The tank had to pass through the English channel.
The German people are really creative. Unfortunately, as history shows, they are not always sent his “creative potential” in the channel creation. During the war the local of engineers and scientists have created many of the monstrous instruments of war, the only goal which was the destruction of the people. For the hated British, “hiding” in the Islands, treacherous Nazis were preparing something special.
Britain was very lucky in the history on the geographic question. After (albeit bloody) enterprises in a single country got an incredible bonus on the world stage, being “hidden” on the Islands. This territorial feature spoiled a lot of blood all the historical opponents powers, and helped her become one of the most powerful countries in the world.
In the troubled years of the world war of the XX century the UK has once again benefited from its location. Maybe that channel has saved the United Kingdom from the rapid March guderians armored fists. In modern language, Hitler (and the entire command of the Reich) “burned” from “British panties” that are entrenched over the channel with an impressive group of allied troops. On the way to the world domination of Germany did not want to leave this “gift” at the rear.
The Germans loved their new tanks, that’s just marine operations and tracked equipment – things are not compatible. And then the German engineers decided to come up with something really special for UK – underwater tanks, which had to pass through the bottom of the English channel.
In 1940, in preparation for “operation Sea lion” (the amphibious landing in Britain) was created Tauchpanzer III tank with the function of underwater walking. The battle machine was taken medium tank of the Wehrmacht’s Panzerkampfwagen III. Inside the car a pump for pumping water, all the cracks securely closed, to cool the car was sea water, finally, the tower was installed in the respiratory tube sleeve, at the end of which is attached to a special buoy.
So the tank had to sink and get fresh air. The equipping of the tank also includes individual means of breath, borrowed from the divers. To navigate under water was much more difficult, so Tauchpanzer III set and a gyrocompass, as well as an enhanced station to coordinate (movement direction) by means of communication with ships.
From July to October 1940, the German plants produced 168 such tanks. However, in tests it turned out that tanks don’t do very well on the seabed. Talking about crossing the English channel more was not. The second plan was more realistic. The machine was supposed to deliver to UK on the barges, lowered to the bottom, and from there the tanks were to move forward to the coast.
To visit the beaches of Britain Tauchpanzer III and failed. Operation “Sea lion” was constantly postponed, and soon began a war with the Soviet Union. By this time almost all of the 168 tanks were deployed on the Eastern front, where it was used for crossing rivers. Equipment needed for a ride along the sea floor was almost completely removed from the tanks, he was just sealing the cracks and breathing tube to the tower. During “operation Barbarossa” Tauchpanzer III crossed the Western bug. Then the machine was used by the Wehrmacht as a normal tank.
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