Panzerkampfwagen 35(t)

 Panzerkampfwagen 35(t); image courtesy Barnes & Noble
          The LT vz 35 originated in October 1934 from a Czech army order to CKD (Ceskomoravska Kolben Danek) for a medium tank. Two prototypes, the S-11-a (or T-11), were produced in June 1935 and sent to the army for tests. Possibly as a reaction to Germany's rearmament program, the Czech army ordered 160 vehicles in October 1935 despite the tank's many glitches resulting from hasty development and introduction of innovative features. CKD delivered the first five vehicles in 1936, but they were so unreliable that they had to be sent back for improvement. Eventually the technical problems were corrected and the Czech army ordered another 138 tanks, now designated LT vz 35. Romania also placed an order for 126 and called the vehicle R-2. In 1939 Germany overran Czechoslovakia and incorporated its productive arms industry. The mouthful Ceskomoravska Kolben Danek was renamed Skoda by the German army, which also confiscated 219 LT vz 35, now dubbed Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) (t for tschechoslowakish), from the Czech army. Many PzKpfw 35(t) saw action in Poland and in France with the 6th Panzer Division. They served as tanks until 1942, when the remaining chassis were reconfigured into mortar tractors (M�rserzugmittel), artillery tractors (Zugkraftwagen), or maintenance vehicles. Production continued in Hungary and Romania until 1945, when a total of some 300 had been built.

          The PzKpfw 35(t), like the PzKpfw I, inherited many ideas from the British Cardon-Lloyd carrier, license-produced by CKD. The tank was equipped with riveted armor plates, which when hit by a heavy projectile could snap the bolts and send them richocheting inside the turret and hull. Armament consisted of a dual-purpose 37.2mm main gun, a co-axially mounted machine gun, and a hull machine gun. The LT vz 35 originally had a crew of three, but the Germans fitted the tank with a radio and added a crewman as radio operator. The commander/gunner could sit but the loader/radio operator had to stand in the turret. The bow machine-gunner sat in the front of the hull on the left, the driver on the right. The rear of the chassis housed the engine and transmission. Interestingly, compressed air was used to help the driver with transmission and steering, making long travels less tiring. Weaknesses include an excessively high profile for its size, the commander's constricted field of vision when the turret hatch was closed, and the pneumatic transmission system that broke down in the Russian winter. Despite its early notoriety of unreliability, the PzKpfw 35(t) was overall an agile, well-armed and armored tank of advanced design.

Technical data and/or diagram of Panzerkampfwagen 35(t).
Image courtesy Barnes & Noble Three PzKpfw 35(t) advance through an open field with Panzergrenadiers on foot and motorcycles. Note the large Swastica flags on the hull to prevent friendly fire from the Luftwaffe.
Image courtesy Barnes & Noble A mixed column of PzKpfw 35(t) and PzKpfw 38(t) of the Slovakian army in the beginning phase of Operation Barbarossa.
Image courtesy Barnes & Noble This side view of a PzKpfw 35(t) shows the tank's riveted armor, and its suspension system made up of eight small roadwheels (two per bogie). The drive sprocket is at the rear, the idler at the front. There are also four return rollers.
Image courtesy Arms and Armour A PzKpfw 35(t) fording a stream.
Image courtesy Arms and Armour PzKpfw 35(t) on maneuver in March 1940.
Image courtesy Arms and Armour A great frontal shot of a LT vz 35 belonging to the Slovak Fast Division, showing clearly the bolts and rivets on the armor plates. Note also the camouflage and license plate number.
Image courtesy Arms and Armour (Charles Kliment) A PzKpfw 35(t) in the process of pulling a truck stuck in a ditch.

Back to Tanks Page
Back to Heer Page
Back to Homepage

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1