This is a list of VK-designated tanks made by Germany from 1930s until 1945.

The name

The ''Versuchskampffahrzeug'' (abbreviated to VK or Vs.Kfz.) is a German term meaning "research/experimental fighting vehicle". Used in the names of some German experimental or prototype tanks produced before and during World War II. The "VK" term was also referred to as "''Vollketten''" (meaning "fully tracked"). ;Designation The designation layout was VK XX.XX (X). For example, the VK 30.01 (H)—''VK'' meaning ''Volketten'', 30 for weight, 30 tons, and (H) denotes a manufacturer. In this case the "H" means "

Henschel Henschel & Son (german: Henschel und Sohn) was a German company, located in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting v ...

." Some designation layouts were different, like the VK XX or VK XXX (also called as Vs.Kfz. XX or Vs.Kfz. XXX). For example, the VK 31 (or Vs.Kfz. 31)—''VK'' meaning ''Volketten'' (Vs. Kfz. meaning ''Versuchskampffahrzeug''), and number "31" denotes its development years.

List of VK tanks

*VK 6.01 -

Panzer I Ausf. C The Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf. C, also known as its prototype name VK 6.01, was a German light tank from the Second World War. Although the Panzer I Ausf. C was formally designated as a modification of the Panzer I, it was actually a completely ne ...

*VK 9.01 -

Panzer II The Panzer II is the common name used for a family of German tanks used in World War II. The official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' II (abbreviated PzKpfw II). Although the vehicle had originally been designed as a stopgap while l ...

Ausf. G *VK 9.03 - Panzer II Ausf. H and M *VK 13.03 - Panzer II ''Ausf''. L "Luchs" *VK 13.05 - ''Flakpanzer Luchs'' *VK 16.01 - Panzer II Ausf. J *VK 16.02 - Leopard *VK 18.01 - Panzer I Ausf. F * VK 20.01-28.01 - designs for initially a 20-tonne tank to replace

Panzer III The ''Panzerkampfwagen III'', commonly known as the Panzer III, was a medium tank developed in the 1930s by Germany, and was used extensively in World War II. The official German ordnance designation was Sd.Kfz. 141. It was intended to fight ot ...

and

Panzer IV The ''Panzerkampfwagen'' IV (Pz.Kpfw. IV), commonly known as the ''Panzer'' IV, was a German medium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161. The Pan ...

medium tanks. *

VK 30 series The Vollketten 30 were two series of tank designs by Germany in World War II, originally intended as heavy 'breakthrough' tanks, but later switching completely to designate medium tanks to succeed the Panzer III, IV, and the planned VK 20 series ...

- 30-35 tonne class tank designs. ** VK 30.01 (H) -Henschel design for 30-tonne breakthrough tank, two prototypes built. Two hulls were later reused as Sturer Emil. ** VK 30.01 (P) - Porsche design for 30-tonne tank. ** VK 30.01 (D) -

Daimler-Benz The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufactur ...

design for a 30-tonne tank. ** VK 30.02 (D) - Daimler-Benz design for a 30-tonne tank, initially ordered in 1942 but cancelled in favour of MAN design.Ellis & Chamberlain p.4 **VK 30.02 (M) -

MAN A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromo ...

design for a 30-tonne tank, which evolved into the

Panther tank The Panther tank, officially ''Panzerkampfwagen V Panther'' (abbreviated PzKpfw V) with ordnance inventory designation: ''Sd.Kfz.'' 171, is a German medium tank of World War II. It was used on the Eastern and Western Fronts from mid-1943 to ...

. * VK 36.01 (H) - re-design of VK 30.01 (H) to incorporate more armour, 8 chassis including one complete vehicle. *

VK 45.01 (H) VK 45.01 (H) was a German tank which was the final prototype of the Panzer VI Tiger I, evolved from the VK 36.01 (H), designed by Henschel. It was selected by Adolf Hitler over the competing VK 45.01 (P) from Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche ...

- Henschel design accepted for production as

Tiger I The Tiger I () was a German heavy tank of World War II that operated beginning in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted ...

. * VK 45.01 (P) - Porsche's competing design to Henschel's VK 45.01 (H), chassis built to the design were rebuilt as

Elefant The ''Elefant'' (German for "elephant") was a heavy tank destroyer used by German Wehrmacht Panzerjäger during World War II. Ninety-one units were built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche, using VK 45.01 (P ...

self-propelled anti-tank guns. *VK 45.02 (H) -

Tiger II The Tiger II is a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf''. B,''Panzerkampfwagen'' – abbr: ''Pz.'' or ''Pz.Kfw.'' (English: " armoured fighting vehicle"), ''Ausf.' ...

prototype by Henschel. * VK 45.02 (P) - Tiger II design by Porsche as a competitor to the Henschel's VK 45.02 (H), not built. *VK 45.03 (H) - Henschel's "Tiger III". *VK 65.01 (H) - Henschel's heavy tank project. *VK 70.01-72.01 (K) -

Panzer VII Löwe The ''Panzerkampfwagen VII Löwe'' (Lion) was a design for a super-heavy tank created by Krupp for the German government during World War II. The project, initially code-named VK 70.01 (K), never left the drawing board, and was dropped on 5– ...

. *VK 100+ -

Panzer VIII Maus ''Panzerkampfwagen'' VIII ''Maus'' (English: 'mouse') was a German World War II super-heavy tank completed in late 1944. It is the heaviest fully enclosed armored fighting vehicle ever built. Five were ordered, but only two hulls and one turre ...

proposed designs. *VK 31 -

Leichttraktor The ''Leichttraktor'' (Vs.Kfz.31) was a German experimental tank designed during the Interwar Period. History After the end of World War I, Germany was restricted in military development by the Treaty of Versailles. However, a secret program ...

. *VK 302 - Pz. Sfl. 1a. *VK 622 - Panzer IV Ausf. A.

Notes

External links

{{WWIIGermanAFVs Military vehicles of Germany Armoured fighting vehicles of Germany

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

The name

List of VK tanks

See also

Notes

External links