Leichter Kampfwagen II (LK II)

History

In the First World War (1914-1918) the Germans did not have the same success with battle tanks as their enemies. Their main contribution was the tactical limited edition Sturmpanzerwagen A7V, designed by engineer Joseph Vollmer, of which only 20 prototypes were produced. Volmer was also involved in the development of the super-heavy tank "K-Wagen", but this car remained as a prototype until the end of the war.

By mid-1918, the Leichter Kampfwagen I (LK I) had been used to advance the design of the light infantry support vehicle, which formed the basis for the subsequent production Leichter Kampfwagen II (LK II).

The original LK I was based on an existing chassis and drive unit from Daimler Commercial Vehicles. In addition, there are tracked tracks, armor, and a drive-through turret that houses the machine gun armament. The vehicle retains the general layout of the car, with the engine at the front and the passenger area above the center of the design.

The LK I was used only as a prototype and was completed in only two pre-series vehicles.

The Leichter Kampfwagen II (LK II) follows the same design lines and internal layout as the previous LK I. This is an improvement on the basic approach, using a more powerful 37mm main gun in the turret. Power comes from a Diamler-Benz Type 1910 4-cylinder gasoline engine with 60 hp and armor protection ranging from 8 mm to 14 mm.

Like the LK I, the crew consists of three people and measures 5.1 meters long, 1.9 meters wide and 2.5 meters high. Combat weight of 8.75 tons is significantly heavier than the LK I prototype at 6.9 tons. Performance specs include a travel speed of up to 11 mph and a range of up to 44 mph.

Two pilot vehicles of the LK II design were completed in 1918 and launched in June. It is envisaged that the type will carry a 37mm Krupp cannon and a 1 x 7.92mm MG08 machine gun.

The German army was in desperate need of armored vehicles at this stage of the war, and 580 of these light vehicles were commissioned. However, the end of the war in November 1918 stopped all work on the tank - only two prototypes are still complete.

However, the story of the LK II did not end there, the Swedes incorporated the design into their inventory and produced the car under the name Strv m/21. These models contain a 6.5mm machine gun, as seen in the LK I prototype.

The design served the Swedes well, and with early German support, propelled their local tank program into WWII - culminating in the Strv m/42 in 1943, which became the first vehicle to use the 75 Swedish armored vehicle with a millimeter gun.

A total of 10 LK II tanks were used by the Swedish army, which were built from parts brought from Germany after World War I. Landsverk took care of the assembly.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes