Panzer 38(t) (Light tank)

[Louis]

The Pz 38(t) was originally a Czechoslovak tank of pre-WW II design. After Czechoslovakia was taken over by Germany, it was adopted by the German Army, seeing service in the invasions of Poland, France and the USSR. Production ended in 1942, when its main armament was deemed inadequate. In all, over 1,400 Pz. 38(t)s were manufactured. The chassis of the Pz. 38(t) continued to be produced for the Marder III (1942–1944) with some of its components used in the later Jagdpanzer 38 (1944–1945) tank destroyers and its derivative vehicles.

 

[Louis]

 

[Nort]

 

[Sempai]

I can´t help it but the Pz-38 looks beautiful for a tank!

Greetings

 

[Louis]

 

[Louis]

A knocked T-34/76 on the verge of the road of two Pz38, Unknown location, 1942.

 

[Rico]

That's quite a snug fit.

 

[Ulvjager]

Sweden built some under license https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stridsvagn_m/41

 

[T_ankmann]

Greetings Tankers!
I think I'd like to introduce the forums here along with all associated with our project, which is reproducing a Panzer 38(t) from scratch. We're a group of engineers, historians, wargamers and reenactors who are building the tank in an effort to prove that it simply can be done. I think that the present company might get a kick out of it. I'll be updating in another thread but I wanted to give a shoutout here because, well, it's relevant I think.
Project38 is the name and Project38 is our website.

 

[mTk]

Make sure the gun works...for those times you find yourselves in commute traffic.

 

[Louis]

The crew getting ready to cross a improvised bridge.

 

[Nort]

That looks like Rommel on the left.

 

[Louis]

That looks like Rommel on the left.

Searching in a spanish-speaking site, I read that indeed the image corresponds to May 1940 during the Rommel campaign in France:
"On the 12th, Guderian occupied Bouillon, while the French retreated to the other side of the Meuse and flew all the bridges. That same day begins to forge the legend of the 7th Panzer Division, curiously formed mostly by Czechoslovak T 38 tanks, and its commander, Erwin Rommel, who crossed the river Meuse south of Dinant, taking advantage of a failure in French coverage".

 

[Louis]

Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) knocked out during Barbarossa, 1941.

 

[Louis]

Troops on a Panzer 38(t) that has become stuck in mud, near Rzhev, Russia, July 1942.

 

[Louis]

Unity entering through a gate adorned with the portraits of Soviet leaders in a captured russian village, June 1941.

 

[Rico]

Ace Tiger commander Otto Carius started his tank career in a Pz38(t) ... quite an upgrade.

 

[Louis]

Soviet soldier inspects a flipped Panzer 38(t).

 

[Louis]

Amphibious version built for planned invasion of Britain.

 

[Louis]