Rommel's Rivets

Hello and welcome back to another Forgotten Hope 2 update.

Today we are showing off a render of one of the more common foreign vehicles that found their way into German hands, known to them as the Panzer 38(t).

In 1935, Czechoslovak manufacturer CKD was manufacturing the LT-35 light tank in partnership with Škoda. The tank had a number of problems and work was started on a new design with the intention to offer it to the army and sell it commercially. Work began on a mechanically simple design, with riveted armour and large roadwheels on leaf springs. Marketed abroad, this new TNH would be bought by Iran, Peru, Switzerland, Lithuania, and finally Czechoslovakia themselves. In 1939 when Germany annexed the country and occupied the factory, the Lithuanian order had yet to be delivered and the first Czechoslovak tanks were only just finished.

Recognising the strength of the design, and having a factory tooled up to produce it already, the Germans put the tank back into production, now known as the Panzer 38(t). With slight modifications to the cupola and turret, this light tank easily outclassed the Panzer I and II, and was treated as a substitute for the Panzer III medium tank. The 38(t)s performed well in Poland and France, proving themselves to be extremely reliable and easy to maintain. They would see more large scale use in Operation Barbarossa, but the design was nearing the end of its life and was out of production by the middle of 1942.

In total, 1414 Panzer 38(t) were built under German occupation. The chassis would continue in production as the basis for a number of self propelled guns, including the Marder III and Jagdpanzer 38 tank destroyers. Our Panzer 38(t) is an Ausführung B, and was made by Kraetzer.

That's all for this week, but be sure to come back next time for another update. Until then, feel free to visit our Discord, our public forums, our Twitter, our subreddit, and/or Facebook pages to discuss this update and other news.