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Panzerkampfwagen I light tank |
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In 1933 the German Army WeaponsDepartment issued a requirement for alight armoured vehicle weighing about5000kg (11,025 lb) that could beused for training purposes, and fivecompanies subsequentlay built prototypevehicles. After trials the ArmyWeapons Department accepted theKrupp design for further development,the design company being responsiblefor the chassis and Daimler-Benzfor the superstructure. To conceal thereal use of the vehicle the ArmyWeapons Department called the vehiclethe Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper(industrial tractor). The first batchof 150 vehicles was ordered fromHenschel, and production commencedin July 1934 under the designationPzKpfw I(MG) (SdKfz 101)Ausf A and powered by a Krupp M 305petrol engine developing only 57 hp(42 kW). There were problems withthe engine, however, and the nextbatchAusf B had a more powerful enginewhich meant that the hull had tobe longer and an additional roadwheeladded on each side. This model was alittle heavier, but its more powerful enginegave it a maximum road speed of40 km/h (25 mph). This entered servicein 1935 under the designation ofthe PzKpfw 1(MG) (SdKfz 101) Ausf B.Most of the vehicles were built byHenschel but Wegmann also becameinvolved in the programme, peak productionbeing achieved in 1935 whenover 800 vehicles were completed.The Panzerkampfwagen l was firstused operationally in the Spanish CivilWar, and at the start of the invasion ofPoland in 1939 no less than 1,445 suchvehicles were on strength. It hadalready been realized, however, thatthe vehicle was ill-suited for front-lineuse because of its lack of firepowerand armour protection (7-13mm/0.28-0.51 in), and in the invasion of France in1940 only 523 were used, althoughmany more were still in Germany andPoland. By the end of 1941 the PzKpfw Ihad been phased out of front-line service,although the kleiner PanzerbefehlwagenI (SdKfz 265) command model remained in service longer.Once the light tank was obsolete itschassis underwent conversion to otherroles, and one of the first of these wasthe Munitions-Schlepper used to carryammunition and other valuable cargoes.For the anti-tank role the chassiswas fitted with captured Czech 47-mmanti-tank guns on top of the superstructurewith limited traverse, These wereused on both the Eastern and NorthAfrican fronts, but soon became obsoletewith the arrival of the more heavilyarmoured tanks on the battlefield. Thelargest conversion entailed the installationof a 15-cm (5.9-in) infantrygun in a new superstructure, but thisreally overloaded the chassis and lessthan 40 such conversions were made.The turret was in the centre of thevehicle, offset to the right and armedwith twin 7,92-mm (0.31-in) machineguns,for which a total of 1,525 rounds ofammunition were carried. The driverwas seated to the left of the turret.Photo1: TwoPzKpfwIs anda heavierPzKpfw III in France in 1940.523 ofthe little ligh t tanks were used in thecampaign, in spite of theirunsuitability for combat.Photo2: The PzKpfw I was heavilyinvolved in the Polish campaign afterits operational debut in theSpanishCivil War.SpecificationPzKpfw I Ausf BCrew: 2Weight: 6000 kg (13,230 lb)Dimensions: length 4.42 m (14 ft 6 in);width 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in); height 1.72 m(5 ft 8 in)Powerplant: one Maybach NL 38 TRsix-cylinder petrol engine developing100 hp (75 kW)Performance: maximum road speed40 km/h (25 mph); maximum roadrange 140 km (87 miles); fording 0.58 m(1 ft 11 in); gradient 60 per cent;vertical obstacle 0.36 m (1 ft 2 in); trench 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in)
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