The Second World War was a bloody engagement that raged on for 6 long years, from 1939 to 1945. It mainly consisted of the Allied forces on one end against the Axis forces at the other end. Germany, led by the notorious Adolf Hitler, was the most prominent Axis member. The Austrian dictator had a twisted ideology that he almost achieved, thanks to the German military might under his command.
The Germans fielded a wide variety of military vehicles that posed a formidable threat to any opposition; whether it was on land, sea, or high up in the air. They ranged from the infamous Panzer tanks, effectively deployed during the Blitzkrieg campaigns, to the U-Boats that roamed the high seas and sank Allied shipping by the thousands.
It took a while before the Allied forces could effectively counter the threat posed by these German military machines, some of which are highlighted in the list below.
15 Tiger II Tank
This monster was one of the most feared weapons in the German arsenal though it was introduced into the war theater a little too late. It weighed all of 70 tons and was armed with a massive 88 mm main gun that, in the hands of an experienced gunner, had no equal on the battlefield.
14 Panther Tank
Many historians have argued that this was the best tank deployed during the War. Its reliability was questionable at times but it more than made up for that with excellent firepower and defensive armor plating. Over 6,000 units were produced and the Germans deployed them to very effective use from mid-1943 till the war ended in 1945.
13 Focke-Wulf FW-190
The Focke-Wulf was a highly successful single-seat fighter jet that was produced in about 40 different configurations during the course of the war. The Luftwaffe relied on this weapon to beat the Allies in several key aerial encounters. They were armed with a variety of machine guns and the fastest ones had a top speed in excess of 400 mph.
12 Panzer IV Tank
The Panzer IV was first conceived by German engineers in 1935, well before the start of the war. The advent of the war brought about various modifications to the tank and it went on to become one of the most produced German tanks during the war. More than 7,000 tanks were built and deployed to wreak havoc among the Allied forces.
11 Marder II Anti-Tank Vehicle
The Allied forces that opposed the Germans also used tanks on the battlefield and to counter this, the Germans employed a variety of anti-tank weapons. The Marder II was one such; built on a Panzer tank chassis and equipped with a 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun that was able to take down tanks like the Russian T-34s and the American Lee tanks.
10 Messerschmitt BF 109
This was the most famous German fighter of World War 2. Interestingly, the early models of the BF-109 were powered by British Rolls Royce engines, before the relationship between the 2 countries turned sour. It was not the most comfortable aircraft to fly but it did have an incredible combat record. The most successful fighter ace flew a BF109 and downed a confirmed tally of 352 aircraft in 825 combat operations.
9 Bismarck Battleship
The Bismarck was one of the largest battleships that prowled the high seas during World War 2. The behemoth displaced over 50,000 tons, fully loaded, and carried a fearsome array of weaponry that could be brought to bear in battle. The Bismarck was notable for sinking the pride of the British fleet, HMS Hood during a fierce battle where the giant ship also met its end.
8 Goliath Tracked Mine
This remotely operated ‘beetle tank’ was a demolition vehicle that was able to carry up to 100kg of high explosive. The Germans used it against large tanks, dense infantry formations, and in some cases, against buildings and bridges. They were mostly used by specialized Panzer and Combat Engineer units, causing large scale destruction when they successfully hit their targets.
7 Junker JU-86R
The Junker JU-86R was not a particularly fast aircraft with a top speed that hovered around 200mph. Its main strength, however, lay in the fact that it could fly at an altitude of 41,000ft, far above the reach of even the most capable RAF interceptor, the Spitfire. The Allied forces were in awe of the Junker JU-86Rs and it took a while to come up with something that could match its capabilities.
6 Maultier Half-Track
When Germany invaded the Soviet Union, they quickly realized that they needed a specialized vehicle that could traverse the often marshy or snowy terrain with ease. That led to the development of the Maultier half-track, a vehicle that combined conventional wheels with a track at the rear. This enabled them to quickly move troops and supplies around to where they were needed most at the Front. They could also be fitted with weapons and converted into offensive vehicles.
5 German U-Boat
The German U-Boat – the wolves of the sea – terrorized shipping lanes and struck fear into the hearts of Allied seamen for a huge part of the war. They sunk over 2,770 ships, civilian and military alike, and almost turned the tide of the war in favor of Germany before the opposition eventually figured out how to defeat them.
4 Heinkel He 111
Germany fielded an extensive range of bombers of which the Heinkel He 111 was one of the most important. It was a medium bomber that was used to bomb Allied positions relentlessly till the end of the war. Over 7,000 examples, in different variants, were built and pressed into service.
3 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka
Few aircraft struck fear into the hearts of people like the ‘Sirens of Death’ as the Ju-87 Stuka bombers were known. This moniker came from the horns that blared from the aircraft as they dived bombed civilians and Allied military positions from the sky. The bomber carried a range of payloads of which the 1,000kg tank-bursting bomb was the heaviest.
2 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen
This name was given to a group of 6 and 8-wheeled armored personnel carriers that were adept at moving infantry troops about on the battlefield. There were mostly deployed for reconnaissance missions but they often engaged in light infantry skirmishes where their armor plating gave them a distinct advantage.
1 Sturmpanzer I Bison
During the early days of the war, the Polish campaign taught the Germans the need to come up with an effective artillery unit that was highly mobile. That invariably led to the development of the Bison; a stubby vehicle that mainly consisted of an artillery gun fitted to a tank chassis. Now, they did not have to be towed around on the battlefield and could be more effectively driven to where they were needed.