Sturmpanzerwagen A7V
Germany’s first operational tank, the Sturmpanzerwagen A7V made its combat debut during the desperate Spring Offensive in 1918
Take a look inside Germany’s first panzer
The appearance of British tanks on the World War I battlefield of the Somme in 1916 came as a shock to the German military establishment. Although tank development had been of interest prior to the outbreak of war – as early as 1911 in fact – other priorities had shunted the development of armoured fighting vehicles to low importance prior to the rude awakening.
The only operational German tank of World War I was the product of a hurried development program that began with the formation within the War Ministry of the Allgemeines Kriegsdepartement Abteilung 7 Verkehrswesen – which translates as General War Department Section 7, Transportation – in the autumn of 1916. The new department also contributed a part of its name to its first production vehicle, the Sturmpanzerwagen A7V, or Armoured Assault Vehicle A7V.
Specifications were issued for a monolithic, heavily armed and armoured beast that could sweep aside Allied tanks, both British and French, and destroy soft targets such as infantry concentrations and machine gun nests that impeded the progress of infantry. Specifications were also issued for a pair of light tanks built for speed and manoeuvrability to rapidly exploit offensive breakthroughs.
Three prototype tanks were built but never progressed beyond preliminary evaluation, either due to the coming of the Armistice in November 1918 or their obvious design flaws. The massive 120-ton Grosskampfwagen, or K-wagen, was dropped with the end of the war; the light seven and eight-ton LK I and LK II tanks were conceived in early 1918. The German army ordered 580 LK IIS, but none were completed. A commitment was made to limited production of the A7V in November 1916, mere weeks after the unnerving encounter with British armour on the Somme.
“SPECIFICATIONS WERE ISSUED FOR A MONOLITHIC, HEAVILY ARMED AND ARMOURED BEAST THAT COULD SWEEP ASIDE ALLIED TANKS”
ENGINE
The twin 100-horsepower, four-cylinder Daimler engines mounted aboard the A7V provided a top speed of only 15 kilometres per hour (nine miles per hour) on suitable roadways, and just over six kilometres per hour (four miles per hour) traversing open cross-country terrain.
The vehicle was significantly underpowered for its substantial weight of 32 tons, hampering performance in the field. The engines were paired with Adler gearboxes and differentials, while thick exhaust was emitted through a system of pipes that ran along the lower sides of the hull. The noise level of the engines complicated communications inside the armoured vehicle, and 500 litres (110 gallons) of fuel was stored aboard the A7V.
“THE VEHICLE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERPOWERED FOR ITS SUBSTANTIAL WEIGHT OF 32 TONS, HAMPERING PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD”
“THESE HEAVY WEAPONS, ADAPTED FROM FIELD ARTILLERY PIECES WITH A RANGE UP TO 2,700 METRES (2,950 YARDS), WERE OF BRITISH, RUSSIAN, OR BELGIAN MANUFACTURE, EITHER PROCURED BEFORE THE WAR OR CAPTURED ON THE BATTLEFIELD”
ARMAMENT
The primary weapon of the Sturmpanzerwagen A7V was the 57mm Maxim-nordenfelt cannon set forward in the centre of the hull, in either a pyramid and pedestal mount called a Sockellafette or a trestle mount called a Bocklafette. These heavy weapons, adapted from field artillery pieces with a range up to 2,700 metres (2,950 yards), were of British, Russian or Belgian manufacture, either procured before the war or captured on the battlefield. 500 rounds were stored inside the A7V. Secondary armament included six 7.92mm Maxim MG08 machine guns mounted along the sides and rear of the hull to engage with enemy infantry. Approximately 30,000 rounds of 7.92mm ammunition was carried.
DESIGN
Joseph Vollmer, a German army captain and well-known automobile designer, led the team of engineers that developed the A7V. The tank was essentially an armoured box placed atop the chassis of a Holt tractor. Its spring suspension was taxed by the vehicle’s 32-ton, 7.34-metre (24 feet) long and 3.3-metre (10.8 feet) high body. Armour plating was up to 30mm thick on the front and 15mm on each side. Hinged doors allowed crewmen to enter and exit the A7V, while the engine was placed in the centre of the crew compartment, restricting movement. Low ground clearance – no more than 40 centimetres – hampered battlefield mobility as well.
CREW COMPARTMENT
The interior of the Sturmpanzerwagen A7V was cramped and often filled with noxious exhaust fumes that sickened the crew of 17 soldiers and a single officer – particularly during training exercises or combat when weapons were fired, releasing additional smoke. Two crewmen, a gunner and a loader, were needed to service each weapon. The ponderous tank also required a pair of drivers, positioned in a bridge area or cupola in the upper centre, and operated the vehicle with a steering wheel and system of levers. A mechanic and signalman were also aboard, and soldiers utilised ropes suspended overhead to maintain balance as the tank advanced across rugged terrain.
“THE STURMPANZERWAGEN A7V WAS CRAMPED AND OFTEN FILLED WITH NOXIOUS EXHAUST FUMES”
An expedient response to the appearance of British tanks on the battlefield, the Sturmpanzerwagen A7V was rushed into service during Operation Michael, part of the German Spring Offensive in 1918 aimed at breaking the stalemate on the Western Front and ending World War I.
The first pre-production A7V was completed in September 1917, and only 20 tanks were manufactured before the end of the war. Its numbers were woefully inadequate to influence the outcome of the conflict, and as a result its combat deployment was limited. In contrast, the British manufactured 7,700 tanks during the war years.
The A7V entered combat for the first time on 21 March
1918, as five tanks under the command of Captain Walter Greiff operated in the vicinity of the St Quentin Canal in northern France. Three suffered mechanical breakdowns, while the other two engaged in a minor action to quell a British advance.
On 23 April 1918 three A7VS engaged three British
Mark IV tanks in the vicinity of Villers-bretonneux, in history’s first tank versus tank battle. Two of the British tanks, ‘female’ variants armed only with machine guns, were damaged and retired. The third, a ‘male’ mounting a six-pounder cannon, knocked out one A7V, and the other two withdrew. A total of 18 A7VS entered combat that day. Two were damaged after falling into shell holes, three were captured by Allied troops, and several others experienced mechanical problems.
Two variants, an open topped supply vehicle, the Überlandwagen, and the A7V/U, similar in design to British types with all-around tracks and two 57mm guns, were built. 75 examples of the Überlandwagen were completed, but the A7V/U reached only the prototype stage. The only surviving A7V, No. 506, nicknamed ‘Mephisto’, is on display at the Queensland Museum in Brisbane, Australia. Mephisto was one of the three A7VS captured at Villers-bretonneux.
THE STURMPANZERWAGEN A7V WAS ILL-SUITED FOR COMBAT AMID THE WIDE TRENCH LINES OF THE WESTERN FRONT
“ITS NUMBERS WERE WOEFULLY INADEQUATE TO INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME OF THE CONFLICT, AND AS A RESULT ITS COMBAT DEPLOYMENT WAS LIMITED”