The Panzer II, officially designated Panzerkampfwagen II (Pz.Kpfw. II), was Germany’s first widely used light tank and the backbone of its armored forces at the start of the Second World War. Conceived in 1934 as a stopgap while the more advanced Panzer III and IV were developed, it was an enlarged version of the Panzer I with a turret-mounted 20 mm autocannon and coaxial machine gun. Production began in 1935, and by the invasions of Poland and France it formed the bulk of the Panzer divisions. The early Panzer II models had thin armor, with just 14 mm of protection, enough only against small arms and shrapnel. Later versions thickened the armor to as much as 35 mm, but it still remained vulnerable to most Allied anti-tank weapons. Its 20 mm KwK 30 or 38 autocannon was fast-firing but quickly proved inadequate against heavier tanks, such as the British Matilda II or Soviet T-34. Experiments to rearm it with larger weapons came too late to matter, though tungsten-cored ammunition gave its gun limited effectiveness at close range. The tank carried a crew of three: driver, commander (who also aimed and fired), and a loader/radio operator. Powered by a Maybach six-cylinder engine, the Panzer II reached 40 km/h in early models and 55 km/h in later ones with torsion-bar suspension, though cross-country mobility remained limited. Its range was about 200 km. While inferior in direct combat to many Allied tanks, the Panzer II benefited from German doctrine emphasizing speed, coordination, and concentration of force, enabling it to play a major role in the blitzkrieg campaigns of 1939–40. The Panzer II saw service not only in Poland and France but also in North Africa and in the early stages of the Eastern Front. By late 1941, it was being replaced by the Panzer III and IV as a front-line vehicle, and by the end of 1942 it was largely withdrawn to training and secondary roles. Its chassis, however, remained valuable, forming the basis of the Wespe self-propelled howitzer and Marder II tank destroyer, as well as serving as turret bunkers in German fortifications such as the Atlantic Wall. Production ceased in 1944, but by then the Panzer II had already secured its place as one of the key transitional designs of Germany’s armored forces.