Armoured Vehicles

Armoured (Panzer) forces are central to the German doctrine of Blitzkrieg. The ability for massed tanks to blast through almost any kind of defensive line gives rise to a whole new philosophy of mobile warfare. At least in the early stages of war this means a total reversal of the situation in the Great War. Instead of massive defensive systems, huge battles bogging down into stalemate and horrific casualties, the battles of Poland and France were very fast with light casualties and no protracted warfare to sap resources and morale. To maintain this advantage the Germans have sought to maintain the superiourity of their tank forces. A quest for superiourity in all areas leads to a constant increase in firepower and armoured strength but with corresponding increases in cost and mechanical complexity.

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Panzer II

Tech:

Start

Cost:

350

Built Time:

40 secs

Built At:

MAN Works, Krupp Works

Health:

129

Armour:

Light-Medium

Firepower:

5 (light penetration) (10 shot burst)

Rate of Fire:

3 secs

Range:

350

Speed:

46

The Panzer II was designed as a stopgap tank, not really intended for frontline combat. However the sudden outbreak of hostilities means these light tanks must be pressed into service. Their light armour is not really suited for taking on enemy tanks while their 20mm autocannon will struggle to penetrate more than the softest targets. However the rapid fire high explosive shells are excellent against soft targets and garrisoned infantry.

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Marder II

Tech:

Medium Tank Level 1

Cost:

850

Built Time:

23 secs

Built At:

MAN Works

Health:

72

Armour:

Light-Medium (open topped - vulnerable to explosives, grenades etc.)

Firepower:

316 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

4 secs

Range:

540

Speed:

26

The Marder II is an ad-hoc response to enemy heavy armour. By mounting the Pak-40 anti-tank gun onto damaged Panzer II chassis the Whermacht is able to field a powerful tank destroyer at a low cost. While the light, open topped armour cannot repel powerful gunfire, the long range of the Pak-40 enables the Marder II to stay well behind freindly tanks and pick off its targets from a distance.

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Panzer 38(t)

Tech:

Start

Cost:

500

Built Time:

25 secs

Built At:

Command Centre

Health:

128

Armour:

Light-Medium

Firepower:

96 (light penetration)

Rate of Fire:

3.5 secs

Range:

360

Speed:

24

The Panzer 38(t) is a benefit of the occupation of Czechoslovakia and its powerful moden arms company CKD. The 38(t) is one of the most modern tank designs in the world, with a good balance of speed, cost, firepower and armour. It is far superiour to the Panzer II and can be requisitioned faster than the Panzer III.

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Hetzer

Tech:

Medium Tank Level 3

Cost:

600

Built Time:

4 secs

Built At:

Command Centre

Health:

400

Armour:

Light-Medium

Firepower:

293 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

6 secs

Range:

496

Speed:

25

The Hetzer is an upgrade to the Panzer 38(t). The small turret was unable to accomodate the ubiquitous 75mm long gun that performs so well on the Panzer IV and StuG IIIs. However the chassis is still as reliable as ever, and so the Hetzer cuts off the turret, adds new sloped armour and mounts the 75mm gun right into the hull itself.

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Panzer III ausf E

Tech:

Start

Cost:

800

Built Time:

60 secs

Built At:

MAN Works, Henschel Works

Health:

277

Armour:

Light-Medium

Firepower:

96 (light penetration)

Rate of Fire:

3.5 secs

Range:

360

Speed:

23

The Panzer III is designed to facilitate a new approach to armoured warfare. It has good protection a powerful gun and a large, comfortable crew compartment but its main characteristic is its flexibility and ability to operate independantly. Its experienced crew can operate in a comfortable environment and stay in contact with their comrades via their on-board radio. The design is so successful that these characteristics would become ubiquitous in later tank designs. Rather than a support weapon to assist infantry to break through fixed defences in a pitched battle, the Panzer III is intended to be a the centerpiece of all-armoured formations. It is designed to blast through enemy defences en-mass and run amock, destorying their rear areas and causing a catastrophic collapse in their ability to fight. Sadly for the Panzer corps, the Panzer III is not availible in large numbers at the outbreak of the war and limited production capacity hinders its rapid deployment.

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Panzer III ausf J

Tech:

Level 2

Cost:

800

Built Time:

30 secs

Built At:

MAN Works, Henschel Works, Alkett Works, MNH Works

Health:

324

Armour:

Medium

Firepower:

182 (light penetration)

Rate of Fire:

4.5 secs

Range:

450

Speed:

23

The Panzer III is an essential part of Blitzkrieg, but the early ausf E was not really suited for the realities of the battlefield. The ausf J upgrades the gun to a 50mm anti tank gun able to shatter the armour of enemy tanks. It also increases the thickness of the armoured protection, especially on the front glacis plate which takes a lot of hits. Finally, the optimised design and industry gearing up to produce these tanks at a faster rate has dramatically reduced the overall build time.

