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Panzer 35(t)
Encyclopedia
The Panzerkampfwagen 35(t), commonly shortened to Panzer 35(t) or abbreviated as Pz.Kpfw. 35(t), was a Czechoslovak-designed light tank
used mainly by Nazi Germany
during World War II. The letter (t) stood for tschechisch (German
: "Czech"). In Czechoslovak service it had the formal designation Lehký (Light) Tank vzor (Model) 35, but was commonly referred to as the LT vz. 35 or LT-35. Four hundred and thirty-four were built; of these the Germans seized two hundred and forty-four when they occupied Bohemia-Moravia in March 1939
and the Slovaks acquired fifty-two when they declared independence from Czechoslovakia at the same time. Others were exported to Bulgaria
and Romania
. In German service it saw combat during the early years of World War II, notably the Invasion of Poland
, the Battle of France
and the invasion of the Soviet Union
before being retired or sold off in 1942. It was used for the remainder of the war by other countries and as a training tank in Bulgaria into the 1950s.
separated the engine compartment from the crew. It had several mesh-covered openings to allow access to the engine and improve ventilation drawing air in through the commander's hatch. This had the advantage of rapidly dispersing gun combustion gases when firing
a scheme used by the modern American M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, although it uses removable panels in lieu of the firewall but several disadvantages. The constant draft generated by the engine greatly affected the crew during cold weather, the danger of an engine fire reaching the crew compartment was increased and the engine noise and heat increased crew fatigue.
The driver sat on the right side of the tank using a 390 by 90 mm (15.4 by 3.5 in) observation port protected by 50 millimetres (2 in) of bulletproof glass
and an armored shutter 28 millimetres (1.1 in) thick. To his right was a vision slit 120 by 3 mm (4.7 by 0.118110236220472 in) with a similar thickness of bulletproof glass. The Germans replaced the original three colored lights used by the Czechs to communicate with the driver with an intercom system. The radio operator sat on the left and had his own 150 by 75 mm (5.9 by 3 in) observation port with the same protection as the driver's. His radios were mounted on the left wall of the hull. The hull machine gun was between the driver and radio operator in a ball mount capable of 30° of traverse, 25° of elevation and depressing up to 10°. Most of the machine gun's barrel protruded from the mount and was protected by an armored trough. The mount had a spotting telescope but open sights could be used if the plug at the top of the ball mount was removed. If necessary the driver could lock the mount into position and fire it himself using a Bowden cable
. The driver's hatch was exposed to direct fire and could be damaged from the front.
The turret ring had a diameter of 1.267 metres (49.9 in). The turret had a flat face in the center of which was mounted the 3.72 centimetres (1.5 in) main armament. On the right side was another 7.92 millimetre (0.311811023622047 in) machine gun in a ball mount. The commander had four episcopes in his cupola and a monocular mirror, 1.3 x 30° periscope which he could extend, once he had removed its armored cover in his hatch, to give vision while "buttoned-up". As the sole occupant of the turret, the commander was responsible for loading, aiming and firing the main gun and the turret machine gun while simultaneously commanding the tank. The Germans added an extra crewman on the right side of the turret to load the main gun and to operate the turret machine gun. Some ammunition had to be removed to accommodate him.
The 8.62 litres (525.6 cu in) Škoda T-11/0 four-cylinder, water-cooled engine
produced 120 hp at 1,800 rpm. Two fuel tanks were fitted, the main tank with a capacity of 124 litres (32.8 US gal) was on the left side of the engine and the 29 litres (7.7 US gal) auxiliary tank was on the other side. The engine could run on gasoline, an alcohol-gasoline mixture, and "Dynalcol" (an alcohol-benzole
mixture). It was mounted in the rear along with the six-speed transmission which drove rear-mounted drive sprockets. The suspension was derived from the Vickers 6-Ton
tank; eight small pairs of road wheels on four bogies per side, each pair of bogies sprung by a single leaf spring
, a front idler wheel, and four track return wheels. An unsprung road wheel was located directly underneath the idler wheel to improve obstacle crossing. The transmission, brakes and steering were mechanically assisted with compressed air, reducing driver fatigue. This last feature proved problematic in the extreme conditions of the Eastern Front
.
The main armament was a Škoda ÚV vz. 34 (German designation "KwK 34(t)") gun with a pepperpot muzzle brake
and a prominent armored recoil cylinder above the barrel. Škoda called it the A3. It fired a 0.815 kilograms (1.8 lb) armor-piercing shell at 690 metres per second (2,263.8 ft/s). It was credited with penetrating a plate inclined at 30° from the vertical 37 millimetres (1.5 in) thick at 100 metres (109.4 yd), 31 millimetres (1.2 in) thick at 500 metres (546.8 yd), 26 millimetres (1 in) thick at 1000 metres (1,093.6 yd), and 22 millimetre (0.866141732283465 in) thick at 1500 metres (1,640.4 yd). Kliment and Francev quote penetration of a vertical plate 45 millimetres (1.8 in) thick at 500 metres (546.8 yd). The machine gun's ball mount could be coupled to the main gun or used independently. Both weapons could elevate 25° and depress 10°. They both used 2.6x power sights with a 25° field of view. Initially the tank used Zbrojovka Brno
ZB vz. 35 machine guns, but these were exchanged for ZB vz. 37
s during 1938. This was adopted by the Germans as the MG 37(t).
In German use, a total of 72 rounds of 37 mm ammunition were carried. These were stored in 6-round boxes: three on the hull side wall, 8 boxes in the turret overhang and one ready box above the gun on the turret roof. For the machine gun 1,800 rounds of belted 7.92 mm ammunition were carried. The machine gun ammunition was in 100-round belts, stored three to a box. In Czech service the LT vz. 35 carried 78 rounds (24 AP
and 54 HE) and 2,700 rounds of machine gun ammunition, the difference being removed to make room for the fourth crewmember in German service. The German command tank version (Panzerbefehlswagen 35(t)) exchanged ammunition for another radio set and a gyrocompass
, although exactly how much isn't known. It could be recognized by the prominent "clothesline" radio antenna mounted on the rear deck.
proposed an improved version of its P-II light tank already in service as the LT vz. 34
, but Škoda offered a new design that used the pneumatic system and engine earlier proved by its unsuccessful SU or S-II light tank prototype. One prototype was ordered from each company for delivery during the summer of 1935. Both tanks had the same armament and three-man crew, but ČKD's P-II-a was much smaller at 8.5 tonne and had only a maximum 16 millimetre (0.62992125984252 in) of armor while Škoda's S-II-a weighed 10.5 tonne and had 25 millimetre (0.984251968503937 in) of armor. The army thought that P-II-a was at the limit of its development while the S-II-a could be improved as needed.
The first production order for 160 LT vz. 35s, as the S-II-a was designated in Army service, was placed on 30 October 1935 and deliveries began in December 1936. An additional order for 35 was made on 12 May 1936 and a follow-on order placed for 103 more a month later. The total order for 298 tanks was split equally by Škoda Works
and ČKD
according to their cartel agreement.
Development was rushed and there were many defects in the LT vz. 35s. Many tanks had to be returned to the factories to be repaired. Curiously most of these repairs involved the electrical system, not the complicated pneumatic system.
ordered ten in 1940. The Afghan vehicles were sold instead to Bulgaria. Total production was 434, including 298 for the Czechoslovak Army, 126 for Romania
(under the designation Škoda R-2) and ten for Bulgaria
. The Wehrmacht
used 218 vehicles captured from the Czechoslovak Army in March 1939. Britain's Alvis-Staussler
negotiated for a production license from September 1938 until March 1939 when the Nazi occupation made an agreement impossible. The Soviets were also interested so Škoda shipped the S-II-a prototype and one production LT vz. 35 to the proving grounds at Kubinka
for evaluation. The Soviets were only interested in buying the prototype, but Škoda refused to sell unless a license was purchased as well, believing that the Soviets would simply copy the design and build it without paying any royalties.
The T-11 was built to an Afghan order placed in 1940 and differed mainly in that it used an improved Škoda A-8 gun. Ten were built, but were sold to Bulgaria and delivered in the third quarter of 1940.
The TACAM R-2 was a tank destroyer
built by removing the turret of the R-2 and substituting a captured Soviet 76.2 mm (3 in) USV field gun in its place. The gun and crew was protected by a thin, fixed, three-sided, partially roofed casemate that used armor plate salvaged from captured Soviet tanks. The prototype was completed by September 1943, although it used the older 76.2 mm M-1936 F-22 field gun, and proved reasonably successful. Conversion of an additional twenty was completed by the end of June 1944 when the project was stopped because of concerns that its gun was inadequate against the heavily armored Soviet Iosif Stalin tank
s. Proposals were made to up-gun the vehicle with either the Romanian-built 75 mm (3 in) Reşiţa Model 1943
anti-tank gun or the German 88 mm (3.5 in) gun, but nothing was done before Romania changed sides in August 1944.
's Sudeten German Party (Sudetendeutsche Partei - SdP) and the Sudetendeutsche Freikorps (paramilitary groups trained in Germany by SS
-instructors) between May and October 1938.
After the Munich Agreement two tank battalions were sent to reinforce the 3rd Mobile Division in Slovakia. They were used to repel Hungarian and Polish border-crossers, sometimes up to a battalion in strength. They screened the infantry when they had to evacuate southern Slovakia after the First Vienna Award
on 2 November 1938.
A company of nine LT vz. 35s was in Michalovce
when Carpatho-Ukraine
declared independence and Hungary invaded on 14 March 1939. They bolstered the Czech defenses in front of Svaliava
before being forced to retreat into Slovakia by 17 March. They were turned over to Slovakia the next day. The S-II-a prototype and one LT vz. 35 tank were returning from testing in the Soviet Union when the fighting began. They detrained in Sevljus and participated in a counterattack at Fančíkovo, but the LT vz. 35 was damaged and captured by the Hungarians. The prototype was forced to retreat into Romania by 17 March, along with most of the other Czech troops in eastern Ruthenia. The Romanians returned it to Škoda six months later.
In 1939, following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia
in March 1939, 244 vehicles of the Czechoslovak Army were seized by the Germans where they were known as the L.T.M.35 until January 1940. In German service, they were used as substitutes for the Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank. They were assigned to the Panzer Battalion (Panzerabteilung) 65 (39) of the 1st Light (leichte) Division and the independent Panzer-Regiment 11 (81) where they participated in the Invasion of Poland
. 77 of these were lost during the campaign, mostly due to mechanical breakdowns, but only 7 of these were irreparable.
The 1st Light Division absorbed the 11th Panzer-Regiment and was redesignated as the 6th Panzer Division on 18 October 1939 It took 132 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s into the Battle of France
where it was assigned to XXXXI Corps (mot.)
for Panzergruppe von Kleists attack through the Ardennes
44 of these had been lost by the end of May. 35 replacements were issued on 3 June in preparation for Fall Rot, the attack on the remnants of the French Army that began the following day. A total of 62 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s were either total write-offs or were damaged beyond the ability of the field maintenance workshops to repair during the campaign.
For the invasion of the Soviet Union
6th Panzer Division had 160 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s. to support 4th Panzer Group's drive on Leningrad
. By 10 September 1941 the division had only 102 operational Pz.Kpfw. 35(t), despite having received 2 replacements from Germany. 8 tanks were repairable, but 47 were total losses. By 31 October only 34 were operational with another 41 requiring repair. On 30 November all Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s were reported non-operational.
The fighting exposed the vehicle's unsuitability for cold weather operations and general unreliability. This weakness, in addition to their thin armor and inadequate firepower, resulted in the 6th Panzer Division being reequipped with German tanks upon its withdrawal from Russia in April 1942 and all 26 in working condition in 1942 were sold to Romania. From 1940 on there had not been any spare parts available and tanks had to be completely rebuilt to remain operational, so it had already been decided the summer campaign of 1941 was to be their last. Some later had their turrets and hull machine guns removed to serve as munition carriers and artillery tractors (Artillerie Schlepper or Mörserzugmittel 35(t)) with a towing capacity of 12 tonne.
was signed. The last shipment departed on 22 February 1939.
The R-2s were assigned to the 1st Armored Regiment of the 1st Armored Division where they participated in Operation Barbarossa. The division was withdrawn from combat after the Battle of Odessa in 1941. It returned to the front on 29 August 1942 with 109 R-2s. By the eve of the Soviet Stalingrad Counter-offensive
on 19 November the division could only muster 84 serviceable R-2s with as many as 37 unserviceable tanks stationed in the rear. The division was on the outer edges of the Stalingrad Pocket, but managed to breakthrough the western wing of the encirclement, although 77 R-2s were lost in the process. Only about a third of these were destroyed by the Soviets, the rest were either abandoned or broke down and couldn't be recovered. One R-2 arrived from Romania during December as a reinforcement. The 1st Armored Division was ordered home in early January 1943.
Despite the delivery of 26 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s during 1942, Romania could only muster 59 R-2/Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s on 1 April and 30 August 1943, but raised this to 63 by 25 March 1944. There were 44 on hand on 19 July 1944. By this time they were relegated to training duties with the 1st Training Armored Division. A company of R-2s was sent to Transnistria
with the ad-hoc Cantemir Mixed Tank Group on 24 February 1944, but it did not see combat before being withdrawn on 28 March 1944.
A company of R-2s was assigned to the Popescu Armored Detachment after King Michael's Coup
and Romanian's defection from the Axis at the end of August 1944. The Detachment was tasked with preventing the German units stationed around Ploiești
from breaking out to the north and finding refuge in Hungary. They accomplished their task and the R-2s were withdrawn from combat operations until the following year. Romania had concentrated all of its remaining tanks and armored fighting vehicles in the 2nd Armored Regiment in early 1945 as the unofficial Soviet arms embargo began to have effect. It had five R-2s on hand in early February 1945 when it was sent to the front, but the Soviets confiscated most of them when it arrived. Both R-2s were serviceable when the regiment entered Bratislava
on 4 April 1945, but these were probably destroyed when the regiment was virtually surrounded in Austria on 10 April because they are no longer listed among the regiment's vehicles afterwards.
Twenty-one tanks were rebuilt as TACAM R-2
tank destroyers with an ex-Soviet 76.2 mm gun in 1943—44.
of March 1939. One tank company participated in the invasion of Poland, but didn't see any fighting. The Army upgraded the internal communications system of its tanks with German intercoms in 1941, but it unknown if they added a fourth crewman as did the Germans. When Slovakia joined the German invasion of the Soviet Union it sent a Mobile Group that included thirty LT vz. 35. The Mobile Group was reinforced and reorganized in early July 1941 as the Mobile Brigade, also known as Brigade Pilfousek after its commander, and it mustered only 27 tanks despite 7 reinforcements because breakdowns had caused 10 tanks to be evacuated back to Slovakia. This was due to a conspiracy among the Slovak tankers that the tanks would be needed to overthrow the regime at some point and couldn't be wasted in combat against the Soviets. This caused a high incidence of crew sabotage to which the officers and maintainers turned a blind eye, which caused the tanks to be withdrawn to Slovakia at the beginning of August 1941. On 1 January 1942 the Slovaks had a total of 49 LT vz. 35 on hand because three had been destroyed in the battle for Lipovec earlier in the summer. However, of these 49 only 7 were operational as part of the conspiracy to keep the tanks in Slovakia The LT vz. 35s were relegated to the training/reserve role by 1943 when the Germans began to supply more modern tanks to Slovakia. At least eight LT vz. 35s were used by the insurgents during the Slovak National Uprising
in 1944.
used 26 tanks, delivered by Germany in early 1940, with the normal A-3 gun and 10 T-11 tanks with the more powerful A-7 gun from the confiscated Afghan order were delivered between August and October 1940. They were supposedly relegated to training duties once the Germans began to deliver Panzerkampfwagen IV medium tanks in 1944, but apparently remained in service into the Fifties. But Kliment and Francev claim that the T-11s participated in the fighting in Yugoslavia and ended the war south of Vienna
as part of the 1st Tank Brigade.
on 15 March 1939, when it conquered that country, and another in fighting with the Slovaks on 24 March 1939. They were impressed and asked Škoda for a quote to repair them. The Hungarians did not accept the price but Škoda fixed them for free once the Hungarians had bought a license to build the medium 40M Turán I tank in August 1940. The tanks were returned to Hungary in March 1941 and were used for training through 1943.
