Panzer 61
Encyclopedia
The Panzer 61 was a Swiss
Cold War
era medium tank. The tank had a weight of 36.5 tons and was powered by a 630hp diesel engine which gave it a top road speed of 31 mph. The primary armament of the Panzer 61 was a 105mm main gun.
tanks from France and decided to start the development of a Swiss-built battle tank.
This led to a vehicle called Panzer 58. This tank had most of the characteristics of the later Panzer 61 with the exception of its main gun. The Panzer 58 was fitted with a British Ordnance QF 20 pounder
. The Swiss Army took delivery of 10 preproduction models. In 1961 the parliament decided to buy 150 of the improved Panzer 61 which were delivered between 1965 and 1967, produced at the RUAG Land Systems facility at Thun.
In the years from 1967 to 1994 (when the last Panzer 61 battalion was reequipped with more modern tanks) the tank underwent a series of changes and improvements which brought it very close to the standard of the Panzer 68
(its successor). Among many other changes, the original and characteristic 20mm secondary gun was replaced by an additional machine gun in a coaxial turret mount. This last development step was called Panzer 61 AA9.
The chassis was used as the basis of the Entpannungspanzer 65 armoured recovery vehicle and for the initial prototype of the Brückenlegepanzer 68.
tanks in the film, Enemy at the Gates
. These replicas would be re-used in All the Queen's Men
and Defiance
.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
era medium tank. The tank had a weight of 36.5 tons and was powered by a 630hp diesel engine which gave it a top road speed of 31 mph. The primary armament of the Panzer 61 was a 105mm main gun.
History
During the early 1950s the Swiss Army tried to buy modern tanks to reinforce the armoured forces which, due to the war in Korea, proved to be impossible. As a stop-gap solution, the army bought light AMX-13AMX-13
The AMX-13 is a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served with the French Army and was exported to over twenty-five other nations...
tanks from France and decided to start the development of a Swiss-built battle tank.
This led to a vehicle called Panzer 58. This tank had most of the characteristics of the later Panzer 61 with the exception of its main gun. The Panzer 58 was fitted with a British Ordnance QF 20 pounder
Ordnance QF 20 pounder
The Ordnance QF 20 pounder was a British 84 mm tank gun introduced in 1948 and used in the Centurion tank and the Charioteer tank destroyer...
. The Swiss Army took delivery of 10 preproduction models. In 1961 the parliament decided to buy 150 of the improved Panzer 61 which were delivered between 1965 and 1967, produced at the RUAG Land Systems facility at Thun.
In the years from 1967 to 1994 (when the last Panzer 61 battalion was reequipped with more modern tanks) the tank underwent a series of changes and improvements which brought it very close to the standard of the Panzer 68
Panzer 68
The Panzer 68 was a Swiss main battle tank developed by the 'Eidgenössische Konstruktionswerkstätte Thun' in the late 1960s.- History :The Panzer 68 was based on the Panzer 61 whose initial development dates back to 1951. The development started immediately after the successful introduction of the...
(its successor). Among many other changes, the original and characteristic 20mm secondary gun was replaced by an additional machine gun in a coaxial turret mount. This last development step was called Panzer 61 AA9.
The chassis was used as the basis of the Entpannungspanzer 65 armoured recovery vehicle and for the initial prototype of the Brückenlegepanzer 68.
In popular culture
Two Panzer 61 tanks were mocked up as Panzer IIIPanzer III
Panzer III was the common name of a medium tank that was developed in the 1930s by Germany and was used extensively in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen III translating as "armoured battle vehicle". It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and...
tanks in the film, Enemy at the Gates
Enemy at the Gates
Enemy at the Gates is a 2001 war film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, starring Joseph Fiennes, Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins and Ed Harris set during the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II....
. These replicas would be re-used in All the Queen's Men
All the Queen's Men
All the Queen's Men is a 2001 action comedy war film. It was directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky and stars Matt LeBlanc and Eddie Izzard. The budget was $15,000,000, but the film only earned $22,723 worldwide, yielding an approximate -99.92% return.-Cast:...
and Defiance
Defiance (2008 film)
Defiance is a 2008 World War II era film written, produced, and directed by Edward Zwick, set during the occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany. The film is an account of the Bielski partisans, a group led by three Jewish brothers who saved and recruited Jews in Poland during the Second World War...
.
External links
- http://www.armeemuseum.ch/uploads/media/Dok_Panzer_68.pdf.pdf (document not available in English)