This article deals with the history of tanks employed by
military forces in Czechoslovakia from the interwar period, and the more
conventional tanks designed for the Czech Army before World War II, and the
tanks that ended up as Panzers of the German Wehrmacht during World War II, or
in the use of other countries who purchased them before the war began.
The first armored tanks and vehicles in Czechoslovakia were
like most countries based on others designs and eventually evolved into their
own tank designs. The Czech Army bought three Carden Loyd tankettes and a
production license for them in 1930, Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk building four
copies that same year as prototypes for future orders. The Carden Loyds were
evaluated during the Fall maneuvers and revealed numerous problems: the crews
had very poor vision through the narrow slits, the machine gun had a very narrow
field of fire, and the crewmen had a difficult time communicating. Furthermore,
they were slow, underpowered and often broke down. One of the P-1 prototypes
was rebuilt to address these issues with additional vision ports in all
directions, internal ammunition storage and the machine gun's field of fire
increased to 60°. It was extensively tested during 1931—2 and a few other
changes were made as a result. The armor was increased from 6 to 8 mm (0.24 to
0.31 in) and from 9 to 12 mm (0.35 to 0.47 in) and a fixed machine gun was
added for the driver. Two of the other prototypes were rebuilt to the same
standard; all three were officially accepted by the Army on 17 October 1933.
The other prototype was eventually given to the Shah of Iran. The order for seventy
was placed on 19 April 1933, all being delivered by October 1934.
After the first World War, Slovakia and the regions of
Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and Carpathian Ruthenia formed a common state,
Czechoslovakia, with the borders confirmed by the Treaty of Saint Germain and
Treaty of Trianon. In 1919, during the chaos following the breakup of
Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia was formed with numerous Germans and Hungarians
within the newly set borders. A Slovak patriot Milan Rastislav Štefánik
(1880–1919), who helped organize Czechoslovak regiments against Austria-Hungary
during the First World War, died in a plane crash. In the peace following the
World War, Czechoslovakia emerged as a sovereign European state. It provided
what were at the time rather extensive rights to its minorities and remained
the only democracy in this part of Europe in the interwar period.
During the Interwar period, democratic Czechoslovakia was
allied with France, and also with Romania and Yugoslavia (Little Entente);
however, the Locarno Treaties of 1925 left East European security open. Both
Czechs and Slovaks enjoyed a period of relative prosperity. There was progress
not only in the development of the country's economy, but also in culture and
educational opportunities. The German minority came to accept their role in the
new country and relations with Austria were good. Yet the Great Depression
caused a sharp economic downturn, followed by political disruption and
insecurity in Europe.
Thereafter, Czechoslovakia came under continuous pressure
from the revisionist governments of Germany and Hungary. Eventually, this led
to the Munich Agreement of September 1938, which allowed Nazi Germany to
partially dismember the country by occupying what was called the Sudetenland, a
region with a German-speaking majority bordering Germany and Austria. The
Germans seized a large amount of the Czechoslovakian designed tanks and armored
vehicles when they occupied Bohemia-Moravia in March 1939. The remainder of
"rump" Czechoslovakia was renamed Czecho-Slovakia and included a
greater degree of Slovak political autonomy.
After the Munich Agreement and its Vienna Award, Nazi
Germany threatened to annex part of Slovakia and allow the remaining regions to
be partitioned by Hungary or Poland unless independence was declared. Thus,
Slovakia seceded from Czecho-Slovakia in March 1939 and allied itself, as
demanded by Germany, with Hitler's coalition. The government of the First
Slovak Republic, led by Jozef Tiso and Vojtech Tuka, was strongly influenced by
Germany and gradually became a puppet regime in many respects.
After it became clear that the Soviet Red Army was going to
push the Nazis out of eastern and central Europe, an anti-Nazi resistance
movement launched a fierce armed insurrection, known as the Slovak National
Uprising, near the end of summer 1944. A bloody German occupation and a
guerilla war followed. The territory of Slovakia was liberated by Soviet and
Romanian forces by the end of April 1945.
After World War I, the Polish army began designing
tankettes, light tanks, and armored vehicles, many by Škoda. The German
engineer Joseph Vollmer joined Škoda and designed a wheel/track light tank, the
KH-50 (Kolo-Housenka). This design had road wheels mounted on the drive
sprockets and jockey wheels behind them to support the tracks. During World War
I, Vollmer was chief designer for the German War Department's motor vehicle
section, and he had designed the World War I German tanks A7V, K-Wagen, LK I
and LK II. Despite the design for the KH-50 (Kolo-Housenka) having impressive
specifications for the period - 13 mm armor, 37 mm turret-mounted armament, and
a 50 hp engine capable of driving the tank at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) (on
tracks) and 22 miles per hour (35 km/h) (on wheels) - it was rejected by the
Czech army.
