Introduction
Hitler’s Light Panzers at War is an illustrated record of the German light tank from its beginnings in the 1930s, to the key battles it fought in Poland, France, North Africa, Russia and north western Europe. The book analyses the development of the light Panzer, which ranged from the Panzers I and II to the Czech-built Panzers 35 and 38(t). It describes how the Germans carefully utilized the development of these light machines for war, and depicts how these tanks were adapted and up-gunned to face the ever-increasing enemy threat.
Using over 200 rare and unpublished photographs together with detailed captions and accompanying text, Hitler’s Light Panzers at War provides a unique insight into the many variants that saw action on the battlefield. It provides a vivid account of Panzer development and deployment from the early Blitzkrieg campaigns, to the final demise of the Nazi war machine.
Chapter I
During the early 1930s the German Army, which was still limited following the Treaty of Versailles, instructed a number of German firms to fund and design a light and medium tank that would be versatile, strong and reliable on the battlefield. It was also proposed that the light tank would have to be available in large numbers and be financially viable, to be produced quickly and afford good all-round fire power, both in an offensive and a defensive role.
It was agreed that a new light tank was to be designed under a 5-ton weight limit that was capable of serving the new Panzerwaffe with a small good all-round tank that could also be used to train Panzer crews. Five German firms submitted their prototype proposals, and from this Krupp were selected to finally produce a light tank. Within months plans were drawn up and funds were made available for a light and a medium tank.
In 1933, Krupp finally delivered their first prototype light panzer – known as the the La.S or Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper – agricultural towing vehicle. The Versailles Treaty was the reason for this misleading name. This new tank had a Daimler-Benz superstructure and turret. The testing of the vehicle quickly proceeded and throughout 1934 it was put through a number of stringent tests in the training grounds. The German Army assigned the designation of the tank as a ‘Krupp-Tractor’. By April 1936 it was officially designated Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A (Sd.Kfz. 101).
The Führer, Adolf Hitler, came to the training grounds to see for himself the new Pz.Kpfw.I, or Panzer I, and immediately told his staff that he envisaged a fast-moving army of tanks that would spread fire and devastation such as the world had never before seen. He made it known that the tank would be the prime machine that would use battlefield tactics, moving with rapid speed, to achieve its objectives quickly and effectively.
The Panzer I Ausf.A variant featured a crew of two, a driver and a commander, the latter also used as the gunner. The driver sat in the forward hull of the cramped vehicle on the left, whilst the commander occupied the turret to the right. The tank was armed with 2 x 7.92mm machine guns, both of which were capable of firing 650 rounds per minute, could be fired simultaneously or individually, and could only be traversed by the commander by hand.
Entry and exit for the commander was through the small turret roof, whilst the driver could exit or enter the vehicle by a hinged rectangular door alongside the left of the superstructure.
The tank had minimal armoured protection and featured five road wheels to a track side and each wheel was encased in rubber. Three rollers were fitted to the underside of the upper track run. Operating weight was listed at 5.9 tons and power came from a single Krupp M 305 air-cooled, four-cylinder petrol engine delivering up to 60 horsepower. The Ausf.A could manage a top on-road speed of 23mph, with an operational range of 85 miles cross country, or 125 miles on road.
The new prototype was regarded as a success, in spite of the fact that the tank had limited battlefield capability. In order to speed the process of manufacture of the new Panzer I Ausf.A other German firms, such as Henschel, Daimler-Benz and MAN, were brought in to support Krupp’s production. Henschel received a first batch order to produce 150.
While manufacture of the Ausf.A continued in earnest, in August 1935 a more powerful engined and slightly longer Panzer I was developed. The Ausf.B variant still had a crew of two, but this time it was powered by a single Maybach NL 38 TR six-cylinder, liquid-cooled gasoline engine developing 100 horsepower. By the end of 1937, 399 were delivered, but production of this model ceased in June of that year.
The Panzer I was a promising introduction to what the Germans could achieve in German tank design. In 1936 the tank was used in large scale manoeuvres comprising infantry and Luftwaffe formations. It was in this year, too, that Hitler committed a ‘volunteer’ army of troops, aircraft and Panzers to aid the Spanish Civil War (1936 – 1939). This was the ideal proving ground for future operations utilizing troop concentration, armoured vehicles and Luftwaffe support.
Another light tank that was prominent in its development in the 1930s was the Czechoslovak tank manufacturer ČKD, which had been looking for a replacement for the LT-35 tank they were jointly producing with their Škoda Works.
On 1 July 1938, Czechoslovakia ordered 150 of the TNHPS model. However, by the time of the German occupation, none had entered service. After the German takeover, the Germans ordered the 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. The special vehicle designation for the tank in Germany was the Sd. Kfz. 140. However, it quickly reverted to the Pz.Kpfw 38(t). This riveted armoured, rear-engine tank had a two-man turret, which was centrally located, and housed the tank’s main armament, a 3.7mm Skoda A7 gun with 90 rounds stored on board. It was equipped with a 7.92mm 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. The driver was situated in the front right of the hull, with the bow machine-gunner seated to the left, manning the 7.92mm machine gun. The bow gunner also doubled as the radio operator. The radio was mounted on the left of the bow gunner.