Light tank
A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...
used mainly by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
during World War II. The letter (t) stood for tschechisch (German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: "Czech"). In Czechoslovak service it had the formal designation Lehký (Light) Tank vzor (Model) 35, but was commonly referred to as the LT vz. 35 or LT-35. Four hundred and thirty-four were built; of these the Germans seized two hundred and forty-four when they occupied Bohemia-Moravia in March 1939
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
and the Slovaks acquired fifty-two when they declared independence from Czechoslovakia at the same time. Others were exported to Bulgaria
Kingdom of Bulgaria
The Kingdom of Bulgaria was established as an independent state when the Principality of Bulgaria, an Ottoman vassal, officially proclaimed itself independent on October 5, 1908 . This move also formalised the annexation of the Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia, which had been under the control...
and Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
. In German service it saw combat during the early years of World War II, notably the Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
, the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and the invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
before being retired or sold off in 1942. It was used for the remainder of the war by other countries and as a training tank in Bulgaria into the 1950s.
Description
The Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) was assembled from a framework of steel "angle iron" beams to which the armor plates were riveted. A 4 mm (0.15748031496063 in) firewallFirewall (construction)
A firewall is a fireproof barrier used to prevent the spread of fire between or through buildings, structures, electrical substation transformers, or within an aircraft or vehicle.- Applications :...
separated the engine compartment from the crew. It had several mesh-covered openings to allow access to the engine and improve ventilation drawing air in through the commander's hatch. This had the advantage of rapidly dispersing gun combustion gases when firing
a scheme used by the modern American M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, although it uses removable panels in lieu of the firewall but several disadvantages. The constant draft generated by the engine greatly affected the crew during cold weather, the danger of an engine fire reaching the crew compartment was increased and the engine noise and heat increased crew fatigue.
The driver sat on the right side of the tank using a 390 by 90 mm (15.4 by 3.5 in) observation port protected by 50 millimetres (2 in) of bulletproof glass
Bulletproof glass
Bulletproof glass is a type of strong but optically transparent material that is particularly resistant to being penetrated when struck by bullets, but is not completely impenetrable. It is usually made from a combination of two or more types of glass, one hard and one soft...
and an armored shutter 28 millimetres (1.1 in) thick. To his right was a vision slit 120 by 3 mm (4.7 by 0.118110236220472 in) with a similar thickness of bulletproof glass. The Germans replaced the original three colored lights used by the Czechs to communicate with the driver with an intercom system. The radio operator sat on the left and had his own 150 by 75 mm (5.9 by 3 in) observation port with the same protection as the driver's. His radios were mounted on the left wall of the hull. The hull machine gun was between the driver and radio operator in a ball mount capable of 30° of traverse, 25° of elevation and depressing up to 10°. Most of the machine gun's barrel protruded from the mount and was protected by an armored trough. The mount had a spotting telescope but open sights could be used if the plug at the top of the ball mount was removed. If necessary the driver could lock the mount into position and fire it himself using a Bowden cable
Bowden cable
A Bowden cable is a type of flexible cable used to transmit mechanical force or energy by the movement of an inner cable relative to a hollow outer cable housing...
. The driver's hatch was exposed to direct fire and could be damaged from the front.
The turret ring had a diameter of 1.267 metres (49.9 in). The turret had a flat face in the center of which was mounted the 3.72 centimetres (1.5 in) main armament. On the right side was another 7.92 millimetre (0.311811023622047 in) machine gun in a ball mount. The commander had four episcopes in his cupola and a monocular mirror, 1.3 x 30° periscope which he could extend, once he had removed its armored cover in his hatch, to give vision while "buttoned-up". As the sole occupant of the turret, the commander was responsible for loading, aiming and firing the main gun and the turret machine gun while simultaneously commanding the tank. The Germans added an extra crewman on the right side of the turret to load the main gun and to operate the turret machine gun. Some ammunition had to be removed to accommodate him.
The 8.62 litres (525.6 cu in) Škoda T-11/0 four-cylinder, water-cooled engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
produced 120 hp at 1,800 rpm. Two fuel tanks were fitted, the main tank with a capacity of 124 litres (32.8 US gal) was on the left side of the engine and the 29 litres (7.7 US gal) auxiliary tank was on the other side. The engine could run on gasoline, an alcohol-gasoline mixture, and "Dynalcol" (an alcohol-benzole
Benzole
In the United Kingdom, the word benzole means a coal-tar product, consisting mainly of benzene and toluene. It was formerly mixed with petrol and sold as a motor fuel under trade names including "National Benzole Mixture" and "Regent Benzole Mixture"....
mixture). It was mounted in the rear along with the six-speed transmission which drove rear-mounted drive sprockets. The suspension was derived from the Vickers 6-Ton
Vickers 6-Ton
The Vickers 6-Ton Tank or Vickers Mark E was a British light tank designed as a private project at Vickers. It was not purchased by the British Army, but was picked up by a large number of foreign armed forces and was copied almost exactly by the Soviets as the T-26. It was also the direct...
tank; eight small pairs of road wheels on four bogies per side, each pair of bogies sprung by a single leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
, a front idler wheel, and four track return wheels. An unsprung road wheel was located directly underneath the idler wheel to improve obstacle crossing. The transmission, brakes and steering were mechanically assisted with compressed air, reducing driver fatigue. This last feature proved problematic in the extreme conditions of the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
.