The army was, however, impressed by the hybrid wheel/track
concept and commissioned further studies, which resulted in the KH-60 (1928–29)
and the KH-70 (1930). In these two designs the engine power was increased to 60
hp and 70 hp respectively and a better system was developed for switching
between track and wheel use which allowed a change in less than 10 minutes.
Two KH-50 prototypes were built, one of which was later
converted to a KH-60; the other was scrapped. Actual production included two
KH-60s to the USSR and a KH-70 to Italy. The wheel-on-track concept was finally
abandoned in 1934. The Škoda T-21 (original designation was Škoda Š-IIc) was
Škoda’s contribution to the IIc army category (medium tanks for general use)
and a direct competitor to the Praga V-8-H.
Basically, what happened: in the early thirties, both Praga
and Škoda (main competitors for the Czechoslovak army contracts, but also when
it came to export) had several unsuccessful designs when it came to infantry
support tanks. While the light tanks (LT-35 and the later LT-38) were generally
good, they just couldn’t get infantry support right. The unsuccessful attempts
where the Praga P-IIb and Škoda Š-IIb. After that, both companies basically sat
together and made a joint infantry tank project, designated ŠP-IIb. It was
unsuccessful for various reasons, mostly because neither company was that eager
to cooperate with their main competitor. Also, both companies worked on their
own private attempts to build IIb/IIc category prototypes. These private
attempts would later become the Praga V-8-H and the Škoda T-21.
The main design works on the T-21 began as early as
September 1936. The first prototype was finished in May 1937 – and so began the
long journey of this vehicle and its versions and derivates, that ended only
after the war.
The first variant from May 1937 was the original Š-IIc. It
was supposed to be fitted with a new engine, built especially for it by the
automobile factory branch of Škoda in Mladá Boleslav, but the engine
development got delayed and the prototype was (in order to save time) fitted
with a 190 hp 13-liter V6, originally intended for the Š-III breakthrough tank
prototype. The prototype was also fitted with a mock weaponry (representing a
47mm gun and two machineguns). But the engine was not powerful enough,
overheated and used a lot of fuel. In September 1937, the V6 engine was removed
and the original Škoda engine intended for it was installed. However, the
vehicle still didn’t do too well (the engine actually seized and had to be
scrapped) and the tests were stopped in November, marking the end of the first
development stage of T-21. By that time, the Ministry of Defense committee was
looking for a suitable Czechoslovak medium tank for the army, but the Š-IIc did
not to make the June 1938 army tests deadline – and that was the end of the
T-21 as a potential Czechoslovak army medium tank. From June to November 1938,
the prototype was modified further in Pilsen, thus creating a third (and final)
variant of the original Š-IIc design (not counting the further modifications,
made by Hungarians – the Turán tank is basically a Š-IIc copy, with partial
improvements). This third variant had (apart from the fixed engine of the same
type the second variant had) better tracks, improved engine cooling, improved
oil pump and modified steering mechanism.
However, by that time, the Munich agreement completely
changed the Czechoslovak army’s priorities and selling the (improved) vehicle
to the Czechoslovak army was no longer an option. Therefore, Škoda tred to sell
the design abroad. During factory trials, the third prototype performed
reasonably well and was basically ready for export.
After the occupation of Czechoslovakia, that was of course
no longer possible – not without German consent at least. During the early
months of occupation, German delegations did visit the Škoda factory and tests
were performed with the Š-IIc prototype, which, at that point, on 22.5.1939,
was – to fit the German nomenclature principles – renamed to Škoda T-21 (T =
tank, 2 = medium, 1 = 1st variant). The Germans didn’t show too much interest
in it; they wanted to test it in Kummersdorf, but in the end, the Germans
decided to produce an improved version, which was named T-22.
The British Carden-Lloyd Tankette's Czechoslovakia had
acquired led to the Czechoslovakia designed tank, the Tančík vz. 33, which was
assembled from a framework of steel "angle iron" beams, to which
armor plates were riveted. The driver sat on the right side using a 300 mm ×
125 mm (11.8 in × 4.9 in) observation port protected by 50 millimeters (2.0 in)
of bulletproof glass and an armored shutter which had a 2 mm (0.079 in) slit.
