Panzerhund

"Jesus Christ, that's a big fucking dog."

―B.J. Blazkowicz upon seeing the Panzerhund in Castle Wolfenstein

A Panzerhund (German for "Tank/Armored Dog"), is a Nazi robotic hound enemy that appears in Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, and Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Panzerhund is singular, while Panzerhunde is plural.

History

1946

Panzerhund 1946

The Panzerhund was one of the first prototype robots to come out of General Deathshead's workshop. According to a newspaper article found in-game, it was first deployed on the Eastern Front, creating chaos along the Russian ranks as it tore through the battlefield.

Initially despite the introduction of the Panzerhund, the most common German canine unit to be seen on the battlefield in the Western theaters during the late 40s was the Kampfhund; the Panzerhunde encountered in 1946 by B.J. Blazkowicz appeared during the crash landing upon the beaches of Deathshead's Compound, before he and the other remaining Allied troops scaled the castle walls. Despite their appearance and apparent invulnerability to most attacks, they are taken out by B.J. using an anti-aircraft gun. Upon exiting the bunkers surrounding Deathshead's castle, B.J. is attacked and nearly killed by a Panzerhund, but is saved when Private Probst Wyatt III tricks the beast into catching a live grenade in its mouth, destroying it.

However this was actually not the first time Blazkowicz had personally encountered a Panzerhund. During the events of the Old Blood, B.J. had twice encountered a prototype of the Panzerhund. It is first encountered after B.J. sees Rudi Jäger take Wesley to be interrogated. It walks out of two sliding doors and B.J. must hide from it to avoid being killed. The same one that is encountered that time is seen again trying to jump up and kill B.J. very similar to how another one did in the New Order. It is seen again during a shootout at Paderborn Bridge, and B.J. must kill it to advance.

Alongside Deathshead, a key figure in the creation of the Panzerhund was a certain Dr. Ernst Brandt who designed the Artificial Intelligence system used in the robot.

1960

Panzerhund 1960

The Panzerhund 1960 is the evolution of the first prototypes and production model created by General Deathshead during the war. As envisioned by the General in one of his fevered visionary dreams, it is a super-efficient murder machine encased in titanium steel armor and fitted with bone-crushing metal jaws that can cut through the thickest of body armor.

The new, far more deadly Panzerhund can be seen several times during the campaign, each time posing a lethal threat to the player. A 1960s Panzerhund requires far more firepower to bring it down than its 1940s counterpart.

B.J. first encounters the 1960 Panzerhund while infiltrating the Eisenwald Prison in Berlin,it chases you through pipes but later while escaping you will eventually incapacitate it in electrified water if B.J. chose to save Fergus, or run past it while it's distracted if B.J. chose to save Wyatt. Following Bobby Bram's suicide bombing of the London Nautica, B.J. evades and kills another Panzerhund as he makes his way into the building. Later, B.J. fights and destroys two more Panzerhunde while escaping the raid on the Kreisau Circle's hideout.

1961

The Panzerhund makes a comeback in Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, this time in the 1961 Nazi-occupied United States. This model features an upgraded body and has a flamethrower in its mouth, and having more protective armor. A Panzerhund appears as the titular deuteragonist of the in-game film Liesel. The main character Peggy summons Liesel with a whistle and orders her to save a sheriff from his overturned truck. Liesel does so, but also destroys the truck, to Peggy's disappointment.

While searching for Horton in the ruins of New Orleans, B.J. encounters Panzerhunde patrolling the streets as part of the citywide purge.

At some point, Horton's resistance cell captured and reprogrammed a Panzerhund to fight its former masters. B.J. himself rides the Panzerhund, killing as many Nazis as possible, in order to buy Horton and other survivors of the New Orleans ghetto time to escape.

Also Joseph Stallion had managed to steal a Panzerhund during his escape from a prison in Chicago in his adventures. In his second volume, a Panzerhund and Super Soldier appear, but can be avoided if the player jumps on top of the containers. One Panzerhund appears in Jessica Valiant's story on the Moon to assassinate Gerhardt Dunkel.

1980

Panzerhund 1980

Panzerhund returns in Wolfenstein: Youngblood. It appears to function much the same way as their counterparts in America during the 1960s; this time they being deployed to patrolling the whole country of France to crush the rebellion where ever it can be found. They also are panted a deeper shade of black and marked with red instead of yellow.

In New Paris, there is a Panzerhund assembly plant in the underground zone of Victory Boulevard. The Blazkowicz sisters destroy the assembly console of said assembly plant, effectively halting the production of the Panzerhund in that region. During the mission, they also have an encounter with a new, experimental model of the Panzerhund, called the Protohund, painted red rather than black. The model's exceptional characteristic that stands out from the ordinary Panzerhund is that their sides, and fuel tanks, are armored. Thanks to that reinforcement, the Protohund can no longer be downed or damaged by shooting its sides. Nonetheless, the Protohund is still destroyed by the Terror Twins.

