View source for Panzer 38(t)

{{Short description|Czechoslovak light tank used by Germany during WW2}}
{{distinguish|text=[[T-38 tank]], a Soviet light tank}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox weapon
| is_vehicle         = yes
| name               = Panzerkampfwagen 38(t)
| image              = Panzer 38(t) Ausf. S.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Ausf. S at the [[German Tank Museum]]
| origin             = [[Czechoslovakia]]
| type               = [[Light tank]]
| service            = 1939–1945 (Nazi Germany), 1938–1970 (Peru)<ref>{{cite web |title=Československý tank z Peru dosedl po 74 letech na rodnou půdu|first=Andrej|last=Halada|url=https://www.mocr.army.cz/informacni-servis/zpravodajstvi/ceskoslovensky-tank-z-peru-dosedl-po-74-letech-na-rodnou-pudu-74887/ |website=Czech Ministry of Defence |date=28 September 2012 |access-date=2 December 2021}}</ref>
| used_by            = {{plainlist|
* [[Nazi Germany]]
* [[Kingdom of Romania]]
* [[Kingdom of Bulgaria]]
* [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)|Hungary]]
* [[Slovak Republic (1939–45)|Slovak Republic]]
* [[Sweden]]
* [[Switzerland]]
* [[Peru]]
* [[Pahlavi dynasty|Iran]]}}
| wars               = {{plainlist|
* [[World War II]]
* [[Ecuadorian–Peruvian War]]
* [[Internal conflict in Peru]]}}
| designer           = [[ČKD]]
| design_date        =
| manufacturer       = [[ČKD]]
| unit_cost          =
| production_date    = 1939–1942
| number             = 1,414 (for Germany)
| variants           = <!-- General specifications -->
| length             = {{convert|4.61|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| width              = {{convert|2.14|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| height             = {{convert|2.25|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (overall)
| weight             = {{convert|9.725|-|9.85|t|ton}}
| suspension         = [[leaf spring]]
| speed              = {{plainlist|
* 42 km/h, 26.1 mph (road)
* 15 km/h, 9.3 mph (off-road)}}
| primary_armament   = [[Skoda 37 mm A7|37 mm KwK 38(t) L/47.8]]
| secondary_armament = 2× 7.92 mm [[ZB-53]] (MG 37(t)) [[machine guns]]
| armour             = {{plainlist|
* 8–30&nbsp;mm (Ausf. A–D)
* 8–50 mm (Ausf. E–G)}}
| engine             = Praga Typ TNHPS/II<br /> water-cooled, 6-cylinder [[gasoline engine]]
| crew               = 4 (in German service) / 3 (as originally designed)
| engine_power       = {{cvt|123.3|hp|PS kW}}
| pw_ratio           = 13.15 PS/tonne
<!-- Vehicle/missile specifications -->| transmission       = 5 + 1 Praga-Wilson Typ CV
| clearance          = 0.40 m
| fuel_capacity      = {{convert|220|L|usgal}}
| vehicle_range      = {{plainlist|
* {{convert|250|km|mi|abbr=on}} (road)
* {{convert|160|km|mi|abbr=on}} (cross-country)}}<ref>Jentz, T. (1996). ''Panzertruppen: The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1933–1942''. Schiffer. p. 281.</ref>
}}

The '''{{lang|de|italic=no|Panzerkampfwagen}} 38(t)''', originally known as the '''[[ČKD|Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk]] (ČKD) LT vz. 38''', was a tank designed during the 1930s, which saw extensive service during [[World War II]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2020-12-05|title=Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Ausf.A|url=https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/germany/panzer-38t.php|access-date=2022-01-24|website=Tank Encyclopedia|language=en-US}}</ref> Developed in [[Czechoslovakia]] by ČKD, the type was adopted by [[Nazi Germany]] following the [[German occupation of Czechoslovakia]].<ref name=":1" /> With the German Army and other Axis forces, the type saw service in the invasions of Poland, France and the USSR.<ref name=":1" /> Production ended in 1942, when its main armament was deemed inadequate.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Panzerkampfwagen 38(t)|url=http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_panzerkampfwagen_38t.html|access-date=2022-01-24|website=Military History Encyclopedia}}</ref> In all, over 1,400 Pz. 38(t)s were manufactured.<ref name=":2" /> The chassis of the Pz. 38(t) continued to be produced for the [[Marder III]] (1942–1944) with some of its components used in the later [[Hetzer]] (''Jagdpanzer'' 38, 1944–1945) tank destroyer and its derivative vehicles.

The (t) stands for {{lang|de|tschechisch}}, the German word for Czech; the Czechoslovak military designation was LT vz. 38 ({{lang|cs|Lehký tank vzor 38}}, Light Tank model 38).<ref name=":1" /> Manufacturer's designations included '''TNH series''', '''TNHPS''', '''LTP''' and '''LTH'''.<ref name=":1" /> The special vehicle ({{lang|de|Sonderkraftfahrzeug}}) designation for the tank in Germany was '''Sd.&nbsp;Kfz.&nbsp;140'''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LT vz. 38 / PzKpfW 38(t) (SdKfz 140)|url=https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.php?armor_id=273|access-date=2022-01-24|website=Military Factory|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Description ==
The Panzer 38(t) was a conventional inter-war tank design, with riveted armour.<ref name=":1" /> The armour varied in thickness from 10&nbsp;mm to 25&nbsp;mm in most versions.<ref name=":2" /> Later models (Ausf. E on) increased this to 50&nbsp;mm by bolting on an additional 25&nbsp;mm armour plate to the front portion of the hull.<ref name=":2" /> The sides received an additional 15&nbsp;mm increase of armour from Ausf. E production runs onward.<ref name=":2" />

The two-man turret was centrally located, and housed the tank's main armament, a [[Skoda 37 mm A7|37&nbsp;mm Skoda A7 gun]] with 90 rounds of ammunition.<ref name=":1" /> In addition, a 7.92&nbsp;mm machine gun was in a ball mount to the right of the main gun.<ref name=":1" /> This machine gun could be trained on targets independently of the main gun, or coupled to the main gun for use as a conventional coaxial machine gun.<ref name=":1" />

The driver was in the front right of the hull, with the radio operator seated to the driver's left.<ref name=":1" /> The radio operator manned the hull-mounted 7.92&nbsp;mm machine gun in front in addition to operating the radio on his left.<ref name=":1" /> The driver could also fire the hull machine gun with a trigger fitted on the left tiller bar.<ref name=":1" /> A total of 2,550 rounds were carried for the bow and turret machine guns.<ref name=":1" />

In German service, a loader position was added to the turret by reducing the ammunition capacity by 18 rounds.<ref name=":1" /> All future Panzer 38(t) tanks were rebuilt according to this specification and those already in service were modified accordingly. The commander had to aim and fire the main gun in addition to his role as commander.<ref name=":1" />
Minor adjustments, such as adjustable seats for the driver and firmer footing for the commander/gunner and loader, were also made.

The engine was mounted in the rear of the hull and powered the tank through a transmission at the front of the hull with five forward gears and one reverse gear.<ref name=":1" /> The track ran under four rubber-tyred road wheels and back over a rear idler and two track return rollers.<ref name=":1" /> The wheels were mounted on a leaf-spring double-bogie mounted on two axles.<ref name=":1" />

== Development ==
In 1935, the Czechoslovak tank manufacturer [[ČKD]] was looking for a replacement for the [[Panzer 35(t)|LT-35]] tank they were jointly producing with [[Škoda Works]]. The LT-35 was complex and had shortcomings, and ČKD felt there would be orders both from the expanding Czechoslovak army and for export.

ČKD decided to use a leaf-spring suspension with four large wheels for their new tank with an export success under the name "TNH".<ref name=":1" /> With small variations for each customer, 50 were exported to [[Iran]] (TNHP), 24 each to [[Peru]] (LTP) and Switzerland (LTH). [[Lithuania]] also ordered some (LTL).<ref name=":1" /> The British [[Royal Armoured Corps]] (RAC) had one trial model delivered on 23 March 1939 to Gunnery School at [[Lulworth]]. A report stated that "the (bow) gunner could not sit back comfortably as the wireless set was in the way of his left shoulder". The report also stated that, due to the shudder while the vehicle was on the move, it was impossible to lay the gun. Even at the speed of {{cvt|5|mph|km/h|order=flip|0}}, accuracy was poor. As a result, the British did not purchase the LT-35 and the trial model was returned.<ref name=":2" />

[[File:BAHNA 2018 - 024 crop.jpg|thumb|LT vz. 38 in Czechoslovak army camouflage]]
In the fall of 1937, the Czechoslovak Armed Forces launched a contest for a new medium tank; Škoda, ČKD and Tatra competed. Škoda Praga submitted the existing joint production export model mentioned above. ČKD also entered a prototype separate from the above, the interesting V-8-H (later called the [[St vz 39|ST vz. 39]]), which proved to have numerous mechanical problems. Tatra, known mostly for its smaller, wheeled armoured cars, submitted a paper entry that was a very novel concept that completely changed the layout of a tank, which concept they patented in 1938. On 1 July 1938, Czechoslovakia ordered 150 of the TNHPS model, although none had entered service by the time of the [[German occupation of Czechoslovakia#The Second Republic (October 1938 to March 1939)|German occupation]] (March 1939).

=== German production ===
After the takeover of Czechoslovakia, Germany ordered continued production of the model as it was considered an excellent tank, especially compared to the [[Panzer I]] and [[Panzer II]] that were the {{lang|de|italic=no|Panzerwaffe}}'s main tanks at the outset of World War II.<ref name=":1" /> It was first introduced into German service under the name '''LTM 38'''; this was changed on 16 January 1940 to '''{{lang|de|italic=no|Panzerkampfwagen}} 38(t)'''.<ref name=":1" />

The relatively small turret of the Panzer 38(t) could not accommodate a cannon powerful enough to defeat more heavily armoured tanks such as the [[T-34]], so production of the Pz. 38(t) halted in June 1942 when more than 1,400 had been built.<ref name=":2" /> Other examples of the Pz. 38(t) were also sold to a number of other Axis nations, including Hungary (102), Slovakia (69), Romania (50), and [[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] (10, known as ''Praga'').<ref name="B&B40">{{cite magazine |title=Le Blindorama: La genèse de la force blindée bulgare 1935–1943 |language=fr| magazine=Batailles & Blindés|issue=40| date=December 2010 |publisher=Caraktère |issn=1765-0828 |first=Mathieu |last=Boisdron |pages=4–7}}</ref>

The main advantages of the Panzer 38(t), compared to other tanks of the day, were high reliability and sustained mobility. In one documented case, a regiment was supplied with tanks driven straight from the factory in 2.5 days instead of the anticipated week, without any mechanical breakdowns.<ref>''History of the 25 Panzer Regiment of the 7 Panzerdivision''.</ref>{{full citation needed|date=November 2022}} In the opinion of the crews, the drive components of the Pz. 38(t) – engine, gear, steering, suspension, wheels and tracks – were perfectly in tune with each other. The Pz. 38(t) was also considered to be very easy to maintain and repair.<ref>[[#Spielberger, 1990|Spielberger, 1990]]</ref>

After production of the Pz. 38(t) ceased, the chassis was used for [[tank destroyer]] designs, which were produced in greater numbers than the original Pz. 38(t).<ref name=":2" /> In 1942–1944, about 1,500 [[Marder III]]s were produced. The Marder was replaced by the {{lang|de|italic=no|Jagdpanzer}} 38(t) ([[Hetzer]]), based on a modified Panzer 38(t) chassis, of which approximately 2,800 were produced.<ref name=":2" /> The Panzer 38(t) chassis was also the basis for an anti-aircraft gun carrier, the [[Flakpanzer 38(t)]], of which about 140 were produced.<ref name=":2" /> The '''{{lang|de|italic=no|Aufklärungspanzer}} 38(t)''' (designation [[List of Sd.Kfz. designations#Sd.Kfz. 100 to 199|Sd.Kfz.140/1]]) was a reconnaissance vehicle based on a 38(t) tank fitted with a {{lang|de|italic=yes|Hängelafette}} open-topped turret with mesh covers (20&nbsp;mm KwK&nbsp;38&nbsp;L/55 gun and a coaxial MG&nbsp;42 – adapted from the [[List of Sd.Kfz. designations#Sd.Kfz. 200 to 299|Sd.Kfz.&nbsp;222]] armoured car); a support version armed with a 75&nbsp;mm KwK&nbsp;37&nbsp;L/24 (and [[MG&nbsp;42]]) gun mounted in the modified superstructure was also designed.<ref name=":2" /> Seventy {{lang|de|italic=no|Aufklärungspanzer}} 38(t) with a 20&nbsp;mm gun were built in February and March 1944; just two {{lang|de|italic=no|Aufklärungspanzer}} 38(t) with a 75&nbsp;mm gun were built in 1944.<ref name=":2" />

=== Swedish production ===
[[File:Stridsvagn m41 Strängnäs 12.08.11(1).JPG|thumb|{{lang|sv|italic=no|Stridsvagn}} m/41]]

Since the 90 PzKpfw 38(t) Ausf. S built for Sweden to be delivered in March 1940 were confiscated with the invasion of Czechoslovakia, negotiations with {{lang|de|italic=no|Böhmisch-Mährische-Maschinenfabrik}} for the blue-prints needed for license production commenced and an agreement was reached at the end of 1940, which included the upgrades for the TNHP-S. The riveted construction was seen as a drawback, but since redrawing the blueprints for a welded construction was estimated to delay production by almost a year,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sphf.se/Axvall/41.htm|title=Stridsvagn m/41 S II|work=sphf.se|language=sv|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924104445/http://www.sphf.se/Axvall/41.htm|archive-date=24 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> no changes were made to the 116 m/41 ordered from [[Scania-Vabis]] in June 1941. Deliveries started in December 1942 and were completed in August 1943, no less than three years behind the original plan.

While clearly outdated, the need for a 10-ton light tank was so pressing that another order was placed in mid 1942. Since Scania-Vabis had reached the production ceiling, the 122 tanks had to be complemented by some 80 [[Stridsvagn L-60|strv m/40]]. The second batch had the frontal armour upgraded to 50&nbsp;mm bringing the weight to 11 tonnes, and to deal with the increased weight the 145&nbsp;hp Scania-Vabis typ 1664 was replaced by a more powerful 160&nbsp;hp Scania-Vabis typ 603. Due to the larger size, the hull had to be made 65&nbsp;mm longer causing a wider gap between the second and third roadwheel. This enabled the fueltanks to be upgraded from 190 litres to 230 litres. Only 104 got delivered when production ended in March 1944; the last 18 chassis were built as the assault gun [[Stormartillerivagn m/43]] instead. Another 18 Sav m/43 were purpose built.

At the end of the 1950s, 220 SI & SII were converted to [[Pansarbandvagn 301]] armoured personnel carriers and the turrets<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sphf.se/Axvall/varntorn.htm|title=Värntorn|work=sphf.se|language=sv|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924104454/http://www.sphf.se/Axvall/varntorn.htm|archive-date=24 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> used for airbase defences.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web|url=http://www.ointres.se/strv_m_41.htm|title=Strv m/41|work=ointres.se |language=sv}}</ref>

== Operational history ==
=== Germany ===
[[Image:Zentralbibliothek Solothurn Ernst Klöti 2376 Landi.jpg|thumb|Tank LT vz. 38 in Swiss Army during the expo in [[Zürich]] in 1939]]
[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-769-0229-26, Frankreich, Panzersoldat, Panzer 38(t).jpg|thumb|Panzer 38(t), France, June 1940]]

The Panzer 38(t) performed well in the [[invasion of Poland]] in 1939 and the [[Battle of France]] in 1940.<ref name=":1" /> It was better armed than the Panzer I and Panzer II tanks. It was on a par with most light tank designs of the era, although it was unable to effectively engage the frontal armour of medium, heavy and [[infantry tank]] designs.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Zaloga |first1=Steven J. |title=Panzer 38(t) |date=20 October 2014 |publisher=Osprey Publishing Ltd |isbn=978-1782003960 |pages=48}}</ref>

It was also used in the [[Operation Barbarossa|German invasion of the Soviet Union]] from 1941 onwards in German and Hungarian units but, like other Axis tanks, was outclassed by Soviet tanks such as the T-34.<ref name=":1" /> Some ex-German units were issued to the Romanians in 1943, after the loss of many of the Romanian R-2 tanks.<ref name=":1" /> By then, it had become largely obsolete, though the chassis was adapted to a variety of different roles with success. Notable variations include the Sd.Kfz. 138 Marder III mobile anti-tank gun, the Sd.Kfz. 138/1 [[Grille (artillery)|Grille]] mobile howitzer, Flakpanzer 38(t) and the Jagdpanzer 38(t) ''Hetzer'' tank destroyer.<ref name=":2" /> Small numbers were also used for reconnaissance, training and security duties, such as deployment on [[armoured train]]s.<ref name=":1" />

[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-265-0037-10, Russland, Panzer 38t.jpg|thumb|Panzer 38(t), Soviet Union, June 1941]]
The German tank commander [[Otto Carius]], who was credited with over 150 'kills', described an action in a 38(t) on 8 July 1941,

{{blockquote|It happened like greased lightning. A hit against our tank, a metallic crack, the scream of a comrade, and that was all there was! A large piece of armour plating had been penetrated next to the radio operator's seat. No one had to tell us to get out. Not until I had run my hand across my face while crawling in the ditch next to the road did I discover that they had also got me. Our radio operator had lost his left arm. We cursed the brittle and inelastic Czech steel that gave the Russian 47 mm anti-tank gun so little trouble. The pieces of our own armour plating and assembly bolts caused considerably more damage than the shrapnel of the round itself.<ref>[[#Carius, 2003|Carius, 2003]], pp.&nbsp;7,8</ref>}}

The above report highlights the reason why the 38(t) was pulled out of front lines in favour of the heavier [[Panzer III]], [[Panzer IV]], and [[Sturmgeschütz III|StuG III]].<ref name=":1" /> Panzer 38(t) continued to serve after 1941 as a [[reconnaissance]] vehicle and in anti-partisan units for some time. Several captured examples were refitted with Soviet DTM machineguns and employed by the Red Army.

At the start of Barbarossa, the Germans found Soviet T-34 tanks to be superior, as the German 37&nbsp;mm [[Pak 36]] anti-tank gun proved incapable of penetrating the T-34's armour. To neutralize the T-34, the Germans mounted a captured [[76 mm divisional gun M1936 (F-22)|Soviet 76.2 mm gun]] on the chassis of the 38(t) model as a stop-gap measure and called it the Marder III.<ref name=":2" /> Crews of early Marder III models fought exposed on top of the engine deck.

==== Campaigns ====
* [[Invasion of Poland]] with the [[German 3rd Light Division]]
* [[Operation Weserübung]] (Denmark) with the [[German 31st Army Corps]]
* [[Battle of France]] with the [[7th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|7th]] and [[8th Panzer Division|8th Panzer Divisions]]
* [[Operation Barbarossa]] and subsequent operations <!--Operation Barbarossa basically ended with the Soviet counteroffensives in December 1941; the panzer divisions continued to use the PzKpfw 38(t) in 1942 - and 22nd Panzer Division didn't arrive on the eastern front until March 1942-->with the German <!--[[6th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|6th]], This division had the earlier Pz 35(t)--> [[7th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|7th]], [[8th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|8th]], [[12th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|12th]], [[19th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|19th]], [[20th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|20th]], [[22nd Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)|22nd Panzer Divisions]], Hungarian First Armoured Field Division and Slovak [[Rýchla divízia|Fast division]]<ref name=":0" />
* [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] operations with the Romanian 2nd Tank Regiment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldwar2.ro/arr/?article=238|title=T-38 light tank|work=worldwar2.ro}}</ref>{{sps|date=January 2021}}
* [[Slovak National Uprising]]: 13 tanks of this type were used by the [[First Czechoslovak Army in Slovakia|Slovak insurgent army]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://historyweb.dennikn.sk/clanky/detail/povstalecke-stihace-tankov-v-snp|title = Povstalecké stíhače tankov v SNP|language=sk}}</ref>

=== Iran ===
[[File:Azerbeidsjan capituleert, Bestanddeelnr 901-9710 crop.jpg|thumb|TNH tanks at military parade in Tehran, December 1946]]
Iran purchased 50 TNH tanks armed with a Skoda 37mm gun.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tankarchives.ca/2017/03/ckd-export-tanks-offer-you-cant-refuse.html|title=CKD Export Tanks: An Offer You Can't Refuse|website=www.tankarchives.ca|access-date=2024-01-05}}</ref> A further order of 200 was interrupted by the German occupation of Czechoslovakia. [[Tanks of Iran|Iranian TNHs]] were assigned to the 1st and 2nd Divisions and the Imperial Guards but were overwhelmed by the 1000 tanks used by the Soviet Army in the [[Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran|Anglo-Soviet invasion]] in August 1941.

=== Peru ===
[[File:Lešany - vojenské muzeum, Tankový den 2024, ukázky, LTP, obr03 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Renovated LTP at [[Military Technical Museum Lešany|Lešany military museum]]]]
A Peruvian mission went to Europe in 1935 and looked at tanks from several major manufacturers before settling on the Czech LTP. Peru bought 24 of them. They were delivered in 1938–1939 and designated ''{{lang|es|italic=unset|Tanque}} 38'' (then ''{{lang|es|italic=unset|Tanque}} 39'').<ref name="BB72">{{cite magazine|title=Blindorama: Pérou 1936-1945|magazine=Batailles et Blindés|issue=72|date=April 2015|pages=12–13|last=Mahé|first=Yann|language=fr}}</ref> This small armoured force of two tank companies was complemented by truck-mounted infantry and artillery pulled by tractors (the Czech ČKD). Peruvian doctrine was influenced by the French military mission operating in Peru at the time, and emphasized the use of tanks to support infantry attacks rather than in independent mobile columns (as in the German [[Blitzkrieg]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Pieces of the Equator |url=http://www.avalanchepress.com/Equator_pieces.php |access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=Review of a wargame is not a RS for this topic|date=October 2015}}

The Peruvian tank battalion played an important role in the 1941 [[Ecuadorian–Peruvian War]], spearheading [[Battle of Zarumilla|the attack]] across the [[Zarumilla River]] and at [[Arenillas Canton|Arenillas]].<ref name="BB72"/> This was helped by the fact that the Ecuadorian Army had no modern anti-tank guns and their artillery was horse-drawn. Ultimately the last LTP tanks would see retirement from active service only in 1988.{{citation needed|reason=A blog post is not a RS|date=November 2022}}

The tanks were also used for [[Internal conflict in Peru|counter-insurgency operations]] against the [[Shining Path]].<ref name="BB72"/><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Zaloga |first1=Steven J. |title=Panzer 38(t) |year=2014 |publisher=Bloomsbury |series=New Vanguard |isbn=9781782003960 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z4alCwAAQBAJ&q=tanque+ltp+peru&pg=PA8 |access-date=2019-02-24 }}</ref>

=== Romania ===
{{see also|TACAM T-38}}
The T-38 was the local designation for the wartime deliveries of Panzer 38(t)s from Germany in 1943. T-38 served with the forces operating in Kuban within 2nd Tank Regiment and later the 54th Company attached to the HQ and the cavalry corps in Kuban and Crimea. T-38 tanks were still in action with the 10th Infantry Division and Cavalry Divisions in 1944.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldwar2.ro/arme/?language=ro&article=238|title=WorldWar2.ro - T-38|website=www.worldwar2.ro|access-date=2018-07-24}}</ref>

=== Slovakia ===
[[File:Lt38 bb.jpg|thumb|Slovak LT-38 tank in Museum of Slovak National Uprising in Banská Bystrica.]]
In the Slovak Army, this tank received the designation '''LT-38'''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.valka.cz/Pz-Kpfw-38-t-ve-sluzbach-cizich-armad-t171117|title=>> Pz.KPFW. 38(t) – ve službách cizích armád : Německo (DEU)|date=28 April 2014 |language=cs}}</ref> Because of the first series of the LT-38 was not yet finished in [[German occupation of Czechoslovakia|March 1939]], when Czechoslovakia dissolved, and as the first series was seized by Nazi Germany, the army of the [[Slovak Republic (1939–1945)|Slovak State]], which was a German ally in the Polish and Soviet campaigns, initially had only [[LT-35]] tanks. In 1940 the Slovak Army ordered 10 tanks, which were used in Operation Barbarossa. All of them were used at the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] in the [[Fast division]] in the Battalion of Assault Vehicles. Two tanks were destroyed; the other 8 tanks later returned to Slovakia. After that, the Slovak Army ordered another 27 tanks, and when the Germans started withdrawing Panzer 38(t) tanks, the Slovak Army received another 37 tanks from Germany. Thirteen tanks of this type were used by Slovak insurgents during the [[Slovak National Uprising]] in 1944.<ref name="lt-38">{{cite web|url=http://www.fronta.cz/lt-vz-38|title=LT vz. 38 - PzKpfw 38(t)|last1=Šír|first1=Vojtěch|website=Fronta.cz|access-date=8 April 2017}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

The Slovak Army also used the LT-40, which was based on the same chassis as the LT-38, but it was smaller and had a different turret. These tanks were initially manufactured for Lithuania but because it was occupied by [[Soviet Union|USSR]] from 1940, the order had been not realised. Instead, these tanks were acquired by Slovakia. Yet in 1940, the Slovak Army received 21 tanks. They were delivered without guns, machine guns, radio stations or optics. Slovak army equipped them with machine guns and the tanks took part in the Slovak army's campaign in the USSR. During the battle near Lipovec, one tank was destroyed. Afterwards, the other machines were rearmed with Škoda A7 37&nbsp;mm guns. Several tanks were used by the Slovak Army during the attack on the [[Caucasus]], where some of them were lost in the fight. Remaining tanks were taken back to Slovakia, and some of them were used by Slovak Insurgent Army in the Slovak National Uprising in 1944.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Kliment|first1=Charles K.|title=Slovenská armáda 1939–1945|last2=Břetislav|first2=Nakládal|year=2006}}</ref>

One complete LT-38 tank in Slovak camouflage and one LT-38 torso are displayed in the [[Museum of the Slovak National Uprising]] in [[Banská Bystrica]]. Tank 313, the torso of which can be seen in the museum, was the third tank of the first order and saw combat on the Eastern front. Later it was used for training because of its high mileage. During the Slovak National Uprising it was used by insurgents, but because its engine failed, it was abandoned.<ref name="muzeum SNP">{{cite web|url=http://www.fronta.cz/fotogalerie/muzeum-snp-banska-bystrica|title=Muzeum SNP Banská Bystrica|language=cs|website=Fronta.cz|access-date=8 April 2017}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://dennikn.sk/444402/zachranili-najlepsi-lahky-tank-druhej-svetovej-vojny-bojoval-za-nacistov-aj-za-partizanov/|title = Zachránili najlepší ľahký tank z druhej svetovej vojny, bojoval za nacistov aj za partizánov|language=cs|date = 26 April 2016}}</ref>

=== Sweden ===
All Strv m/41 SI were sent to [[Södermanlands regemente (armoured)|P 3]] in [[Strängnäs]], who were the only regiment who painted the road-wheels in the same camouflage pattern as the hull against regulations prescribing field-grey to be used.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Panzer 38(t)|encyclopedia=Tanks Encyclopedia|url=http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/Panzer-38T.php|date=5 December 2020}}</ref> Most of the m/41 SII went to [[Skaraborgs regemente (armoured)|P 4]] in [[Skövde]], with a small number allocated to [[Skånska dragonregementet (armoured)|P 2]] in [[Hässleholm]] and the material reserve of P 3.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> All tanks had been retired from active service in the mid-1950s and later rebuilt into Pansarbandvagn 301 armoured personnel carriers (APCs).

== Technical data ==
=== TNHP-S ===
<!-- (Bishop, 1998)-->
* '''General'''
** Role: Light/medium tank
** Manufacturer: ČKD
** Crew: Commander, loader, driver, bow machine gunner-radio operator
* '''Armament and armour'''
** Main armament: 37.2&nbsp;mm [[Skoda 37 mm A7|Skoda A7]] gun
** Coaxial armament: 7.92&nbsp;mm machine gun
** Bow armament: 7.92&nbsp;mm machine gun
** Ammunition: 90 rounds of 37.2&nbsp;mm and 2,550 rounds of 7.92&nbsp;mm
** armour: 10&nbsp;mm to 25&nbsp;mm
* '''Power and weight'''
** Engine: Praga EPA six-cylinder inline water-cooled petrol
** Transmission: 5 forward, 1 reverse
** Power: 110,3&nbsp;kW (148&nbsp;hp)
** Weight: 9,700&nbsp;kg (21,400&nbsp;lb)
** Power/Weight: 11.5&nbsp;kW/[[metric ton]] (14.0&nbsp;hp/[[short ton]])
* '''Performance'''
** Max road speed: 42&nbsp;km/h
** Max range: 200&nbsp;km
** Fording: 0.9 m
** Gradient: 60%
** Vertical obstacle: 0.8 m
** Trench: 1.9 m
* '''Dimensions'''
** Length: 4.55 m
** Width: 2.13 m
** Height: 2.31 m

=== Panzer 38(t) Aus. A-C ===
* Crew: 4
* '''Armament and armour'''
** Main armament: 37.2&nbsp;mm Skoda A7 (L/47.8) gun with 90 rounds
** Secondary armament: 2 x 7.92&nbsp;mm MG 37(t) (Model 37) machine gun with 2,550 rounds.
** Armour: front 25&nbsp;mm, side 15&nbsp;mm
* Power
** Engine: Praga EPA Model I inline six-cylinder, liquid-cooled, petrol
** Bore: 110&nbsp;mm (~ 4.331 in)
** Stroke: 136&nbsp;mm (~ 5.354 in)
** Displacement: 7754,7 cc (~ 473.22 cu in)
** Power: 91,9&nbsp;kW (123.3&nbsp;hp, 125 PS)
** Transmission: 5 forward, 1 reverse
** Weight: combat: 9.5 tonnes, dry: 8.5 tonnes
** Power/Weight: 10&nbsp;kW/metric ton (13.0&nbsp;hp/short ton)
* Performance
** Speed: 56&nbsp;km/h (35&nbsp;mph)
** Range: {{convert|200|km|mi|abbr=on}}
* Dimensions
** Length: 4.61 m
** Width: 2.14 m
** Height: 2.40 m

== Variants ==
[[Image:Panzerkampfwagen 38 3.jpg|right|thumb|An LTH camouflaged as a German Panzer 38(t)]]
* '''TNHP''' Initial export version to Iran (50 ordered in 1935) (Iran was the first customer)
* '''LTP''' export version to Peru, Peruvian designation is '''Tanque 38'''/'''Tanque 39'''
* '''LTH''' export version to Switzerland (24 without weapons) Modified turret.
* '''LTL''' export version to Lithuania (21 ordered, none delivered due to Soviet annexation), later used by Slovakia as LT-40
* '''LT vz. 38''' Czechoslovak Army designation (none entered service)
* '''LT-38''' Slovak Army designation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.valka.cz/Pz-Kpfw-38-t-ve-sluzbach-cizich-armad-t171117|title=>> Pz.KPFW. 38(t) - ve službách cizích armád : Německo (DEU)|date=28 April 2014 }}</ref>
* '''LT-40''' Slovak Army designation for the LTL tanks taken-over from the Lithuania order
* '''PzKpfw 38(t) Ausf. A-D''' TNH tank in German manufacture
* '''PzKpfw 38(t) Ausf. E-F''' Pz 38(t) with frontal armour increased to 50&nbsp;mm by bolting on an additional 25&nbsp;mm armour
* '''PzKpfw 38(t) Ausf. S''' 90 TNH ordered by Sweden in February 1940 but seized by Germany, intermediate design between Ausf. D and E
* '''PzKpfw 38(t) Ausf. G''' Pz 38(t) with integral 50&nbsp;mm frontal armour
* '''PzKpfw 38(t) n.A.''' modified version of the Panzer 38(t), used welded armor instead of riveted armor. Uses modified turret.
* '''Panzerbefehlswagen 38(t)''' command version of the Panzer 38(t). Additional radio antennas fitted, including a frame antenna over the rear upper hull. The hull-mounted machine gun was removed to make room for the radio equipment.
* '''[[Stridsvagn m/41]] S(eries)I''', Swedish license-built TNH version as compensation for the seized Ausf. S tanks. 116 produced.
* '''[[Stridsvagn m/41]] S(eries)II''', Strv m/41 with upgraded armour and stronger engine. 104 produced.

=== Other designs based on 38(t) chassis ===
* [[Marder III]] (Sd.Kfz. 138) - German ''Panzerjäger'' (tank destroyer); German [[7.5 cm Pak 40]] gun in open-top superstructure.
* Marder III (Sd.Kfz. 139) - German tank destroyer; Soviet-based [[7.62 cm Pak 36(r)]] gun in open-top superstructure.
* Sd.Kfz. 138/1 [[Grille (artillery)|Grille]] - German self-propelled gun; German [[15 cm sIG 33]] heavy infantry gun in open-top superstructure.
** Also Munitionspanzer 38 (Sf) Ausf. K (Sd.Kfz.. 138/1). ammunition carrier variant, which carried ammunition for the SP gun.
* [[Flakpanzer 38(t)|Flakpanzer 38]] (Sd.Kfz. 140) - German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun; [[2 cm Flak 30/38/Flakvierling|2 cm Flak 38]] anti-aircraft gun in open-top superstructure.
* Sd.Kfz. 140/1 ''Aufklärungspanzer 38 mit 2&nbsp;cm KwK&nbsp;38'' - German reconnaissance tank with 20&nbsp;mm turret from a [[Sd.Kfz. 222]] armoured car (70 built).
* Sd.Kfz. 140/1'' Aufklärungspanzer 38 mit [[7.5 cm KwK 37|7.5&nbsp;cm K&nbsp;51 L/24]]'' - German close-support reconnaissance tank with 7.5&nbsp;cm gun mounted in a modified superstructure (2 built).
* [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)|Jagdpanzer 38]] - German tank destroyer carrying a [[7.5 cm PaK 39]] anti-tank gun in enclosed superstructure.
** G-13 - Swiss designation for postwar-built Jagdpanzer 38(t) sold by Czechoslovakia.
* [[Nahkampfkanone 1]] - Swiss built tank destroyer, similar to Marder III (1 built).
* ''[[Pansarbandvagn 301]]'' - Swedish Stridsvagn m/41 (SI and SII) rebuilt to armoured personnel carriers (220 converted).
* ''[[Stormartillerivagn m/43]]'' - Swedish assault gun based on the m/41 SII chassis (36 built).
* [[TACAM T-38]] - Romanian tank destroyer.

== See also ==
* [[Panzer 35(t)]]
* [[Weapons of Czechoslovakia interwar period]]
* [[German armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II]]
* [[Tank classification]]
* [[List of military vehicles]]

== References ==
=== Notes ===
{{Reflist|2}}

=== Bibliography ===
* Bishop, Chris (ed.) 1998, ''The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II,'' Barnes & Noble, New York. {{ISBN|0-7607-1022-8}}.
* {{cite book
  |last=Carius
  |first=Otto
  |author-link=Otto Carius
  |year=2003
  |title=Tigers in the Mud
  |publisher=Stackpole Books
  |isbn=0-8117-2911-7
  |ref=Carius, 2003
}}
* {{cite book|first1=Peter|last1=Chamberlain|first2=Hilary|last2= Doyle|title=Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two: A Complete Illustrated Directory of German Battle Tanks, Armoured Cars, Self-Propelled Guns and Semi-Tracked Vehicles, 1933–1945|publisher=Arms and Armour|location=London|isbn=1-85409-214-6|year=1993|edition=revised|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Jentz
  | first = Thomas L.
  | title = Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) Ausf.A to G und S: Production, Modification, and Operational History from 1939 to 1942
  | publisher = Panzer Tracts
  | location= Boyds, Maryland
  | series = Panzer Tracts
  | volume= 18
  | year = 2007
  | isbn = 978-0-9771643-6-3
}}
* {{cite book |last1=Kliment |first1=Charles K. |last2=Francev |first2=Vladimír |title=Czechoslovak Armored Fighting Vehicles 1918-1948 |date=1997 |publisher=Schiffer Publishing |location=Atlgen, Pennsylvania |isbn=0-7643-0141-1|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book
  |last=Spielberger |first=Walter J.
  |title=Die Panzer-Kampfwagen 35(t) und 38(t) und ihre Abarten
  |edition=2nd
  |year=1990
  |publisher=Motorbuch Verlag
  |isbn=3-87943-708-4
  |ref=Spielberger, 1990
}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Zaloga |first1=Steven J. |title=Panzer 38(t) |year=2014 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing / Osprey Publishing |series=New Vanguard |volume=215 |isbn=9781782003960 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z4alCwAAQBAJ&q=tanque+ltp+peru&pg=PA8 |access-date=2019-02-24 }}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book
  |last=Sigal Fogliani |first=Ricardo Jorge
  |title=Blindados Argentinos, de Uruguay y Paraguay
  |year=1997
  |language=es
  |publisher=Ayer y Hoy Ediciones
  |place=Buenos Aires
  |isbn=987-95832-7-2
}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Panzerkampfwagen 38(t)}}
* [http://www.panzerworld.net/pzkpfw38t.html Information about the Pz.Kpfw.38(t) at Panzerworld]
* Photo galleries at Tanxheaven: [http://tanxheaven.com/ludob/lt38(Pzkpfw38t)/lt38(Pzkpfw38t).htm], [http://tanxheaven.com/jib/lt38jib.htm].
* [http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pzcz.htm Panzerkampfwagen 38(t)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307143808/http://achtungpanzer.com/pzcz.htm |date=7 March 2007 }} at Achtung Panzer!
* [http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Czechoslowakian_armoured_vehicles.pdf LT-35 and LT-38 tanks] - A PDF file presenting the LT-35 and LT-38 tanks still existing in the world
* [http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Modified_Foreign_Vehicles.pdf Captured German WW2 vehicles] - A PDF file presenting the German vehicles based on captured and modified foreign equipment (10.5&nbsp;cm leFH 18(Sf) auf Geschützwagen, Marder I, Panzerjäger I, Marder III, Grille, Munitionspanzer 38(t)) still existing in the world
* [https://www.mocr.army.cz/informacni-servis/zpravodajstvi/ceskoslovensky-tank-z-peru-dosedl-po-74-letech-na-rodnou-pudu-74887/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202233517/https://www.mocr.army.cz/informacni-servis/zpravodajstvi/ceskoslovensky-tank-z-peru-dosedl-po-74-letech-na-rodnou-pudu-74887/ |date=2 December 2021 }} Tank returned from Peru

{{Weapons of Czechoslovakia}}
{{WWIIGermanAFVs}}
{{WWIIHungarianAFVs|style= wide}}
{{WWIIRomanianAFVs}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:World War II tanks of Germany]]
[[Category:Tanks of Czechoslovakia]]
[[Category:Light tanks of Germany]]
[[Category:Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s]]
[[Category:History of the tank]]
[[Category:Tanks introduced in 1939]]
[[Category:World War II light tanks]]