E-series "Entwicklungsfahrzeug"

The E-series

Entwicklungsfahrzeug

The Entwicklung series, more commonly known as the E- series, was a late-World War II attempt by Germany to produce a standardised series of tank designs. There were to be standard designs in six different weight classes, from which several specialised variants were to be developed. All six basic designs of E-Series would have standardized parts making their production, maintenance and service easier and cheaper.
The existing, extremely complex, tank designs resulted in poor production rates and mechanical unreliability.

The E-Series program was conceived by Dipl Ing Heinrich Ernst Kniekamp, Chief Engineer of Waffenpruefamt 6 in May of 1942. In April of 1943, Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Office) accepted his program and ordered many different manufacturers to start the planning and development of the Entwicklung (project/development) / Einheitsfahrgestell (general purpose chassis) Series. It was designed in order to replace armored vehicles and tanks that were used by the German Army from 1945 onwards.

Only the E-100 got off the drawing boards, and even then it only made it so far as a turretless, engineless chassis and suspension

E-5
E-10
E-25 JagdPanzer
E-50 Standardpanzer
E-75 Standardpanzer
E-100

E-5 (5-10 tons)
A rqnge light tanks, reconnaissance vehicles, tank destroyers and armored personnel carriers

E-10 (10-25 tons)
Designed by Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz Magirus AG in Ulm.
light multipurpose tank,
light test chassis,
replacement for PzKpfw 38(t) and conversions built on its chassis,
redesigned and enlarged chassis of 38(t) designated 38(d) (German),
armored personnel carrier,
light/medium Jagdpanzer,
light/medium waffentragers.

E-25 (25-50 tons)
a range of medium reconnaissance vehicles, medium Jagdpanzer and heavy Waffenträger.
designed by Argus in Karlsruhe under leadership of Dr. Hermann Klaue

E-50 (50-75 tons)
range of heavy tanks replacing the PzKpfW's V Panther & VI Tiger

E-75
range of heavy tanks replacing the PzKpfW VIB Tiger II & JagdTiger

E-100 'Tiger-Maus'
superheavy tank
mixture of the 'Maus' turret and enlarged PzKpfW VIB Tiger chassis
1 chassis got finished, which was taken to the United Kingdom for evaluation purposes and eventually scrapped.