Tancik vz. 33

History

The Carden-Loyd Tankette was a British interwar light tank, a minimally armed and armored combat vehicle with a crew of two. For the budget-conscious global military after World War I, this tank met the needs and was affordable.

However, their variety - in concept and execution - would eventually prove to be flawed and would be superseded by other more viable battlefield solutions during World War II (1939-1945).

In 1930, Czechoslovakia purchased three Carden-Loyd tanks, resulting in a production license. The Czechs took the opportunity to refine the British design and make their own changes to the lighting system, resulting in four prototypes. When these did not perform well in testing, further changes were required. From 1931 to 1933, the vehicle continued to evolve, adding armor protection, better interior layout, improved situational awareness, and additional firepower.

Following the modification, the vehicle was officially registered as "Tancik vz. 33" and entered service in October 1933. Ordered a batch of 70 examples, built to newer Czech standards.

Dimensionally, the tank measures 8.9 feet long, 5.7 feet wide and 4.8 feet high. Two staff members manage the vehicle from within. The weapon is 2 x 7.92 mm ZB vz. 26 series machine guns and power from a water-cooled Praga 4-cylinder unit with 30 hp.

The road speed reaches 35 km/h and the cruising range is up to 100 km. Armor protection on different fairings ranges from 4 m to 12 mm. The vehicle is essentially a tracked chassis with a solid, lightly armored superstructure on top of its design. Interior conditions are correspondingly cramped for the overall dimensions of the vehicle.

The total weight is 2.5 tons (short).

In service, tanks are typically used for reconnaissance missions and infantry support functions, providing off-road capability and shock quality once they encounter cavalry units. World War I ended the dominance of cavalry as a useful battlefield means, and tanks played a niche role in most modern armies, subordinate to the main armored combat element.

However, due to cost concerns, some countries are forced to rely on tanks as the main front-line solution.

Tancik vz has never been instilled with a lot of confidence. The Series 33 was designed by some in the Czech Army, which was demonstrated in some exercises after 1934. The driver is not only responsible for driving the vehicle, but also handling one of the two built-in machine guns. Accuracy is also reduced due to the bumpy nature of vehicle motion while driving. Off-road performance was poor, and situational awareness was rated poor.

Additionally, these vehicles are done without radios, forcing aircrews to rely on hand gestures or other visual means on busy and dangerous battlefields.

Nevertheless, the commitment to the new tank was carried out in the entire inventory of the Czech army. The first use is border control and national security. In 1938, in the eyes of the world, the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia, and it is believed that about 40 small tanks fell into the hands of the conquerors, who used them in secondary roles before they were scrapped in the scrapyard . In mid-1939, part of the original Czech stock also fell into Slovakia and was later used in the Slovak national uprising of 1944.

Apart from these situations, tanks have little use during war.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes