hey


ive looked around at peoples pics and some have the word ZIMMERIT and i dont no what a ZIMMERIT is.

It's a cement like substance that Germans use to coat their vehicles. This is to prevent magnetic mines from sticking.

Angela

Rubber as far as I know. Due to its tendency to catch fire pretty fast they prohibited the usage of Zimmerit through the end of the war.

Zimmerit was a special anti-magnetic coating applied to German vehicles between about August '43 and September '44. It was intended to counter a perceived threat from magnetic anti-tank charges
which proved false, since only the Germans themselves had developed this type of weapon. The coating was in the form of a paste which was spread on, then trowelled to leave a ridged surface. If you try an internet search, you'll come up with many sites on this subject.

This is the first one I came up with.

Zimmerit

Sorry, wrong on both accounts. Paste was a mixture of materials that were non-magnetic...they were also not flammable

I agree, but as far as I know the Germans thought it was flammable, discontinued applying it to afvs and then realized it wasn´t flammable. Besides they also noticed the allies didn´t use magnetic mines as often as the Germans...

Zimerit was officially introduced on 29th December 1943, but it is surmised that it was used since October 1943 already.
The first layer was meant to be 5mm thick and had to dry for 24 hours (shorter if it was dried using a blowtorch or bunsen burner).
After that another Layer of approximately 3mm was applied in that famous corrugated shape.
Zimmerit (manufacutred by a Company called "Zimmer") consisted of:
40% Barium sulfate
25% "Mowilith"
15% Ocre colour
10% Zinc sulfide

For a Panzer III you needed approx. 96kg
Panzer IV 100kg
Panther 160kg
Tiger 200kg

In August 1944 there were rumours the Zimmerit would be flammable - it was discontinued on 7th September 1944.
(Info from: "Tarnanstriche des deutschen Heeres 1914 bis Heute" by Johannes Denecke, ISBN 3-7637-5990-5)

Best Wishes,

ekke