Why the Panzer 38(t) is NOT underrated!

Quite some people made the remark that the Panzer 38(t) is the most underrated German Panzer of World War 2. Yet, there are two problems, first, it is NOT underrated and second, their arguments usually had severe factual errors on the deployment of the Panzer 38(t) in them.

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» SOURCES «

Jentz, Thomas L.: Panzertruppen – The complete guide to the Creation & Combat Employment of Germany’s Tank Force – 1933-1942. Schiffer Military History: Atglen, USA, 1996

Frieser, Karl-Heinz: Blitzkriege-Legende. Der Westfeldzug 1940. 4. Auflage. Oldenbourg Verlag: München, 2012.

Frieser, Karl-Heinz: The war in the West, 1939-1940: an unplanned Blitzkrieg. In: Cambridge History of the Second World War, Volume I: p. 287-314

Mueller-Hillebrand, Burkhart: Das deutsche Heer 1933-1945. Band II. E. S. Mittler & Sohn: Frankfurt am Main, 1956.

Pöhlmann, Markus: Der Panzer und die Mechanisierung des Krieges: Eine deutsche Geschichte 1890 bis 1945. Ferdinand Schöningh: Paderborn, 2016.

Kavalerchik, Boris: The Tanks of Operation Barbarossa. Soviet versus German Armour on the Eastern Front. Pen & Sword Military: Barnsley, UK, 2018

» CREDITS & SPECIAL THX «
Song: Ethan Meixsell - Demilitarized Zone

#Panzer #Panzer38(t) #Tanks

[mihaelkyoleyan]

Panzer Aces like Otto Carius started their career in the Panzer 38(t). In his book Tigers in the mud he points out that the crew felt invincible at the start of Operation Barbarossa and that the tank was great for travelling.

[Kordzieuren]

"...you can't underrate something you don't know anything about." -- Beautifully spot on :-)

[andrews_lego_tanks_and_more]

Personally I love the Panzer 38(T), it's a great vehicle. Its younger brother the 35(T) isn't in the spotlight as much though.

[Boppinabe]

The Pz38(t) is easily the cutest, most adorable tank of the war. Just look at that thing!

[gervariola]

One could argue that the 38(t) in the french campaign, although only accounting for 9% of german panzer force was actually quite important because it has to bee seen in relation to the number of medium tanks rather than tanks in total.
Considering the low production numbers of Pz.Kpfw.III / IV until the beginning of Fall Gelb, and considering that mainly the medium tanks were able to penetrate most of the allied tanks armor in direct combat, the 38(t) seems to be an important part of german forces, already at the french campaign.

[paulpeterson]

In my reading, the Czech 38 which became the Pz 38t was always highly regarded as a top tank of its day. And like the PzIII the tank chassis was used throughout the war after the tank itself became obsolete.

[_datapoint]

As an easily irritated, native (American) English speaker, your use of “underrated” is spot on.

[USSChicago-plfq]

Could you do a video about the Panzer 35t because no one really talks about it? Because people usually talk about the Panzer 38t when people talk about Czech Panzers in German service.

[companyman]

I think the Panzer 38(t) and the Hetzer might be more known and memed because of the Girls und Panzer anime.

[lionheartx-ray]

You used the term correctly. Typically when people talk about underrated they mean it doesn't get much talk about in the public eye or media. As someone who knows slightly more about WW2 tanks then the average person (no way makes me an expert) I hardly ever anyone talk about 38t.

[jefersonnl]

I had asked for a video about the 38t, sorry if I didn't make myself clear, what I wanted really was an analysis of its design, employment and production, the german takeover of the factories in Czechoslovakia, performance in combat, maintenance, etc. I didn't mean to imply that they were underrated in any way. In fact, when I was a kid, the first book about tanks my father bought me, there it was, the famous 38t, and the book didn't have any articles about the PzKpfw I or II nor pictures of them, though it covered well the PzKpfw III and IV.

[gingsever]

Oddly enough, I find the Pz 38(t) as a fine rolling box that could laugh at tankettes as well as likely laughing at the BTs.

I kinda forgot what the 38(t) struggled against apart from likely encountering early T-34's and KV-1's and the occasional KV-2 since it could have whacked the shit out of any tankette or early light tank

[bread]

even tho theres an abundant amount of tanks in WW2 the Pz. 38 T and the Luchs have a special place in my heart

[mathias]

One of the best tanks in history definitely on the top of my tank list! Great video as always cheers!

[OmarSlloum]

thank god, I thought you'd list a bunch of negative points on the 35 and 38t and make me dislike the tank

[frederickthegreatpodcast]

I’d say the Goliath was the most unappreciated vehicle of all time!!!







*Not really though*

[keithwortelhock]

Do not worry, your use of English is better than some English people I know.

[graemes]

There were 187 Panzer 35t tanks available for Barbarossa as well, so a total of 941 tanks of Czech origin. That's 32% of a total of some 3398 tanks used. I would suggest that that is a very significant number of these two tanks and that you are underplaying their significance to the operation.

[Ivane_Maskhulia]

Most underated Panzer for me is still Panzer 4. People who play games do not like panzer 4 because it has average armor, but armor is not most important part of the tank. panzer 4 had great gun, big space and good speed. also best gun depression of all tanks.

[photosynthesis]

I recently got into building gundam model kits. I had done a couple as a kid. At a hobby store recently, this one was more of a traditional hobby shop with lots of military models. They had airplanes both old and new and tanks. The standout was a model kit for a GERMAN t-34 tank. Wasn’t interested in model tanks until I saw that. Wasn’t a panzer, it was in fact a model of a t-34 but was painted with the iron cross. Maybe the idea is it is a “captured t-34”