The main armament was a Škoda ÚV vz. 34 (German designation "KwK 34(t)") gun with a pepperpot muzzle brake
Muzzle brake
Muzzle brakes and recoil compensators are devices that are fitted to the muzzle of a firearm or cannon to redirect propellant gases with the effect of countering both recoil of the gun and unwanted rising of the barrel during rapid fire...
and a prominent armored recoil cylinder above the barrel. Škoda called it the A3. It fired a 0.815 kilograms (1.8 lb) armor-piercing shell at 690 metres per second (2,263.8 ft/s). It was credited with penetrating a plate inclined at 30° from the vertical 37 millimetres (1.5 in) thick at 100 metres (109.4 yd), 31 millimetres (1.2 in) thick at 500 metres (546.8 yd), 26 millimetres (1 in) thick at 1000 metres (1,093.6 yd), and 22 millimetre (0.866141732283465 in) thick at 1500 metres (1,640.4 yd). Kliment and Francev quote penetration of a vertical plate 45 millimetres (1.8 in) thick at 500 metres (546.8 yd). The machine gun's ball mount could be coupled to the main gun or used independently. Both weapons could elevate 25° and depress 10°. They both used 2.6x power sights with a 25° field of view. Initially the tank used Zbrojovka Brno
Zbrojovka Brno
Zbrojovka Brno was a firearm and vehicle manufacturer in Brno, Czech Republic. They also made other products and tools- History :The firm was established in 1918.The Czech-Slovak investment group J&T bought an areal of Zbrojovka Brno in 2007.-Firearms:...
ZB vz. 35 machine guns, but these were exchanged for ZB vz. 37
ZB-53
The ZB-53 was a machine gun used by the Czechoslovak army designated TK vz. 37 and later used by German forces during World War II as the MG 37....
s during 1938. This was adopted by the Germans as the MG 37(t).
In German use, a total of 72 rounds of 37 mm ammunition were carried. These were stored in 6-round boxes: three on the hull side wall, 8 boxes in the turret overhang and one ready box above the gun on the turret roof. For the machine gun 1,800 rounds of belted 7.92 mm ammunition were carried. The machine gun ammunition was in 100-round belts, stored three to a box. In Czech service the LT vz. 35 carried 78 rounds (24 AP
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
and 54 HE) and 2,700 rounds of machine gun ammunition, the difference being removed to make room for the fourth crewmember in German service. The German command tank version (Panzerbefehlswagen 35(t)) exchanged ammunition for another radio set and a gyrocompass
Gyrocompass
A gyrocompass is a type of non-magnetic compass which bases on a fast-spinning disc and rotation of our planet to automatically find geographical direction...
, although exactly how much isn't known. It could be recognized by the prominent "clothesline" radio antenna mounted on the rear deck.
Armor
The gun mantlet was 25 millimetre (0.984251968503937 in) thick. The rest of the armor was as follows:| Thickness/slope from the vertical | Front | Side | Rear | Top/Bottom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turret | 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in)/10° | 15 mm (0.590551181102362 in)/14° | 15 mm (0.590551181102362 in)/15° | 8 mm (0.31496062992126 in)/81-90° |
| Superstructure | 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in)/17° | 16 mm (0.62992125984252 in)/0° | 15 mm (0.590551181102362 in)/60° | 8 mm (0.31496062992126 in)/85-90° |
| Hull | 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in)/30° | 16 mm (0.62992125984252 in)/0° | 19 mm (0.748031496062992 in)/0° | 8 mm (0.31496062992126 in)/90° |
Development
The Czech Army formulated a requirement in the II-a category of light cavalry tanks by the end of 1934. Českomoravská Kolben-DaněkCKD
A knock-down kit is a kit containing the parts needed to assemble a product...
proposed an improved version of its P-II light tank already in service as the LT vz. 34
LT vz. 34
The LT vz. 34, formally designated as Lehký - Light, Tank vzor - Model 34 was a Czechoslovak-designed light tank used mainly by Slovakia during World War II. Its suspension was based on that of the Carden-Loyd tankette, of which the Czechs had purchased three, plus a manufacturing license, in 1930....
, but Škoda offered a new design that used the pneumatic system and engine earlier proved by its unsuccessful SU or S-II light tank prototype. One prototype was ordered from each company for delivery during the summer of 1935. Both tanks had the same armament and three-man crew, but ČKD's P-II-a was much smaller at 8.5 tonne and had only a maximum 16 millimetre (0.62992125984252 in) of armor while Škoda's S-II-a weighed 10.5 tonne and had 25 millimetre (0.984251968503937 in) of armor. The army thought that P-II-a was at the limit of its development while the S-II-a could be improved as needed.
The first production order for 160 LT vz. 35s, as the S-II-a was designated in Army service, was placed on 30 October 1935 and deliveries began in December 1936. An additional order for 35 was made on 12 May 1936 and a follow-on order placed for 103 more a month later. The total order for 298 tanks was split equally by Škoda Works
Škoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
and ČKD
CKD
A knock-down kit is a kit containing the parts needed to assemble a product...
according to their cartel agreement.
Development was rushed and there were many defects in the LT vz. 35s. Many tanks had to be returned to the factories to be repaired. Curiously most of these repairs involved the electrical system, not the complicated pneumatic system.
Foreign interest
In August 1936 Romania placed an order for 126; the bulk of these were delivered from the end of 1938 by Škoda. AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
ordered ten in 1940. The Afghan vehicles were sold instead to Bulgaria. Total production was 434, including 298 for the Czechoslovak Army, 126 for Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
(under the designation Škoda R-2) and ten for Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. The Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
used 218 vehicles captured from the Czechoslovak Army in March 1939. Britain's Alvis-Staussler
Alvis Cars
Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd was a British manufacturing company that existed in Coventry, England from 19191967. In addition to automobiles designed for the civilian market, the company also produced racing cars, aircraft engines, armoured cars and other armoured fighting vehicles, the...
negotiated for a production license from September 1938 until March 1939 when the Nazi occupation made an agreement impossible. The Soviets were also interested so Škoda shipped the S-II-a prototype and one production LT vz. 35 to the proving grounds at Kubinka
Kubinka
Kubinka is a town in Odintsovsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Setun River, west of Moscow. Population: Kubinka was the location of the Soviet Union's tank proving grounds, and today is the home of the Kubinka Tank Museum...
for evaluation. The Soviets were only interested in buying the prototype, but Škoda refused to sell unless a license was purchased as well, believing that the Soviets would simply copy the design and build it without paying any royalties.
Variants
The chassis was used for both a command tank (Panzerbefehlswagen 35(t)) which featured extra radios (20 built) and also as an artillery tractor (Artillerie Schlepper 35(t)) by removing the turret and upper hull and covering the gap with canvas (49 converted from March 42 onwards).The T-11 was built to an Afghan order placed in 1940 and differed mainly in that it used an improved Škoda A-8 gun. Ten were built, but were sold to Bulgaria and delivered in the third quarter of 1940.
The TACAM R-2 was a tank destroyer
Tank destroyer
A tank destroyer is a type of armored fighting vehicle armed with a gun or missile launcher, and is designed specifically to engage enemy armored vehicles...
built by removing the turret of the R-2 and substituting a captured Soviet 76.2 mm (3 in) USV field gun in its place. The gun and crew was protected by a thin, fixed, three-sided, partially roofed casemate that used armor plate salvaged from captured Soviet tanks. The prototype was completed by September 1943, although it used the older 76.2 mm M-1936 F-22 field gun, and proved reasonably successful. Conversion of an additional twenty was completed by the end of June 1944 when the project was stopped because of concerns that its gun was inadequate against the heavily armored Soviet Iosif Stalin tank
Iosif Stalin tank
The Iosif Stalin tank , was a heavy tank developed by the Soviet Union during World War II and first used in the Kursk area in September 1943...
s. Proposals were made to up-gun the vehicle with either the Romanian-built 75 mm (3 in) Reşiţa Model 1943
75 mm Reşiţa Model 1943
The 75 mm Reşiţa Model 1943 was a anti-tank gun produced by Romania during World War II. It combined features from the Soviet ZiS-3 field\anti-tank gun, the German PaK 40 and the Romanian 75 mm Vickers/Reşiţa Model 1936 anti-aircraft gun...
anti-tank gun or the German 88 mm (3.5 in) gun, but nothing was done before Romania changed sides in August 1944.
Czechoslovakia
The 298 LT vz. 35 tanks were assigned to the armored regiments belonging to the four Mobile (Rychlá) Divisions between 1936—39. Each regiment was supposed to detach three-tank platoons to support the infantry divisions and border areas in times of crisis. These platoons were heavily used suppressing the protests and violence instigated by Konrad HenleinKonrad Henlein
Konrad Ernst Eduard Henlein was a leading pro-Nazi ethnic German politician in Czechoslovakia and leader of Sudeten German separatists...
's Sudeten German Party (Sudetendeutsche Partei - SdP) and the Sudetendeutsche Freikorps (paramilitary groups trained in Germany by SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
-instructors) between May and October 1938.
After the Munich Agreement two tank battalions were sent to reinforce the 3rd Mobile Division in Slovakia. They were used to repel Hungarian and Polish border-crossers, sometimes up to a battalion in strength. They screened the infantry when they had to evacuate southern Slovakia after the First Vienna Award
First Vienna Award
The First Vienna Award was the result of the First Vienna Arbitration, which took place at Vienna's Belvedere Palace on November 2, 1938. The Arbitration and Award were direct consequences of the Munich Agreement...
on 2 November 1938.
A company of nine LT vz. 35s was in Michalovce
Michalovce
Michalovce is a town on the Laborec river in eastern Slovakia, with a population around 40,000. It is the biggest town of the Michalovce District in the Košice Region.-Geography:...
when Carpatho-Ukraine
Carpatho-Ukraine
Carpatho-Ukraine was an autonomous region within Czechoslovakia from late 1938 to March 15, 1939. It declared itself an independent republic on March 15, 1939, but was occupied by Hungary between March 15 and March 18, 1939, remaining under Hungarian control until the Nazi occupation of Hungary in...
declared independence and Hungary invaded on 14 March 1939. They bolstered the Czech defenses in front of Svaliava
Svaliava
Svaliava is a city located on the Latorytsia River in the Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Svaliava Raion .-Demographics:In 2001, the population included: *Ukrainians...
before being forced to retreat into Slovakia by 17 March. They were turned over to Slovakia the next day. The S-II-a prototype and one LT vz. 35 tank were returning from testing in the Soviet Union when the fighting began. They detrained in Sevljus and participated in a counterattack at Fančíkovo, but the LT vz. 35 was damaged and captured by the Hungarians. The prototype was forced to retreat into Romania by 17 March, along with most of the other Czech troops in eastern Ruthenia. The Romanians returned it to Škoda six months later.
