As World War II entered its later stages and Germany was forced increasingly onto the defensive, the need for fast-moving mobile forces lessened and the Wehrmacht required better protected and more powerfully armed tanks. After debacles against the T-34, Hitler and the Panzerwaffe were determined no[...]

The light tanks of the Panzerwaffe make a fascinating subject for technical and historical study. Operation Barbarossa was the light tanks' swan song: thoroughly experienced and at the peak of self-confidence, the Panzergruppen brought Moscow to almost within Hitler's grasp. However, the effectivene[...]

For most of World War II, British tank development remained faithful to the design philosophy inaugurated during World War I. Experiences in North Africa highlighted flaws in this basic design, however, and the General Staff identified the need for a new heavy cruiser that could combine speed and ma[...]

The workhorse of the German Army that swept across Poland, France and Russia, the Sturmgeschutz III saw service in all theatres of World War II, both in an infantry support role and as a tank destroyer. Cheaper and quicker to produce than a tank, the assault gun proved a remarkably effective weapon.[...]