The gunner sat on the left and had a similar vision port half the size of the
driver's. His ZB vz. 26 machine gun was mounted in a ball mount directly to his
front. There were similar vision ports on the sides and the rear. The driver's
machine gun was fixed and he fired it using a Bowden cable; 2,600 rounds were
stored for the machine guns.
The front armor was 12 mm (0.47 in) thick, the sides had a
thickness of 8 mm (0.31 in), the top was 6 mm (0.24 in) thick and the bottom
plates were 6 mm (0.24 in) in thickness. This was deemed enough to deflect
armor-piercing 7.92 mm (0.312 in) bullets fired from distances greater than 125
meters (137 yd) from the front and 185 meters (202 yd) from the sides. Both
were supposed to withstand ordinary bullets from over 50 meters (55 yd).
The 1.95 liters (119 cu in), water-cooled, 30 horsepower (22
kW), inline 4-cylinder Praga engine sat directly in the fighting compartment.
It had a top speed on the road of 35 kilometers per hour (22 mph). One 50-liter
(13 US gal) fuel tank was located to the left of the engine. The transmission
had four forward gears and one reverse gear. It, the reduction, differential,
driving shafts and brakes were taken from the Praga AN truck. The suspension
was a modified version of that used in the Carden-Loyd tankettes. The Tančík
vz. 33 (literal translation Tankette model 33) was a Czechoslovak-designed
tankette used mainly by Slovakia during World War II. Seventy-four were built.
The Germans seized forty when they occupied Bohemia-Moravia in March 1939;
there is no record of their use. The Slovaks captured 30 at the same time when
they declared independence from Czechoslovakia. In Slovak service, it only saw
combat during the Slovak National Uprising.
The AH-IV was another Czechoslovak-designed tankette. With
this design, Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk was determined not to repeat the
problems of its earlier Tančík vz. 33 tankette and gave the gunner a turret for
better observation and all-around fields of fire. It was assembled from a
framework of steel "angle iron" beams, to which armor plates between
12 and 6 mm (0.47 and 0.24 in) thick were riveted. The driver sat on the right
side using an observation port protected by bulletproof glass and an armored
shutter. To his right was a small vision slit. Also to his right, in all models
except the Swedish Strv m/37, was a light Zbrojovka Brno ZB vz. 26 or vz. 30
machine gun that was usually locked in place and fired using a Bowden cable.
The gunner sat on the left and manned a small turret fitted with a ZB vz. 35 or
ZB vz. 37 heavy machine gun in a ball mount. Most of the machine gun's barrel
protruded from the mount and was protected by an armored trough. He had a large
vision port to the right of the machine gun mount in the turret and a small
vision slit on the left side of the superstructure. 3700 rounds were carried
for the two machine guns. No radio was fitted.
The 3.468 liters (211.6 cu in), water-cooled, six-cylinder
Praga engine produced 55 horsepower (41 kW) at 2500 rpm. It sat in the rear of
the fighting compartment and drove the transmission via a drive shaft that ran
forward between the driver and commander to the gearbox. Cooling air was
designed to draw air in through the commander's and driver's hatches. This had
the advantage of rapidly dispersing gun combustion gases when firing, but
several disadvantages. The constant draft generated by the engine greatly
affected the crew during cold weather, and the engine noise and heat increased
crew fatigue. It had a top speed on the road of 45 kilometers per hour (28 mph)
and a range between 150 and 170 kilometers (93 and 106 mi). The semi-automatic
Praga-Wilson transmission had five forward gears and one reverse gear to drive
the forward-mounted drive sprocket. The suspension was a smaller version of
that used in the Panzerkampfwagen 38(t). It consisted of four large road wheels
per side, each pair mounted on a wheel carrier and sprung by leaf springs.
There were two wheel carriers per side. The idler wheel was at the rear and one
return roller was fitted. It had a ground pressure of only 0.5 kg/cm2.
It could cross a ditch 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) wide, climb an obstacle .5 to .6
meters (1.6 to 2.0 ft) high and ford a stream .8 meters (2.6 ft) deep.
The next major tank develop in Czechoslovak service had the
formal designation Lehký (Light) Tank vzor (Model) 35, but was commonly
referred to as the LT vz. 35 or LT-35. In German use, it was called the
Panzerkampfwagen 35(t), commonly shortened to Panzer 35(t) or abbreviated as
Pz.Kpfw. 35(t), and this Czechoslovak-designed light tank ended up being used
mainly by Nazi Germany during World War II. The letter (t) stood for
tschechisch (German: "Czech"). 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 by 1942.
The Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) was another 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, France
and Russia. Production ended in 1942, when its armament was deemed inadequate.
It was a conventional pre-World War II tank design, with riveted armor and a
rear engine. The riveted armor was mostly unsloped, and varied in thickness
from 10 mm to 25 mm in most versions. Later models (Ausf. E on) increased this
to 50 mm by bolting on an additional 25 mm armor to the front. Side armors
received additional 15 mm armor from Ausf. E onward.
The two-man turret was centrally located, and housed the
tank's main armament, a 37 mm Skoda A7 gun with 90 rounds stored on board. It
was equipped with a 7.92 mm machine gun to the right of the main ordnance. This
turret machine gun was in a separate ball mount rather than a fixed coaxial
mount. This meant the machine gun could be trained on targets independently.
Alternatively, the commander/gunner could couple the machine gun internally to
the main gun and use it as a coaxial machine gun. In all, over 1,400 were
manufactured. The chassis continued to be produced for Marder III (1942-1944)
and Hetzer (1944-1945) tank destroyers, turretless assault guns, anti-tank guns
and anti-aircraft guns.
The Tančík vz. 33 (literal translation Tankette model 33)
was the first Czechoslovak-designed tankette of which seventy-four were built
but it had many issues. The Czech Army bought three Carden-Loyd tankettes and a
production license for them in 1930, Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk building four
copies that same year as prototypes for future orders. The Carden-Loyds were
evaluated during the Fall maneuvers and revealed numerous problems: the crews
had very poor vision through the narrow slits, the machine gun had a very
narrow field of fire, and the crewmen had a difficult time communicating.
Furthermore, they were slow, underpowered and often broke down. One of the P-1
prototypes was rebuilt to address these issues with additional vision ports in
all directions, internal ammunition storage and the machine gun's field of fire
increased to 60°. It was extensively tested during 1931—2 and a few other
changes were made as a result. The armor was increased from 6 to 8 mm (0.24 to
0.31 in) and from 9 to 12 mm (0.35 to 0.47 in) and a fixed machine gun was
added for the driver. Two of the other prototypes were rebuilt to the same
standard; all three were officially accepted by the Army on 17 October 1933.
The other prototype was eventually given to the Shah of Iran. The order for
seventy was placed on 19 April 1933, all being delivered by October 1934.
Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk was determined not to repeat the problems of its
earlier Tančík vz. 33 tankette for its new AH-IV tankette. The AH-IV tankette d
appeared in 1936 and ČKD made improvements which gave the gunner a turret for
better observation and all-around fields of fire. Agile and fast, the machine
gun-armed combat tankette ended up in others hands as it was built mainly for
export.
The LT vz. 34, formally designated as Lehký Tank vzor 34
("Light Tank Model 34") Czechoslovak-designed light tank had been
based on the three Carden-Loyd tankette's, the Czechs had purchased in 1930.
Dissatisfied with the prototypes of the Tančík vz. 33 tankette, the Czech Army
decided that it would be easier to design a light tank from scratch rather than
modify a tankette's chassis to carry a fully rotating armored turret. 50 of the
LT vz. 34 were built, the last of which was delivered during 1936.
One prototype was ordered from Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk in
1931, but development was slow and it was accepted only in November 1932. Its
evaluations were very positive and an order for fifty was placed on 19 April
1933. The first six of these were to serve as pre-production models and were to
be delivered by 30 September 1933. The delivery date for the next batch of
twenty-four was a year after that and the final batch of twenty was due by 30
July 1935. Production was delayed by quality problems with the initial batch of
armor plates from Poldi and delivery of the pre-production series did not occur
until 23 April 1934. A bigger problem was that the Army had rejected ČKD's
proposed armament of a 4.7 centimeters (1.9 in) Vickers 44/60 gun and two ZB
vz. 26 machine guns so the contract was signed with no design work on the
desired armament configuration. ČKD did not finalize its design until December
1933 and the first six tanks were delivered with only a pair of ZB vz. 26
machine guns. The last tanks were delivered on 14 January 1936, but the six
pre-production models had to be returned to the factory to be upgraded with the
proper armament and otherwise modified up to the latest standards. The last one
was delivered on 17 August 1936.
The Czech Army formulated a requirement in the II-a category
of light cavalry tanks by the end of 1934. Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk 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 tonnes (8.4 long tons; 9.4 short tons) and had only a maximum 16
millimeters (0.63 in) of armor while Škoda's S-II-a weighed 10.5 tonnes (10.3
long tons; 11.6 short tons) and had 25 millimeters (0.98 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. 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.
By 1935, the Czechoslovak tank manufacturer ČKD was looking
for a replacement for the LT vz. 35 or as it came to be known the LT-35 tank,
which they were jointly producing with Škoda Works. The LT-35 was complex and
had shortcomings, and ČKD felt there would be orders both from the expanding
Czechoslovak army and for export.
ČKD decided to use a suspension with four large wheels for
their new tank. It resembled the Christie suspension outwardly, but was
actually a conventional leaf spring unit. The resulting vehicle was reliable,
and an export success: 50 were exported to Iran, 24 each to Peru and
Switzerland. Lithuania also ordered some. The British Royal Armoured Corps
(RAC) had one trial model delivered on 23 March 1939 to the Gunnery School at
Lulworth. A report stated, the "(bow) gunner could not sit back
comfortably as the wireless set was in the way of his left shoulder." The
report also stated that due to the shudder while the vehicle was on the move,
it was impossible to lay the gun. Even at the speed of 5 mph, accuracy was
poor. As a result, the RAC did not purchase the tank and the trial model was
returned.
On 1 July 1938, Czechoslovakia ordered 150 of the TNHPS
model, which came to be known as the LT vz. 38. Although none had entered
service by the time of the German occupation, those made were taken over and
used by Germany. After the German takeover, Germany ordered continued
production of the model, as it was considered an excellent tank, especially
compared to the Panzer I and Panzer II tanks that were the Panzerwaffe's main
tanks. It was first introduced into German service under the name LTM 38; this
was changed on 16 January 1940 to Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) and came to be known
as the Panzer 38(t). Production of tanks for Germany continued into 1942, and
amounted to more than 1,400 examples. Examples were also sold to a number of
German allies, including Hungary (102), Slovakia (69), Romania (50), and
Bulgaria (10). In German service the 38(t) was used as a substitute for the
Panzer III.
In December 1937, the Škoda workshops prepared a prototype
of a medium tank based on the LT vz. 35 project. Two prototypes were started
and designated S-IIc, but their construction was never finished. The tank
weighed 16.5 tonnes (16.2 long tons; 18.2 short tons), was armed with a 47 mm
Škoda A9 vz. 38 gun, two 7.92 mm machine guns and its maximum armor was
extended to 30 mm. Finally, the S-II-c was to have a better 13.8 liters engine
giving 250 hp; this increased the maximum speed to roughly 50 km/h. After
Germany annexed Czechoslovakia, the prototypes were finished and Hungarian
engineers turn it into the 40M Turán I.
In the fall of 1937, the Czechoslovak armed forces launched
a contest for new medium tank; Škoda, ČKD and Tatra competed. Most interesting
was a tank ČKD V-8-H (later ST vz. 39). The V-8-H was the first completely
independent construction of ČKD Praga. It was the result of the experience,
gained by ČKD during the Šp-IIb cooperation in the mid 1930s (a prototype of
Šp-IIb was built in 1937). Škoda, however, being the main competitor of ČKD
wasn't really that much interested in cooperation and pushed its resources into
what would become the T-2X line of vehicles (specifically the T-21 medium
tank). The result was the V-8-H (the designation means V-8 engine, H - tracked)
and it did inherit the best parts and experience of the Šp-IIb. Unfortunately,
it did inherit some of its flaws too (namely an unreliable engine and weak
final drive).
The prototype was built and tested from summer 1937 for
roughly six months. The tests went rather fine and subsequently the project was
offered to several countries, including the United Kingdom, China, Denmark,
Egypt and many others. However, the interest in the vehicle wasn't high as its
weight was 14 tons, while most bridges of that time could hold vehicles up to
10 tons. It was also considerably more expensive than the
Czechoslovakia-produced light tanks. Only Italy, Sweden and Switzerland showed
some sign of interest. However, in late 1937, the Czechoslovak army decided to
run official tank trials both in infantry tank and cruiser tank categories.
V-8-H took part in these trials and emerged as the clear victor of its category
combined with the army's need for a medium tank. The Czechoslovak army, seeing
Germany's new Panzer III vehicles, felt that the contemporary light tanks could
not stand up to it. A competition was announced for the new Czechoslovak army
medium tank and V-8-H took part. In April 1938, the vehicle was thoroughly
tested and changes were made, leading to the tank's weight increasing by two
tons. Almost all the parts were changed and improved, including the engine,
armor and drive train.
