Designed to engage enemy tanks while the companion Panzer IV engaged infantry, it initially mounted a 37mm anti-tank gun along with a pair of co-axial machine guns, although this was later upgraded to a 50mm example in the Ausf.G variant – this was the majority type in service in the desert. The Panzer III was really the first modern tank design to serve with the German forces. Don’t forget, the Hitler’s Buzzsaw rule means that it’s 12 shots total, rather than 10! For Bolt Action players collecting a really early Afrika Korps force, the Panzer I can actually be quite a useful little vehicle! At a mere 70 points for a pair of MMGs and a 7+ Damage Value, it’s certainly vulnerable to anti-tank weaponry, but can really do a number on infantry caught in the open.
While never designed to engage armoured vehicles (being armed only with machine guns and possessing armour intended to protect against small-arms fire only), they did see service as reconnaissance vehicles for a time, while many were converted into specialised vehicles such as tank destroyers and command tanks. Obsolete even before the war began, the Panzer I was really designed more as a training vehicle to familiarise the new Panzertruppen (armoured troops) with tank operations, but due to a shortage of more modern vehicles large numbers did see service, both in Europe and Africa. It’s important to note that this series is just covering the tanks – armoured cars, assault guns, and self-propelled artillery will get their own reviews in the fullness of time, but for the moment it’s turrets-only on the guest list.Īs the Wehrmacht used a sensible, logical numbering system for their tanks (unlike their British counterparts!), we’ll begin with the Panzer I.
In the first part of this series, we explored the tanks used by the British and Commonwealth forces in the Western Desert campaign, and there were a lot of them! This time we’re taking a look at the Panzers of the Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK), and with typical German efficiency, there aren’t nearly so many types.
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