Panzer II

The Panzer II is the common name for a family of German tanks used before and during the early years of the Second World War, officially designated Panzerkampfwagen II. Originally designed as a stopgap while larger tanks were developed, it became the most numerous tank in the German Panzer divisions at the start of the war and served in the Polish and French campaigns, in North Africa, and on the Eastern Front, before being supplanted by the Panzer III and IV by 1940 and 1941 and withdrawn from front-line service by the end of 1942. Production ceased in January 1944, though its chassis continued in use as the basis for self-propelled artillery and tank destroyers such as the Wespe and Marder II.