Panzerkampfwagen Neubaufahrzeug (PzKpfW NbFz V / VI)

History of Panzerkampfwagen Neubaufahrzeug (PzKpfW NbFz V / VI)

By the mid-1930s, under Adolf Hitler, Germany had implemented far-reaching reforms, including the modernization of the German military. As the main battle tank became entrenched in modern warfare, it grew into three classes of light, medium and heavy, which Germany developed to some extent. One such project became the Neubaufahrzeug, with the aim of designing, developing and producing a large heavy tank for the German army. Design work spanned 1933-34, with limited production beginning in 1934 and ending in 1936.

At this time, however, German armor concepts and battlefield doctrines were of little use for heavy armor systems, and the program produced only five working examples. During the German invasion of Norway, at least 3 warships barely fought, and none of the pilot ships survived the war - scrapped - to the museum collection.

However, Germany would have success with later heavy tank designs, such as the famous Tiger I and Tiger II series, and pursued many incomplete heavy tank plans before the end of the war - many proved too late and insufficient to meet the German war effort.

The new construction vehicle initiative, under the guise of the heavy tractor project, aims to protect the world from unwanted attention to a rearmed Germany. Heavy industry experts Rheinmetall and Krupp in the fields of steel and weapons made corresponding recommendations. Both companies developed armored rail systems using the multi-tower approach that was popular elsewhere in the 1920s and 1930s. The basic design features a fully traversed main tower flanked by smaller towers front and rear.

The main turret is armed with a high-performance 75mm KwK L/24 series main gun, supplemented by a 37mm KwK L/45 anti-tank gun. Each of the smaller turrets followed the original Panzer I light tank design while retaining their typical modest machine guns. This allows the main turret crew to counter potential armored threats, and the machine gun crew to protect the vehicle from possible infantry attack. It was suggested that a 105mm field howitzer should be mounted on the main turret instead of a dual-gun arrangement.

The main turret uses some bevels for basic ballistic protection, but when placed on the design, it will appear very high profile on the battlefield.

The basic chassis is multi-wheeled, with small wheels suspended from the bogie. The upper part of the wheel system was covered with side armor.

The track attachment system runs traditionally around the sides of the hull and covers only the upper part to protect the boat and any exposed crew from mud splashes from the tracks.

The sloping plate was well sloping, but was abandoned in many ways by the front armored I turret, which seemed out of place in the design. The track system spanned the hull in a traditional fashion, and the engines were mounted aft of the fuel tanks.

The choice of powertrain is a 290 hp BMW Va series engine or a 300 hp Maybach HL 108 TR series engine. Range is close to 75 miles, with a top speed of 16 mph on ideal surfaces.

Due to the multi-turret approach, the vehicle must carry no less than 6 people. This affected drivers, commanders, gunners, loaders and machine gunners. Not only was the new car complex, it also required special training for so many workers in such a small space.

Undoubtedly, such a multi-turret design soon exposed poor crew communication and placed a heavy burden on the vehicle commander in the heat of battle.

To distinguish the designs of Rheinmetall and Krupp Neubaufahrzeug, the German Army assigned different names according to the then accepted German nomenclature. Therefore, Rheinmetall's new car was named "PzKpfW NbFz V" and Krupp's new car was named "PzKpfW NbFz VI".

PzKpfW is short for Panzerkampfwagen, which basically means armored fighting vehicle in German.

When the Wehrmacht officially entered the war in the autumn of 1939, the armored forces proved to be the vanguard of the ground offensive. While cavalry and motorcycle units were still in play, it was armored vehicles that embodied the wartime thrust in the campaigns of World War II. The German Army continued to use the Panzer I and Panzer II light tank systems, which were subsequently supplemented and eventually replaced by medium tanks in the Panzer III and Panzer IV. The hulls of tanks I and II were then rebuilt in true German fashion for other battlefield roles. This made new construction vehicles seem out of place in both the early and late wars.

For a while, they existed mainly as display vehicles for the German propaganda machine. During the German invasion of Norway, several new engineering vehicles were indeed delivered, and at least three pilot vehicles arrived and engaged in limited combat.

One was lost in a Norwegian swamp and was eventually detonated by German Army engineers. Moreover, there is little evidence that the new vehicles have ever been a significant player in a global conflict deep into Europe.

In its current form, the newly built vehicle is nothing more than a forgotten German heavy tank program. Today, few of these creations survive, perfectly complementing their forgotten legacy in military history.

Specification

Basic

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Performance

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Armor

Not available.

Changes