History[]
[Alternate history 🅱 )))))). i.e the war is at a stalemate, germany isnt short on materials except for tungsten, allied bombing runs on germany are limited]
Development commenced in January 1944 under the Unabhängiger Kampfpanzer project as the new standard battle tank of Germany's Panzer forces.
The Unabhängiger Kampfpanzer project called for several requirements, of which were all based on combat experiences on the Eastern Front:
- Minimum protection from the front is to be ~90 mm, sloped.
- Armed with an 8.8 cm or 10.5 cm gun. A 10.5 cm gun was most preferred as it allowed the most breathing room for improvement, but the 88 had been long tested as an accurate and reliable gun.
- Secondary machine gun/cannon armament. Cannons were preferred for targets that didn't require the main gun, but machine guns could put a more steady stream of lead down range.
- Capable of mounting infrared equipment for night combat.
- Maximum speed of at least 40 km/h.
- Maximum inclination of 40° from the vertical.
- Maximum gun depression of 8°.
Characteristics[]
Armor[]
The armor planned to range from 120 to 240 mm on the front, with the sides being 75 to 90 mm, and the ass being 80 mm.
Hull:
- Upper glacis was 120 mm sloped 30° from the vertical (effective 240 mm LOS thickness)
- Lower glacis was 120 mm sloped -36° from the vertical (effective 204 mm LOS thickness)
- Upper side was 90 mm sloped 70° from the vertical (effective 95 mm LOS thickness)
- Lower side was 75 mm sloped 90° from the vertical
- Rear was 80 mm sloped -62° from the vertical (effective 91 mm LOS thickness)
Turret:
- Turret face was 150 mm sloped 80° from the vertical (152 mm effective LOS thickness)
- Gun mantlet was 240 mm sloped 90°-(+/-)50° from the vertical (effective 240-313 mm LOS thickness)
- Turret side was 90 mm sloped 72° from the vertical (effective 92 mm LOS thickness)
- Turret rear was 80 mm sloped -66° from the vertical (effective 88 mm LOS thickness)
Armament[]
The gun was derived from the 10.5 cm FlaK 39 anti-aircraft gun. Designated the 10.5cm Panzerkanone I, it had a 55 caliber barrel, and fired 105x603mmR ammunition at a muzzle velocity of between 882-1319 m/s. 60 rounds were reserved for the gun, and could fire at a rate of 4-6 rounds per minute with a well trained crew. It could fire standard APCBC-HE-T, solid APCBC-T, HE-T and later, APDS-T rounds, and was complimented with a coincidence rangefinder.
Secondary armament consisted of a 15mm MG 151 machine gun, designed for use in combat aircraft. It was mounted off to the right of the gun in the gun mantlet, and used special tracer ammunition with similar trajectory to the 10.5 cm gun's APCBC & APDS rounds in the event that the coincidence rangefinder was damaged. 750 rounds stored in drums were reserved for the machine gun.
Field kits /U1 and /U2 allowed for the installation of an extra machine gun or cannon at the commander's station for anti-aircraft use.
- Kit /U1 added an MG 131 machine gun with API-c (cermet core) ammunition
- Kit /U2 added an MG FF cannon with HEFI-T (minengeschoss) ammunition
The KPz-I Ausf. G included the Panzerkanone I Ausf. K with a 60 caliber barrel in an effort to increase firepower.
Problems & Redesigning[]
Development since January 1944 had gone smoothly, however there were a few hiccups:
- The gun could only depress -4° with the rangefinding equipment mounted inside the turret
- The planned Maybach HL234 engine ran into development troubles as well
- The planned weight had already been exceeded. Originally planned to be 48 tons, it soon went to 54 tons
Due to this, a section in the middle of the turret was cut out for a bulge to extend above it to allow the gun to depress further, and the rangefinding equipment was move further up above the turret, bringing the gun depression to -8°. The troubles with the HL234 engine led to the use of the Simmering Sla. 16 diesel engine. Experiments tested using cermet materials in the armor commenced in February 1945, and concluded in April 1945. It still weighed 1 ton more than the projected weight plan, but the armor was overall stronger.
