their superb communications, orders could be relayed in minutes, were the French took hours. The French GHQ were still fighting WW1, and the British lost confidence in them after the French screwed up at Arras and the Dyle.
The early war Pz IV was not an infantry support tank is was designed to support the PZ III
Ich mag den Rhone Schlepper
wow very informative sir good job, awesome this really was a shocker to me because i personally thought the tiger won the war against the czech army, and conquered berlin!
I have a long out of print book on capture tank that Germans converted as SP prime movers from other countries
Surprising! This really just proves how quickly the III Reich lost their most newest designs and resorted to using many captured equipment. We all see the Germans riding fancy Kampfwagens or a column of heavy duty vehicles towing cannons when mostly it all rested on man-energy and the use of animals - mainly horses (as said in the video)! Great photo gallery to help people get a wider image of it all.
An Aryan classic
Warthunder please
1 1/3 of this armor isn t french it s german
2 most french armor was sued in france or in norway so better german armor could be used in russia
French armor was used on the East front, to equip some Panzerdivision after the huge losses following Barbarossa.
They were then replaced by German tanks, but still equipped first rank units, up to 1944, like the 21st PzDiv in Normandy. The tanks were then hopelessly outdated (like their german counterparts, Panzer II, short barrel 75mm Panzer IV and 50mm Panzer III)
Utter Rubbish.... and U want paying for this......