VK 30.01 (H)

VK 30.01(H) prototype during tests. Note the concrete rings to simulate the weight of the turret.jpg

VK 30.01 (H) is a further development of the Durchbruchswagen concept. The DW vehicles (DW1 and DW2) were – as their name in German suggests – attempts to create a breakthrough tank (in other words, essentially a heavy tank). On September 9, 1938, it was decided to continue with the DW 30 ton category development. On January 1, 1939, Krupp decided that the new vehicle should be equipped with a 75mm L/24 cannon, the crew should be equal to that of Panzer IV and the tank should have 50mm armor all around. On January 31, 1939, this new vehicle program was renamed to Panzerkampfwagen VI (7,5cm), but the new experimental designation for it was VK 30.01 (experimental/tracked vehicle, 30 tons, 1st prototype). At the same time, the old DW projects were renamed to VK 30.01 (Alte Konstruktion), while the new VK 30.01 was referred to as “Neue Konstruktion” (new design).

Design-wise, it was a classical German tank, with typical Henschel suspension that would eventually evolve into the Tiger suspension via VK 36.01. The roadwheels had torsion bar suspension.

3 prototypes were ordered. The hulls were made by Krupp in Essen and delivered to Henschel in Kassel for final assembly in 1940. Turrets were also ordered and Krupp was supposed to deliver them in 1940. However, these came later and most likely were never installed on any prototype machines. The three prototypes instead had a concrete cube installed instead of the turret to simulate the turret weight. The vehicles were equipped with 300hp Maybach HL116 engines and their maximum road speed was 35km/h.

On May 25, 1941, the first order for 8 0-series VK 30.01 (H) tanks was signed. Between October 1941 and January 1942, Henschel also recieved the 8 turrets from Krupp that were to be mounted on the 0-series vehicles. The first 0-series hull was delivered on August 8, 1941, and on November 15, 1941, the first 0-series VK 30.01 (H) (with a mounted turret) was tested in Sennelager. This first 0-series VK 30.01 (H) was by no means finished, however, (some components were missing) and it was sent back to Henschel. The last hull was delivered on November 10, 1941 and the last turret on January 21, 1942. Maybach also built 18 engines in total for the VK 30.01 between 1941 and 1943.

On January 30, 1942, based on the preliminary tests (which did not show the vehicle in a very positive light), it was decided to reduce the amount of the 0-series tanks being built to only 4 vehicles, which were built in March (2 vehicles) and October 1942 (another 2). These tanks were sent to training units and were used for crew training.

The armament (which was still the 75mm L/24, quite insufficient for the 1942 battlefield) was also discussed – Krupp proposed on October 7, 1941 the following options to the Waffenprüfamt 6:

- 75mm KwK L/34,6 (lengthened version of L/24) - 50mm KwK L/50 - 50mm KwK L/60 - 75mm Waffe 0725 (which WoT players will know as the 75mm Konisch on VK 36.01, but it was shown later that this could not be installed).

WaPA 6 responded in the sense that they would like the 75mm KwK 40 L/43 to be installed. Krupp replied that in order to do that, either the gun would have to be modified, or the turret would have to be bigger. In January 1942, the re-arm project was scrapped.

Two hulls were subsequently used to build the two 128mm tank destroyers “12,8cm Kanone 40 L/61 auf VK 30.01(H)”, known as “Sturer Emil”. Additional turrets that were already manufactured before the 0-series VK 30.01 (H) project was reduced were used for fixed emplacements in France (the Atlantic Wall).