The German word for a tank (as an armored vehicle) or armor in general.

The Panzer was not just a simple tank, but an impressive series of armored vehicles that served the German army in WWII. The Panzer divisions used blitzkrieg tactics to crush all resistance in Poland in less than two months. This success was repeated against France in 1940.

A Panzer division consisted of a four-battalion tank brigade, motorized infantry and artillery, and support units. Before this time tanks had been used in mix with other troop types, but the German success galvanized the other armies into organizing similar divisions.

The late model Panther and Tiger versions were terrors of the WWII battlefield, able to destroy enemy units at long range. However, by this point in the war, the German army was on the defensive.

Most WWII wargaming simulations use the Panzers as their centerpiece. These capable and destructive units command these virtual battlefields like no others.

#include <disclaimer.h>
This node does not support any revisionist or Neo-Nazi beliefs and is not meant to glorify war.

Panzer is a generic term used in the Wermacht for Armor, In fact, interchange the terms Panzer division with the US Army's Armored Division and you get the proper flavor of the word.

Contrary to commonly held beliefs, German armored vehicles were not that impressive, particularly early in the War. The PzKw III began the war armed only a 37mm gun, and was inferior to the Soviet T-34 in every possible way. The largest Tiger tanks were underpowered, unreliable and lacked a machine gun. The German reputation comes mostly from the Panther G, which was probably the best, and most influential tank of the war. What made the German Panzer divisions so feared was their tactical proficiency and high standard of training. The German Army had adopted and perfected the indirect tactics developed by Heinz Guderian and British strategist Basil Liddell-Hart. Tactical proficiency, surprise and skill made the German Panzer divisions the scourges of Europe.

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