ČKD-Praga TNH

Stridsvagn m / 41
	Stridsvagn m / 41 SII
General properties
crew	4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader )
length	SI: 4.54 m, ; SII: 4.60 m
width	2.14 m
height	2.35 m
Dimensions	SI: 10.5 tons,; SII 11.0 tons
	Armor and armament
Armor	SI: 8-25 mm, ; SII 8-50 mm
Main armament	1 × 37mm cannon m / 38 Bofors
Secondary armament	2 × 8 mm machine guns m / 39
agility
drive	SI: Otto engine Scania -Vabis type 1664 ; 104 kW (141 PS) ; SII: Otto engine Scania -Vabis type L-603 ; 118 kW (160 PS);
suspension	Leaf springs
Top speed	48 km / h
Power / weight

Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t)
	Panzer 38 (t)
General properties
crew	4th
length	4.61 m
width	2.12 m
height	2.40 m
Dimensions	9.4 t
	Armor and armament
Armor	15-25 mm
Main armament	3.72 cm KwK 38 (t) L / 47.8
Secondary armament	2 × 7.92 mm MG ZB galvanized. 37
agility
drive	Praga EPA 6-cylinder gasoline engine ; 150 PS (110 kW)
Top speed	42 km / h
Power / weight	9.9 kW / t (13.3 PS / t)
Range	250 km

The ČKD-Praga TNH was a tank of Czechoslovak design, which was sold by the Czechoslovak Army under the designation LT vz. 38 ( Lehký tank vzor 38 , Light Tank Model 38) should be put into service. At the time of the break-up of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1939, this had not yet happened. By mid-1942, over 1,400 units were produced for the German Wehrmacht . Noticeable design features were the 3.7 cm cannon, which is very powerful for a light tank, and riveted armor. In the early years of the Second World War , tanks under the designation Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) still represented a substantial part of the armored vehicles on the German side and there mostly took on the role of a medium battle tank. From 1942 the Panzer 38 (t) were increasingly withdrawn from the front line and assigned to rear units or converted into various other vehicles such as the Marder III tank destroyer . From 1944 the modified chassis served as the basis for the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) ("Hetzer").

history

When German troops occupied the Bohemian-Moravian part of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, the German Reich fell into the hands of a powerful armaments industry , for example ČKD in Prague . In addition to the production facilities, the Czechoslovak armaments industry had armored designs such as the ČKD-Praga LT-H , which were roughly equivalent to the current versions of the German Panzer III . In addition, the German Panzer I and II were already out of date and should already be retired according to the German pre-war armament plans. The Czechoslovak tanks were quickly integrated into the German tank divisions as replacements .

At the time of the German occupation, the ČKD-Praga TNHP as LT-38 was another tank model that was about to be introduced into the Czechoslovak army . The model was adopted in the equipment of the German troops under the name Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) , where the t stood for Czech . More than 1,400 of these vehicles were manufactured from 1939 to 1942. Furthermore, many allies of the German Empire, such as the Kingdom of Romania or the Slovak Republic, were equipped with tanks of Czech origin.

Overall, the 38 (t) proved to be a reliable tank, which was no longer able to cope with the demands until 1941/42 due to the increased appearance of the Soviet T-34 .

The armament, a 3.72 cm L / 47.8 cannon, was superior to that of the German light tanks, and the armor of the front, at 25 mm, was only slightly weaker than that of the Panzerkampfwagen III and IV (early versions ~ 30 mm). In later versions, the front armor was reinforced up to 50 mm. The greatest weakness of the vehicle was its riveted armor: if hit, rivets could come loose and injure or kill the crew in the fighting compartment without the armor penetrating; if the rivets were blown outwards, the accompanying infantry could be hit.

Even after the end of the Second World War, exported models or licensed buildings were in Switzerland ( ČKD-Praga LT-H, Panzerkraftwagen 39 (Praga)) and in Sweden (Stridsvagn m / 41, see below) until the end of the 1960s , partly also as Jagdpanzer 38 (t) , in use. Syria still used these models in the Six Day War .

month	Sep 39	Oct. 39	Nov. 39	Dec. 39	Jan. 40	Feb. 40	March 40	Apr. 40	May 40	Jun. 40	Jul. 40	Aug. 40	Sep 40	Oct. 40	Nov. 40	Dec. 40	Jan. 41
Production figures of the Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t)
number of pieces	31	30th	11	0	10	24	31	30th	30th	30th	30th	35	35	44	27	44	45
month	Feb. 41	March 41	Apr. 41	May 41	Jun. 41	Jul. 41	Aug. 41	Sep 41	Oct. 41	Nov. 41	Dec. 41	Jan. 42	Feb. 42	March 42	Apr. 42	May 42	Jun. 42
number of pieces	50	53	49	78	65	65	64	76	53	50	50	59	61	28	0	21st	26th

Used by the Wehrmacht - Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t)

Northern Soviet Union, Panzer 38 (t) and infantry

Panzer 38 (t) Ausf. S

At the beginning of the Second World War, 57 Panzer 38 (t) were ready for action, which were used by the 3rd light division in the attack on Poland . Seven of these tanks were destroyed by September 25, 1939.

