German Command Tanks
In mobile warfare the importance of communication is paramount and the Germans realised this and designed armoured vehicles to allow panzer commanders to stay in touch with their German tank units. These were known as Panzerbefehlswagens and the earliest models were based on the Panzer I, but by the end of 1940 they were found to be too small and were gradually withdrawn from front line use. The need for a larger vehicle was answered when various models of Panzer III were designed as Panzerbefehlswagens and these served on every front. By the wars end the Panzer IV and Panther also had variants built as Panzerbefehlswagens.