Due to the worsening international situation, the army
decided to order 300 V-8-H/ST vz. 39 tanks. An order for a further 150 was
canceled after the Munich Agreement of 1938 gave the Sudetenland area of
Czechoslovakia to Germany. After the occupation of the remainder of
Czechoslovakia on 15 March 1939, representatives of the German armaments office
selected the V-8-H for testing by the Army at Eisenach. As a result of a
fortnight's testing, an order was issued in November 1939 for the production of
another prototype. Both prototypes survived the war, but were scrapped soon
afterwards.
The main advantages of the Panzer 38(t), compared to other
tanks of the day, were its very high reliability and sustained mobility. In one
documented case, a regiment was supplied with tanks driven straight from the
factory in 2.5 days instead of the anticipated week, without any mechanical
breakdowns (in: History of the 25 Panzer Regiment of the 7 Panzer Division). In
the opinion of the crews, the drive components of the 38(t), engine, gear,
steering, suspension, wheels and tracks were perfectly in tune with each other.
The 38(t) was also considered to be very easy to maintain and repair.
The Panzer 38(t) was manufactured until June 1942. The small
turret was incapable of taking a weapon big enough to destroy late-war tanks,
such as the T-34, and manufacturing of the tank version ceased. However, the chassis
were used for Marder III tank destroyer from 1942-1944. About 1500 Marder III
models were produced, which is more than 1400 Panzer 38(t) produced. After
Marder III, Jagdpanzer 38(t) was produced based on altered Panzer 38(t) chassis
with approximately 2800 produced. Chassis for Panzer 38(t) was the basis for
small number of anti-aircraft guns as well.
The Czech Army realized that the 15 mm (0.59 in) armor on
its LT vz. 34 or P-II light tank was too thin and a program to replace it was
quickly mounted, which resulted in the LT vz. 35. In the meantime, they offered
the Army an opportunity to train with more modern tanks than its few surviving
World War I-era Renault FTs. Each of the three armored regiments received
between nine and twenty-four until replaced by the LT vz. 35 from 1937. After
the Munich Agreement in October 1938, the army tried to sell them, but could
find no takers. In November 1938, it decided to concentrate all of them in the
Third Armored Regiment in Slovakia, but only 18 had been transferred before the
German occupation of Czechoslovakia and the Slovak declaration of independence
in March 1939.
The Germans captured twenty-three LT vz. 34s and the
prototype when they occupied Czechoslovakia, but there is no record of their
use so they were presumably quickly scrapped. Ten LT vz. 34s were captured
after they were abandoned by the insurgents during the Slovak National Uprising
in 1944. They were shipped to Skoda for repairs, but the local military
representative ordered them scrapped because of their poor condition and
obsolescence. The Waffen-SS tried to overturn this order as it planned to
transfer them to Nazi puppet state of Croatia. Two were saved from the scrap
yard, but by March 1945 the others had their turrets salvaged to be rearmed
with two machine guns and mounted in fixed fortifications.
In Slovakia, 27 LT vz. 34s formed one company in the Armored
Battalion "Martin" formed by the Slovak Army in mid-1939, which was
later expanded into the Armored Regiment, but they were relegated to training
duties once the Slovaks began to receive more modern tanks from Germany in
1941. Ten were abandoned by the insurgents when the Slovak National Uprising
began in September 1944 and were quickly captured by the Germans. The others
were dug in on the approaches to Zvolen.
The 298 LT vz. 35 commonly known later as the Panzer 35(t)
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 Henlein'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. The LT vz.35 light tanks also were
used in the Slovak–Hungarian War or Little War (Hungarian: Kis háború, Slovak:
Malá vojna), fought from 23 March to 31 March/4 April 1939 between the First
Slovak Republic and Hungary in eastern Slovakia.
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 L.T.M.35 of the Czechoslovak Army were seized by the Germans
where they were known as the L.T.M.35 until January 1940 then designated Panzer
35(t). 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. From 1940 on there had not been
any spare parts available and tanks had to be completely rebuilt to remain
operational.
The LT vz. 38 which was designated by the Germans as the
Panzer 38(t) performed well in the Polish Campaign in 1939 and the Battle of
France in 1940. It was better armed than the Panzer I and Panzer II tanks. It
was on par with most light tank designs of the era, although it was unable to
effectively engage the frontal armor of medium, heavy and infantry tank
designs.
It was also used in the German invasion of the Soviet Union
from 1941 onwards in German and Hungarian units, but was outclassed by Soviet
tanks such as the T-34. Some ex-German units were issued to the Romanians in
1943, after the loss of many of the Romanian R-2 tanks. By then, it had become
largely obsolete, though the chassis was adapted to a variety of different
roles with success. Notable variations include the SdKfz 138 Marder III mobile
anti-tank gun, the SdKfz 138/1 Grille mobile howitzer, Flakpanzer 38(t) and the
Jagdpanzer 38(t) "Hetzer" tank destroyer. Small numbers were also
used for reconnaissance, training and security duties, such as deployment on
armored trains.
During the war, the first encounters with the Russian T-34's
quickly led the German army to look for alternative solutions for a new medium
tank. One of them was to commission occupied Czechoslovakia's Škoda company to
design a new medium tank for the Wehrmacht. In Fall 1941, Germans contacted the
Škoda engineers and designers and by the end of 1941, first drawings of the new
vehicle (designated T-24) were ready. At the same time, another team was
working on an even heavier vehicle, the T-25 and the T-24 project was cancelled
in favor of the T-25. Technically, it was one of the most advanced drawings of
the Škoda design bureau and just like the T-25, it was inspired by the sloped
shapes of the T-34 Soviet tank. As the war came to a close, on 10 December
1945, 1st Department of the Czechoslovak High Command sent its ideas about the
new tank to the VTU (Military Research Institute). It was supposed to be a
30-33 ton machine, armed with an 85mm to 105mm cannon, with the armor of 20 to
65 millimeters. It was to be propelled by a diesel engine with maximum speed of
50 km/h and it was to have a 5-member crew. On December 3, 1946, VTU design bureau
presented a miniature mock-up proposal, named "Tank všeobecného
použití" (TVP). It was based on the best elements of studied German,
British, Russian and Czechoslovak constructions. The VTU institute proposed to
use the German 88mm-105mm guns as its armament. In the years 1947 and 1948,
this project was worked on, the demands and construction elements of the
vehicle were further refined. There was a parallel development in the other big
company - ČKD (Pilsen and ČKD used to compete a lot before the war for military
contracts), there is however no information on their involvement in these
years.
The official request for the new tank from the High command
was however given only in 1949 (all the previous army involvement was on an
unofficial level). The Škoda project received thus an official designation -
T-50, the ČKD project received the T-51 designation, but by 1950, both projects
were unified under the designation of T-50/51. Forced by the Soviet Union and
pressed into accepting the Soviet tanks into their army, the Czechoslovak High
Command had to abandon the support of the project. Few months later, all the
independent design and construction works in Czechoslovakia were ended and that
marked the end of the last truly independent Czechoslovak tank project.
From now on for decades, all the Czechoslovak tanks would be
derivatives of the Soviet models as seen below:
Czechoslovakia:
1,800 T-54s were ordered in 1957 and produced under license between 1958 and
1963. 1,700 T-55s were ordered in 1963 and produced under license between 1964
and 1973. Overall 2,700 T-54s were produced under license between 1957 and 1966
and 8,300 T-55s and T-55As between 1964 and 1983 (T-55A was probably produced
since 1968) (most for export). Passed on to successor states.
Czech Republic:
At least 296 T-54s and T-55s, 2 MT-55s, 25 VT-55s were inherited from
Czechoslovakia. 792 T-55s and T-72s were in service in early 2001. According to
the UN register of conventional arms Czech Armed Forces operated 948 T-55s and
T-72s in 1997, 938 in 1998, 792 in 1999 and 652 as of 1 January 2001. Last
vehicles were withdrawn from service in early years of the 2000s (decade).
Slovakia: At
least 206 were inherited from Czechoslovakia. 1 T-55AM2B received from Czech
Republic in 2000. 1 T-55AM2 received from Czech Republic in 2001. 2 T-55AM2s
received from Czech Republic in 2005. 275 T-55s and T-72s were in service in
1999. 3 T-55s were in service in early 2001.
Tanks
Kolo-Housenka
LT vz. 34:
CKD/Praga P-11 light tank. Fifty built for Czechoslovakia.
LT vz. 35: Škoda
S-IIa light tank built for Czechoslovak army. Captured examples used by Germany
as Panzer 35(t).
LT vz. 38:
CKD/Praga TNH light tank built for Czechoslovakia and export. Adopted by German
army as Panzer 38(t) and continued in production until 1942.
ST vz. 39:
Prototype medium tank design by CKD/Praga. Ordered by Czechoslovak army but
production plans stopped by German takeover.
AH-IV: Two man
light tank built for export.
F-IV-HE: 1937
prototype three-man amphibious light tank.
Škoda S-IIb:
Medium tank design rejected by Czechoslovakia in favor of St vz 39, but
developed into 40M Turán I for Hungary.