Strategy

The New Order

• The Panzerhund in Kreisau Circle HQ can be destroyed with the scoped LaserKraftWerk. If the battery has run out, there are charging stations near.
• The player can cause the Panzerhund to be stuck between bars to buy time.

The Old Blood

• Using the Supersoldaten's MG-46 on the Panzerhund can destroy it quicker while it pounces around.

The New Colossus

• The LaserKraftWerk with the supercharge upgrade will easily take care of Panzerhunde with two shots. This is helpful as charging stations are usually near them. Aiming for the head or body is the best way to destroy them quickly.

• The player can sneak past them or skip fighting them. The first one encountered in the Manhattan Bunker can be stealthed past and the one in New Orleans can be avoided if the player runs and uses their contraption to leave.

• The Panzerhund has visible red fuel tanks on the upper body/back, destroying them stuns them briefly. Throwing a Handgranate with a electromagnetic upgrade will stun them like all robotic enemies encountered.

• They also have fuel tanks on both of their legs (similar to the Zitadelle), seen when standing still. The tanks will close when walking, seen with yellow and black striped metal. The player can destroy both fuel tanks before fighting one head on.

• Using heavy weapons to destroy their fuel tanks such as the Dieselgewehr is useful; this is especially helpful for the Panzerhund in The Adventures of Gunslinger Joe.

The New Colossus/The Freedom Chronicles (Riding a Panzerhund)

• It's best to sway from left to right with the Panzerhund and it's flame to clear more enemies and spread the fire. In addition, it's best to move fast to get to the end of the level; best to do so in the Panzerhund section in The New Colossus.

• The Panzerhund can collect armor from dead enemies if low. However, if the Panzerhund is destroyed, the player can use this to backup if low on armor themselves.

• It's definitely useful to destroy red tanks and canisters along the way, as soldiers can shoot them and damage the Panzerhund. To stop this, destroy the tanks with the Panzerhund's flame before moving forward. This will also cause enemies to run to that area.

• Standing the Panzerhund behind cover will grant the player protection and funnel the enemies to your position. This is best for both The New Colossus and The Freedom Chronicles Panzerhund sections.

• Be careful when going to small spaces, as the Panzerhund can get stuck and the player will be force to walk their way through the section.

Youngblood

• Due to the cloak ability, they (along with areas) can be avoided.
• Like in the previous installment, a charged shot of the LaserKraftWerk will kill them.
• Also like in The New Colossus, their red tanks on the sides are their weak points.
• With the dash ability, the player can move quickly from their flames and avoid damage.
• Be wary when killing one, as they explode upon death after their animation, and damage the player.
• Their leg tanks are no longer able to be destroyed.
• It's best for co-op players to distract it, and let the other player shoot the red tanks.

Gallery

Panzerhund (1946)

Panzerhund 1946 by Nicholas Cort

Panzerhund (1960)

Panzerhund 1960 by Nicholas Cort

BJ battles the Panzerhund

Panzerhund during its routine ethnic cleansing in New Orleans.

Panzerhund concept art in the New Colossus.

A Panzerhund firing it flamethrower at B.J.

Panzerhund prepare to fire it flamethrower from the side.

1961 version of Panzerhund with a built-in flamethrower.

Paris Jack's Panzerhund.

B.J. riding the Panzerhund.

Ditto.

Joe on top of the Panzerhund.

A Panzerhund attacking the Terror Twins in Youngblood.

The twins looking at the Panzerhund statue.

Panzerhund trainer symbol

Protohund.

Protohound destroyed by one of the twins in Victory Boulevard.

Video

Wolfenstein II The New Colossus – Liesel Video

Wolfenstein 2 Unreleased OST Riding a Panzerhund (NO MORE NAZIS Trailer, Courthouse) Mick Gordon

Trivia

• 'Dr. Ernst Brandt' is a direct call out to Ernst Blofeld, and indirectly Helga Brandt, from the James Bond universe.
• A special limited edition of 'Wolfenstein: The New Order' called the Panzerhund Edition was announced in March 2014 with a range of accessories including a 8-inch hand painted statue of a 1960 Panzerhund but not, rather controversially, including a copy of the game itself. The production run was limited to 5,000 units across all platforms and could only be bought new from Bethesda's online store.
• The 1946 Panzerhunde bear the symbol used by Deathshead consisting of two snakes coiled like a DNA helix. This appears to indicate that the structure of DNA as a helix with 'steps' was known to Strasse as early as 1946 (possibly thanks at least in part to stolen Da'at Yichud knowledge).
• Even though the Panzerhunds are machines, they show canine traits when Wyatt tricks one into catching a live grenade in its mouth (suggesting that they contain brains from dogs).

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