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Panzer III ausf L

Tech:

Level 3

Cost:

800

Built Time:

22 secs

Built At:

MAN Works, Henschel Works, Alkett Works, MNH Works

Health:

395

Armour:

Medium (schurtzen, increased resistence to anti-tank rifles and rockets)

Firepower:

195 (light penetration)

Rate of Fire:

4.5 secs

Range:

450

Speed:

23

With further gearing boosts and more optimisations to the design, the Panzer III ausf L is even faster to build than its earlier counterparts. To help the tank resist the up-gunned enemy tanks the armour protection has been increased. The addition of armoured skirts has reduced the threat from anti-tank infantry and rockets.

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Captured T-34

Tech:

Level 3

Cost:

400

Built Time:

20 secs

Built At:

Command Centre

Health:

400

Armour:

Medium

Firepower:

173 (light penetration)

Rate of Fire:

10 secs

Range:

450

Speed:

45

Maximum:

6

The huge pincer movements across the Russian steppes led to the mass capturing of huge numbers of Soviet tanks. Many of these were basiclaly useless, but the T-34 is very impressive. These have been pressed into German service, and while this is much cheaper than building them from scratch, the number is limited since the Germans aren't actually producing them.

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StuG III ausf B

Tech:

Level 1

Cost:

900

Built Time:

60 secs

Built At:

Alkett Works

Health:

321

Armour:

Medium

Firepower:

127 (high explosive)

Rate of Fire:

4.5 secs

Range:

406

Speed:

27

The Sturmgeschütz III is designed to support infantry with a powerful 75mm HE cannon mounted in a Panzer III chassis. The low profile and thick armour makes it very sturdy and ideal for assaulting enemy positions. Its powerful shell is also very potent against the thin skinned enemy tanks.

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StuG III ausf F

Tech:

Level 3

Cost:

900

Built Time:

45 secs

Built At:

Alkett Works

Health:

408

Armour:

Medium

Firepower:

316 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

6 secs

Range:

496

Speed:

27

The StuG III found itself used increasingly to counter enemy armoured threats. Since it is sturdy and robust but under powered the new ausf F seeks to rectify this deficit. The gun has been replaced by a long 75mm anti-tank cannon. Improvements in the Panzer III chassis production has also reduced the build time moderatly.

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StuG III ausf G

Tech:

Medium Tanks Level 1

Cost:

700

Built Time:

8 secs

Built At:

Alkett Works

Health:

440

Armour:

Medium (schurtzen, increased resistence to anti-tank rifles and rockets)

Firepower:

316 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

6 secs

Range:

496

Speed:

27

The success of the ausf F and the pressing need for powerful anti-tank weapons has let to the StuG III with the long 75mm gun being put into full scale mass produciton. With dramatically streamlined production, armoured skirts and a reduced cost, the StuG III is a very good value tank-hunter. The low profile that originally made it so effective continues to make it hard to hit, ensuring it can take on powerful enemy tanks and still emerge victorious.

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StuG IV

Tech:

Medium Tanks Level 3

Cost:

700

Built Time:

24 secs

Built At:

Krupp Works

Health:

424

Armour:

Medium (schurtzen, increased resistence to anti-tank rifles and rockets)

Firepower:

316 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

6 secs

Range:

496

Speed:

27

The StuG IV essentially copies the StuG III but uses the Panzer IV chassis instead, allowing for even more production of these cheap and verstatile tank destroyers.

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Panzer IV ausf D

Tech:

Start

Cost:

1300

Built Time:

60 secs

Built At:

Krupp Works

Health:

196

Armour:

Light-Medium

Firepower:

127 (high explosive)

Rate of Fire:

4.5 secs

Range:

406

Speed:

27

The Panzer IV is a command tank. It is designed to organise nearby troops and to support infantry. To this end it mounts a powerful 75mm high explosive cannon and will boost the fighting ability of any nearby troops.

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Panzer IV ausf F2

Tech:

Level 3

Cost:

1200

Built Time:

22 secs

Built At:

Krupp Works

Health:

305

Armour:

Medium

Firepower:

300 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

5 secs

Range:

540

Speed:

27

The Panzer III is becoming obsolete. The diminutive size prevents much further upgrading. By taking the Panzer IV and boosting its fire power and armour, the tank is transformed into a powerful medium tank. The years of mass production have made the Panzer III much cheaper and faster to produce, but the Panzer IV F2 will add some teeth to their ranks until full scale Panzer IV production can be geared up.

