German Tank Hunters

The Panzerjäger

Bob Carruthers

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781473845107
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World War II
• Index: History

This unique collection of contemporary combat accounts provides a primary source insight into the reality of anti-tank warfare on the Eastern Front. Both armoured and infantry based operations are considered.This book is part of the 'Hitler's War Machine' series, a new military history range compiled and edited by Emmy Award winning author and historian Bob Carruthers. The series draws on primary sources and contemporary documents to provide a new insight into the true nature of Hitler's Wehrmacht.The series consultant is David Mcwhinnie creator of the award winning PBS series 'Battlefield'.

GERMAN CLOSE-IN TACTICS AGAINST ARMORED VEHICLES

From Tactical and Technical Trends,
No. 23, April 22nd 1943

The following is a translation of a German document issued early in 1942. While some of the methods of attack discussed may have since been altered, it is thought that it reflects the essentials of current German doctrine. The preface explains the scope and purpose of the document.

Current Instructions For Close-in Tactics Against Armored Vehicles

Preface

These directives are based on experiences of the German Army in close-in combat against Russian tanks on the Eastern Front. The Russian tactics so far as known have been taken into consideration.

New doctrines of our own are in process of development and will be available to the troops after completion, together with directions as to their use. First, the Eastern Army will be equipped with incendiary bottles. Presumably the troops at the front use means of fighting about which, at the time of publication of these directives, no description is yet at hand. In addition, new enemy methods will appear, which will be adapted to our own fighting.

These directives, therefore, present only preliminary instructions. Cooperation of the troops in the field is needed for their completion. To this end, new fighting practices of our own and of the enemy should be reported, with drawings and descriptions of battle conditions at the time. Communications should be sent through the service channels to the General of Infantry and to the General of Mobile Troops in the Army High Command.

The importance of close-in fighting against tanks makes it imperative that individual tank hunters be trained immediately in all the arms. The state of training in the Reserve Army will be tested by recruit inspections.

These directives apply to combat against all kinds of armored vehicles. For simplification, only tanks are mentioned in the text.

I. General

1. If there are no armor-piercing weapons at hand, or if their fire does not show sufficient result against attacking tank forces, specially trained, organized, and equipped tank hunters will have to assault and destroy tanks by close-in combat, making use of their special assault weapons and without waiting for specific orders. All other available arms will lend their support as strongly as possible.

Experience proves that with proper training and skilled use of close-in weapons, all classes of tanks can be destroyed by individual soldiers.

2. Close-in combat against tanks demands courage, agility, and a capacity for quick decision, coupled with self-discipline and self-confidence. Without these qualities, the best combat weapons are of no use. Proper selection of personnel is therefore of decisive importance.

3. Thorough knowledge of enemy tank types and of their peculiarities and weaknesses in battle and movement, as well as complete familiarity with the power and use of our own weapons in every terrain, is necessary for successful combat. This will strengthen the self-confidence of the troops. It will also make up the crucial points in training.

4. Close-in combat against tanks may be necessary for all situations and all troops.

In the first place the combat engineers, and tank hunters are the mainstays of this type of fighting. It must be demanded that each member of these arms master the principles and weapons of close-in antitank combat, and that he use them even when he does not belong to an antitank squad.

5. Over and above this, soldiers of all the armed services should be selected and grouped into close-in tank-hunting squads consisting of one leader and at least three men. They must continually be ready for close-in combat with tanks.

Where special close-in weapons are not at hand, expedients should be devised.

Combining tank-hunting squads into tank-hunting groups may be useful under certain conditions.

6. The equipment for close-in tank hunting consists of the following: incendiary bottles and Tellermines, TNT, automatic weapons (our own or captured), submachine guns, Very pistols, hand grenades, smoke bottles, and camouflage material, as well as hatchets, crowbars, etc., to use as clubs for the bending of machine-gun barrels projecting from the tank. Of this equipment the useful and available weapons for blinding, stopping, and destroying the tank should always be carried along. In the interest of maximum mobility, the tank-hunting soldiers must be free of all unnecessary articles of equipment.

II. Combat Principles

7. Careful observations of the entire field of battle, early warning against tanks, as well as continuous supply and readiness of tank-hunting equipment of all kinds and in ample quantity, will insure against surprise by enemy tanks and will permit their swift engagement.

8. It should be standard procedure continually to observe the movements and the action of tank-hunting squads and to support them by the combined fire of all available weapons. In this connection, armor-piercing weapons must direct their fire on the tanks while the remaining weapons will fight primarily against infantry accompanying the tanks. It will be their mission to separate the infantry from the tanks.

Sometimes tanks carry infantrymen riding on them, who protect the tanks at forced or voluntary halts against the attack of tank hunters. These security troops must be destroyed by supporting infantry before the tank hunters attempt to assault the vehicles. Should the tanks arrive without infantry, the fire of all the available weapons will be concentrated against the vulnerable places of the tank. The shorter the range and the more massed and heavy the fire, the greater the physical and moral effect.

