Pz Kpfw I Light Tank

In the early 1930s, the German Army needed a tank that could be built cheaply and in large numbers. The earliest versions had open top hulls, no turrets and were designed as agricultural tractors to hide their true purpose. Having a two man crew with the driver on the left, the turret was armed with two 7.92mm machine guns and was offset to the right on the roof of the hull. The Panzer I saw service in 1939 in Poland and France in 1940 with a few still serving during Operation Barbarossa in 1941

Close