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 to forward drive sprockets. The track ran under four rubber-tyred road wheels and back over a rear idler and two track return rollers. The wheels were mounted on a leaf-spring double-bogie mounted on two axles.
Another Czech design, which was also used as a German light tank following the occupation of Czechoslovakia, was the Lehký tank vzor 35 (Light Tank Model 35) and was designated by the Germans as the Pz.Kpfw 35(t). Four hundred and thirty-four were built. Of these, the Germans seized 244 when they occupied Bohemia-Moravia in March 1939.
The tank had a four-man crew: the driver sat on the right side of the tank using an observation port. The radio operator sat on the left with his own observation port. His radios were mounted on the left wall of the hull. The hull machine gun was between the driver and the radio operator in a ball mount. Most of the machine gun’s barrel protruded from the mount and was protected by an armoured trough. In the turret sat the commander, who was responsible for loading, aiming and firing the main gun and the turret machine gun, whilst at the same time commanding the tank.
Another revolutionary light tank built for the German war machine was the Panzerkampfwagen II or abbreviated as the Pz.Kpfw.II. The design of the tank was based on the Pz.Kpfw.I, but was larger and with a turret mounting a 20mm anti-tank gun. Production began in 1935, but it was not combat-ready until 1936.
All production variants of the Pz.Kpfw.II were fitted with the 140 PS, gasoline-fuelled six-cylinder Maybach HL 62 TRM engine and ZF transmissions. The Ausf.A, B and C variants had a top speed of 25mph, while the Ausf.D and E had a torsion bar suspension and a much superior transmission, giving a top road speed of 33mph. However, across country where this vehicle would be used mainly, it had a much lower speed than previous models. Consequently in the Ausf.F variant, the old leaf-spring type suspension was used, making it much faster.
The Pz.Kpfw.II had a three-man crew. The driver sat in the forward hull, whilst the commander sat in a turret seat and was also the gunner. The radio operator was positioned on the floor of the tank under the turret.
Five photographs showing recruits putting the Panzerkampfwagen I A, also known as the LaS, through training exercises in 1934. The crew are demonstrating the versatility of the vehicle by using rough terrain. The open compartment with no turret gave the driver all-round visual and a better understanding of the tanks mobility. Although during training there were sometimes three or even four recruits onboard the vehicle at any one time, the LaS was actually designed for a two-man crew, one serving as the driver and the other as the commander, radioman and machine gunner.
At a Nazi event, the Panzer I, also known as the Pz.Kpfw.I, is revealed to adoring onlookers in 1937 inside a stadium.
A Pz.Kpfw.I during a ceremonial event. The national cross is draped on the front of the vehicle, and its crew, wearing the distinctive black Panzer uniform and Panzer beret, stand either side.
A Panzer unit during a pause in a drill. The crewmen of these Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A are wearing the standard black Panzer uniform, a jacket with rose-coloured shoulder boards, collar patches and jacket trim. The black berets were worn over a hard rubber liner to protect the head from injury in the Panzer.
On an exercise are Pz.Kpfw.I with infantry supporting the advance across a field somewhere in Germany in 1938. The Ausf.A variant was nicknamed ‘Krupp-Sport’ by the soldiers, as it was very noisy on account of its opposed air-cooled engine. The next series, the Ausf. B, however, was slightly quieter, with a water-cooled engine.
At a workshop, engineers pose for the camera with two Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf. B. These vehicles are being prepared to march. The first test for these vehicles was the Spanish Civil War, where they were used by German volunteers of the ‘Legion Condor’. The second test – though not with live ammunition – was the march through into the Sudetenland in late 1938.
The crew of a Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A pose for the camera during a brief break during a training exercise. The main armament has been removed and placed in storage whilst the vehicle is put through its paces. The man in the turret is the trainer; the other two men are the crewmembers, dressed in the familiar denim training tunics.
Two photographs showing a number of Pz.kpfw.I at a workshop. All of the vehicles are painted in dark grey camouflage and each has been numbered in white stencil on the side of the vehicle.
A line of Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A in 1938. The twin MG13 machine guns were removed from all combat vehicles before they were parked. It was also standard practice that all radio equipment was removed from the armoured vehicles.
The crew of a Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B show the versatility of the tank by spanning ditches and various other obstacles. This type of training was important, as the tank would be employed on the battlefield in highly mobile operations crossing many different types of varied terrain in order to exploit breakthroughs on the battlefield.
A command Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B out in the field, probably during a training exercise. Exercises with the new tanks were undertaken extensively by the Panzerwaffe before the war and special attention was made to train forces in close cooperation between the air forces and the Panzers on the ground. It was soon realized that the Panzer had three main tasks: supporting infantry, operating units with other mobile weapons and, finally, combating tanks.
Out in the training ground a Panzer crew are seen posing for the camera with the LaS vehicle. This was a driving school for Panzer recruits.
