Germany's Panzerkampfwagen I, SdKfz 101 light tank

Photos

Panzerkampfwagen I, SdKfz 101 light tank:	Panzerkampfwagen I, SdKfz 101 light tank:	Panzerkampfwagen I, SdKfz 101 light tank:	Panzerkampfwagen I, SdKfz 101 light tank:
Panzerkampfwagen I, SdKfz 101 light tank:	Panzerkampfwagen I, SdKfz 101 light tank:	Panzerkampfwagen I, SdKfz 101 light tank: Mark Holloway
Panzerkampfwagen I, SdKfz 101 light tank in Poland:	Panzerkampfwagen I, SdKfz 101 light tank in China:		Panzerkampfwagen I and Panzerkampfwagen II light tanks: Mark Holloway
Flammpanzer I:	Ladungsleger I:

Design

The Reichswehr (German Army after World War I) wanted a light tank that would be quickly and cheaply produced that would be primarily used for training.^3,6,7,8,9 In 1932 the specifications were developed and Daimler-Benz, Henschel, Krupp, MAN, and Rheinmetall were asked to submit designs.⁸

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.³

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.³ However, it was found that the chassis did better when two machine guns were mounted in the turret as opposed to the 20 mm gun.³ Because of this, the Weapons Department issued specifications to five⁷ firms for a 4.9 ton light training tank with two 7.92 mm MG13 machine guns mounted in the turret.³

In 1933 orders were given for a 5.3 ton light tank, with two machine guns in the turret, and a crew of two.^7,9

The engine was mounted in the rear with the drive sprocket in the front.⁴

Crew

The commander was located in the turret and the driver was to the left of the turret.⁹

Turret

The turret was mounted at the center, slightly to the right.⁹ The PzKpfw I carried 1,525 rounds of ammunition for the machine guns.⁹

Prototype

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.^3,6,7,9 Krupp was contracted to produce three different prototypes.³

Initially the prototype was called the LKA I.⁷ To conceal it's real use the Germany Army called it the Landwirtschäftlicher Schlepper (LaS, industrial tractor)⁷ as production of this tank violated the Treaty of Versailles.^3,,98 The German High Command also gave it an ordnance inventory number Sonderkraftfahrzeug (SdKfz) 101.³

The Krupp design was chosen for production.⁸

Production

Krupp delivered the LKA1 tank in February 1934.³ The Weapons Department put it through trials for four months, and then placed an order for 150 tanks that became the PzKpfw I Ausf A.^3,9

Additional orders followed, and the total was now 300 vehicles to be produced.³ From 1935 to 1939 a total of 1,500 were produced.³

• L.K.A. I:
• L.K.B. I:
• PzKpfw I Ausf A aufbau: 15¹
  • Production: February 1934 - April 1934¹
  • Manufacturers: Henschel, MAN, Daimler-Benz, Rheinmetall-Borsig, Krupp-Gruson.¹
• PzKpfw I Ausf B aufbau: 164¹
  • Production: 1936 - November 1938¹
  • Manufacturers: Henschel, MAN, Daimler-Benz, Krupp-Gruson.¹

