The German Armed Corps - the Panzerwaffe - was instrumental in the lightning conquests of the Nazis between 1939 and 1942, and in the remaining years of the war it provided the very backbone of Germany's defence. The committment of the officers and men of this elite force made an enormous impact on World War II, particularly on the Eastern front. The titanic struggles which took place there after the early victories in Poland, the West and the Balkans demonstrated the German tank soldier's superior tactical abilities. This account tells the story of this band of soldiers, the evolution of their tactics and the development of their superlative fighting vehicles.