They did prove to be effective minesweepers in a pinch, though.Īfter this many were switched into a policing role off of the front lines. Their first action was meant to come at Malta, but this never happened, so they were first used against the Soviets.Īrmed with machine guns and not being used in the role they were built for, they did not fare well. Surprisingly they actually saw service, although their use throughout the war was sporadic.
F used side hatches, similar to the British Churchill. The sides and rear were 50 mm thick, the same as the front of an M4 Sherman. Tiny Tank, Massive ArmorĪt the front it had an incredible 80 mm of armor, thicker than the frontal hull armor of a KV-1 and only 20 mm less than the front of the Tiger I heavy tank. The VK18.01 was restricted in weight to a maximum of 20 tons so it could use German portable bridges.īeing an infantry tank, it needed armor, and that was exactly what the VK18.01 had plenty of. Germany’s Army Ordnance Department awarded the contract to design the hull to heavy metal works Krauss-Maffei, and the contract for the turret to Daimler-Benz. In many ways the VK18.01 was similar in concept to the British Matilda I. Swapping static warfare for high speed manoeuvres, they needed vehicles that could survive European defenses. This vehicle was part of Germany’s larger plan to tackle the fortifications erected all over Europe after the First World War. They absorb incoming fire, attack dug in enemy positions and provide mobile cover to the advancing troops. Infantry tanks – most famously used by the British with the Matilda and Churchill – drive at walking pace during an infantry assault. The VK18.01’s was built to be a “light” infantry support tank.
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