Anybody know if the Germans used zimmermit on tanks in the eastern front, esp. at the battle of Kursk? I've been through a dozen reference books on the subject and could not find any indication zimmermit was used. Was zimmermit a later invention?

Any info would be a grand help!

Hi Ambrose simple answer to your question is no there was no zimmerit at Kursk,..it started in September of 1943 ..so you can build without worrying about it..

Rick

Check your references !!!!

Early Pather D's like the ones at Kursk had Zimmerit on them. It was horizontal like the Tiger and really crude. I think the Ferdinans had zimm too...

Nope no tanks with zimmerit at kursk ...there are a few pictures that have been said to be at kursk but they miss captioned...Ferdinands didn't get zimmerit till they were overhauled with the new machinegun in the front and as for tigers well I have never seen one ...there were even early mids delivered without zimmerit. Now I may be wrong but I'm sure of the date that zimmerit was start as of sept 1943...now was there a few that they tested before ...anything might be possible...but for sure unless you have a picture of a specific vehicle you can go ahead and leave off the zimmerit.

Rick

Hi. Can't remember seeing any photos of German vehicles with Zimmerit on them during the Kursk period. Although in The Combat History of 653 saw a couple photos of Ferdinands with what may or may not have been something on the side, but this could have been mud or just the way the photo was taken most probably. Can't find anything in the book that says anything about Zimm. until p. 276 where it specifically talks about the coating on one of the pictures. Now this would be factory coating and doesn't consider what may have been done to the vehicles in the field by the crews on various AFVs already issued at this time, or later. I do remember seeing a photo of a 251 halftrack with a Zimm.-like coating on the sides, which most definitely was a field addition.

Take care, Sgirty

I was just browsing through "Kursk Vol 1" , A photo book by RZM imports. And although it mainly deals with the infantry perspective, there are quite a few photos of Stugs and 1 or 2 tigers clearly showing no Zimmerit.
The Tiger was from SS PZ Totenkopf.
That is as far as Kursk photos i have to look up for you.
Good luck.
Marc

this is a good post,
because i also thought they had zim on there tanks at Kursk
i just read on missing-lynx.com
thats the germans order to drop Zimmerit in September 1944,
here is the link
http://www.missing-lynx.com/panzer_facts.htm

Hi. Petro, what do you think of the RZM Kursk books? Are they worth the money? Been thinking about then ever since they came out and was just wondering what others who have gotten any of them thought about this series.

thanks and take care, Sgirty

I don't mean to hijack the thread , but since Sgirty asked, The first Volume of the RZM Kursk book, which is the only volume I have at the moment, is OK.
I do like to study it, but My first RZM title was "Platz der Liebstandrte"(PdL, for further ref) which, in my opinion is excellent. So when i ordered the Kursk book, i was thinking it would be around the same layout. The difference is PdL is a larger formatted book with Many photos all pretty much with a decent paragraph explaining each photo. Kursk Vol 1 is a smaller book with not as much explanation included with each photo. And not as many pics either.
But for the plus side of Vol 1, the photos are excellent (digitally reproduced wise) and on the subject of Operation Citadelle, there really are not too many photos of the battlefield in print.
So , if you are like myself, and like to study old photos, then the book is worth it.

Sorry, but i am not really a good critic.
Hope that helps a little.

Hey Petro, sounded like good, sound, honest critique to me!! Makes me want to go out and buy 'Platz der Liebstandrte' right away!
Thx.

Tread.

On p.8 of Squadron/Signal 'Panther in Action', a Panther D with very rough zimmerit is identified as being in Russia at the beginning of Zitadelle.