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Germany's Panzerkampfwagen I^12,13, SdKfz 101¹³

PzKpfw I:	PzKpfw I:	PzKpfw I:	PzKpfw I in Poland:
Flammpanzer I:	Ladungsleger I:

Design

The German Army wanted a light tank that would be quickly and cheaply produced that would be primarily used for training.^7,12 It was expected that the PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV would be the main tanks used, but these wouldn't be available until late the late 1930s.⁷

The German Army Weapons Department purchased a British Vickers-Carden-Loyd tankette in 1932 to test a fully revolving turret with a 20 mm gun mounted.⁷ However, it was found that the chassis did better when 2 MGs were mounted in the turret as opposed to the 20 mm gun.⁷ Because of this, the Weapons Department issued specifications to five¹³ firms for a 4.9 ton light training tank with two 7.92 mm MG13 MGs mounted in the turret.⁷

In 1933 orders were given for a 5.3 ton light tank, with two machine guns in the turret, and a crew of two.¹³ This was to eventually become the Panzerkampfwagen I.¹³ It was to be only a training vehicle but it was used in the Spanish Civil War and the early years of World War II.¹³

The engine was mounted in the rear with the drive sprocket in the front.⁸

Prototype

MAN, Krupp, Daimler Benz, and Rheinmetall-Borsig submitted designs. The Krupp prototype was influenced by a collaboration with the Swedish Landsverk company. The Rheinmetall-Borsig design was based on their experience with the experimental light tractor VK 31/A2 designed in 1928-29.

The chassis from the Krupp and the turret from the Daimler Benz designs were chosen for development.^7,12,13 Krupp was contracted to produce three different prototypes.⁷

Initially the prototype was called the LKA I.¹³ To conceal it's real use the Germany Army called it the Landwirtschäftlicher Schlepper (LaS, industrial tractor)¹³ as production of this tank violated the Treaty of Versailles.⁷ The German High Command also gave it an ordnance inventory number Sonderkraftfahrzeug (SdKfz) 101.⁷

Production

Krupp delivered the LKA1 tank in February 1934.⁷ The Weapons Department put it through trials for four months, and then placed an order for 150 tanks.⁷

Additional orders followed, and the total was now 300 vehicles to be produced.⁷ From 1935 to 1939 a total of 1,500 were produced.⁷

Ausf A aufbau: 15³
- Production February 1934 - April 1934³
- Chassis #s: 8011-9000³
- Manufacturers: Henschel, MAN, Daimler-Benz, Rheinmetall-Borsig, Krupp-Gruson.³
Ausf B aufbau: 164³
- Production: 1936 - November 1938³
- Chassis #s: 10478-16500³
- Manufacturers: Henschel, MAN, Daimler-Benz, Krupp-Gruson.³

Variants

LaS IA: The initial vehicle was called the LaS IA.⁷ It weighed 5.3 tons, had 6-13 mm armor, had a crew of two, and had four pairs of road wheels.⁷ It was powered by the 57 HP, Krupp M305 B 4-cylinder gasoline engine, which propelled it up to 37 kph/23 mph.⁷ A short ranged radio was also installed.⁷
Saw action with the Condor Legion in Spain.⁷In February 1938, it was renamed the PzKpfw IA.⁷
LaS IB: This vehicle was based on the second Krupp prototype, the LKA2.⁷ It was viewed that the LaS IA was underpowered, so the 100 HP, Maybach NL38TR engine.⁷ It's speed went up to 40 kph/25 mph.⁷ With these modifications, it now weighed 5.9 tons.⁷ It entered service with three panzer divisions that were formed in 1935.⁷
Saw action with the Condor Legion in Spain.⁷
In February 1938, it was renamed the PzKpfw IB.⁷
Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf A ohne Aufbau: Designed as a training tank.³
Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B ohne Aufbau: Produced to be a maintenance vehicle for each armored company.³
Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf D:This was to be designed as a heavily armored vehicle to be used in close support of infantry.⁷ The prototype was completed in June 1940.⁷
It had the standard 2 MG turret, but with 80 mm armor.⁷ This increased the weight to 17.7 tons.⁷ It could only go 25 kph/15 mph with its 150 HP, Maybach HL 45 engine.⁷
Out of the 30 that were initially ordered, only 12 were finished by the time it was cancelled.⁷
Panzerkampfwagen I neuer Art verstärk (VK 1801): Designed in December 1939 to be a infantry support tank with heavier armor.⁴ Prototype was built in June 1940.⁴ Project was abandoned.⁴
Kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen I (SdKfz 265)¹³: Command vehicle.¹³
PzKpfw I(A) Munitions-Schlepper (SdKfz 111)¹³: Converted PzKpfw I Ausf As into ammunition carriers.¹³
Brückenleger: Bridge layer version that was developed but the suspension wasn't strong enough.
Flammenwerfer, Flammpanzer I: Flame thrower installed in place of the right MG.⁷ Used in North Africa¹³ by the 5th Light Division. Had range of about 25 meters and could have 10-12 one second bursts. PzKpfw I Ausf A chassis were converted.¹³
15 cm sIG 33(Sf), 15 cm sIG 33 auf Geschutzwagen I Ausf B¹³: Forty were converted to carry the 1.5-cm infantry gun.¹² Used as support for motorized infantry in Poland, France, and Russia.¹³ The armament was much too heavy for the chassis.¹³
Panzerjäger I, 4.7 cm Pak(t)(SF)¹³: Self-propelled mounting the Czechoslovakian 47 mm anti-tank gun.¹² The turret was removed.¹³ 200 Ausf B chassis converted at Alkett of Berlin. Saw action in France and North Africa.¹³
PzKpfw Ib Ladungswerfer I¹³: ("Explosive Charge Layer I) Had and arm that could place an explosive charge next to an obstacle/fortification.¹³ A contract dated May 9, 1940, was given to Waggonfabrik Talbot of Aachen to construct a vehicle that could place an explosive charge of 75 kg. The arm was 2 m long when retracted and could be extended 2.75 m. 10 Ausf Bs of the 3rd Panzer Pioniere Kp of each Pioneer Battalion in the Panzer Divisions were outfitted.

