Panzer Tracts
NEW PANZER ACE QUIZ #4

Test your knowledge, amaze your friends, astound your enemies and amuse the impartial judge!

The authors of Panzer Tracts have spent more than thirty enjoyable years conducting in-depth research into the history, operational use, and technical features of German Panzers from World War II. In 1969 we started digging into the original operational and Waffenamt reports and about 1983 we started finding the original project design reports. From data in these original primary source documents, it became obvious that the Allied intelligence reports were full of misconceptions based on limited information and mistakes caused by guessing when they didn't have the correct answers. Virtually all books published prior to 1980 used these erroneous Allied intelligence reports (including our own Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War II). Unfortunately, many books still published today are created by copying older publications, perpetuating the mistakes and often adding further erroneous assumptions and falsehoods. Panzer Tracts has taken a completely different direction by making it a basic policy to only use data derived from original primary source documents created by those who either used the Panzers or were responsible for their design, production, and distribution. We continue to locate large numbers of original documents that reveal the true facts allowing us to correct past mistakes and publish new factual information.

It is easy to continue bad habits such as calling the Jagdpanzer 38 a "Hetzer". But in fact the suggestive name "Hetzer" was never officially applied to the Jagdpanzer 38. The suggestive name "Hetzer" was assigned to the E 10 project. By continuing to use the "Hetzer" (or other erroneous names like Bison or Saukopf or Mark), the person simply demonstrates how out of date he is.

The Panzer Tracts Quiz was developed by the Authors as a fun way of introducing a few new facts to enthusiasts really interested in moving forward. We encourage you to test yourself and learn the new information that is now available. Our goal is to advance the hobby by establishing a complete set of Panzer Tracts publications based solely on original primary source documents that are free of the load of stupid mistakes and erroneous assumptions published in the past.

Copy or print the following quiz questions and mail your answers to Panzer Tracts, P.O.Box 334, Boyds, MD 20841 or e-mail to panzertracts@aol.com

It takes five correct answers to become a Panzer Ace and have your name posted on this website.

Everyone sending a completed quiz to Panzer Tracts will receive a coupon worth dollars* off the retail price of books purchased directly from Panzer Tracts.

Congratulations to the fourteen new and one repeat Panzer Aces. They answered all five Quiz No.3 questions correctly. Way to go guys! Let’s shoot to beat this record with the new quiz. We still eagerly await Panzer Aces from additional countries such as Australia, Canada, England, Japan, New Zealand, and even Ireland. Hopefully, Germany will uphold the tradition of leading the world in the number of Panzer Aces and not be outdone by the USA. Sounds to us like a few challenges here.
Have fun,
Thomas L. Jentz and Hilary Louis Doyle

Panzer Ace was achieved for the second time by:

• Carsten Gurk - Germany (Panzer Modell)

1. The basic camouflage paint covering the outside of Panzers during the campaign in Poland in September 1939 and the West in May/June 1940 was:
a. overall Panzer grey
b. RAL 7008
c. 2/3rds Dunkelgrau Nr.46 and 1/3rd Dunkelbraun Nr.45
d. overall RAL 7021 Dunkelgrau
e. one of the available RAL greys (RAL 7015, 7016, 7021, or 7022)

2. In contrast to a Panther Ausf.D, it’s direct predecessor, the Versuchs-Serie Panther (Fgst.Nr.V-2), had:
a. 18 rim bolts on each roadwheel
b. superstructure side plates extended at the rear for interlocking the hull tail plate
c. openings in the engine compartment deck for replenishing both fuel and water
d. a single piece tail plate extending down to the belly plate
e. the driver’s periscope centered on the opening for the visor in the glacis plate

3. The first Panzerbeobachtungswagen (armored observation vehicles) issued to artillery regiments in the Panzer Divisions were:
a. le.gep.Beob.Kw. (Sd.Kfz.253) with medium range Fu 6 radio sets
b. kl.Pz.Bef.Wg. (Sd.Kfz.265)
c. m.gep.Beob.Kw. (Sd.Kfz.254)
d. le.Beob.Pz.Wg. (Sd.Kfz.250/5) with Fu 12 radio sets and frame antenna
e. le.Beob.Pz.Wg. (Sd.Kfz.253) with Fu 15 and Fu 16 radio sets on artillery frequencies

4. A small production run of 30 chassis was assembled for the:
a. Vollkettenaufklaerer 38
b. Aufklaerungspanzerwagen 38 (2 cm) (Sd.Kfz.140/1)
c. Pz.Kpfw.38(t) n.A.
d. schwere Panzerspaehwagen (Halbketten) Fahrgestell Typ H 8 H
e. Panzerspaehwagen RK Ausf.A with a wheel-cum-track suspension

5. All Panzerkampfwagen “Panther” Ausf.A had::
a. a cast commander’s cupola on the turret with seven periscopes
b. a single piece 30-mm-thick belly plate at the front followed by a single piece 16-mm-thick belly plate
c. the same method of interlocking the upper superstructure side plate with the lower “wedge-shaped” superstructure side plate at the rear
d. two exhaust pipes for the Maybach HL 230 P30 engine with the penetrations in the tail plate protected by armor guards
e. all of the above