World War 2 In Review: Wheels & Tracks Album #13: Panzer II

Panzerkampfwagen II on the Russian front in the Summer of 1941. A Panzer III is just behind the Panzer II.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf.C at the Soviet NIIBT training ground.

Interior view of Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf C viewing devices.

20mm Flak 30 cannon. Its KwK 30 variant, shortened by 300mm, was installed in the Panzerkampfwagen II vehicles.

Faun L900 carrying Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D in a Berlin parade in 1938.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf B in Warsaw, 1939.

A Panzerkampfwagen II with additional armor. The front tank has a rare Beobachtungsturm, with an additional commander's cupola. These vehicles were designed for artillery observers.

Off-road trials of the Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. B.

Panzerkampfwagen II with Panzerkampfwagen I in the French campaign.

Panzerkampfwagen II.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. A/B/C Schwimmpanzer II (Sd.Kfz. 121) Nr.104.

A brand new Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D fresh from the factory.

Schwimm-Panzerkampfwagen II from the 18th Tank Division, Belarus, summer 1941.

Fully modernized Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. c.

A German soldier inspects a knocked out Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. B tank. Poland, September 1939.

One of the first Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. A.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D working hard on uneven ground.

Schwimm-Panzerkampfwagen II on trials.

Maybach HL 62 TRM Panzerkampfwagen II engine.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D on a Sd.Ah. 115 trailer pulled by a Faun L900. Notice the hull of this version.

Panzerkampfwagen II turret in the Atlantic Wall in France in 1944.

Panzerkampfwagen II of the Afrika Korps in 1941.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. c, unknown unit.

Faun L900 fully loaded with two Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D.

SdKfz 122 Panzerkampfwagen II Flamm "Flamingo". Note the flamm turrets on the front fenders.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf C of the 2nd Panzer Division near Sedan, France in 1940.

Panzerkampfwagen II.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. J (V.K. 16.01).

Panzerkampfwagen II, Norway.

Diagram of the Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf c chassis.

Driver's observation device. These were used on Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. A-C tanks.

Illustration of differences between the early Panzerkampfwagen II observation devices (above) and those on the Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. C.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf C transmission.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf C turret.

The reworked suspension was the most noticeable change in the Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. c compared to the Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. b.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf C viewing angles.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf C chassis.

Panzer II Ausf D in a Polish woods, September 1939.

Panzer II Ausf A or B refueling.

German armored column advancing through a valley in France in May 1940. The nearest vehicle is a Panzer II.

Flamingo Flamm Panzer II SdKfz 122, Russia, 1941.

Panzer II Ausf D crossing a Polish road. September 1939.

Panzer II Ausf D.

Flamingo Flamm Panzer II overloading a Russian rural bridge to its limit.

Bussing-Nag 900 tank transporter carrying Panzer II in the bed of the truck and a Panzer I on the trailer

Panzer II Ausf D leading two Panzer Is in an icy landscape in Russia, Winter, 1941-42.

Panzer II Luchs of the 4th Panzerdivsion.

Panzer II of the 15th Panzer Division in North Africa.

PzKpfw II in a defensive position. The coaxial machine gun has been removed.

Ladungsleger II, engineer vehicle based Pz.Kpfw.II.

Disabled Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. L “Luchs”, a light reconnaissance tank with the Schachtellaufwerk overlapping/interleaved road wheels (the same type as in the Panther and Tiger series), the last version to see production of the Panzer II.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. C.

A Pz.Kpfw. II (2 cm) Ausf. D from Pz.Abt. 66 or 67 is loaded on truck for long distance travel. Its antenna mount and armor guard, borrowed by the Panzer III Ausf. E, is clearly visible.

The V.K.16.01 Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. J had a frontal armor made of face-hardened 80mm-thick plates and 50mm-thick sides and rear. Manned by three men, it was only armed with a 2 cm Kw.K. 38 and a single M.G.34.

V.K.16.01 Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. J.

The first experimental VK 16.01. The turret is not yet ready, and a dummy is used instead.

A fully complete VK 16.01 prototype. As you can see, the turret is slightly different from the one used on production tanks.

One of the production Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. J vehicles during winter mobility trials.

The turret of the Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. J production model was different.

Brand new Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. J and Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf. F in the 1st tank company of the 66th Special Purpose Tank Battalion. The vehicles are painted in tropical camouflage.

Inspection of the Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. J near the Mga railway station, August 1942. Ober-Lieutenant Betke, the commander of the 1st tank company of the 66th Special Purpose Tank Battalion, is on the left, wearing a tanker's uniform.

This shot demonstrates the conditions that German assault tanks were used in. The vehicle at left is a Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. J.

Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. J from the 12th Tank Division, winter of 1943.

A PzKpfw. II Ausf. J from the 13th Special Purpose Police Company.

A Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. J from the 221st Tank Company captured in Slutsk, summer 1944.

A repair tank on the Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. J chassis from the 116th Tank Division.

One of the 30 VK.16.01 from the Versuchsserie (trial production series) Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. J assembled between 1941 and 1942, seen on Eastern front, circa 1942.

PzKpfw. II after hitting a mine.

Panzer II Ausf. L “Luchs” with a Kettenkrad partially visible in the right foreground.

Panzerkampfwagen II (2 cm) (Sd.Kfz. 121) Ausf. ?. Accidents happened during trainings. Not sure if this Panzerschütze would stay longer in the Panzerwaffe after he crashed his La.S. 100. In the background: a Panzer-Schulfahrgestell Ausf. B.

Another view of the same vehicle accident as in the previous photo.

Panzerkampfwagen II (2 cm) (Sd.Kfz. 121) Ausf. ?. A Panzer II towing a freshly captured Polish 37 mm wz.36 AT gun passing by soldiers from Infanterie-Regiment 59 during or after the battle of Bzura, near the city of Ruski.

Panzerkampfwagen II (Flamm) (Sd.Kfz. 122) Ausf. A auf Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. D1 Fahrgestell. This small Panzer II (Flamm) probably from Panzer-Abteilung (F) 100 has stopped to let gun-armed Panzers advancing across open ground.

Panzerkampfwagen II (2 cm) (Sd.Kfz. 121) Ausf. A, B oder C. Backfitted Panzer II (2 cm) with extra armour plates on the front and a commander cupola with periscopes on turret roof.

Panzerkampfwagen II (2 cm) (Sd.Kfz. 121) Ausf. C (mit Pz.-Frontplattenverstärkung). A Panzer II (2 cm) Ausf. C up-armoured (but yet without the new commander's cupola) tactical markings I07 (command vehicle of the I. Abteilung) has fallen into a ditch. Notice the unusual rainguard over the driver's visor.

Panzerspähwagen II Ausf. L « Luchs » (VK 13.03) (Sd.Kfz. 123) of the 4th Panzer-Division, Russia in 1943.

Panzer II of the 3rd Panzer Division in November 1939.

Heavy damage to a Panzer II (2 cm) Ausf. A oder B in Poland. The 14.5mm-thick side armor plate of its turret broke apart.

Column of Panzer II Ausf. B.

Panzer II.

Destroyed Panzer II.

Front view of unarmed Panzerkampfwagen II (2 cm) (Sd.Kfz. 121) Ausf. A, B oder C (mit Pz.-Frontplattenverstärkung) with extra armor on front hull, superstructure and turret, probably circa 1941.

A column from the 18th Panzer-Division made of Panzerkampfwagen II (2 cm) (Sd.Kfz. 121) Ausf. ? (Nr. 2??) with the markings of this unit's amphibious troops.

Panzer II 'I13' of Panzer Regiment 25.

Panzer II Ausf J.

Panzer II.

The Panzer-Führer (commander) of this Panzerkampfwagen II (2 cm) (Sd.Kfz. 121) Ausf. B, who also acted as the gunner (Panzer-Schützen) was awarded the E.K.II., probably during the Polenfeldzug.

This Panzer II appears to have been converted into an artillery tractor, unless it was a training vehicle.

Belgium, May 19, 1940. A Panzer II Ausf. c (2.Serie/La.S.100) followed by a Panzer I (M.G.) Ausf. A from the 4th Panzer-Division are moving forward in a street. Notice the white sheets that hangs out of some windows. As the 4th Panzer-Division was a recently built-up unit, the Panzer IIs did not get extra armor and were vulnerable to French 25mm anti-tank guns.

Panzer II with mine roller in North Africa.

Panzer II.

Panzer II in Poland in 1939.

Scavenged Panzerkampfwagen II (2 cm) (Sd.Kfz. 121) Ausf. A (Nr. 143), tactical number 143 (1. Kompanie, 4. Zug, third Panzer of the Zug). Probably knocked-out during the Polish campaign.

Knocked-out Panzerkampfwagen II (Sd.Kfz. 121) Ausf. a (Nr. 245) from the 5th Panzer-Brigade (4th Panzer-Division) during the Polish campaign. This unit relayed almost exclusively on light Panzer I (183) and Pz II (130) at the start of Fall Weiss. The 4th Panzer-Division reached the outskirts of Warsaw inside a week but lost half of its Panzer in its failed attempt to size the city.

Panzerkampfwagen II (2 cm) (Sd.Kfz. 121) Ausf. F.

This Panzerkampfwagen II (2 cm) (Sd.Kfz. 121) "Schnellkampfwagen" Ausf. D carried a light engineer's bridge and wooden superstructure, probably during the Polish invasion, September 1939.

