PANZER

'Panzer' is a loanword from German. The German noun ''Panzer'' (plural: ''Panzer''), German pronunciation (), English , means ''armour'' in the sense of protective equipment such as ''Plattenpanzer'' (plate armour) or ''Schutzpanzer'' (protective armour), or armoured forces (today, tank organizations and the tanks themselves) as in ''Panzerdivision''. It is derived from the French ''pancier'' ("breastplate", compare English ''). The word has been calqued in many languages, such as Swedish ''pansarvagn'' or Finnish ''panssarivaunu'' for any tracked armoured fighting vehicle.
The term has been accepted in English as a colloquialism to refer to a main battle tank or other armored vehicle, usually a Second World War German model. The term is usually not used outside this context, although it can refer to modern German tanks or be used as an adjective describing other modern or former German military units (e.g. ''Panzergrenadier'' - mechanised infantry). The term gained infamy in English during Germany's successful Blitzkrieg armoured advances of World War II.

Contents

Military term

See also

Other uses

External links

Military term

''Panzer'' translates into English as "armour". The term ''Panzerkampfwagen'' ("armoured combat vehicle", abbreviated ''PzKpfw'') was commonly used during the Second World War by both the military and industry. German tank models were given designations such as ''Panzerkampfwagen I'', or ''Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger'' and captured tanks from other nations were incorporated into the German forces and similarly designated (such as Panzerkampfwagen 38(t), t=''Tschechisch'' or Czech). For a list, see German armoured fighting vehicles of World War II. "PzKpfw" means literally the same as AFV (armoured fighting vehicle)
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Individual variations of these basic tank types were given an ''Ausführung'' (version) letter, and consequently the field of tank recognition is extremely complex. Great lengths have been gone to explain the differences between a PzKpfw III Ausf. E(U) and a PzKpfw III Ausf. F(U), for example.
When describing individual tank models, English sources often abbreviate the designation "Panzerkampfwagen" to "Panzer" and sometimes also use the British word "Mark" (eg ''Panzer IV'' or ''Mark IV''). The Germans themselves never did the latter. The word panzer is occasionally confused with the name of the Pzkpfw V Panther tank.
Tank destroyers were originally ''Panzerabwehr'' (tank defence) and later renamed to become ''Panzerjäger'' and, later, ''Jagdpanzer'' ("tank hunters" and, respectively, "hunting tanks" or "hunter tanks" as their role slightly changed), self-propelled infantry guns were ''Sturmgeschütze'' ("assault guns"), while self-propelled artillery pieces were usually referred to as ''Panzerhaubitze'' (armoured howitzer). The latter two vehicle types were generally not considered Panzers in the pure sense and were manned by Artillery personnel.

See also

★ Tank

★ Panzertruppe

★ Panzerfaust

★ German AFVs of World War II

★ Vehicle armour

★ Armour

Other uses

★ Panamanian football player Rommel Fernandez was known as "The Panzer" due to being almost unstoppable when trying to score.

★ In some forms of coalminers' jargon, a ''panzer'' is a type of underground conveyor belt for carrying coal, made entirely out of metal.

★ Erik "Panzer" Hagen

★ In Sweden the official name for a tank is pansarvagn or stridsvagn (literally "combat wagon"), and a tank regiment is called Pansarregemente.

★ In the MMORPG Rakion, the panzer is a creature summoned by players who resembles an armoured knight, and wields a halberd.

★ British progressive rock band Amplifier recorded a song for their self-titled debut album entitled "Panzer."

External links

★ Detailed information about every aspect of the Panzerkampfwagen VI at the Tiger I Information Center