Germany
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
in March 1939, 244 vehicles of the Czechoslovak Army were seized by the Germans where they were known as the L.T.M.35 until January 1940. In German service, they were used as substitutes for the Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank. They were assigned to the Panzer Battalion (Panzerabteilung) 65 (39) of the 1st Light (leichte) Division and the independent Panzer-Regiment 11 (81) where they participated in the Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
. 77 of these were lost during the campaign, mostly due to mechanical breakdowns, but only 7 of these were irreparable.
The 1st Light Division absorbed the 11th Panzer-Regiment and was redesignated as the 6th Panzer Division on 18 October 1939 It took 132 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s into the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
where it was assigned to XXXXI Corps (mot.)
XXXXI Panzer Corps (Germany)
XXXXI Panzer Corps was a tank corps in the German Army during World War II.-Formation and actions:...
for Panzergruppe von Kleists attack through the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
44 of these had been lost by the end of May. 35 replacements were issued on 3 June in preparation for Fall Rot, the attack on the remnants of the French Army that began the following day. A total of 62 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s were either total write-offs or were damaged beyond the ability of the field maintenance workshops to repair during the campaign.
For the invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
6th Panzer Division had 160 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s. to support 4th Panzer Group's drive on Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
. By 10 September 1941 the division had only 102 operational Pz.Kpfw. 35(t), despite having received 2 replacements from Germany. 8 tanks were repairable, but 47 were total losses. By 31 October only 34 were operational with another 41 requiring repair. On 30 November all Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s were reported non-operational.
The fighting exposed the vehicle's unsuitability for cold weather operations and general unreliability. This weakness, in addition to their thin armor and inadequate firepower, resulted in the 6th Panzer Division being reequipped with German tanks upon its withdrawal from Russia in April 1942 and all 26 in working condition in 1942 were sold to Romania. From 1940 on there had not been any spare parts available and tanks had to be completely rebuilt to remain operational, so it had already been decided the summer campaign of 1941 was to be their last. Some later had their turrets and hull machine guns removed to serve as munition carriers and artillery tractors (Artillerie Schlepper or Mörserzugmittel 35(t)) with a towing capacity of 12 tonne.
Romania
Romania ordered 126 of the tanks on 14 August 1936 as the R-2 and received the first 15 in April–May 1937 to display in a parade although they had to be diverted from the Czech order. They suffered from numerous teething problems and the Romanians put a hold on production until these issues were resolved. The constantly changing Romanian demands didn't help the situation, but they refused to accept any vehicles until trials were conducted in Romania. Three R-2s were shipped to Romania on 12 July 1938 for the trials, but Skoda knew which one would be chosen and prepared the vehicle well and it passed all tests. After disassembly and checks of the trial tank was completed the Romanian commission approved the design on 23 August. In the meantime the initial batch was returned to Skoda to be upgraded to current standards on 28 July. Shipments to Romania began on 1 September with 27 shipped before the Munich Crisis forced the Czechs to hold all remaining tanks in case they were needed. 5 finished tanks and 6 almost-finished tanks were appropriated and shipped to Slovakia although they were quickly returned after the Munich AgreementMunich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
was signed. The last shipment departed on 22 February 1939.
The R-2s were assigned to the 1st Armored Regiment of the 1st Armored Division where they participated in Operation Barbarossa. The division was withdrawn from combat after the Battle of Odessa in 1941. It returned to the front on 29 August 1942 with 109 R-2s. By the eve of the Soviet Stalingrad Counter-offensive
Operation Uranus
Operation Uranus was the codename of the Soviet strategic operation in World War II which led to the encirclement of the German Sixth Army, the Third and Fourth Romanian armies, and portions of the German Fourth Panzer Army. The operation formed part of the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad, and was...
on 19 November the division could only muster 84 serviceable R-2s with as many as 37 unserviceable tanks stationed in the rear. The division was on the outer edges of the Stalingrad Pocket, but managed to breakthrough the western wing of the encirclement, although 77 R-2s were lost in the process. Only about a third of these were destroyed by the Soviets, the rest were either abandoned or broke down and couldn't be recovered. One R-2 arrived from Romania during December as a reinforcement. The 1st Armored Division was ordered home in early January 1943.
Despite the delivery of 26 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s during 1942, Romania could only muster 59 R-2/Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)s on 1 April and 30 August 1943, but raised this to 63 by 25 March 1944. There were 44 on hand on 19 July 1944. By this time they were relegated to training duties with the 1st Training Armored Division. A company of R-2s was sent to Transnistria
Transnistria (World War II)
Transnistria Governorate was a Romanian administered territory, conquered by the Axis Powers from the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa, and occupied from 19 August 1941 to 29 January 1944...
with the ad-hoc Cantemir Mixed Tank Group on 24 February 1944, but it did not see combat before being withdrawn on 28 March 1944.
A company of R-2s was assigned to the Popescu Armored Detachment after King Michael's Coup
King Michael's Coup
King Michael's Coup refers to the coup d'etat led by King Michael of Romania in 1944 against the pro-Nazi Romanian faction of Ion Antonescu, after the Axis front in Northeastern Romania collapsed under the Soviet offensive.-The coup:...
and Romanian's defection from the Axis at the end of August 1944. The Detachment was tasked with preventing the German units stationed around Ploiești
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
from breaking out to the north and finding refuge in Hungary. They accomplished their task and the R-2s were withdrawn from combat operations until the following year. Romania had concentrated all of its remaining tanks and armored fighting vehicles in the 2nd Armored Regiment in early 1945 as the unofficial Soviet arms embargo began to have effect. It had five R-2s on hand in early February 1945 when it was sent to the front, but the Soviets confiscated most of them when it arrived. Both R-2s were serviceable when the regiment entered Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
on 4 April 1945, but these were probably destroyed when the regiment was virtually surrounded in Austria on 10 April because they are no longer listed among the regiment's vehicles afterwards.