By the beginning of the western campaign in 1940 there were 238 units in the 7th Panzer Division (PD) and the 8th PD , of which 54 were reported as total losses in the course of May or June.

The 8th PD also took part in the Balkan campaign in Yugoslavia with 125 tanks 38 (t) . Seven tanks were lost from April 6th to the end of April.

The largest number so far was used in the war against the Soviet Union . 660 Panzer 38 (t) were ready for action in five tank divisions . For reasons of spare parts supply, these five PD and the 6th PD , which was equipped with the Panzer 35 (t) , were combined in Panzer Group 3 . In the loss-making battle in the direction of Moscow , 184 tanks were lost by the beginning of September and a total of 639 tanks 38 (t) by December 22nd . Only 84 were still operational.

In February 1942, the newly established 22nd PD with 114 tanks 38 (t) was sent to the Eastern Front and first used in the Trappenjagd company on the Kerch peninsula . In the meantime the 7th PD and the 12th PD have been converted to German tanks. Production ran out in June 1942, and stocks on the Eastern Front were slowly falling. In mid-June there were still 253 tanks in four tank divisions. Until the end of the year only small remnants were still in use with the front troops. Disused tanks 38 (t) were also used for driving school purposes. For this, the cannon was removed and partially replaced by wooden dummies.

ammunition

Ammunition and penetration capacity of the KwK 38 (t) L / 47.8
Ammunition nomenclature	Tank shell (t)	Panzerranate (t) coll.	Tank shell 40
Bullet weight	0.85 kg	0.815 kg	0.368 kg
Muzzle velocity	741 m / s	750 m / s	1040 m / s
Penetration performance of the KwK at a 30 ° angle of impact
100 meters	36 mm	41 mm	64 mm
500 meters	31 mm	33 mm	33 mm
1000 meters	24 mm	27 mm
1500 meters	22 mm	24 mm

Technical specifications

	Versions A – D + S	Execution E – G
Technical data of the versions of the Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t)
0 General characteristics
Weight	9.7 t	9.85 t
Ground pressure	0.57 kg / cm ²	=
length	4.61 m	=
width	2.14 m	=
height	2.25 m	=
Chain width	29.3 cm	=
Ground clearance	40 cm	=
0 armament
Main armament	3.7 cm KwK 38 (t) L / 48.7	=
Secondary armament	2 × MG	=
Ammunition supply	KwK: 90 MG: 2700	=
Caliber length (KwK)	48.7	=
agility
engine	Praga EPA 6-cylinder gasoline engine, water-cooled	=
power	150 hp	=
Displacement	7.75 l	=
Bore / stroke	110/136	=
rotational speed	2200 rpm	=
transmission	5 V, 1 R (five gears)	=
Motor effectiveness	16.1 hp / l	=
Power to weight ratio	12.8 hp / t	12.6 hp / t
drive wheel	front	=
steering	differential	=
Speed limit road	42 km / h	=
Top speed terrain	15 km / h	=
Fuel supply	220 l	=
Driving range	250 km (road) 160 km (terrain)	=
Wading ability	80 cm	=
Ground clearance	40 cm	=
suspension	Leaf springs	=
Armor
Tub bow	25 mm	50 mm
Tub side	15 mm	15-30 mm
Tub rear	15 mm	=
Tub roof	10 mm	12 mm
Tub bottom	8 mm	=
Tower front	25 mm	50 mm
Tower side	15 mm	30 mm
Turret stern	15 mm	22 mm
Chassis numbers	Design A 0001–0150, design B 0151–0260, design C 0261–0370, design D 0371–0475, design S 1001–1090	Execution E 0476-0750, execution F 0751-1000, execution G 1101-1359, 1480-1526

