Germans have been naming their armored fighting vehicles after big cats ever since the Pzkpfw V Tiger, right up to the modern Leopard. I don't think it's a mystery as to why, but I wonder whose idea this was.
2007-10-21 14:26:24 · 6 answers · asked by neil k 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
The question was not "why", but "who".
2007-10-21 14:56:42 · update #1
Elefant and Nashorn were tank destroyers, not tanks
2007-10-22 12:17:06 · update #2
After years of research for a heavy next generation tank, German designers were eventually required to quickly produce one by Hitler's 53rd birthday in April 1942. It would be armed with the most powerful German gun, the 88mm, which was used both as a heavy anti-aircraft gun and as an anti-tank gun.
Two prototypes were ready for Hitler's birthday, and one, by Henschel, was selected for production. Officially marked Panzer VI, it was the first German tank which was given a name, they named it Tiger. Who "they" was has not been determined, but most likely a designer within the Henschel corporation.
2007-10-21 21:11:54 · answer #1 · answered by Its not me Its u 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, the US Army has been naming helicopters after Native American tribes (Apache, Blackhawk, Chinook, Comanche, Iriquois) and their armored vehicles after generals (Bradley, Abrams, Sherman, Patton, Lee, Grant). I figure is because a feline name to an armored vehicle denotes the aggresive nature of the vehicle as a weapon of war and naming a tank as "Fuzzy Bunny" or "Pink Unicorn" seems a bit on the ghey side.
As for "who" named the vehicles as such; well, it might've been the people up in the party or with the designing companies (Henschel) that named the tanks like that.
2007-10-21 14:48:27 · answer #2 · answered by tercelclub 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually the Panzer Mk V was the Panther the Mk VI was the Tiger. But it's the same reason we name our helicopters after Native American tribes.
2007-10-22 15:16:58 · answer #3 · answered by Wedge_Antilles_72 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Germans also had the elefant, grizzly bear and the rhinoceros
2007-10-21 23:03:43 · answer #4 · answered by bubnkez 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I guess it was fuhrer's idea, or someone's from the goebells' staff.
btw not only armors, but modern infantry fighting vehicles marder /weasel/, luchs /lynx?/ and fuchs /fox/... of course weasel and fox are not felines.
2007-10-21 19:09:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
general guderian
2007-10-22 10:56:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