Hi all,
I’ve resently bought a book on German armour and I’m having a hard understanding the abbreviations used. Does anyone know of any good websites that explain what all the abbreviations are for a novice like me?
Thanks,
Jesse
Maybe www.achtungpanzer.com
Which abbreviations are you having trouble with?
Pzkpfw is Panzer KampfWagen, Armoured war vehicle
S.PzAbt is Schweres Panzer Abteilung… Heavy armoured division…
PzKp is PanzerKorps… Armoured Corps.
Ausf. is Ausfuhrung… Model/version
Stug is SturmGeschutz… Assault gun
Those two are the ones I can remember off hand just now.
Two more:
Flak - Fleiger Abwher Kanon (anti aircraft cannon)
PAK - Panzer Abwher kanon (anti tank cannon)
Lol, on behalf of all the german abbrev. newbs, thanks.
At least I can say I learned something new today 
I always remember this one:
Sonderkraftfahrzeug (SdKfz) - Special Purpose Motor Vehicle
It was a misinformation name since the Germans were not supposed to be developing warmachines after WW1. This is why all of their tanks and military vehicles have an SdKfz #. They weren’t building warmachines, they were building special purpose vehicles. 
Hey all, Thanks a million. Now I can finally understand what I’m reading. Here’s a tough one; if you were talking with a friend and you wanted to mention a ‘Pzkpfw’, how do you say it?
panszher cammpf waagun
I find it easiest to simply say “Panzer” then add the model # on I - IV (ie Panzer III), Panzer V I simply refer to as “Panther” and Panzer VI is the (in)famous Tiger.
Michael: something I have been wondering, is the German “w” pronunced with the english “v” sound (wagen pronounced vagen)?
Just another note, ‘Panzer’ is the German word for chain mail. … the mailed fist of the Panzer Divisions.
Correct me if I’m wrong!
Ron
Derek, yes it is. (Or should I say Ja!) lol
A German V is pronounced like an English F So a Volkswagen is properly pronounced Folks-Vagen (or peoples car).
The exception to the W-V rule, at least as I was told when in Germany, is that Wurst (or sausage) is pronounced as a W not a V. Go figure!! lol
okay, how did I get from Panzers to cars to sausage???
Oha, and thanks to the rest of you also. There were lots of these I didn’t know the translation for either.
One more quickie…
In German, when you have two vowels together (like ei), you pronounce the second one, not the first. So Abteilung is Ab-Ti-Loong, with the u being pronounced as a double ‘o’ as in ‘soon’.
Okay, Deutch 101 is dismissed for the day!!
Wilhelm
Ron: I believe “panzer” = “armor” and can be used in referance to plate OR chain mail.
Bill: Thanks for the German lesson! Was wondering about Abteilung.
Theodoric
Anytime, Mein Heir!
Thanks Derek!
I’ll have to use that one in Germany this summer im Kunstmuseum.
Ron
Derek,
I was going to quip that mail came before plate, and the name just carried over, but then I remembered the coats of plate worn prior to mail, so maybe Panzer applied to them too? So would panzer also be small plates laced to a coat or…
Is this going anywhere??[:p]
Well, gotta go work on a pair of guantlets (plate)
Ron
During my short stay in Germany I just learned a few of the more important words…
Hefeweisen, Schnitzel and a few others. Had my first Doner over there too! [:D]
Hmmmm, it’s a good thing I just had a 17 day annual tour over there. If I was stationed there I’d be on the Large Sarge program in no time!!
Uuuuummm, did I change the subject here> [:I] [;)] [:D]
Eric
Makes sense in a way. The special purpose being to motor on into their neighboring countries and set up shop.
Yeah, it literally means “armour.” So gepanzert means “armoured” and panzerstecher means “armour piercing” (a panzerstecher was a kind of sword used against heavily armoured opponents – it literally means “armour sticker” because it ws designed to plunge through plate armour – these were huge swords).
Interestingly, the Polish world Pancerni means armoured man, but it has nothing at all to do with the German word “Panzer.” It is pan (man) plus cerni (armoured).
Ron is a pancerni in a manner or speaking!
Sherman Target [:p][:p][:p]