Information on the German Armoured Forces of World War II

CAMOUFLAGE COLOURS AND PATTERNS

camouflage colours including their RAL numbers

development from World War I through to 1945

from solid grey to the famous ambush pattern

OPTICS AND SIGHTS

primary vision ports and periscopes

various types of sights for guns and machine guns

target range estimation and barrel elevation setting

TANK CREWS

composition of German tank crews

the role, position and duties of each crew member

development before and during World War II

TANK CREW TRAINING

from covert preparation to full-scale tank crew training

tank schools, their organisational structure and methods

the expansion of the armoured forces with new divisions

TANKER UNIFORMS

from World War I to the distinctive black uniform

each item of clothing described from head to trousers

winter and summer uniforms, Wehrmacht vs. SS differences

TURRET NUMBERS

national markings, divisional emblems and other insignia

tank turret numbers, their structure and meaning

numbering rules at different levels of command

TANKER DECORATIONS

World War I, the Spanish Civil War, World War II

the Panzerkampfabzeichen and many other decorations

but also cuff titles, marksmanship lanyards and more

TANK AMMUNITION

artillery ammunition for tank guns and beyond

high-explosive, armour-piercing and shaped-charge rounds

markings on projectiles and cartridge cases explained

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS

maintenance support organisation of tank units

each level of service support and its organisation

repair workshops, recovery sections, spare parts

DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE

navigation aid for terrain with no landmarks

detailed description of the instrument and its controls

how to use it correctly and what to avoid

NAMES AND ABBREVIATIONS

nomenclature of German armoured vehicles

the meaning of various abbreviations and ordnance codes

official and unofficial names of fighting vehicles

BAUKOMMANDO BECKER

Major Alfred Becker and his service in the German army

conversions of captured vehicles and their deployment

self-propelled guns, tank destroyers and other AFVs

Sd.Kfz. NUMBER TABLE

special ordnance designation codes

codes organised by vehicle category

code designations of individual vehicle types

ZIMMERIT

paste applied against magnetic hollow charges

circumstances of its introduction, chemical composition and application

from its introduction to its inglorious end

PANZERLIED

the song of the German tank crews

the original German lyrics

and a free English translation

TYPES OF GUNS

the various German artillery weapons

their classification into basic categories

the meaning of their official names and abbreviations

GUN PERFORMANCE

German tank and anti-tank guns

their basic specifications and ammunition used

accuracy and effectiveness against enemy armour