T SKODA LT VZ.35

LT vz. 35 or Panzerkampfwagen 35 (t) was originally a Czechoslovakian and later a German light tank from World War II. The first prototypes of the vehicle were created in 1935, and serial production continued in the period 1936-1939, ending with the production of about 430 vehicles. The tank was powered by a single 120hp Skoda T-11 engine. It was armed with 1 KwK 34 (t) L / 40 37mm gun and 2 MG35 (t) or MG 37 (t) 7.92mm machine guns. LT vz. 35 was created in response to the demand announced by the Czechoslovak army in 1934 for a new light tank armed with a 37mm cannon. The production was undertaken by Skoda plants in cooperation with CKD. Tank LT vz. 35 turned out to be a better design than the German Panzer I and Panzer II, but it was troubled by problems with the cooling system, gearbox and - especially at the beginning of production - the suspension. Despite these imperfections, the tank was exported to Romania. Tank LT vz. 35 after Czechoslovakia was taken over by the Third Reich, it was taken over by the Wehrmacht under the name of Panzerkampfwagen 35 (t), but its production was not continued. The tank took part in the September campaign in 1939, in the French campaign in 1940 and in the initial period of the war with the USSR. However, from the end of 1941, it was withdrawn from service due to too weak armor and too weak main armament.