Beutepanzer

Beutepanzer (German, lit. 'Captured Tank')[1] is the German designation for a captured armored fighting vehicle. The Germans used Beutepanzers to gain insight into enemy technology and to augment their own armored forces.

A British Mk IV Beutepanzer during WW1

Beutepanzers were usually repainted to sport distinctive national emblems and unit insignia in order to reduce friendly fire from other Central Power forces.

First World War

During World War I, the Germans had many Beutepanzers in their arsenal, far exceeding the production of their own tanks. Beutepanzers were given a German national cross and new camouflage. By the end of the war, a total of 170 Beutepanzers were still in running condition with 35 reported to be battle ready. In comparison, over a third of the 20 A7V tanks built by Germany had been destroyed or captured by then.

Most Beutepanzers were British Mk IVs, but also a small amount of Whippet tanks and various types of French tanks were captured too. The Germans first captured Mk IVs during and after the Battle of Cambrai (1917). They were further modified including the replacement of their guns. They first saw action in March 1918, during Operation Michael and later during the Hundred Days Offensive. However, the Whippet and French tanks did not see action during the war.[2]

Second World War
A captured Soviet T-60 pressed into service in the Kholm Pocket
A Tiger 1 captured by the Soviets

Beutepanzers played an important role in the Wehrmacht.[3] After the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939, many Czech tanks were claimed. In October 1940, the Heeresamt ordered two of each Beutepanzer type to be delivered to the Army Weapons Office for evaluation. Beutepanzers were used by the German Army on all fronts.

During the Western Campaign, Germany had captured 691 British tanks in total with an estimate of 350 being reusable. Most Beutepanzers captured during the campaign were modified into observation tanks or ammunition transports. Heavily damaged units were salvaged for spare parts. Additionally, roughly 1,800 modern (non-FT-17s) French tanks were captured during the May–June campaign and returned to service as Beutepanzers, alongside a similar number destroyed beyond repair.[4]

The Germans captured many T-26 and BT tanks[5] on the Eastern Front from 1941 to 1942.

The Germans were not the only users of captured tanks, though other nations usually did not deploy captured vehicles into combat. The Soviets were able to secure a Tiger 1 at Leningrad captured on 16th January 1943, with the British later capturing a Tiger 1 tank (Tiger 131) in Tunisia on the 21st of April 1943.

A complete list of all Beutepanzers in German service are available in Chamberlain and Doyle's Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two.

German Beutepanzers during WW2[3][5][6][7]
Beutepanzer Original Tank Captured From
Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)[7] Škoda LT vz. 35[7] Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia
Pz.Kpfw. 38(t)[3] CKD-Praga LT-H
Praga T-33
Pz.Kpfw. T-26C 740(r)[5] T-26 Soviet Union Soviet Union
T-50
Pz.Kpfw. 751(r) T-35[5]
T-60[5]
Pz.Kpfw. KW I 756(r) KV-1
Pz.Kpfw. KW II 754(r)[5] KV-2[5]
Pz.Kpfw. 747(r)[3][5] T-34[3]
IS-2
BA-10 203 (r) BA-10
Artillery Tug 604 Comintern
Pz.Kpfw. Kreuzer Mk VI 746(e) Crusader I United Kingdom United Kingdom
Sturmpanzer Churchill[3] Churchill[3]
Pz.Jg. Bren 731(e) British Universal Carrier
7TP[3] Poland Poland
wz. 34
Pz.Kpfw. 35H 734(f) Hotchkiss H-35 France France
Pz.Kpfw. 39H 735(f) Hotchkiss H-39
Pz.Kpfw. B2 740(f) Renault Char B1
Pz.Kpfw. 18R 730(f) Renault FT
Pz.Kpfw. 35R 731(f) Renault R35
Sp.Pz. AB41 201(i) Autoblindo AB41 Italy Italy
Sd.Kfz 735 (i) Fiat M13/40
Pz.Kpfw. P40 737(i) Fiat P26/40
Sturmgeschütz M42 Semnovente 75/18
Pz.Kpfw. M4 748 (a) M4 Sherman United States USA
Pz.Kpfw. M3 747 (a) M3 Lee
Pz.Kpfw. M3 740 (a) M3 Stuart
Soviet Beutepanzers during WW2[6]
Beutepanzer Original Tank Captured From
Sturmgeschütz III Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
T-V Pz.Kpfw. V Panther
T-IV Pz.Kpfw. IV
T-III Pz.Kpfw. III
LT-38 Praga Pz.Kpfw. 38(t)
T-1 Pz.Kpfw. I
Finnish Beutepanzers during WW2
Beutepanzer Captured From
BT-7 Soviet Union Soviet Union
T-26
T-28
T-34
KV-1
Romanian Beutepanzers during WW2
Beutepanzer Captured From
T-40 Soviet Union Soviet Union
American Beutepanzers during WW2
Beutepanzer Original Tank Captured From
Sturmgeschütz III Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
King Tiger Sd.Kfz. 182
Tiger Sd.Kfz. 181
British Beutepanzers during WW2
Beutepanzer Original Tank Captured From
Panther Pz.Kpfw. V Panther Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
French Beutepanzers during WW2
Beutepanzer Original Tank Captured From
Panther Pz.Kpfw. V Panther Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Tigre Sd.Kfz. 181
Panzer IV

See also

References
  1. "dict.cc dictionary :: Beutepanzer :: German-English translation". www.dict.cc. Retrieved 2018-08-03.
  2. TAB (2022-02-27). "Beutepanzern". The Armourers Bench. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  3. Budanovic, Nikola (2016-07-02). "Beutepanzer, How Nazi Germany Relied on Captured Military Vehicles To Continue The Fight". WAR HISTORY ONLINE. Retrieved 2018-08-03.
  4. Garraud, Philippe (April 2004). "LE RÔLE DE LA " DOCTRINE DÉFENSIVE " DANS LA DÉFAITE DE 1940: une explication trop simple et partielle". Guerres Mondiales et Conflits Contemporains (in French). 214 (2): 97–123. doi:10.3917/gmcc.214.0097. JSTOR 25732954.
  5. "Russische Beutepanzer | Beutepanzer | Panzer". 2013-02-12. Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 2018-08-03.
  6. "Panzerkampfwagen T 34 - 747(r)The Soviet T-34 Tank as Beutepanzer and Panzerattrappe in German Wehrmacht Service 1941-45 - TANKOGRAD Publishing - Verlag Jochen Vollert - Militärfahrzeug". www.tankograd.com. Retrieved 2018-08-03.
  7. "Škoda CKD Lt vz.35". www.tanks-encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2018-08-03.
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