Pantserrupsmerg

Pantserrupsmerg
Overview
Type	Tank series
Manufacturer	Schroeter Traktoren
Model code	PRM
Model years	1925–1945
Body and chassis
Class	Armoured fighting vehicle
Powertrain
Propulsion	Tracked
Chronology
Era	Vader Era

The Pantserrupsmerg (PRM) was a series of Dutch tanks manufactured by Schroeter Traktoren between 1925 and 1945. Developed under Ferdinand Schroeter, the series began with the light PRM.I and later expanded to heavier designs, including the PRM.III-SK armed with a 155 mm cannon.

Fifteen PRM.I tanks were manufactured and later taken over by German forces following the occupation of the Netherlands in 1940. All fifteen were eventually destroyed.

Development

Schroeter Traktoren introduced the PRM.I in 1925, following its earlier work on the M.Beschiet.I experimental tank. The PRM.II followed in 1929 with a longer chassis and increased armour protection, although it retained the original 51 mm cannon and two-man crew.

The company developed a much heavier tank for the PRM.III in 1932, replacing the smaller chassis with a larger design capable of carrying a 137 mm cannon. In 1933, it introduced the PRM.III-SK, fitted with the 155 mm Splijt Kanon-33-155. The PRM.IV followed in 1935 with a six-man crew and a new hull.

Schroeter Traktoren continued developing the series during the Second World War. The PRM.V-A-SK appeared in 1942, followed by the PRM.V-B-SSK in 1943. The final recorded variant was the PRM.VI-DB, introduced in 1945.

Design

The first two PRM models were small, two-man tanks with fully rotating turrets. The PRM.I used a 3-metre chassis and a 1.94-litre two-cylinder engine. For the PRM.II, Schroeter Traktoren lengthened the chassis to 4.011 metres and fitted a 6.25-litre five-cylinder engine. Armour protection increased from a maximum of 15 mm to 25 mm, while both models retained a transmission with five forward gears and one reverse gear.

The PRM.III was considerably larger, weighing 33.720 tonnes compared with the PRM.II's 6.505 tonnes. Its chassis measured 6.451 metres in length and accommodated a five-man crew. A 30.9-litre ten-cylinder engine powered the vehicle through a transmission with five forward gears and two reverse gears. The turret carried a 137 mm cannon capable of elevating to approximately +40 degrees.

The PRM.III-SK retained the chassis and engine of its predecessor but replaced the main armament with the 155 mm Splijt Kanon. The heavier weapon increased the tank's weight to 36.764 tonnes and required a larger turret ring. Its gun elevation was limited to +4 degrees, with depression of −3.4 degrees, considerably restricting vertical gun movement compared with the PRM.III.

The PRM.IV introduced another chassis design, measuring 7.162 metres in length. It was powered by a 50-litre ten-cylinder engine and carried a 132 mm cannon. Unlike the previous models, its turret could traverse only 70 degrees to either side, giving it a total traverse of 140 degrees. The tank weighed 38.036 tonnes and had a crew of six. Its two fuel tanks had a calculated combined capacity of approximately 2,119 litres.

All five surviving vehicle designs used torsion-bar suspension, although the suspension dimensions differed between models.

Models

The following models were developed within the Pantserrupsmerg series:

Model	Year	Mass	Crew	Main armament	Armour	Engine
PRM.I	1925	3.938 tonnes	2	51 mm cannon	5–15 mm	1.94 L, 2-cylinder
PRM.II	1929	6.505 tonnes	2	51 mm cannon	5–25 mm	6.25 L, 5-cylinder
PRM.III	1932	33.720 tonnes	5	137 mm cannon	5–35 mm	30.9 L, 10-cylinder
PRM.III-SK	1933	36.764 tonnes	5	155 mm cannon	10–30 mm	30.9 L, 10-cylinder
PRM.IV	1935	38.036 tonnes	6	132 mm cannon	5–135 mm	50.0 L, 10-cylinder
PRM.V-A-SK	1942
PRM.V-B-SSK	1943
PRM.VI-DB	1945

German service

Following the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, German forces took possession of all fifteen PRM.I tanks and used them during the Second World War. All fifteen vehicles were eventually destroyed.

See also

• Schroeter Traktoren
• Ferdinand Schroeter
• Merg Beschieter
• SlaPa.I
• Doordring Merg