Variants

• L.K.A. I: Krupp prototype.⁸ Four road wheels with trailing idler on each side.⁸ Two machine guns mounted in turret.⁸ Krupp air cooled four cylinder engine (57 HP).⁸
• L.K.B. I: Prototype that became the production model.⁸ Maybach engine.⁸
• LaS IA: The initial vehicle was called the LaS IA.³ It weighed 5.3 tons, had 6-13 mm armor, had a crew of two, and had four pairs of road wheels.³ It was powered by the 57 HP, Krupp M305 B 4-cylinder gasoline engine, which propelled it up to 37 kph/23 mph.³ A short ranged radio was also installed.³
  Saw action with the Condor Legion in Spain.⁷
  In February 1938, it was renamed the PzKpfw IA.³
• LaS IB: This vehicle was based on the second Krupp prototype, the LKA2.³ It was viewed that the LaS IA was underpowered, so the 100 HP, Maybach NL38TR engine.³ It's speed went up to 40 kph/25 mph.³ With these modifications, it now weighed 5.9 tons.³ It entered service with three panzer divisions that were formed in 1935.³
  Saw action with the Condor Legion in Spain.³
  In February 1938, it was renamed the PzKpfw IB.³
• Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf A ohne Aufbau: Designed as a training tank.¹
• Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B ohne Aufbau: Produced to be a maintenance vehicle for each armored company.¹
• Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf D: This was to be designed as a heavily armored vehicle to be used in close support of infantry.³ The prototype was completed in June 1940.³
  It had the standard 2 MG turret, but with 80 mm armor.³ This increased the weight to 17.7 tons.³ It could only go 25 kph/15 mph with its 150 HP, Maybach HL 45 engine.³
  Out of the 30 that were initially ordered, only 12 were finished by the time it was cancelled.³
• Panzerkampfwagen I neuer Art verstärk (VK 1801): Designed in December 1939 to be a infantry support tank with heavier armor.² Prototype was built in June 1940.² Project was abandoned.²
• Kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen I (SdKfz 265)⁷: Command vehicle.⁷
• PzKpfw I(A) Munitions-Schlepper (SdKfz 111)⁷: Converted PzKpfw I Ausf As into ammunition carriers.^7,9
• 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.³ Used in North Africa⁷ 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.⁷
• 15 cm sIG 33(Sf)⁸, 15 cm sIG 33 auf Geschutzwagen I Ausf B⁷: Forty were converted to carry the 1.5-cm infantry gun.^5,6 Used as support for motorized infantry in Poland, France, and Russia.⁷ The armament was much too heavy for the chassis.⁷
• Panzerjäger I, 4.7 cm Pak(t)(SF)^7,8: Self-propelled mounting the Czechoslovakian 47 mm anti-tank gun.^6,9 The turret was removed.⁷ 200 Ausf B chassis converted at Alkett of Berlin. Saw action in France and North Africa.⁷
• PzKpfw Ib Ladungswerfer I⁷: ("Explosive Charge Layer I) Had and arm that could place an explosive charge next to an obstacle/fortification.⁷ 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.³ Some of these were modified by putting a 20 mm gun in the turret.^3,5

It was clear that the tank was inadequate with a two man crew.⁴ However, experience in Spain provided the proving grounds of later German combat.⁴ Towards the end of the Civil War units were moving 25 miles a day in the Aragon battle and faster in Catalonia.⁴

Anschluss & Sudetenland

Defects were found during the Anschluss and were fixed by the time of the move into the Sudetenland.⁴

Poland

The PzKpfw Is were used in the invasion of Poland.^3,8

Unit	Quantity of PzKpfw I3
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 during the invasion of Poland.^3,6,9

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.³ A total of 89 PzKpfw Is were lost in Poland, almost 45% of the total German loses.³ Many of these were lost in Warsaw.³

Norway

Two dozen were sent along with the 40th Panzer Battalion that were used in Norway.³

The West

Around 1,077 PzKpfw Is were still being used in the German Army, and of these, 619 (523^7,9) were used in the invasion, with the rest being converted, used for training, or used for garrison duties.³ They were primarily used for reconnaissance, but even then, there were heavy losses when meeting British or French armor.³ Because of this, the PzKpfw I weren't used as a front line combat tank.³

Specifications

	Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf A ohne Aufbau	Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B ohne Aufbau	neuer Art verstärk
Crew	21	21
Physical Characteristics
Weight	3.5 tons1	4 tons1	18 tons2
Length w/gun	4.02 m1	4.42 m1	14.3'2
Length w/o gun
Height	1.15 m1	1.35 m1	6.75'2
Width	2.06 m1	2.06 m1	8.6'2
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 - 802
Hull Front, Upper	13@27°1	13@27°1
Hull Front, Lower
Hull Sides, Upper	13@0°1	13@0°1
Hull Sides, Lower
Hull Rear	13@15°1	13@19°1
Hull Top	6@90°1	6@90°1
Hull Bottom	6@90°1	6@90°1
Turret Front
Turret Sides
Turret Rear
Turret Top
Engine (Make / Model)	Krupp M3051	Maybach NL 38TR1
Bore / stroke
Cooling
Cylinders
Capacity
Net HP
Power to weight ratio
Compression ratio
Transmission (Type)	5 forward1, 1 reverse1	5 forward, 1 reverse1
Steering
Starter
Electrical system
Ignition
Fuel (Type)
Octane
Quantity
Road consumption
Cross country consumption
Performance
Traverse
Speed - Road	37 kph1	40 kph1	15 mph2
Speed - Cross Country
Range - Road	145 km1	170 km1
Range - Cross Country
Turning radius
Elevation limits
Fording depth
Trench crossing
Vertical obstacle
Climbing ability
Suspension (Type)	Coil Spring (front road wheel)1 Leaf Spring (other wheels)1
Wheels each side	41, +1 Idler1
Return rollers each side	31
Tracks (Type)
Length
Width
Diameter
Number of links
Pitch
Tire tread
Track centers/tread