Entwicklung series
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The Entwicklung series, more commonly known as the E- series, was a late-World War II attempt by Germany to produce a standardised series of tank designs. There were to be standard designs in six different weight classes, from which several specialised variants were to be developed. This was necessitated by the extremely complex tank designs that that had resulted in poor production rates and mechanical unreliability in previous designs.
While these designs were simpler and more efficient than their predecessors, they did not represent significant technological progress compared to earlier efforts, and was well behind the cutting edge British and Soviet developments. Had the war lasted long enough for them to be put into service, they would have been at a disadvantage compared to new allied designs. For example the T-54 which started production in 1947 had frontal armor 20mm thicker in both the turret and hull than the Tiger II, and a 100mm gun, but at under 40 tons its weight and mobility would have been comparable to the E-25.
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[edit] E-5
The E-5 was supposed to be 5-10 tons in weight and form the basis of a family of light tanks, reconnaissance vehicles, tank destroyers and armored personnel carriers.
[edit] E-10
The E-10 design was developed as a replacement of the Panzer 38(t) and the designs based on it. The 38(t) chassis was enlarged and redesigned. This new design was to be called PzKpfw 38(d), d standing for Deutschland. The designs based on this new chassis would all be in the 10 to 25 ton weight class.
The intention was to create several new light tank destroyers as a replacement for the Jagdpanzer 38(t), as well as a new family of Waffenträger armed with heavy anti-tank guns.
[edit] E-25
The E-25 designs, in the 25-50 ton weight class, were to be the replacements of all Panzer III and Panzer IV based designs. This family would include medium reconnaissance vehicles, medium Jagdpanzer and heavy Waffenträger.
[edit] E-50 Standardpanzer
The E-50 Standardpanzer was intended as a standard medium tank, replacing the Panther and Tiger I and the conversions based on these tanks. The weight of these vehicles would fall between 50 and 75 tons.
[edit] E-75 Standardpanzer
The E-75 Standardpanzer was intended to be the standard heavy tank to be used as a replacement of the Tiger II and Jagdtiger. The design would've been similar to the E-50, but heavier, in the 75 to 100 tons weight class.
[edit] E-100
The E-100 was to be a superheavy combat tank like the 'Maus', developed from an enlarged Tiger II chassis. It was to be fitted with the same turret as the Maus. Development and building of a prototype E-100 started in 1944 but was largely abandoned after Adolf Hitler ordered an end to the development of the Maus.
In the end, only the chassis was finished, which was taken to the United Kingdom for evaluation purposes and eventually scrapped.
[edit] References
- Information about the E-100 at Panzerworld
- German Tanks of World War II: The Complete Illustrated history of German Armoured Fighting Vehicles 1926-1945, F. M. von Senger und Etterlin, translated by J. Lucas, Galahad Books, New York, 1969, ISBN 0-88365-051-7
| German armored fighting vehicles of World War II | |
|---|---|
| Tanks | |
| Panzer I | Panzer II | Panzer III | Panzer IV | Panther | Tiger I, II | Panzer 35(t) | Panzer 38(t) | |
| Self-propelled artillery | |
| Wespe | Hummel | Grille | Panzerwerfer | sIG 33 | Wurfrahmen 40 | |
| Assault guns | |
| StuG III | StuG IV | StuH 42 | Brummbär | Sturmtiger | |
| Tank destroyers | |
| Panzerjäger I | Marder I , II , III | Hetzer | Jagdpanzer IV | Jagdpanther | Nashorn | Jagdtiger | Elefant | |
| Half-tracks | Armored cars |
| SdKfz 4 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 250 | 251 | 252 | 253 | 254 | Sdkfz 221/22/23 | Sdkfz 231/32/34/63 | ADGZ |
| Self propelled anti-aircraft | |
| Flakpanzer IV: Möbelwagen, Wirbelwind, Ostwind, Kugelblitz | Flakpanzer 38(t) | |
| Prototypes | |
| Maus | E- series | Panther II | Waffenträger | Neubaufahrzeug | |
| Proposed designs | |
| Panzer VII 'Löwe' | Panzer IX | Panzer X | Ratte | Monster | |
| German armored fighting vehicle production during World War II | |
