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The combat debut of Pz.Kpfw. IA, the first German tank since the Treaty of Versailles, was in 1936, during Spanish Civil War. Only 106 tanks, (102 Ausf A, Ausf B and 4 kl.Pz.Bf.Wg 1KlA ( LEADWARRIOR kit LW35008 )) saw service with "Legion Condor" and General Franco's "Nationalists". Major Ritter von Thoma's Panzer Abteilung 88 (also known as Abteilung Drohne) with its 3 companies was based at Cubas near Toledo, where German instructors trained future Spanish crews, while the unit was used for training duties and combat. By the spring of 1938, "Bandera de Carros de Combate de la Legion", consisted of two tanks battalions was formed. Pz.Kpfw. Is equipped 1-st Tank Battalion (Agrupacion de Carros), while captured T-26s equipped the second. German High Command used the opportunity of the Spanish Civil War to test and compare their new weapons and tactics of Blitzkrieg.
Pz.Kpfw. I was designed as light training tank for the pre-war Panzer Divisions never intended to be be used in combat conditions. It was cheap, fast and maneuverable, but its armour and MG armament were both very weak, because of its original design capabilities. Pz.Kpfw. I tanks proved to be outclassed by Soviet T-26 and BT-5 provided to "The Republicans". To overcome that somehow, several Pz.Kpfw. I were rearmed with Czech 2cm. Breda mod. 35 anti-tank guns mounted in a modified turret. It gave Only one photo of that machine is known (see below). |
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