Decoy tanks: PANTHER – The german version – Carpenters and Grammophones by Rob Schäfer

In my last article I have introduced you to soviet made tank decoys. Only two months after OKH sent its request for blueprints of german tanks the file below was passed on to Armies and Divisions around the front.  The german megalomaniac approach to a simple and good russian idea. 

No sign of the russian ingenuity to use materials readily available to quickly built a decoy to mislead the enemy. The german construction manuals are complicated and detailed instructions on how to build the perfect decoy. It’s only that I think that not one of the these was ever built as to build one you needed 2-3 carpenters, 10-12 other personnel, loads of wood, nails and tools but the results are certainly impressive, and so are the construction instructions and blueprints.

The cream topping of the german decoy tank plans is the possibility to mount loudspeakers and grammophones to simulate the sound of a tank engine (see page 4 of the tactical manual). Special records had already been developed by the Generalinspektor der Panzertruppen and the Waffenamt. Play length of each record –  4 minutes

I will start with the Panther Decoy – Stug III, StuH40 and Panzer IV later (if there is any interest)

 

 

 

 

DECOY PANTHER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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