Panzer 38(t)
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The Panzer 38(t) was a Czechoslovakian tank used by Germany during World War II. (The Czechoslovak military designation was LT-38. Manufacturer's designations included TNH series, TNHPS, LTP and LTH). The special vehicle designation for the tank in Germany was SdKfz.140.
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Description
The Panzer 38(t) was a conventional pre-World War II tank design, with riveted armor and rear engine.
The riveted armor was not sloped, and varied in thickness from 10 mm to 25 mm in most versions. Later models (Ausf E on) increased this to 50 mm.
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 coaxial 7.92mm machinegun to the right of the main ordnance. The driver was in the front left of the hull, with the bow machinegunner seated to the right, manning a 7.92mm machine gun. A total of 2,550 rounds were carried for the bow and coaxial machine guns.
The engine was mounted in the rear of the hull and drove the tank through a transmission with five forward gears and one reverse gear. It drove a forward drive sprocket, with the track running under five rubber tire road wheels and back over a rear idler and two track return rollers. The wheels were mounted on a Christie suspension.
Development
In 1935, the Czechoslovak tank manufacturer CKD were looking at as replacement for the LT-35 tank they were jointly producing with Skoda Works. The LT-35 was complex and had shortcomings, and CKD felt there would be orders both from the expanding Czechoslovak army and for export.
CKD decided to use a form of the Christie suspension for their new tank. The resulting vehicle was reliable, and an export success: 50 were exported to Iran, 24 each to Peru and Switzerland. Latvia also ordered some.
On July 1, 1938, Czechoslovakia ordered 150 of the TNHPS model, although none had entered service by the time of the German occupation. 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. 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).
A modified Panzer 38(t) chassis was also the basis for a number of self-propelled gun mountings and tank destroyers, including the highly successful German Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer tank-destroyer.
The Panzer 38(t) was manufactured up to the middle of World War II. Manufacture ceased because the small turret wasn't capable of taking a weapon big enough to destroy the latest tanks. However, because the chassis was mechanically reliable, turretless versions were built with a weapon mounted on the superstructure. Assault guns, anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft guns were mounted on the chassis. A Swedish variant, the Sav m/43, remained in use until 1970, which is probably a longevity record for a pre-WW2 tank.
Variants
- TNHP Initial export version to Iran (50 ordered in 1935) (Iran was the first customer)
- LTP export version to Peru
- LTH export version to Switzerland
- LT vz 38 Czech Army designation (none entered service)
- Str m/41 version built under license in Sweden
- Sav m/43 assault gun on TNH hull, built by Sweden
- Panzer 38(t) A-D TNH tank in German manufacture
- Panzer 38(t) E-G Pz 38(t) with frontal armour increased to 50 mm
- Panzer 38(t) Ausf S Ordered by Sweden but seized by Germany
- SdKfz 138 Marder III carried German 75 mm gun in open-top superstructure
- SdKfz 139 Marder III carried Soviet 76.2 mm gun in open-top superstructure
- SdKfz 138/1 Grille carried German 150 mm infantry gun; also munition variant which carried ammunition
- SdKfz 140 Flakpanzer 38(t) carried a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun
- SdKfz 140/1 reconnaisance tank
- SdKfz 141/1 reconnaissance version with 20 mm turret from a SdKfz.222 armored car
- Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer a tank destroyer carrying a 75 mm L/48 anti-tank gun
- G-13 Swiss designation for Hetzers sold to Switzerland by Czechoslovakia after the war
Characteristics
TNH P-S
- General
- Role: Light/medium tank
- Manufacturer: CKD
- Crew: Commander, gunner, driver, bow machine gunner
- Armament and armor
- Main armament: 37.2 mm Skoda A7 gun
- Coaxial armament: 7.92 mm machine gun
- Bow armament: 7.92 mm machine gun
- Ammunition: 90 rounds of 37.2 mm and 2,550 rounds of 7.92 mm
- Armor: 10 mm to 25 mm
- Power and weight
- Engine: Praga EPA six-cylinder inline water-cooled petrol
- Transmission: 5 forward, 1 reverse
- Power: 112 kW (150 hp)
- Weight: 9,700 kg (21,400 lb)
- Power/Weight: 11.5 kW/ton (14.0 hp/ton)
- Performance
- Max road speed: 42 km/h
- Max range: 200 km
- Fording: 0.9 m
- Gradiant: 60%
- Vertical obstacle: 0.8 m
- Trench: 1.9 m
- Dimensions
- Length: 4.55 m
- Width: 2.13 m
- Height: 2.31 m
Panzer 38(t) Aus. A-C
- General
- Role: Medium tank
- Crew: 4
- Armament and armor
- Main armament: 37.2 mm Skoda A7 (L/47.8) gun with 90 rounds
- Secondary armament: 2 x 7.92 mm MG 37(t) (Model 37) machine gun with 2,550 rounds.