Škoda T-24: The
Škoda T24 is a lightly armored medium tank designed by Škoda car company.
T-54/55: 1,800
T-54s were ordered in 1957 and produced under license between 1958 and 1963.
1,700 T-55s were ordered in 1963 and produced under license between 1964 and
1973. Overall 2,700 T-54s were produced under license between 1957 and 1966 and
8,300 T-55s and T-55As between 1964 and 1983 (T-55A was probably produced since
1968) (most for export). Passed on to successor states.
T-72: About 1,700
T-72/T-72M/T-72M1 were produced between 1981 and 1990. The Czechoslovak army
had 815 T-72 in 1991.
Tankettes
Tančík vz. 33:
CKD/Praga two man tankette design - about 70 ordered by Czechoslovakia.
Škoda S-1: Two
man tankette, rejected in favor of the vz. 33 by Czechoslovakia, but S-1d
version armed with 47 mm gun built for Yugoslavia.
References
Bishop, Chris (ed.) 1998, The Encyclopedia of Weapons of
World War II, Barnes & Noble, New York.
Carius, Otto (2003). Tigers in the Mud. Stackpole Books.
Chamberlain, Peter, and Hilary L. Doyle. Thomas L. Jentz
(Technical Editor). Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two: A Complete
Illustrated Directory of German Battle Tanks, Armoured Cars, Self-propelled
Guns, and Semi-tracked Vehicles, 1933–1945. London: Arms and Armour Press, 1978
(revised edition 1993).
Jentz, Thomas L. (2007). Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) Ausf. A to
G und S: Production, Modification, and Operational History from 1939 to 1942.
Panzer Tracts. No. 18. Boyds, Maryland: Panzer Tracts.
Francev Vladimír, Kliment Charles, Praga LT vz.38 (PzKpfw 38
(t)), publisher Miroslav Bílý (MBI).
Spielberger, Walter J. (1990). Die Panzer-Kampfwagen 35(t)
und 38(t) und ihre Abarten (2nd ed.). Motorbuch Verlag.
(Spanish) Sigal
Fogliani, Ricardo Jorge, Blindados Argentinos, de Uruguay y Paraguay, Ayer y
Hoy Ediciones, Buenos Aires, 1997.
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| Map of Czechoslovakia in 1928-1938. The provinces shown on the map were introduced by Act No. 125/1927 Zb. and became effective in 1928. |
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| German map of the First Slovak Republic in 1943, part of a map of Europe, printed by the O.K.H. March 1944. |
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| Good sideview of the KH-50 tank. Note the ramps on the side and the unfolded front hatch. |
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| This is the original converted Hanomag tractor by Vollmer, on which the vehicles were based. On the Kolohousenka vehicles, the engine was moved to the back. |
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| An original converted Hanomag tractor by Vollmer is second in the line of vehicles. |
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| An original converted Hanomag tractor by Vollmer. |
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An original converted Hanomag tractor by Vollmer.
|
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| An original converted Hanomag tractor by Vollmer. |
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| An original converted Hanomag tractor by Vollmer. |
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| An original converted Hanomag tractor by Vollmer. |
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| An original converted Hanomag tractor by Vollmer. |
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| An original converted Hanomag tractor by Vollmer. |
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| An original converted Hanomag tractor by Vollmer. |
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| An original converted Hanomag tractor by Vollmer. |
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| KH-2. |
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| KH-50. |
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| KH-50. |
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| KH-50. |
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| KH-50. |
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| The KH-50 tank showing how the ramps are used to change from tracks to wheels. |
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| KH-50. |
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| KH-50. |
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| KH-50. |
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| KH-50. |
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| KH-50. |
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| KH-50. |
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| KH-50. |
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| KH-60 tank. The main layout differences are quite visible. The exhaust is moved to the top of the tank and the front has been redesigned, as well as the turret. |
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| KH-60. |
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| The KH-70 tank. Only one vehicle of this type was made. Either the turret is turned, or the armament is not installed. |
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| Carden-Loyd Mk VI Mortar Carrier with trailer and 3.7 inch QF Howitzer Mk I. |
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| The Swedish model of the AH-IV, the Strv m/37. |
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| AH-IV-Sv 37-14. |
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| Turan II based on the design of the Czechoslovak Škoda medium tank prototype. Hungarian troops on the tank, which is towing a truck, during the withdrawal of German and Hungarian troops from Romania to Hungary, 1944. |
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| ST vz. 39 medium tank project. Not accepted by the Czech army, it later became the basis for the Turan I tank. |
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| ST vz. 39 medium tank project. |
