← Back to the front page

Highlights during WWII and Other Lesser Known Historical Facts

Khalid Elhassan April 27, 2020 34 min

Junkers Ju 88 - Aviation — A Junkers Ju 88. World Warbird News

27. The Little Tank That Could

A restored Jagdpanzer 38(t). Tank Encyclopedia

The Czech 38(t) had better protection and anti-tank capabilities than equivalent German light tanks of the early war, such as the Panzer I and Panzer IIs. So the Germans employed the Czech tanks more aggressively in infantry support and in dealing with other light tanks and armored vehicles. The 38(t)s were not designed to spearhead breakthroughs or take on main battle tanks, but once breakthroughs had been achieved, the Czech tanks came into their own. Penetrating deep into the enemy rear, 38(t)s wreaked havoc far and wide.

By 1942, advances in tank designs and changed battlefield conditions had rendered the 38(t) obsolete, and tank production was halted. Chassis production continued, for use in the Marder III and the Hetzer, or Jagdpanzer 38(t), tank destroyers, while surviving 38(t)s were withdrawn from frontline service for use in security and convoy escort duties.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.