Light Tank PANZER I AUSF. A COBI 2534 - World War II - kopie

Did you know:

• The tank's development was carried out secretly in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, under the guise of a light tractor project.
• Initial chassis tests began in 1933 with Soviet assistance in the Far East.
• The prototype was largely a copy of the British Vickers-Carden-Lloyd vehicle.
• When the tank was first presented to Adolf Hitler during a military exercise, he exclaimed "Yes, this is what I need, this is what I want".
• At the beginning of the war, Panzer I tanks were the most widespread German armored vehicles.
• Production took place in several factories. The precision of the manufactured parts was so high that components made by Henschel, MAN, Krupp, and Daimler were interchangeable — which was certainly not standard at the time.
• Weak armament and armor gradually became insufficient against new enemy technology, so the tanks were withdrawn from combat and continued to be used as reconnaissance vehicles.
• Interesting modifications were also built on the tank chassis, such as the Panzerjäger I tank destroyer, the Flakpanzer I mobile anti-aircraft gun, and the sIG 33 self-propelled gun.
• More than 2,100 units were produced across four different versions.

Technical specifications:

• Dimensions: length 4.42 m, width 2.06 m, height 1.72 m
• Weight: 5,800 kg
• Turret armor 13 mm, sides 13–14.5 mm, front 8–13 mm
• Power unit: Maybach NL38TR petrol engine, air-cooled, output 74 kW
• Number of gears: 5 forward + 1 reverse
• Maximum speed: 40 km/h
• Range: 140 km on road, or 93 km off-road
• Fording depth: 0.6 m
• Crew: 2 people
• Main weapon: 2x MG13 machine guns, caliber 7.92 mm
• Ammunition supply: 2,250 rounds

From the memoirs of tank commander Jan Kurzke:

“When we encountered Soviet T-26s, I felt real fear for the first time. Their guns pierced everything in their path. All we could do was dodge, use our speed, hide in clouds of dust, and shower them with machine gun fire — which barely scratched their armor. In those moments, I realized that the Panzer I was not meant for tank battles.”