Existing comment:
The Beginning of Anti-Tank Warfare:
British tanks caught the German Army by surprise. There was little the Germans could do to stop these armored monsters. They soon discovered that artillery was the best weapon against tanks. However, tanks were very hard to hit with indirect fire. Artillery placed at the front lines could be easily knocked out during enemy tanks. Artillery guns require a large crew and were expensive to replace. What Germany needed was an inexpensive weapon that could be fired by one or two men and was able to penetrate a tank's armor. The answer was the "T"-Gewehr, or Tank Rifle. It looked like a giant hunting rifle and fired a single 13mm steel projectile, which could go through 21mm or armor at 200 meters. They were very effective against the French light tanks. They were less effective against the large British tanks, but could still cause casualties and the loss of a vehicle. The Germans built over 16,000 of these weapons.
Anti-Tank Artillery:
The only sure way to stop a tank was with artillery guns. The German Army's solution was their Model 1896 77mm gun, which was the perfect weapon. Unlike older cannons, the 77mm gun was small and easy to move. These guns, kept close to the front, were brought forward when tanks appeared or they were hidden in special trenches. The crews stayed in protective bunkers until they were needed. A new high explosive round was even created with a hardened steel nose, which could go through the armor and let the shell explode inside the tank. A number of American and British tanks were lost to direct German artillery fire. |