ČKD-Praga LT-H

ČKD-Praga LT-H
ČKD-Praga LT-H as armored car 39 (Praga) of the Swiss Army
General properties
crew	4th
length	4.51 m
width	2.00 m
height	2.30 m
Dimensions	7.62 t
Armor and armament
Armor	32 mm
Main armament	2.4 cm gun (24 mm Pzw-Kan 38)
Secondary armament	1 × 7.5 mm Mg 11
agility
drive	Saurer 4-cylinder diesel engine 93 kW (126 PS)
Top speed	45 km / h
Power / weight	12.2 kW / t (16.4 PS / t)
Range	250 km

The ČKD-Praga LT-H was a Czechoslovak production light tank from the 1930s.

history

This light tank was developed by the Czechoslovak company ČKD in 1937 and was intended exclusively for the world market. It was fast, technically reliable and had armor that withstood most of the ammunition types common at the time. Its armament as a conventional pre-war tank with a 24 mm gun alone did not meet the growing demands of the Wehrmacht. He had a four-cylinder - diesel engine in the rear and a riveted armor.

Panzerwagen 39 as a "German" tank

further view

Use in other states

The Switzerland had then acquired before the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938, a copy of 1939 eleven copies. In 1941 a further twelve dismantled tanks without weapons or engines were bought and finally assembled in Switzerland. The 1939 procured tanks were with a 120 hp paid six-cylinder - petrol engine equipped the 1941 procured tank with a four-cylinder 125-horsepower diesel engine of the Swiss company Saurer . All were equipped with the 24-mm-Pzw-Kan-38, a predecessor of the 24 mm tank rifle 41 and were designated as Panzerwagen 39 (Praga).

The tank was also exported to Peru (as LT-P) in 24 copies and many other countries showed great interest. Latvia (as LT-L) had already ordered the model with a more powerful cannon. These tanks, which had already been produced, were completed after the German annexation as LT vz.40 and handed over to the allied Slovakia . These 21 vehicles were used in the war against the Soviet Union .

See also

• Panzer 38 (t)

literature

• Walter J. Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen 35 (t) and 38 (t) and their variants. Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-87943-708-4 .
• Robert Jackson: tanks: models from around the world from 1915 to today. Parragon Books Ltd, ISBN 978-1-4075-7742-5 .
• Hans-Heiri Stapfer: Panzer 38 (t) / Swiss LTL-H - Armor Walk Around Color Series No. 13th Squadron / Signal Publications, 2009, ISBN 978-0897475891 .
• Vladimir Francev: Export Light Tanks - Exporti Lehke Tanky Praga - Tanque 39, Pzw 39, LT-40. MBI Publishing Co., 2007.

Web links

Commons : ČKD-Praga LT-H  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• wheelsandtracks.com List of the remaining armored cars 39

Individual evidence

1. ↑ www.he.admin.ch Swiss Army, Documentation Panzermuseum Thun  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Accessed May 9, 2011  
2. ↑ www.military vehicles.ch Panzerwagen 39 , accessed on May 9, 2011