Pz.Kpfw 38(t) or ČKD LT vz. 38 at AusArmourFest 2024. German & Czechoslovak Tank. скачать в хорошем качестве

Pz.Kpfw 38(t) or ČKD LT vz. 38 at AusArmourFest 2024. German & Czechoslovak Tank.

The Australian Armour and Artillery Museum outside of Cairns, QLD, Australia hosted AusArmourFest once again, giving visitors an opportunity to see armour in operation on their track. The festival ran from 23-25 August 2024 Czechoslovak tank manufacturer ČKD, jointly with Škoda Works, developed this tank, the ČKD LT vz. 38 in the mid 1930s. 50 were produced for export to Iran, and 24 each to Peru and Switzerland. Škoda Praga submitted the design when the Czechoslovakia Army called for a design competition to develop a new medium tank. In July 1938, The Czech Army ordered 150 of these vehicles, but none had entered service by the time of the German occupation in March 1939. Germany ordered production of the tank to continue as it as it was superior to the Panzer I and Panzer II that were their main tanks at the time. Only 87 Panzer III would be available ahead of the invasion of Poland, and the Czech vehicle became an important component of early war German Panzer Divisions. The tank entered German service under the name LTM 38, which was changed to Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) in January 1940. All Panzer 38(t) were built by Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk (CKD) and over 1,400 were produced up until mid 1942 when it was.deemed obsolete. It retained its original Czech gun, the 37.2mm A7, which was renamed to the 3.7cm KwK 38(t), and was made by Skoda. It could penetrate 41 mm of angled armour at 600m, and 27mm at 1,000m. It could fire upto 15 rounds per minute and the ammunition loadout for the tank was 90 rounds. Overall, the gun anti-armour performance was reasonably comparable to the 3.7cm gun mounted on the Panzer III. In addition to the main gun, it could carry two 7.9mm ZB-53 machine guns, and the Germans termed them the MG 37(t), one was mounted co-axially in the turret and one in the hull.  The I6 petrol engine of 7.75L developed 92kW and could move the vehicle at a maximum road speed of 56kph. It was mounted in the rear of the hull and powered the front drive sprockets via a propellor shaft to the transmission at the front of the hull. Suspension was via rubber rimmed road wheels mounted on two bogies per side. Each bogie mounted two wheels on separate pivoting arms, and used leaf-springs to control articulation. There were two return rollers and a rear idler wheel. The Panzer 38(t) was used during the invasion of Poland in 1939 by the 3rd Light Division. In 1940 it was deployed during the Battle of France, equipping the 7th and 8th Panzer Divisions, and making up about 9% of tanks deployed. By Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 it was equipping 6 German Divisions, and 1 Hungarian and 1 Slovak Division, making up over 20% of all tanks deployed on the Eastern Front at that time. There, the Panzer 38(t) could deal with lighter Russian tanks like the BT series and the T-26, and they cemented their reputation for reliability and ease of maintenance. It was clear by 1942 that they were becoming obsolete, however, as a greater proportion of Russian forces were being made up of heavier T34 & KV tanks. They were then relegated to scouting and defensive rearguard actions.