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Panzer IV ausf H

Tech:

Medium Tank Level 1

Cost:

1100

Built Time:

22 secs

Built At:

Krupp Works

Health:

375

Armour:

Medium (schurtzen, increased resistence to anti-tank rifles and rockets)

Firepower:

300 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

5 secs

Range:

540

Speed:

27

The Panzer IV H is the product of design optimisation and streamlining. It features armoured skirts and increased armour protection as well as a streamlined design. The end result is a better protected tank with a lower cost and faster build rate.

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Panzer IV ausf J

Tech:

Medium Tank Level 2

Cost:

1000

Built Time:

9 secs

Built At:

Krupp Works

Health:

375

Armour:

Medium (schurtzen, increased resistence to anti-tank rifles and rockets)

Firepower:

300 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

5 secs

Range:

540

Speed:

27

The ausf J pushes streamlining and cost-saving to the limit. Some may argue beyond the limit of what is practical and reasonable. The turret is no longer turned electronically and must be hand-cranked, the armoured skirts are exchanged for meshes and the overall design is very simplified. The end result is an even cheaper tank with a dramatically reduced build rate but on paper having basically the same chracteristics.

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Panzer V ausf D

Tech:

Medium Tank Level 1

Cost:

1700

Built Time:

54 secs

Built At:

MAN Works, Henschel Works, MNH Works

Health:

637

Armour:

Medium-Heavy

Firepower:

410 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

5 secs

Range:

630

Speed:

24

The Panzer V is a new design custom built from the ground up to fill the role of the medium tank. Whereas the Panzer III and IV have been retroactivly upgraded away from their original design, the Panther takes all the lessons learned from the war thus far and combines them to form a new type of tank. With sloped front armour and a devastating new high velocity gun, the Panzer V is designed to be better in every way to its enemy counterparts. Such a quest for perfection does come at a cost however. The ausf D is still basically a prototype. It costs a lot and takes a long time to build, while logistics issues mean a lot top speed.

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Panzer V ausf A

Tech:

Medium Tank Level 2

Cost:

1600

Built Time:

27 secs

Built At:

MAN Works, Henschel Works, MNH Works

Health:

637

Armour:

Medium-Heavy

Firepower:

410 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

5 secs

Range:

630

Speed:

24

The ausf D was plagued by problems, but the ausf A fixes a lot of them, dropping the cost, increasing the turret turn rate and decreasing the build time greatly.

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Panzer V ausf G

Tech:

Medium Tank Level 3

Cost:

1400

Built Time:

16 secs

Built At:

MAN Works, Henschel Works, MNH Works

Health:

637

Armour:

Medium-Heavy

Firepower:

410 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

5 secs

Range:

630

Speed:

24

The ausf G improves on the ausf A taking the Panther design to a point where its build cost and production time starts to make the Panther into a respectable and affordable medium tank.

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Befehl Panther

Tech:

Medium Tank Level 3

Cost:

2000

Built Time:

26 secs

Built At:

MAN Works

Health:

618

Armour:

Medium-Heavy

Firepower:

410 (medium penetration)

Rate of Fire:

5 secs

Range:

630

Speed:

24

Having officers on the front lines has a dramatic effect on their troops. The increased organsiation and coordination boosts the effectivness of the troops fighting nearby. The Befehl Panther is a reasonably sturdy and secure place for commanders to be, owing to the impressive characteristics of the Panther tank.

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JagdPanther

Tech:

Medium Tank Level 3

Cost:

2000

Built Time:

40 secs

Built At:

MNH Works

Health:

629

Armour:

Heavy

Firepower:

611 (heavy penetration)

Rate of Fire:

7.5 secs

Range:

810

Speed:

15

The JadgPanther takes the Panther chassis and mounts the devastating enhanced 88mm cannon from the Ferdinand and Tiger II. Its low profile, heavy armour and reasonable cost makes it a very effective long-ranged support vehicle.

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Tiger (early)

Tech:

Heavy Tank Level 1

Cost:

3000

Built Time:

35 secs

Built At:

Henschel Works

Health:

689

Armour:

Heavy

Firepower:

363 (heavy penetration)

Rate of Fire:

7.5 secs

Range:

720

Speed:

20

The Panzer VI is designed to be an ace tank, able to counter any possible medium tanks the enemy might be wanting to field. Mounting the FlaK 88mm cannon onto a huge and heavily armoured chassis, the Tiger is able to defeat any enemy tanks it may happen to face. The high cost means it will not be possible to use them to replace medium tanks but in elite divisions held in reserve, the Tiger can operate very effectivly. Using its long range and heavy armour to stay alive, the Tiger is well suited to fight to veterancy increasing its effectivness to fearsome levels.

