Pakfront
Encyclopedia
The Pakfront was a defensive military tactic
developed by the German
forces on the Eastern Front
during the Second World War. It was named after the phonetic pronunciation of the acronym nomenclature for German towed anti-tank guns, PaK
(PanzerabwehrKanone, "tank defense cannon"). The Soviets
soon copied the tactic, and used it to great effect at the Battle of Kursk
in July 1943.
During the large Soviet armoured attacks on the Eastern front in late 1941–1942, the Germans quickly realised that their anti-tank guns, operating individually or in small groups, and with no central commander, were quickly overwhelmed by the numerical superiority of the Soviets.
The pakfront was developed to counter this superiority. A group of up to ten guns were placed under the command of one officer. He was responsible to designate targets and direct the fire of his guns. This allowed the Germans to spring particularly effective anti-tank ambushes, with all guns being assigned separate targets and then firing at once, maximizing surprise and minimizing the chance for return fire.
The tactic was found to be extremely effective, and soon the Soviets had copied it, often using multiple pakfronts in co-operation with minefields, anti-tank ditches, and other obstacles to channel the enemy armour into their fields of fire. The Soviets also developed an extension of the ambush tactic in which all of the guns could be targeted on a single particularly valuable or heavily armored target and fired on command, the combined impacts essentially guaranteeing an instant kill. This technique was especially effective against German command tanks (because it generally caused a K-kill that minimized any chance for the command team to escape) and heavy vehicles (like the Tiger I) that might have otherwise required dozens of separate hits to disable. To counter the effectiveness of the Soviet pakfront, the Germans developed the panzerkeil
("armoured wedge"), but this offensive tactic had limited effectiveness.
At the Battle of Kursk
in July 1943, Soviet pakfronts slowed the German attack in the south and completely halted the northern German force. The panzerkeil was shown to be an inadequate countermeasure.
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
developed by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
forces on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
during the Second World War. It was named after the phonetic pronunciation of the acronym nomenclature for German towed anti-tank guns, PaK
Pak
-People:* Greg Pak* Igor Pak* Pak Nam-Chol* Pak , 박, also romanized Park-Places:* Pakistan * The ISO 3166 identification code and the vehicle registration plate of PAK* Pakistan-administered Kashmir...
(PanzerabwehrKanone, "tank defense cannon"). The Soviets
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
soon copied the tactic, and used it to great effect at the Battle of Kursk
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka,...
in July 1943.
During the large Soviet armoured attacks on the Eastern front in late 1941–1942, the Germans quickly realised that their anti-tank guns, operating individually or in small groups, and with no central commander, were quickly overwhelmed by the numerical superiority of the Soviets.
The pakfront was developed to counter this superiority. A group of up to ten guns were placed under the command of one officer. He was responsible to designate targets and direct the fire of his guns. This allowed the Germans to spring particularly effective anti-tank ambushes, with all guns being assigned separate targets and then firing at once, maximizing surprise and minimizing the chance for return fire.
The tactic was found to be extremely effective, and soon the Soviets had copied it, often using multiple pakfronts in co-operation with minefields, anti-tank ditches, and other obstacles to channel the enemy armour into their fields of fire. The Soviets also developed an extension of the ambush tactic in which all of the guns could be targeted on a single particularly valuable or heavily armored target and fired on command, the combined impacts essentially guaranteeing an instant kill. This technique was especially effective against German command tanks (because it generally caused a K-kill that minimized any chance for the command team to escape) and heavy vehicles (like the Tiger I) that might have otherwise required dozens of separate hits to disable. To counter the effectiveness of the Soviet pakfront, the Germans developed the panzerkeil
Panzerkeil
The Panzerkeil was an offensive armoured tactic developed by German forces on the Eastern Front during World War II. The panzerkeil was developed in response to the Soviet employment of the pakfront defence....
("armoured wedge"), but this offensive tactic had limited effectiveness.
At the Battle of Kursk
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka,...
in July 1943, Soviet pakfronts slowed the German attack in the south and completely halted the northern German force. The panzerkeil was shown to be an inadequate countermeasure.