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). Sonderkraftfahrzeug (abbreviated Sd.Kfz., German for "special purpose vehicle" or "special ordnance vehicle") was the ordnance inventory designation used by Nazi Germany during World War II for military vehicles; for example Sd.Kfz. 121 for the Panzer II Ausführung (model) A to F.
Although the vehicle had originally been designed as a stopgap while larger, more advanced tanks were developed, it nonetheless went on to play an important role in the early years of World War II, during the Polish and French campaigns. The Panzer II was the most numerous tank in the German Panzer divisions at the beginning of the war. It was used in both North Africa against the Western Allies and on the Eastern Front against the Soviet Union.
The Panzer II was supplanted by the Panzer III and IV medium tanks by 1940/1941. By the end of 1942, it had been largely removed from front line service and it was used for training and on secondary fronts. The turrets of the then-obsolete Panzer Is and Panzer IIs were reused as gun turrets on specially built defensive bunkers, particularly on the Atlantic Wall. Production of the tank itself ceased by January 1944, but its chassis remained in use as the basis of several other armoured vehicles, chiefly self-propelled artillery and tank destroyers such as the Wespe and Marder II respectively.
Panzer II Ausf. F was the final major tank version of the Panzer II series. From March 1941 to December 1942 524 Aus F were built. Continuing the conventional design of the Ausf. C, the Ausf. F superstructure front was made from a single piece of armour plate with a redesigned visor. Also, a dummy visor was placed next to it to confuse enemy gunners. The hull was redesigned with a flat 35 mm (1.4 in) plate on its front, and the armour of the superstructure and turret were built up to 30 mm (1.2 in) on the front with 15 mm (0.59 in) to the sides and rear. There was some minor alteration of the suspension and a new commander's cupola as well. Weight increased to 9.5 tonnes.
This Cobi historically accurate Panzer II block model comes in the tan color of the Desert Afrika Korps and features an operable commanders’ cupola, storage door and engine compartment hatch. The tank is equipped with tools, spare road wheel, and moveable antenna and operable tracks. The figure of the tank commander comes equipped with a pistol and tool.
