German Neubaufahrzeug

German Neubaufahrzeug
Name	Neubaufahrzeug
Caption	German heavy multi-turret prototype tank
Origin	Weimar Republic
Type	Tank
Service	1934–1945
Used by	Wehrmacht
Designer	Rheinmetall-Borsig
Manufacturer	Krupp
Number	5 (prototype)

German Neubaufahrzeug The Neubaufahrzeug was a 1930s German multi-turret experimental Panzerkampfwagen prototype developed during the rearmament period under Heinrich Himmler-era policies and early Nazi Germany rearmament programmes. It influenced interwar Panzer development debates among design bureaus such as Rheinmetall-Borsig, Krupp, and MAN and featured in propaganda linked to Adolf Hitler and demonstrations before the Invasion of Poland and early Invasion of Norway planning. Trials informed subsequent designs leading toward the Panzer III and Panzer IV lineages, while operational use involved formations within the Heer and evaluation by units tied to Blitzkrieg tactics championed by generals like Heinz Guderian.

Development and Design

Design work began amid German rearmament overseen by ministries associated with Hermann Göring and industrialists linked to Friedrich Flick. The Neubaufahrzeug program drew on debates from the Treaty of Versailles aftermath and attracted input from firms including Rheinmetall, Krupp, and MAN, as well as testing at military establishments like the Kummersdorf proving grounds. Engineers referenced foreign developments such as the Vickers 6-Ton and Soviet T-28 while interacting with doctrinal figures including Heinz Guderian and staff from OKH. Political exhibitions under Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels leveraged the prototype in public displays near sites like Tempelhof and during maneuvers involving units from Wehrkreis III. The multi-turret concept reflected contemporaneous designs such as the British Vickers A1E1 Independent and the Soviet T-35, discussed in memoranda circulated among executives from Daimler-Benz and technical committees with representatives from Krupp Steel.

Technical Specifications

The vehicle combined armor, armament, and mobility parameters debated by industrialists including Otto Gessler-era procurement officers and technical directors from Rheinmetall. Armor plating fabrication used processes similar to those at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft and welding techniques tested at Krupp Essen. Main armament choices referenced contemporary ordnance from Rheinmetall-Borsig and ammunition standards related to shells produced at Spandau Arsenal. The drivetrain incorporated transmission concepts paralleled in designs by MAN and cooling solutions evaluated against trials at Kummersdorf. Propulsion studies drew on diesel versus petrol debates involving engineers from Bayerische Motoren Werke and Daimler-Benz AG, while suspension layouts mirrored experiments by teams formerly associated with Büssing-NAG and consulting reports submitted to Reichswehr planners.

Operational History

Prototypes were allocated to evaluation units attached to formations commanded by officers such as Erwin Rommel-adjacent staff and logistics branches coordinated with Heer training establishments. Field trials occurred in regions including Silesia and test ranges near Munich and Berlin, involving observers from Generaloberst Walther von Reichenau and procurement committees that included members of Heinz Guderian's staff. The Neubaufahrzeug appeared during maneuvers intended to display Blitzkrieg capabilities to dignitaries including Hermann Göring and foreign military attaches from Italy and Japan. After initial trials, remaining examples were assigned to units within occupational deployments tied to the Polish Campaign and later assessments by commands overseeing operations in Scandinavia, with oversight from departments of the OKW.

Combat Service and Engagements

A limited number of prototypes saw front-line exposure during early campaigns; reports circulated among corps staffs including those under Gerd von Rundstedt and Fedor von Bock. Engagements included reconnaissance and limited combat in theaters such as Poland and urban operations compared to encounters in Norway where cold-weather performance was monitored by technicians from Kongsberg-linked observers. Damage assessments were reviewed by repair detachments from units associated with Heer maintenance depots and forwarded to design bureaus like Rheinmetall-Borsig and Krupp for modification guidance. Intelligence reports captured by adversaries such as British Expeditionary Force attaches and Soviet Red Army observers informed opposing development programs and were discussed at staff conferences involving representatives from OKH and OKW.

Variants and Modifications

Proposed and trial variants incorporated alternative armament packages influenced by ordnance firms including Rheinmetall and Krupp and fire-control experiments referencing technologies from Siemens and Zeiss. Modifications tested different turret layouts inspired by multi-turreted prototypes like the T-28 and defensive measures derived from Flak coordination studies with units under Hermann Göring's Luftwaffe liaison. Conversion proposals included command variants for headquarters use alongside recovery adaptations trialed by companies such as Besser workshops and repair firms linked to Deutsche Reichsbahn logistics. Armor schemes were revised using metallurgical input from Friedrich Krupp and surface treatments trialed at Thyssen facilities.

Preservation and Survivors

Few survivors exist; wartime losses occurred during campaigns catalogued by historians at institutions such as the Bundeswehr Military History Museum and archival holdings in Freiburg and Munich. Parts and photographic records are retained in collections at museums including Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster and archival repositories like the Bundesarchiv and Imperial War Museum exchanges. Postwar scrapping by occupation authorities and salvage firms tied to Allied Control Council policies reduced extant examples; surviving documentation informs exhibits curated by researchers affiliated with universities such as Humboldt University of Berlin and Heidelberg University and specialist historians like Jörg Nagler.

Category:Interwar tanks Category:Multi-turreted tanks