History Feature: The Power of the Czechoslovakian Tank
Tank Commanders,
Czechoslovakia was, before the Second World War, one of the leading powers in the world in terms of armoured vehicle development. That changed after the subsequent German occupation when it was deprived of this status, but the powerful Czechoslovakian military-industrial complex continued to work during the war years. It built the famous self-propelled anti-tank Marder and the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) (erroneously called Hetzer), among others. Thus, by ensuring the needs of the army, Germany unwittingly created all the conditions that allowed Czechoslovakia to reclaim their place in the "big leagues".
By the autumn of 1945, a matter of months after the war, Czechoslovakian military designers had made enormous advances in the field of armored vehicles. The results of their work combines a wealth of personal experience, along with successful examples of the Soviet and German tank building schools. Unfortunately, most of them ran into production issues, as Czechoslovakia became mired in economic and political problems.
Here follows a few examples of Czechoslovakia's more renowned designs:
