Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) or Panzer 38(t) Ausf. F – Light Tank.
Original designation ČKD LT vz. 38. Drive sprockets and tracks are not original. Photographed at Victory Park – Poklonnaya Hill, Moscow 2009.
The Panzerkampfwagen 38(t), often referred to as the PzKpfw 38(t) or simply 38(t), was a German light tank used during World War II. It was originally designed and produced by Czechoslovakia as the TNH tank for the Czechoslovak Army, but after the German invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939, the tank was adopted and modified by the German Army. The “38” in its name refers to the year of its introduction (1938), and the “t” signifies its Czech origin.
Powered by a 150-horsepower Praga AC engine, the 38(t) had a top speed of about 42 km/h (26 mph) and a range of approximately 200 km (125 miles). It weighed around 10.5 tons and had a crew of three. The tank was armed with a 3.7 cm KwK 38 L/46.5 gun, which was effective against early-war armor but became less so as Allied tanks evolved. Its armor thickness ranged from 14 to 35 mm, offering moderate protection against small arms fire and shrapnel, but making it vulnerable to heavier anti-tank weapons.
The 38(t) was used primarily in the early years of the war and saw action in campaigns across France, Russia, and North Africa. While it was eventually phased out as a front-line combat vehicle, its chassis was repurposed for various specialized vehicles, including tank destroyers like the Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer or the Bergepanzer 38(t), a German armored recovery vehicle.