Usage

Spanish Civil War

During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), 120 LaS tanks were used by Colonel Ritter von Thoma's armored units.⁷ Some of these were modified by putting a 20 mm gun in the turret.^7,11

It was clear that the tank was inadequate with a two man crew.⁸ However, experience in Spain provided the proving grounds of later German combat.⁸ Towards the end of the Civil War units were moving 25 miles a day in the Aragon battle and faster in Catalonia.⁸

Anschluss & Sudetenland

Defects were found during the Anschluss and were fixed by the time of the move into the Sudetenland.⁸

Poland

For the invasion of Poland:⁷

Unit	Quantity of PzKpfw I⁷
1st Panzer Division	68
2nd Panzer Division	136
3rd Panzer Division	136
4th Panzer Division	136
5th Panzer Division	136

A total of 1,445 were used.^7,12

Even though it was light, the PzKpfw I still would bog down in the mud, as it did during the Polish counterattack along the River Bzura.⁷ A total of 89 PzKpfw Is were lost in Poland, almost 45% of the total German loses.⁷ Many of these were lost in Warsaw.⁷

Norway

Two dozen were sent along with the 40th Panzer Battalion that were used in Norway.⁷

The West

Around 1,077 PzKpfw Is were still being used in the German Army, and of these, 619 (523¹³) were used in the invasion, with the rest being converted, used for training, or used for garrison duties.⁷ They were primarily used for reconnaissance, but even then, there were heavy losses when meeting British or French armor.⁷ Because of this, the PzKpfw I weren't used as a front line combat tank.⁷

	Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf A ohne Aufbau	Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B ohne Aufbau	neuer Art verstärk
Crew	2³	2³
Physical Characteristics
Weight	3.5 tons³	4 tons³	18 tons⁴
Length w/gun	4.02 m³	4.42 m³	14.3'⁴
Length w/o gun
Height	1.15 m³	1.35 m³	6.75'⁴
Width	2.06 m³	2.06 m³	8.6'⁴
Width over tracks
Ground clearance
Ground contact length
Ground pressure
Turret ring diameter
Armament
Main
Secondary
MG
Side arms
Quantity
Main
Secondary
MG
Side arms
Armor Thickness (mm)			30 - 80⁴
Hull Front, Upper	13@27°³	13@27°³
Hull Front, Lower
Hull Sides, Upper	13@0°³	13@0°³
Hull Sides, Lower
Hull Rear	13@15°³	13@19°³
Hull Top	6@90°³	6@90°³
Hull Bottom	6@90°³	6@90°³
Turret Front
Turret Sides
Turret Rear
Turret Top
Engine (Make / Model)	Krupp M305³	Maybach NL 38TR³
Bore / stroke
Cooling
Cylinders
Capacity
Net HP
Power to weight ratio
Compression ratio
Transmission (Type)	5 forward³, 1 reverse³	5 forward, 1 reverse³
Steering
Starter
Electrical system
Ignition
Fuel (Type)
Octane
Quantity
Road consumption
Cross country consumption
Performance
Traverse
Max speed	37 kph³	40 kph³	15 mph⁴
Cross country speed
Road radius	145 km³	170 km³
Cross country radius
Turning radius
Elevation limits
Fording depth
Trench crossing
Vertical obstacle
Climbing ability
Suspension (Type)	Coil Spring (front road wheel)³ Leaf Spring (other wheels)³
Wheels each side	4³, +1 Idler³
Return rollers each side	3³
Tracks (Type)
Length
Width
Diameter
Number of links
Pitch
Tire tread
Track centers/tread

Sources:

The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1933-1942, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two, Peter Chamberlain and Hilary Doyle, 1999
Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
-
German Tanks of World War II, Dr. S. Hart & Dr. R. Hart, 1998
Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
Tank Data, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, 1968?
Tank Data 2, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, E. J. Hoffschmidt and W. H. Tantum IV, 1969
Panzers At War, Michael and Gladys Green, 2005
Tanks - Over 250 of the World's Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles, Chris Chant, 2004
Airfix Magazine Guide #8 German Tanks of World War 2, Terry Gande and Peter Chamberlain, 1975