Twenty-one tanks were rebuilt as TACAM R-2
Tank Destroyer Tacam R-2
The TACAM R-2 was a Romanian tank destroyer used during World War II. It was built by removing the turret of the R-2 light tank and building a pedestal to mount an ex-Soviet ZiS-3 field gun in its place. A three-sided fighting compartment was built to protect the gun and its crew...
tank destroyers with an ex-Soviet 76.2 mm gun in 1943—44.
Slovakia
The Slovak Army seized a total of 52 LT vz. 35 tanks when they declared their independence from Czechoslovakia in March 1939. They were organized into a battalion that was later incorporated into the Armored Regiment. Three of these tanks participated in the Slovak-Hungarian WarSlovak-Hungarian War
The Slovak–Hungarian War or Little War , was a war fought from March 23 to March 31/April 4, 1939 between the First Slovak Republic and Hungary in eastern Slovakia.-Prelude:...
of March 1939. One tank company participated in the invasion of Poland, but didn't see any fighting. The Army upgraded the internal communications system of its tanks with German intercoms in 1941, but it unknown if they added a fourth crewman as did the Germans. When Slovakia joined the German invasion of the Soviet Union it sent a Mobile Group that included thirty LT vz. 35. The Mobile Group was reinforced and reorganized in early July 1941 as the Mobile Brigade, also known as Brigade Pilfousek after its commander, and it mustered only 27 tanks despite 7 reinforcements because breakdowns had caused 10 tanks to be evacuated back to Slovakia. This was due to a conspiracy among the Slovak tankers that the tanks would be needed to overthrow the regime at some point and couldn't be wasted in combat against the Soviets. This caused a high incidence of crew sabotage to which the officers and maintainers turned a blind eye, which caused the tanks to be withdrawn to Slovakia at the beginning of August 1941. On 1 January 1942 the Slovaks had a total of 49 LT vz. 35 on hand because three had been destroyed in the battle for Lipovec earlier in the summer. However, of these 49 only 7 were operational as part of the conspiracy to keep the tanks in Slovakia The LT vz. 35s were relegated to the training/reserve role by 1943 when the Germans began to supply more modern tanks to Slovakia. At least eight LT vz. 35s were used by the insurgents during the Slovak National Uprising
Slovak National Uprising
The Slovak National Uprising or 1944 Uprising was an armed insurrection organized by the Slovak resistance movement during World War II. It was launched on August 29 1944 from Banská Bystrica in an attempt to overthrow the collaborationist Slovak State of Jozef Tiso...
in 1944.
Bulgaria
BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
used 26 tanks, delivered by Germany in early 1940, with the normal A-3 gun and 10 T-11 tanks with the more powerful A-7 gun from the confiscated Afghan order were delivered between August and October 1940. They were supposedly relegated to training duties once the Germans began to deliver Panzerkampfwagen IV medium tanks in 1944, but apparently remained in service into the Fifties. But Kliment and Francev claim that the T-11s participated in the fighting in Yugoslavia and ended the war south of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
as part of the 1st Tank Brigade.
Hungary
Hungary captured one LT vz. 35 in Carpatho-UkraineCarpatho-Ukraine
Carpatho-Ukraine was an autonomous region within Czechoslovakia from late 1938 to March 15, 1939. It declared itself an independent republic on March 15, 1939, but was occupied by Hungary between March 15 and March 18, 1939, remaining under Hungarian control until the Nazi occupation of Hungary in...
on 15 March 1939, when it conquered that country, and another in fighting with the Slovaks on 24 March 1939. They were impressed and asked Škoda for a quote to repair them. The Hungarians did not accept the price but Škoda fixed them for free once the Hungarians had bought a license to build the medium 40M Turán I tank in August 1940. The tanks were returned to Hungary in March 1941 and were used for training through 1943.
See also
- Comparison of early World War II tanksComparison of early World War II tanksThis table compare the tanks in use by the belligerent nations of Europe at the start of the Second World War, employed in the Polish Campaign , the Fall of France , and Operation Barbarossa ....
- TACAM R-2Tank Destroyer Tacam R-2The TACAM R-2 was a Romanian tank destroyer used during World War II. It was built by removing the turret of the R-2 light tank and building a pedestal to mount an ex-Soviet ZiS-3 field gun in its place. A three-sided fighting compartment was built to protect the gun and its crew...
- Panzer 38(t)Panzer 38(t)The Panzerkampfwagen 38 was originally a Czech tank of pre-World War II design. After Czechoslovakia was taken over by Germany, it was adopted by the German Army, seeing service in the invasions of Poland and Russia. Production ended in 1942, when its armament was deemed inadequate. In all, over...
External links
- Information about the Pz.Kpfw. 35(t) at Panzerworld
- Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) at Achtung Panzer!
- R-2 on worldwar2.ro
- photo series on Romanian armor
- LT vz. 35 - light tank mod. 35 in original camouflage
- Captured German vehicles - A PDF file presenting the German vehicles based on captured and modified foreign equipment (PzKpfw. 35(t), PzKpfw 38(t), 10.5 cm leFH 18(Sf) auf Geschützwagen, Marder I, Panzerjäger I, Marder III, Grille, Munitionspanzer 38(t)) still existing in the world