Here a Pz.Kpfw.I is photographed moving across ground during a training exercise. This vehicle could cross flat dry terrain relatively easily and could be steered without too much trouble. The driver controlled the direction by means of steering levers, each of which had two handgrips, one for normal steering and the other with a thumb-plunger to act as a parking brake.
Female personnel have clambered onto a Pz.Kpfw.I for the camera. This vehicle is more than likely earmarked for Poland in the days or weeks ahead.
A crewmember of a Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A poses in front of his vehicle prior to an exercise in early 1939. At the training garrison camps, there were large firing ranges and vast open areas of countryside where these vehicles could be put through their paces.
A Pz.Kpfw.I with a crew member during a training exercise. Here in this photograph the 7.92mm machine gun can clearly be seen. Although it was used extensively for training exercises before the war, it was clearly under-gunned and under-armoured and would not be able to fight effectively against heavier and superior enemy tanks.
Workshop engineers pose for the camera with a Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A. These vehicles are being prepared to march.
A posed photograph showing a father and his young child dressed in a Panzer uniform inside the turret of a Pz.Kpfw.I. Prior to war not all tanks had been equipped with radio equipment, and most of the communication in combat training was done with variously coloured signal flags.
At a workshop, engineers are seen making adjustments to one of the training Panzers, the LaS, which was the forerunner of the Pz.Kpfw.I.
During the occupation of the Sudetenland in October 1938, a group of tank men from an unknown tank regiment converse among themselves around a stationary Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A. Not a single shot was fired in anger when the Wehrmacht rolled into the Sudetenland. Note the vehicle’s MG13 machine guns, still protected by canvas covering the barrels.
Spanning ditches and other obstacles in a Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B.
Engineers are seen with a Pz.Kpfw.I out in the field changing one of the vehicle’s wheels. This tank is probably being used for training purposes.
A group of Pz.Kpfw.II out in the field. This tank’s main armament was a 2cm cannon with a co-axle 7.92mm MG34 machine gun. The 2cm gun was fired from a trigger on the elevating hand wheel to the commander’s left, and the MG34 from a trigger on the transverse hand wheel to his right.
A number of Pz.Kpfw.I parading along a road. The tracks of this vehicle had sufficient off-road capability, the ground pressure was extremely good, but because the engine was underpowered it was prone to mechanical problems.
At a training ground is a Pz.Kpfw.I. The vehicle consists of overall dark grey with dark green patches over the whole vehicle. By 1940 these tanks were mainly finished in overall grey.
On parade is a Pz.Kpfw.II. In 1937, the Ausf.C became the main prototype with a brand new leaf-spring suspension system with its familiar running gear of five large disc-type road wheels. This variant would later be used not only for combat, but for training purposes as well.
Out in the field during a training exercise. Because there was no radio communication on board these vehicles, a series of signals were made to communicate between the tanks and the trainer.
Moving along a road during training is a column of Pz.Kpfw.I. For identification during training many of these vehicles were nominated single unit numbers, stencilled in white, often on the frontal armour and the sides.
An LaS vehicle being put through its paces during training.
A Panzer commander in the turret of his Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B poses for the camera with a smile. He wears the distinctive black Panzer beret that was universally worn in the Panzerwaffe until early 1940. It was replaced by the black M1938 field cap.
A group of Pz.Kpfw.I at a training camp in 1938. By the time war broke out in Poland the following year these vehicles would have their distinctive white painted crosses on the side of the turret. These Panzers were fortunate to be faced with little opposition in Poland.
An LaS vehicle, with a full complement of crew, drives through a local German town during training.
Trainers and their recruits prior to a gruelling exercise on the Lüneburg Heath. In order to prepare the men for battle stations the trainer would blow his whistle to signal the Panzer men to board their vehicles. Getting quickly inside the light tank was practiced frequently by the crews.
A Panzer crew during a pause in a drill. The crewmen of these Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A are wearing the standard black Panzer uniform with black Panzer beret.
A Panzer commander is seen sitting in the turret of his Pz.Kpfw.I moving across country.
Two Pz.Kpfw.I during a training exercise, showing the versatility of this vehicle across country. Note the camouflage of the vehicle, which consists of overall dark grey with dark green patches over the whole tank.
A good photograph of a Pz.Kpfw.I during a training exercise. It would not be until the Polish Campaign in 1939 that these Panzer crews realized that these light tanks could not withstand enemy anti-tank fire.
Three photographs taken in sequence showing a crewmember posing for the camera with a Pz.Kpfw.I during a training exercise. Inside these vehicles the crew carried some 3,125 rounds of ammunition, which was quite impressive at that time.
At a workshop the crew of a Pz.Kpfw.II pose for the camera. Crews trained extensively with the Ausf.C variant, which soon became known as the ‘fast combat wagon’. But still designers were determined to redevelop the vehicle.
An interesting photograph showing a Pz.Kpfw.I towing an LaS trainer through the snow. The LaS has obviously developed a mechanical problem and is being taken back to the workshop for repair.