Skoda LT vz. 35

During 1934 the Czechoslovak Ministry of National Defense issued a requirement for a new class of cavalry tanks. Both Praga and Škoda entered the competition and produced prototypes that were available the next year. Škoda won the contract and its design went into production as the LT vz. 35 – sometimes shortened to LT-35. The light tank had 25mm armor and was one of the most advanced and powerful armored vehicles when it went into service late in 1936. By 1938, 298 had been delivered. The main gun was a 37mm Škoda vz. 34 cannon, augmented by two 7.92 Zbrojovka Brno TK vz. 37 machine guns. The Škoda T-11/0 four-cylinder, water-cooled engine moved the 10.5-ton tank to a maximum of 25 miles an hour. The LT vz. 35 had a three-man crew.