Panzer II Ausf. C of the 3rd Panzer Division.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. A/B/C (Sd.Kfz. 121) during the campaign in France, 1940.

A Wehrmacht parade in Berlin for Hitler's 50th Birthday showing vehicles from Panzer-Abteilung (verlastet), part of the 2 oder 3. leichte-Division. Panzers are mounted on trucks and trailers. On the front line, a Panzer II Ausf. B (or C) and two Panzer I Ausf. B. Right behind them, three Panzer II Ausf. D.

Opposite view of the same unit during a parade in Berlin. One can see the differences between Panzer II (La.S.100) in the middle and Panzer II Ausf. D (La.S.138). Engine and transmission were moved from the hull right side to the middle. Panzer II Ausf. D front hull and superstructure were also better armored than Ausf. C. Only 43 Panzer II Ausf. D (La.S.138) were assembled before production stoped and chassis were diverted to Pz.Kpfw. II (Flamm).

Good illustration of the inadequacy of the Panzer II armor during the Polish campaign. But also the obvious necessity to change and move the white cross nationality markings. Armor thickness of this Panzer II (2 cm) Ausf. c was only of 14.5mm (16mm for the rounded gun mantel). Despite the relative few Panzer II total write-offs (83 on 1151 engaged), Polish campaign enlightened the need for better armored and gunned light Panzer and the lack of medium Panzer (III and IV) to support them.

Panzer II Ausf. C of the 3rd Panzer Division.

Here is part of the 3rd Panzer Division parked in the central square of Mlada Boleslav, in the present-day Czech Republic, then Czechoslovakia being occupied by the Nazis. There are eight tanks in the foreground (Panzer I and Panzer II) and about 16 more in the background, almost all of these are the same models, but at least one, a Befehlspanzer I. The tactical indicators that can be seen show that they are tanks of the 1st Battalion as well as the headquarters of the 1st Brigade. From the position of the photographer, it seems to form part of the latter (indicators I05, I07; in the background there are 111, 131, 142).

PzKpfw II captured in Tunisia with U.S. markings. Used as a runabout for a while, then made its way to the States where it was on display at APG (Aberdeen Proving Ground) for a long time. After that it had a holiday in Germany and now it is at Fort Benning. Note the white star on a blue circle which was done on some U.S. armored vehicles in North Africa that were painted in a sand/beige camouflage, because the white star alone would blend in too much. A circular marking on both sides of the upper hull next to the German balkenkreuz is the marking for the 18th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. 1st Division. See the color photos of this vehicle below for more details on the markings.

Captured PzKpfw II in North Africa.

The same captured PzKpfw II as in the previous two photos together with a captured Schwere Panzerspähwagen (7.5 cm) Sd.Kfz. 233 marked with plain white stars.

The same two captured vehicles, the PzKpfw II being used to retrieve the Sd.Kfz. 233 which has gotten stuck in the soft sand.

The captured Sd.Kfz. 233 and PzKpfw II under some trees.

Another view of the captured Sd.Kfz. 233 and PzKpfw II under the trees.

Original wartime color photo. The PzKpfw II tank in U.S. markings. Note the white star on a blue circle which was done on some U.S. armored vehicles in North Africa that were painted in a sand/beige camouflage, because the white star alone would blend in too much. Note that this color photo and the next one have been seen in other sources displayed incorrectly "flipped"; when checking other photos and drawings of PzKpfw IIs the holder for the radio aerial is on the left side of the vehicle, and also note the access panel on the upper glacis opens to the left.

Original wartime color photo. The same PzKpfw II tank in U.S. markings. On the upper side of the hull is a circular yellow marking with black outline and two black horizontal lines which indicates the 18th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. 1st Division.

Original wartime color photo. While not immediately obvious, the GIs are standing on and in front of the same captured PzKpfw II as in the previous several photos. The men on the turret are holding the tank's 2cm main gun, which would indicate that is the item they are removing from the tank in the other two color photos.

Diagram of the PzKpfw II Ausf a chassis.

PzKpfw II Ausf b chassis diagram. The lengthened hull made it noticeably easier to arrange components in the engine compartment.

Even the road wheels of the PzKpfw II Ausf D and E were different.

Diagram of the flamethrowers used on the PzKpfw II(F).

Panzerkampfwagen Ausf C.

Top to bottom: Ausf a; Ausf b; Ausf D/E; Ausf C, A, B, C.

Flammpanzer II.

The layout of the flame throwing equipment on the Flammpanzer II tank.
1 — turret with a flamethrower
2 — cylinder with acetylene
3 — tank with fuel mixture
4 — cylinders with liquid nitrogen
5 — smoke grenade launchers
6 — flue device 7 — electric fuse system for smoke grenade launchers and a smoke device.