Fire by sharpshooters is always of special value.

The activity of tank-hunting squads should not be hampered by the supporting fire. The mission of such supporting fire is to split up tank forces, to blind and put the crews out of action, and to have a demoralizing effect on them, thereby creating favorable conditions for close-in assault.

In case fire support by other weapons is impossible, the attack by tank-hunting squads must proceed without it.

9. The basic principles of close-in assault are the same in all battle situations. In defense, knowledge of the terrain and of the time available will be profitable for the preparation and the attack.

10. The carrying out of close-in combat will largely depend on the immediate situation. The number, type, and tactics of the attacking tank force, the terrain, our own position, and the effect of our own defensive fire will always vary, and this variation will demand great adaptability and maneuverability on the part of our tank hunters.

11. Only one tank can be assaulted by a tank-hunting squad at one time. If several tanks attack together and if only one tank-hunting squad is available, then that tank is to be assaulted which at the moment appears as the most dangerous or whose engagement promises the quickest success. In general, the choice must be left to the tank-hunting squad.

If there is a sufficient number of squads available, it is advisable, particularly in defense, to hold one or more squads ready in the rear for the destruction of tanks which may break through.

12. Generally speaking, the procedure will always be: first, to blind the tank, then to stop it, and finally to destroy the vehicle and the crew in close-in combat.

13. Whether the tank-hunting squads advance at the beginning of a tank attack or whether they leave their foxholes only during the engagement or whether the whole assault goes on from under cover depends entirely on the situation.

The behavior of the squads depends on whether the tank is moving or is voluntarily or involuntarily halted.

The attack on a heavy or super-heavy tank will often be easier than on a light tank, because the former in general is clumsier and has poorer observation. But the destruction of heavy tanks generally demands the use of more powerful weapons.

14. It is important in every case to make full use of the dead space around each tank.

In general, tanks should be attacked from the side or the rear. Any moment of weakness of the enemy tank should be utilized (i.e., impeded vision, halts, climbing and overcoming of obstacles, etc.).

15. Tanks should be approached by crawling and stalking, making full use of cover and concealment.

16. The foxholes of tank hunters must be narrow and have steep walls. They must be built without parapets and must not be recognizable by enemy tanks. They may be camouflaged either by canvas strips or branches. Whenever possible they should be protected by a belt of mines.

17. The tank hunters will remain motionless in their foxholes observing their targets and waiting in readiness for the favorable moment to assault. They must face the enemy tank calmly and must have the nerve to “let it come.” It is always wrong to run away. While moving, the single soldier is inferior to the tank. In hiding, on the contrary, he is usually superior. He is safest inside the dead area around the enemy tank.

In villages, close-in assault of tanks is usually easier than in open terrain because of the abundant possibilities for hiding and cover (as by roof-snipers).

Often the corner of a house, a bush, or a fence are sufficient as hiding places.

By the use of obstacles of all kinds, dummy mines and guns, and signs like “Warning — mines!”, enemy tanks may be guided into terrain unfavorable to them, but favorable for the assault squads and antitank weapons.

18. When attacking moving tanks, the tank hunters at first must be well concealed and permit the tank to come close to them (7 to 20 meters); then they try to stop the tank by blinding it, or at least they force it to slow down. A strong blinding effect is obtained through the...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• German Tank Hunters
• Background
• Combat History
• The 88 ‘Family’
• German Balanced Antitank Protection
• 50-mm Antitank Gun (German)
• A Tactical Study of the Effectiveness of the German 88 mm Antiaircraft Gun as an Antitank Weapon in the Libyan Battle
• Penetration of German 88-mm Antitank Gun
• Armor Penetration of German Antitank Guns
• German Tactics in the Desert
• New German 75-mm Antitank Gun
• Ammunition for German 42-mm Antitank Gun
• German Antitank and Tank Guns
• Miscellaneous (German)
• German AA Guns for Use Against Mechanized Vehicles
• German 75-mm Antitank Gun
• German Antitank Units in Rearguard Action in Africa
• Antitank Tactics as Seen by U.S. Combat Personnel
• German Antitank Magnetic Charge
• German Close-in Tactics Against Armored Vehicles
• German 75-mm Antitank Gun—7.5-cm Pak 40
• Development of German Tank and Antitank Guns
• German Use of at Guns with Tanks
• A German Antitank Gun Emplacement
• German 88’s in Tunisia
• German Tellermines
• German “Tank Hunting” Tactics
• A German Antitank Measure
• Tactics of German Antitank Artillery
• German Conversion of French 75s into Antitank Guns
• New German 88-mm at Gun
• The 75/55-mm at Gun, Pak 41
• Notes on German Antitank Tactics
• German Airborne 28/20 at Gun
• German Antitank Weapons
• How to Throw the Panzerwurfmine
• General Erhard Raus Report
• German Antitank Rocket Launcher
• New Hollow-Charge Antitank Grenade for Close Combat
• 88-mm German Antitank Gun Used in France: General Data
• Tank Destruction Badge
• More from the same series