Skoda LT 35


Four hundred and thirty-four were built; of these the Germans seized two hundred and forty-four when they occupied Bohemia-Moravia in March 1939 and the Slovaks acquired fifty-two when they declared independence from Czechoslovakia at the same time. Others were exported to Bulgaria and Romania. 
Panzerkampfwagen 35(t)
Type: Light tank
Place of origin: Czechoslovakia
Service history: In service 1936–50?

Used by World War II: Czechoslovakia, Nazi Germany. Kingdom of Romania, Slovakia, Kingdom of  Bulgaria, Kingdom of Hungary

Production history: Designer Škoda 1934–36
Manufacturer: Škoda, ČKD
Unit cost 741,868 or 745,068 Czechoslovak koruna
Produced: 1936–40
Number built: 434
Variants: T-11, TACAM R-2
Specifications (Panzerkampfwagen 35(t))
Weight: 10.5 tonnes (10.3 long tons; 11.6 short tons)
Length: 4.90 metres (16.1 ft)
Width: 2.06 metres (6.8 ft)
Height. 2.37 metres (7.8 ft)
Crew: 4
Armor: 8–35 millimetres (0.31–1.38 in)
Armament: 3.7 cm KwK 34(t) gun + 2 x 7.92 mm MG 37(t) mg

Engine: 4-cylinder, water-cooled Škoda T11/0 gasoline, 120 hp (89 kW)
Power/weight: 11 hp/tonne
Transmission: 6 x 6
Suspension: Leaf spring
Fuel capacity: 153 litres (40 US gal)
Range: 120 kilometres (75 mi) or 190 kilometres (120 mi) 

Speed: 34 kilometres per hour (21 mph)

Both tanks had the same armament and three-man crew, but ČKD's P-II-a was much smaller at 8.5 tonnes (8.4 long tons; 9.4 short tons) and had only a maximum 16 millimetres (0.63 in) of armor while Škoda's S-II-a weighed 10.5 tonnes (10.3 long tons; 11.6 short tons) and had 25 millimetres (0.98 in) of armor. The army thought that P-II-a was at the limit of its development while the S-II-a could be improved as needed.

Development was rushed and there were many defects in the LT vz. 35s. Many tanks had to be returned to the factories to be repaired. Most of these repairs involved the electrical system, not the complicated pneumatic system.
In August 1936 Romania placed an order for 126; the bulk of these were delivered from the end of 1938 by Škoda. Afghanistan ordered ten in 1940. The Afghan vehicles were sold instead to Bulgaria. Total production was 434, including 298 for the Czechoslovak Army, 126 for Romania (under the designation Škoda R-2) and ten for Bulgaria. The Wehrmacht used 218 vehicles captured from the Czechoslovak Army in March 1939. 
The chassis was used for both a command tank (Panzerbefehlswagen 35(t)) which featured extra radios (20 built) and also as an artillery tractor (Artillerie Schlepper 35(t)) by removing the turret and upper hull and covering the gap with canvas (49 converted from March 42 onwards).

The T-11 was built to an Afghan order placed in 1940 and differed mainly in that it used an improved Škoda A-8 gun. Ten were built, but were sold to Bulgaria and delivered in the third quarter of 1940.

The TACAM R-2 was a tank destroyer built by removing the turret of the R-2 and substituting a captured Soviet 76.2 mm (3.00 in) USV field gun in its place. The gun and crew was protected by a thin, fixed, three-sided, partially roofed casemate that used armor plate salvaged from captured Soviet tanks. The prototype was completed by September 1943, although it used the older 76.2 mm M-1936 F-22 field gun, and proved reasonably successful.

Conversion of an additional twenty was completed by the end of June 1944 when the project was stopped because of concerns that its gun was inadequate against the heavily armored Soviet Iosif Stalin tanks. Proposals were made to up-gun the vehicle with either the Romanian-built 75 mm (3.0 in) Reşiţa Model 1943 anti-tank gun or the German 88 mm (3.5 in) gun, but nothing was done before Romania changed sides in August 1944.



8 kommenttia:

  1. Very interesting story. An important link in the evolution of the tank!

    1. Thanks to comments
      Skoda is very old industry,
      like many other Czechoslovakia, example Ja-Wa motorcycles...

    2. Had not heard of Ja-Wa motorcycles!

    3. Hi.
      Real name is Jawa
      (Janeček-Wanderer names)
      One big old style version motorcycle, users latin american, africa, and east countries
      Very old and good know mark and quality
      Mean: you can repair self many things, without help the service man

  2. Wanderer is very (1900?) old German motocycle name

  3. Other old motorcycles 1950, when i very young
    British mark AJS, BSA etc...
    Csepel = Hungarian
    MZ = East Germany
    GZ = Czechoslovakia (big hand-weapon industrial, also today)
    Jawa = Czechoslovakia
    Trade with East blog was lateraalinen
    No money, but the exchange of goods, the same amount from the front.
    Western Currency buying a car or motorcycle had been regulated started in 1951, was released in 1962.

    Nikita Khrushchev was fond of the Finnish melt-cheese (VIOLA) and many shops with the Soviet Union were made in this cheese.

    1. I forgot some of the signs
      Matchless = British
      Danuvia = Hungary
      Minsk, = Soviet-Union
      Bultaco = Spain
      KTM = Austria

    2. Bilateral trade Finland and the Soviet Union was a continuation of Finland's war compensation.
      (thanks to the Finnish metal industry)

      Bilateral trade continued after the war for oil trade.

      Finland bought from Soviet Union as much as the Soviet Union bought from Finland, so this reason Finnish received permission to buy oil from the Soviet Union

      This oil sales remain free to the world market.

      Thus, as Finland purchasing the deficit was supplemented by easily realizable with oil.

      Bilateral trade at the end of the Soviet Union to Finland remained significant receivables clearing account.

      Russia's outstanding government debt to Finland this was canceled.
      More recently, Russia has paid a debt of approximately EUR 600 million in full.

