Even for Soviet soldiers, the winter of 1941-1942 turned out to be a serious test. The Wehrmacht had to learn all the "charms" of a real Russian winter in its own skin. Many German veterans who survived the Second World War and took part in the battles on the eastern front, with horror recalled not only the “Russian winter”, but also the difficulties that the process of extracting and maintaining heat.
How did German tankers warm themselves during World War II? Let's just say: as their mustachioed Aryan "god" served, they warmed themselves. Until 1944, there were no attempts to install any stoves or heaters on tanks. The first tank on which at least some kind of heating system appeared was Panzer V - "Panther". True, the music did not play for long, and very few cars got the coveted stove. And all because in 1944 the Wehrmacht was no longer up to technological delights. It was necessary to save on everything that was possible due to the depletion of the resources of the Reich and the constant bombing of the Allies. In order to “justify” the gloomy Teutonic genius, it is worth noting that stoves on tanks did not appear en masse even in the second half of the 20th century.
The easiest and most effective way to keep warm in a German tank is to use the car's engine. As you might guess, heat comes from the motor. The problem was that the engine compartment in most Panzer models was fenced off with a special wall. It was installed to improve the fire safety of the car, but already at -5 degrees Celsius it became a curse for the crew. Therefore, the German crews began to massively drill holes in the protective partition and insert hoses there so that at least some hot air would get from the engine compartment into the fighting compartment.
In addition, kerosene burners, dugout kerosene lamps, as well as chemical heat sources were used. The effect of the first two was extremely doubtful. Moreover, kerosene lamps were also directly prohibited for use by officers, as they posed a great danger inside the tank. The latter warmed quite well, but rarely fell into the hands of tankers, as they were primarily intended for truck drivers.