By the end of the year 1935 the Czechoslovak army formulated its tank specifications.
The companies involved were most successful in the II-a category of cavalry tanks.
The tank from Skoda company emerged victorious and the Czechoslovak army
decided to accept it as its standard light tank under the designation LT vz.35. This
tank was one of the best vehicles in its category. A total of the LT vz.35 tanks ordered
by the army was 298 and first of them entered service in December 1936. During
summer and autumn of the year 1938 LT vz.35 were used against Freikorps units
in Sudetenland's combats. Immediately following the Munich agreement the
Czechoslovak army lost interest in further expansion of its armoured units. It was
even willing to sell some of its tanks. The English were interested in acquiring a total
of 200 LT vz.35 tanks. The Soviet Union was interested to buy one vehicle for
non-licence production, but the Skoda company wasn't interested in such a deal.
During the autumn of 1938 LT vz.35's participated in protecting Slovakia and
Transcarpatian Ruthenia against a Hungarian attack. The armoured units also
fought against Back's Polish units at the northern border of Ruthenia. Above
mentioned fights against Hungarians continued till March 1939.
Following the occupation of the Czech tanks, the Germans captured 244 LT vz.35
tanks. The Slovak state got 52 and the Hungarians two. The Germans immediately
accepted the LT vz.35, renamed PzKpfw 35(t), into their Panzerdivisions. The tanks
saw combat in Polish and French campaigns. The Germans used PzKpfw 35(t) in
limited quantities also at the beginning of the Russian campaign. Number produced :
298 for Czechoslovak army, 126 for Roumania - renamed R-2, 10 for Bulgaria -
renamed T-11.
Technical data:
Length : 4,900 mm
Width : 2,055 mm
Height : 2,370 mm
Armament : 3.7cm cannon, 2x heavy 7.92mm machine guns
Max speed : 34 km/h (road), 12-16 km/h (terrain)
Weight ready : 10.5 t
