In July 1939 the Oberkommando des Heeres issued a classified order establishing the Balkenkreuz on all German armoured vehicles. Accompanying it was Annex 1: a set of individual placement sheets, one per vehicle type, giving the exact dimensions and position of the cross on every tank then in German service. This article opens that annex and works through what it specified, vehicle by vehicle.
At the end of Part IV the Foundation had the regulatory framework but not the specification. The dimensions and placement of the Balkenkreuz on our Sd.Kfz.223 were held in a classified execution order that the published Heeresmitteilungen referred to but never contained. Part V opens that document and works through what it tells us, from the cover sheet to the armoured car appendix that finally gives us what we need.
The Weald Foundation Spring Members Open Day takes place on Friday, 8 May 2026 – a dedicated half-day built around what our members have been asking for. Hear original research on Jagdpanther JP411 provenance and Sd.Kfz armoured car markings, tour the working workshops, and explore the full collection. Places are strictly limited and open to members only.
Every image of a German armoured vehicle from the Polish campaign onwards shows a white cross. But which cross, at what size, and where on the hull? For the Foundation’s Sd.Kfz.223 the answers had to be established from primary sources before the crosses could be painted. Part IV sets out the regulatory trail followed to get them.
In February 1945, the Heereswaffenamt set in motion a project to give the Jagdpanther an automatic loading system. Three primary documents record its brief life. Two photographs show the hardware existed. The war ended before anything more could happen.
This article has 1406 words Reading time: 7 minutes There are 6 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 1432 words Reading time: 7 minutes There are 6 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 901 words Reading time: 4 minutes There are 2 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 1045 words Reading time: 5 minutes There are 5 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 235 words Reading time: 1 minute There is 1 photo Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 1289 words Reading time: 6 minutes There are 4 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 1357 words Reading time: 6 minutes There are 13 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 1438 words Reading time: 7 minutes There are 5 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 819 words Reading time: 4 minutes There are 4 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 715 words Reading time: 3 minutes There are 4 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 474 words Reading time: 2 minutes There are 4 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 514 words Reading time: 2 minutes There are 3 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 951 words Reading time: 4 minutes There is 1 photo Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 460 words Reading time: 2 minutes There are 5 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 504 words Reading time: 2 minutes There are 3 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…
This article has 561 words Reading time: 2 minutes There are 5 photos Become a Member – Access the Full Article Members gain access to…