Development Hell: Panzers

[ArmchairSamurai]

Hi all.

I have a mix-up I hope someone here can clear up. I was always under the impression that the troubled development of the Panzers III, IV and VI, their setbacks, delays, and other teething problems were the combined result of a lack of resource management, a lack of production standards or production capacity, lack of design expertise, etc. However, I am now reading that panzer development was actually more a victim of internal dispute than anything else, and that said internal dispute caused some of those issues I initially listed. This being said, those to blame for this development hell are apparently Heinrich Ernst Kniepkamp, Karl Heinrich Emil Becker & Waffen Prüfen 6, Panzerkommission, Krupp, Henschel, Porsche, and Daimler-Benz respectively. Is there any truth to this? I knew the Germans were at times incompetent, but this, this is beyond incompetence. Pigheaded, and willfully so.

https://vk.com/@kedoki-dw-to-typ100

The sources for the article:

Panzer tracts No. 6 - Schwere-Panzerkampfwagen DW to E-100, Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary L. Doyle

Panzer tracts No. 20–1 - Paper Panzers, Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary L. Doyle

Germany's Tiger tanks, DW to Tiger I: design, production & modifications, Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary L. Doyle
Der Panzer-Kampfwagen Tiger und seine Abarten, Walter J. Spielberger

Panzerkampfwagen VI P (Sd.Kfz. 181): The history of the Porsche Typ 100 and 101 also known as the Leopard and Tiger P, Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary L. Doyle

Professor Porsche's Wars: The Secret Life of Legendary Engineer Ferdinand Porsche Who Armed Two Belligerents Through Four Decades, Karl Ludvigsen

[Yoozername]

troubled development of the Panzers III, IV and VI,

Do you mean Panzer V? Not the Panzer IV. The Panzer IV was basically fielded before the Panzer III was finalized. In Poland, there were three prototypes of the Panzer III running around.

[ArmchairSamurai]

Hello Yoozername

I mean in general. Development in general. I did not mention the Pz.V due to its different development path by comparison, but I suppose it would be illogical not to include it too for the sake of discussion.