(5/5) TANKS!: Blitzkrieg Blueprint for Victory

Added: Oct 9, 2008

From: HoustonGD

Duration: 8:25

Videos Running Time 00:48:00 in 5 Parts TANKS!: Blitzkrieg Blueprint for Victory --SUBSCRIBE TO EXCELLENT World War II VIDEOS---- --UPLOADED Weekly--- This episode of the excellent series Tanks; chronicles the early days of the panzer force, and blitzkrieg tactics. The dominance of blitzkrieg lay with superior tactics, radio communication, training and air support of the Whermacht. Before World War II the German Army spent considerable time training armored forces. Many in the German High Command refused to be swayed by the younger officer corps, that deep attacks into the enemy rear was the wave of the future. Many conservative generals reasoned that; logistical problems would doom a deep thrust attack to failure. Prior to World War II, then Col. Heinz Guderian authored a book titled Auctung Panzer. Guderians brilliant theories expanded on the prior writings of British General Fuller and Liddell Hart. Most nations still clung to the old theory of tanks supporting infantry, rather than infantry supporting tanks. Guderians theories found acceptance with Hitler, who expanded the armor program into practice. Even though, the French and British based their defense of France and the Low Countries on old military theories, their equipment in some cases was superior to the Germans. The Panzer I was considered a training tank, with halftrack armor protection and 2 machine guns. The Panzer II was a reconnaissance tank with little armor protection and a 20mm cannon. These two panzers were almost worthless in tank to tank duels with the Allies Char-1b, S-35 and Matlida tanks. The Panzer III, with heavier armor protection, and a 37mm anti-tank gun, was the Germans main battle tank. The heavier Panzer IV possessed similar amour protection as the Panzer III, but was designed as an infantry support tank. The Panzer IV possessed a 75mm low-velocity gun. The captured stock pile of Czech T-38s after the invasion of Czechoslovakia added a welcomed addition to most panzer divisions. Gen. Mansteins brilliant plan played into the Allied High Command assuming that the main German attack would drive through the Low Countries. The Whermachts superior tactics and the Allies panic turned the German attack into a rout. Enjoy this excellent episode of TANKS!

Channel: Education

Tags: allied  allies  armor  blitzkrieg  british  french  german  guderian  hitler  ii  manstein  military  panzer  tank  tanks  war  wh  world 

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