variants

The landing gear also served as the basis for various other weapon systems. Most important were the Marder III , a tank destroyer with a half-armored body and 7.5 cm PaK 40 or captured Soviet 7.62 cm PaK (produced in 1561, another 175 converted from Panzer 38 (t)).
The Jagdpanzer 38 (t) was an inexpensive and easy to manufacture tank destroyer from the years 1944/45 with a 7.5 cm PaK 39 L / 48 (2584 pieces) or a flame thrower (20 pieces).
A total of 170 units of the Bergepanzer 38 (t) were produced.
The Wehrmacht's first flak tank , the Flakpanzer 38 (t) , was based on the chassis of the PzKpfw 38 (t). However, due to its low firepower and insufficient armor, it was not a success. 141 pieces were produced.
The Sturmpanzer 38 (t) “Grille” was a self-propelled gun with a 15 cm howitzer for close infantry support on the chassis of the Panzer 38 (t). Almost 400 vehicles were built.
The light unit weapon carrier was planned as a self-propelled gun for various weapons. Only a few prototypes were made, all but one of which were lost.
The melee cannon 1 was a Swiss prototype based on the chassis of the ČKD-Praga TNHP.
The Mannschaftstransportwagen kitten was in 1944 by the Auto Union developed but not implemented in the military service. The vehicle was to have a Maybach HL5O engine with 180 hp. The chassis of the PzKpfw 38 (t) appears to have been used as the basis for at least one of the two prototypes that have been started. These were blown up at the end of the war.

Licensed construction in Sweden - Stridsvagn m / 41

Tower of a Strv m / 41 SI

The Swedish Army was interested in the TNHP and therefore ordered 90 TNHSv vehicles in March 1940. However, these were not delivered to Sweden, but taken over by the German Wehrmacht under the designation Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) / Ausf.S. As a result, Sweden acquired the license to replicate the tank in December 1940. This took place at Scania-Vabis in Södertälje. In June 1941, the first 116 vehicles were ordered, which were delivered from December 1942 to August 1943 under the army designation Stridsvagn m / 41 (Strv m / 41) . The second series of 122 copies was ordered in June 1942. It had thicker front armor of 50 mm and the more powerful Scania-Vabis L-603 engine with 160 hp, which is why its hull was 65 mm longer. The shape of the tower was also changed. To distinguish it from the first series, it was given the designation Strv m / 41 SII, which was now called Strv m / 41 SI. The first vehicles were delivered in October 1943, the last (after 106 copies) in March 1944. The last 16 chassis were completed in 1944 as Stormartillerivagn m / 43 (Sav m / 43), similar to the German assault guns. They were armed with a 105 mm Bofors cannon. The Strv m / 41 was in service until the late 1950s. The still usable chassis were used as the basis for the conversion to the Pansarbandvagn 301 . The turrets of separated or converted tanks were used as fixed points of defense (Värntorn) for military objects or for coastal protection.

literature

Walter J. Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen 35 (t) and 38 (t) and their variants. Volume 11, Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, ISBN 3-87943-708-4 .
Wolfgang Fleischer: Waffen-Arsenal - Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) in action. Volume 181, Podzun-Pallas Verlag, ISBN 3-7909-0686-7 .
Robert Jackson: tanks: models from around the world from 1915 to today. Parragon Books Ltd, ISBN 978-1-4075-7742-5 .
Thomas L. Jentz : Die deutsche Panzertruppe Volume 1. Podzun-Pallas Verlag, 1998, ISBN 3-7909-0623-9 .
Didrik von Porat: Svenska armens Pansar. Army Museum Stockholm, 1985.

Web links

Commons : Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

^ ^A ^b ^c Michael E. Haskew: The World's Most Powerful Tanks . In: The World's Most Powerful Machines . The Rosen Publishing Group, New York 2016, ISBN 978-1-4994-6557-0 , pp. 39, 40 ( [1] [accessed January 25, 2019]).
↑ ^a ^b ^c 101 Great Tanks . In: Robert Jackson (Ed.): The 101 Greatest Weapons of All Times . The Rosen Publishing Group, New York 2010, ISBN 978-1-4358-3595-5 , pp. 29 ( [2] [accessed January 25, 2019]).
↑ Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 260, differences to other sources possible.
↑ Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 104.
↑ Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 141.
↑ Thomas L. Jentz: The German Panzer Troops 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 157.
↑ Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 209.
↑ Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 236.
↑ Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 283.
↑ Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 281.
^ Chamberlain / Doyle: Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two. 1978, p. 156.

[Haskew-1] A ^b ^c Michael E. Haskew: The World's Most Powerful Tanks . In: The World's Most Powerful Machines . The Rosen Publishing Group, New York 2016, ISBN 978-1-4994-6557-0 , pp. 39, 40 ( [1] [accessed January 25, 2019]).

[Jackson-2] 101 Great Tanks . In: Robert Jackson (Ed.): The 101 Greatest Weapons of All Times . The Rosen Publishing Group, New York 2010, ISBN 978-1-4358-3595-5 , pp. 29 ( [2] [accessed January 25, 2019]).

[3] Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 260, differences to other sources possible.

[4] Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 104.

[5] Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 141.

[6] Thomas L. Jentz: The German Panzer Troops 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 157.

[7] Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 209.

[8] Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 236.

[9] Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 283.

[10] Thomas L. Jentz: Die deutsche Panzertruppe 1933–1942 Volume 1. P. 281.

[11] Chamberlain / Doyle: Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two. 1978, p. 156.