- Armour: front 25 mm, side 15 mm
- Power and weight
- Engine: Prage EPA Model I inline six-cylinder liquid cooled petrol
- Transmission: 5 forward, 1 reverse
- Power: 95 kW (126 hp)
- Weight: combat: 9.5 tonnes, dry: 8.5 tonnes
- Power/Weight: 10 kW/ton (13.0 hp/ton)
- Performance
- Speed: 56 km/h (35 mph)
- Range: 200 km (125 miles)
- Dimensions
- Length: 4.61 m
- Width: 2.14 m
- Height: 2.40 m
Operational history
Panzer 38(t) performed well in the Polish campaign in 1939 and the Battle of France in 1940. It was also used in the German invasion of the Soviet Union from 1941 onwards but was outclassed by Soviet tanks such as the T-34. The vehicle continued to serve after 1941 as a reconnaissance vehicle for some time.
Flakpanzer 38(t) was not a success as it was too poorly armed. In fact, it often became the target of allied fighter-bombers. Its armour was too thin to prevent damage from heavy aircraft machine guns.
The Hetzer and Marder models of tank destroyers were very successful, in particular the Hetzer. 2,584 Hetzers were produced during the war, with production continuing for the Czech Army after the war. 158 post-war examples were sold to Switzerland and served into the 1960s.
Removal of the turrets from Panzer 38(t) tanks for conversion of the chassis to tank destroyer and and other uses freed 351 turrets for use in fortifications in various locations. Almost half (150) were used in Southwest Europe, while 78 went to the Eastern Front, 75 went to Norway, 25 were used in Italy, 20 in Denmark, and only nine were emplaced in the Atlantic Wall. The small armament and thin armor of the turrets made them insignificant as an anti-tank pillbox by the later stages of the war, but they were still a useful in combating infantry attacks.
Campaigns
- Polish September Campaign with the German 3rd Light Division
- Operation Weserübung (Norway) with the German 31st Army Corps
- Battle of France with the 6th Panzer, 7th Panzer, and 8th Panzer Divisions
- Operation Barbarossa with the 6th, 7th, and 8th Panzer Divisions, as well as the 12th, 19th, and 20th Panzer Divisions
Further resources
See also
- Comparison of early World War II tanks
- German armored fighting vehicle production during World War II
- Tank classification
- List of military vehicles
References
- Bishop, Chris (ed.); 1998; The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II; Barnes & Noble Books; ISBN 0-7607-1022-8
External links
- Information about the Pz.Kpfw.38(t) at Panzerworld (http://www.panzerworld.net/pzkpfw38t.html)
| German armored fighting vehicles of World War II | |
|---|---|
| Tanks | |
| Panzer I | Panzer II | Panzer III | Panzer IV | Panther | Tiger I, II | Panzer 35(t) | Panzer 38(t) | |
| Self-propelled artillery | |
| Wespe | Hummel | Grille | Panzerwerfer | |
| Assault guns | |
| StuG III | StuG IV | StuH 42 | Brummbär | Sturmtiger | |
| Tank destroyers | |
| Panzerjäger I | Marder I , II , III | Hetzer | Jagdpanzer IV | Jagdpanther | Nashorn | Jagdtiger | Elefant | |
| Armored half-tracks | Armored cars |
| SdKfz 4 | 250 | 251 | 252 | 253 | Sdkfz 221/22/23 | Sdkfz 231/32/34/63 |
| Self propelled anti-aircraft | |
| Flakpanzer IV: Möbelwagen, Wirbelwind, Ostwind, Kugelblitz | Gepard | |
| Prototypes | |
| Maus | P-1000 Ratte | E- series | Panther II | Waffentrager | Neubaufahrzeug | |
| Proposed designs | |
| P-1500 'Monster' | Panzer VII 'Löwe' | Panzer IX | |
| German armored fighting vehicle production during World War II | |
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