Panzertruppenschule Kama
Encyclopedia
Panzertruppenschule Kama was a top-secret research and training facility, located near Kazan
in the USSR, jointly operated by the Soviets and Germans
between 1926 and 1933. The Panzertruppenschule means "School for Armored Forces" in the German language. The Kama part of the name was a codename created by the words Kazan and Malbrandt.
Oberstleutnant
Malbrandt was the Reichswehr
officer who selected the location for the training and testing of military technology, away from the prying eyes of League of Nations
inspectors. The Russo-German cooperation was agreed upon as a part of the Treaty of Rapallo
of 1922, and the Berlin Friendship Treaty of 1924.
From 1926 to 1929, 146 officers completed training at the Panzertruppenschule Kama. The most famous 'graduate' was Ewald von Kleist
, future Generalfeldmarschall
. Reichswehr Generaloberst Lutz and NKVD
Kommisar Josef Unshlicht were jointly responsible for conducting the training. Security for the facility was provided by troops of the NKVD. Several armoured fighting vehicles were developed at Kama, worked on under the alias of Tractor
. The German companies Rheinmetall-Borsig
, Krupp
and Daimler Benz were responsible for most of the development. The preliminary work at Kama resulted in the designs for the Panzer I
, II
, III
and IV
. The training and development which took place at Kama made the Panzerwaffe
a reality.
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
in the USSR, jointly operated by the Soviets and Germans
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...
between 1926 and 1933. The Panzertruppenschule means "School for Armored Forces" in the German language. The Kama part of the name was a codename created by the words Kazan and Malbrandt.
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
Malbrandt was the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
officer who selected the location for the training and testing of military technology, away from the prying eyes of League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
inspectors. The Russo-German cooperation was agreed upon as a part of the Treaty of Rapallo
Treaty of Rapallo
Following World War I there were two Treaties of Rapallo, both named after Rapallo, a resort on the Ligurian coast of Italy:* Treaty of Rapallo, 1920, an agreement between Italy and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes for the independence of the state of Fiume and Italian renunciation...
of 1922, and the Berlin Friendship Treaty of 1924.
From 1926 to 1929, 146 officers completed training at the Panzertruppenschule Kama. The most famous 'graduate' was Ewald von Kleist
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist was a leading German field marshal during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
, future Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
. Reichswehr Generaloberst Lutz and NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
Kommisar Josef Unshlicht were jointly responsible for conducting the training. Security for the facility was provided by troops of the NKVD. Several armoured fighting vehicles were developed at Kama, worked on under the alias of Tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
. The German companies Rheinmetall-Borsig
Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and defence company with factories in Düsseldorf, Kassel and Unterlüß. The company has a long tradition of making guns and artillery pieces...
, Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
and Daimler Benz were responsible for most of the development. The preliminary work at Kama resulted in the designs for the Panzer I
Panzer I
The Panzer I was a light tank produced in Germany in the 1930s. The name is short for the German ' , abbreviated . The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was SdKfz 101 .Design of the Panzer I began in 1932 and mass production in 1934...
, II
Panzer II
The Panzer II was the common name for a family of German tanks used in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen II...
, III
Panzer 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...
and IV
Panzer IV
The Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz...
. The training and development which took place at Kama made the Panzerwaffe
Panzerwaffe
Panzerwaffe refers to a command within the Heer of the German Wehrmacht, responsible for the affairs of panzer and motorized forces shortly before and during the Second World War...
a reality.
See also
- Military training, PanzerPanzerA Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
- HeerGerman ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
, WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, PanzerwaffePanzerwaffePanzerwaffe refers to a command within the Heer of the German Wehrmacht, responsible for the affairs of panzer and motorized forces shortly before and during the Second World War... - Panzertruppenschule IPanzertruppenschule IPanzertruppenschule I was the first of two major schools set up by the German Panzerwaffe in World War II to train German armour officers to operate Panzers...
, Panzertruppenschule IIPanzertruppenschule IIPanzertruppenschule II was the second of two major schools set up by the German Panzerwaffe in World War II to train German armour officers to operate Panzers...