Axis Funnies

[tigercat]

What kind of specialised Armour could the Axis have developed with a major invasion by sea or other scenarios where specialist kit was required.

the Mark IV petard

the Seepanther swimming tank

[philp]

The Germans had looked at several amphibious vehicles for Operation Sea Lion including tanks.  Some interesting info on this site.
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/ODDITIES.htm

Also remember some other vehicles that were designed to deal with mines.
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/Alkett.htm

Some other ideas they had are just as fun.
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/RAUMPANZER%20TIGER.htm
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/BORGWARD%20SEETEUFEL.htm
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/Lauster.htm

Even more stuff on this site:
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/

[Taiidantomcat]

for ease of production 

[Cliffy B]

for ease of production 

I don't get it    Keep in mind I'm not an armor guy 

[Maverick]

Not sure on that one Mike.  I'm a part-time armour guy I guess.  I can see bits of Panther in the drawing, but some of it looks odd.  Taidan, what's the baseline components???

Regards,

Mav

[Taiidantomcat]

its the Daimler Benz VK 3002. I don't know much about it but I believe the idea was A more direct copy of the T-34 for ease of production and more numbers. Anyway, Germany went another way with quality over quantity (Panther tank)

Here is another version I found:



looks like the hull would be bigger since the King Tiger had a big turret!




Could this count for the GB^ 

[Maverick]

Thanks for the info.  I thought it had a T-34 look to it, but was odd in places.

Regards,

Mav

[ChernayaAkula]

That walking tank is awesome!

[Weaver]

The problem with most later German armour would be it's weight and size: it really wasn't designed to be transported by sea and then launched into waves. As for the funnies, well they'd be facing pretty much the same problems, so they'd adopt pretty much the same solutions: flail/roller/plough mine-clearing tanks, amphibious tanks, rolling mat layers, ramp/bridge layers, demolition/obstacle breaching vehicles etc... Being German, the solutions would probably be rather over-engineered, over complicated and "gold-plated", sometimes to their advantage, sometimes to their detriment. Given the transport issue, they'd most probably be based, wherever possible, on the lighter Pz.II/III/IV series or the Czech Lt.35/38 chassis.

To be honest, I'm struggling to imagine "distinctly German" solutions to the essentially generic problems. here's one idea though, based on known German hardware/preferences:

Breaching Tank.

This has a fixed superstructure which rather resembles a Jagdpanther, but with a sloping rear section and no gun (except for a few machine-guns). Very heavy armour allows it to approach enemy fortifications, whereupon a Goliath remote-controlled demolition tank, carried on a frame over the engine deck, is launched, rolling right over the fighting compartment and down onto the ground in front of it. The Goliath is them steered up to the obstacle and detonated. Essentially, it does the same job as allied/postwar demolition tanks with Petard mortars or demolition guns, but with a drone tank instead.

[tigercat]

Given their preponderance for overengineering thye'd as you say end up with Mark's and Spencers funnies

"Not just a generic mine clearing tank but a Marks and Spencers mine clearing tank lovingly crafted from the best Krupp steel "

[NARSES2]

Given their preponderance for overengineering thye'd as you say end up with Mark's and Spencers funnies

"Not just a generic mine clearing tank but a Marks and Spencers mine clearing tank lovingly crafted from the best Krupp steel "

[Weaver]

Given their preponderance for overengineering thye'd as you say end up with Mark's and Spencers funnies

"Not just a generic mine clearing tank but a Marks and Spencers mine clearing tank lovingly crafted from the best Krupp steel "

LOL - "....and elaborately machined to minute tolerances, just so you can hit big bombs with big lumps of steel more precisely than anyone else...." 

[Taiidantomcat]

The problem with most later German armour would be it's weight and size: it really wasn't designed to be transported by sea and then launched into waves. As for the funnies, well they'd be facing pretty much the same problems, so they'd adopt pretty much the same solutions: flail/roller/plough mine-clearing tanks, amphibious tanks, rolling mat layers, ramp/bridge layers, demolition/obstacle breaching vehicles etc... Being German, the solutions would probably be rather over-engineered, over complicated and "gold-plated", sometimes to their advantage, sometimes to their detriment. Given the transport issue, they'd most probably be based, wherever possible, on the lighter Pz.II/III/IV series or the Czech Lt.35/38 chassis.

To be honest, I'm struggling to imagine "distinctly German" solutions to the essentially generic problems. here's one idea though, based on known German hardware/preferences:

Breaching Tank.

This has a fixed superstructure which rather resembles a Jagdpanther, but with a sloping rear section and no gun (except for a few machine-guns). Very heavy armour allows it to approach enemy fortifications, whereupon a Goliath remote-controlled demolition tank, carried on a frame over the engine deck, is launched, rolling right over the fighting compartment and down onto the ground in front of it. The Goliath is them steered up to the obstacle and detonated. Essentially, it does the same job as allied/postwar demolition tanks with Petard mortars or demolition guns, but with a drone tank instead.

Well said! Could be some more creative solutions from us Whiffers though (Siege Tank? Nuclear? walking?) And other ideas that didn't happen in WWII but came after or at least were made more plausable postwar (Air dropped, Rocket equipped mine clearer, AA, SAM, Radar, SP Howitzer, Urban, UAV launching, IFVs, and others)

would be a great excuse to have a tank GB thats for sure 
German tank kits are common too, I have bunch and you can find even more pretty cheap.

[GTX]

would be a great excuse to have a tank GB thats for sure

We did back in 2008 (see here).  Mind you we could always do so again.  Moreover, there is no reason why tanks or similar can't be entered into many current GBs.  For instance, one could easily do any sort of armoured vehicles in the current Test & Experimental and Vive la France GBs.

Regards,

Greg

[tigercat]

Given all the ingenious thinks they did to various captured chassis and the Czech 35/38 in the name of self propelled artillery imagine th esort of thing they might have come up with if they put their mind to funnies

The Stug and Nashorn would probably lend them self to AVRE conversions