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Tiger (late)

Tech:

Heavy Tank Level 2

Cost:

2400

Built Time:

27 secs

Built At:

Henschel Works

Health:

689

Armour:

Heavy

Firepower:

363 (heavy penetration)

Rate of Fire:

7.5 secs

Range:

720

Speed:

20

The high cost and build time of the Tiger have been improved over time. At this stage, it is now cheaper and more efficient to build cutting costs and build rates.

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Tiger II

Tech:

Heavy Tank Level 3

Cost:

3000

Built Time:

33 secs

Built At:

Henschel Works

Health:

1044

Armour:

Heavy

Firepower:

611 (heavy penetration)

Rate of Fire:

6 secs

Range:

810

Speed:

20

The Tiger relies on being able to trump enemy armour by both negating the effectivness of their weapons and shattering their armour with a high powered cannon. The Tiger II aims to retain this edge by boosting the armour and replacing the 88mm cannon with a high velocity version to ensure supremacy over the new heavy tanks that enemy nations have begun to field.

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Hummel

Tech:

Medium Tank Level 2

Cost:

2200

Built Time:

18 secs

Built At:

Alkett Works

Health:

120

Armour:

Light-Medium (open topped - vulnerable to explosives, grenades etc.)

Firepower:

690 (high explosive)

Rate of Fire:

15 secs

Range:

2000

Spread:

100

Speed:

30

The Hummel mounts the wonderful 150mm Evergreen howitzer on the reliable Panzer IV chassis. Self-propelled artillery has all the advantages of long ranged fire support but without the hassle of having to unlimber the guns to be able to fire a barrage. This makes it especially well suited to keep pace with armoured divisions. The extreme range and high power of the shells the Hummel fires makes it a very potent weapon able to cause tremendous destruction far beyond the range of enemy return fire.

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Wirbelwind

Tech:

Medium Tank Level 1

Cost:

1000

Built Time:

10 secs

Built At:

Command Centre

Health:

127

Armour:

Light-Medium (open topped - vulnerable to explosives, grenades etc.)

Firepower:

10 (anti air)

Rate of Fire:

(rapid fire)

Range:

200

Speed:

24

The Wirbelwind is a quad 20mm cannon mounted on a Panzer IV chassis. It provides close in anti-air defence against low flying enemy ground-attack aircraft and bombers. It has the same effective weapon as the static FlaK-Vierling but the mobility of the Panzer IV. This makes it a great point defence weapon giving cover to mobile Panzer divisons as they advance into enemy territory.

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SturmTiger

Tech:

Heavy Tank Level 2, Rockets Level 1

Cost:

3600

Built Time:

30 secs

Built At:

Alkett Works

Health:

853

Armour:

Heavy

Firepower:

2000 (heavy explosive)

Rate of Fire:

35 secs

Range:

900

Speed:

20

The brutal lessons learned in street fighting in cities such as Stalingrad taught the Whermacht the value of powerful direct-fire weapons for urban demolitions. After all, why risk soldiers in assaults when you can simply level the enemy position? The Sturmtiger mounts a naval rocket launcher onto the Tiger chassis. It is a colossal weapon that causes a massive shockwave, blasting the target zone to pieces and stunning any tanks caught in the target zone.

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Ferdinand

Tech:

Heavy Tank Level 2

Cost:

3400

Built Time:

25 secs

Built At:

Alkett Works

Health:

890

Armour:

Heavy

Firepower:

611 (heavy penetration)

Rate of Fire:

7.5 secs

Range:

810

Speed:

15

The Ferdinand is a by-product of the Tiger programme. Ferdinand Porsche had also designed a series of prototypes for the Tiger contract. Rather than let these go entirely to waste they were used as a mounting for a devastating new version of the 88mm gun. Its range far outstrips the Tiger's and it has better armour as well. While expensive prototype vehicles, the Ferdinand can be produced further, and if the enemy are fielding a lot of heavy tanks then the devastating power of the long ranged 88mm cannon could make this a good idea.

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Maus

Tech:

Heavy Tank Level 3

Cost:

4800

Built Time:

60 secs

Built At:

Alkett Works

Health:

1960

Armour:

Super-Heavy

Firepower:

589 (heavy penetration)

Rate of Fire:

20 secs

Range:

900

Speed:

11

Industrial Power:

-4

The Maus is a huge monster of a tank. It sports a large 128mm cannon to engage enemies at long range, and a 75mm cannon coaxially which is the same as the one found on the Panther. It is designed to just overwhelm enemy vehicles with pure bulk. The slow speed and massive drain it makes on the economy is offset by the huge psycologcial impact of its presence on the battlefield. The Maus is immune to disabling shots but will probably still absorb fire from all nearby enemy troops. This can be turned to an astute commander's advantage, baiting the enemy and drawing them into an ambush.