Armor Post-redesigning[]
Hull:
- Upper glacis is 150 mm effective sloped 30° from the vertical (effective 300 mm LOS thickness)
- Lower glacis is 144 mm effective sloped -36° from the vertical (effective 245 mm LOS thickness)
- Upper side is 100 mm effective sloped 70° from the vertical (effective 106 mm LOS thickness)
- Lower side is 77 mm effective sloped 90° from the vertical
- Rear is 94 mm effective sloped -62° from the vertical (effective 106 mm LOS thickness)
Turret:
- Turret face is 167 mm sloped 80° from the vertical (effective 170 mm LOS thickness)
- Gun mantlet is 254 mm sloped 90°-(+/-)50° from the vertical (effective 254-331 mm LOS thickness)
- Turret side is 120 mm sloped 72° from the vertical (effective 126 mm LOS thickness)
- Turret rear is 94 mm sloped -66° from the vertical (effective 102 mm LOS thickness)
The later Ausf. J modification added another 40 mm of armor to the turret.
Combat service[]
The tank was accepted into service in May 1945 as the Kampfpanzer I.
After extensive reforming of the Panzer forces, training & combat exercises in Germany, it was deployed later in June that year to France with Panzerabteilung 748. It's first combat action was recorded to have occurred less than a week after it's deployment, where a group of Centurion Mk. Is were knocked out by a single KPz-1 with APCBC ammunition after taking multiple hits from the front. Shortly after, another KPz-1 engaged an M26 Pershing at a distance of 200 m. The M26 was being supported by infantry, and after a short firefight the M26 retreated after the infantry support was lost. Later in July, a platoon of KPz-1s was ambushed by two Tortoise super-heavy tanks at a combat range of 2000 m. The lead KPz-1 was penetrated in the front of the turret, killing the gunner and the commander, the first combat loss of a KPz-1, while the rest of the platoon remained under fire by the two Tortoises until a squadron of Fw 190D-9s strafed the heavy tanks.
The tank was well liked by the troops, however it was generally felt that the gun was not up to par to fight against the new armor it was facing. This lead to the introduction of solid APCBC-T, and later, APDS shells, which could penetrate over 330 mm of armor, putting the KPz-1 up to par with even later arrivals.
Specifications[]
- Type: Medium/main battle tank?
- Place of origin: Germany
- In service: 1945
- Produced: 1945
- Number built: 606
- Weight: 49 tonnes
- Length: 8.82 m
- Width: 3.755 m
- Height: 2.95 m
- Crew: 4
- Armor: See Armor post-redesigning
- Armament
- Main gun: 10.5 cm Panzerkanone I L/55 (60 rounds)
- Secondary armament: x1 15 mm MG 151 machine gun
- Engine: Simmering Sla. 16 diesel (750 HP)
- Suspension: torsion-bar suspension
- Speed: 44 mph
Ammunition[]
Panzerkanone I Ausf. A L/55:
| Ammunition | Penetration in mm @ 90° | Type of warhead |
Velocity in m/s | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10m | 100m | 500m | 1000m | 1500m | 2000m | |||
| Panzergranate | 238 | 235 | 222 | 214 | 200 | 196 | APCBC-T | 882 |
| Panzergranate 43 | 236 | 225 | 218 | 202 | 198 | 187 | APCBC-HE-T | 882 |
| Spr.gr | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | HE-T | 750 |
| Pfl.Geschoss 10.5 Ausf. A | 330 | 326 | 317 | 300 | 285 | 272 | APDS-T | 1319 |
Panzerkanone I Ausf. K L/60:
| Ammunition | Penetration in mm @ 90° | Type of warhead |
Velocity in m/s | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10m | 100m | 500m | 1000m | 1500m | 2000m | |||
| Panzergranate | 247 | 245 | 235 | 220 | 207 | 198 | APCBC-T | 900 |
| Panzergranate 43 | 240 | 235 | 222 | 217 | 203 | 191 | APCBC-HE-T | 900 |
| Spr.gr | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | HE-T | 750 |
| Pfl.Geschoss 10.5 Ausf. B | 360 | 355 | 347 | 332 | 329 | 316 | APDS-T | 1400 |
Gallery[]
