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| Leichttraktor Vs.Kfz.31 (Versuchs Kampffahrzeug 31) | |
|---|---|
 Rheinmetall variant | |
| Type | Light tank |
| Place of origin | Weimar Republic |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1930–1945 |
| Used by | Weimar Republic Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II (Training only) |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1929–1933 |
| Manufacturer | Krupp,Rheinmetall |
| Produced | 1930 |
| No. built | 4 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Krupp: 8.7tonnes (9.6short tons; 8.6long tons) Rheinmetall: 8.96tonnes (9.88short tons; 8.82long tons) |
| Length | Krupp: 4.35 m (14 ft 3 in) Rheinmetall: 4.21 m (13 ft 10 in) |
| Width | Krupp: 2.37 m (7 ft 9 in) Rheinmetall: 2.26 m (7 ft 5 in) |
| Height | Krupp: 2.35 m (7 ft 9 in) Rheinmetall:2.27 m (7 ft 5 in) |
| Crew | 4 (commander, driver, radio operator, and loader) |
| Armor | Krupp: top frontal 14 mm, bottom frontal 19 mm, sides 8 + 6 mm, back 14 mm, bottom 5 mm, bonnet 6 mm, front slanting wall of turret 5 mm, turret sides 14 mm, turret rear 14 mm, turret top 5 mm, cupola 14 mm. Turret appears to be 14 mm all around.[1] Rheinmetall: 14 mm frontal |
Main armament | 3.7 cm KwK L/45 |
Secondary armament | 7.92×57mm Mauser Dreyse machine gun, cloth belt drum magazine (100 rounds) supply. |
| Engine | Daimler-Benz M836 six-cylinder liquid-cooled gasoline engine. 69–99 hp (51–74 kW) |
| Suspension | Krupp:Coil spring Rheinmetall:Leaf spring |
Operational range | 137 km (85 mi) on-road |
| Maximum speed | 30 km/h (19 mph) |
TheLeichttraktor (Vs.Kfz.31) was a German experimentaltank designed during theInterwar Period.
The Leichttraktor was a German experimental tank. After the end ofWorld War I, Germany was restricted in military development by theTreaty of Versailles. However, it was developed in a secret program under the cover name "Traktor". Its engine was mounted inside the front portion of the hull and the turret was mounted above the fighting compartment in the rear of the tank. BothRheinmetall andKrupp produced prototypes, and in 1928, Rheinmetall's design was chosen and was awarded an order for 289 tanks. However, some time later, the order was cancelled.[2] Krupp models hadcoil spring suspensions, while Rheinmetall hadleaf spring suspensions.
The Germans tested the tank in theSoviet Union under theTreaty of Rapallo – agreed between the USSR and Germany in 1922 under high secrecy and security. The testing facility used from 1926 to 1933 was namedPanzertruppenschule Kama, located nearKazan in the Soviet Union. The location was a joint testing ground and tank training ground for theRed Army andReichswehr. It was codenamed "Kama" from the words Kazan and Malbrandt because the testing grounds were nearKazan andOberstleutnant Malbrandt was assigned to select the location for testing.[3]
Leichter Traktor ("Light tractor") was a cover name for all three medium tank designs produced there.[4] In the early years ofWorld War II it was used as a training tank. Although these designs were not used in actual warfare, they gave a good intuition on how to build tanks when Germany had previously only made one official tank, theA7V, and this design led to the creation of thePanzer I.[5]
| Tanks |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Self-propelled artillery | ||
| Assault guns | ||
| Tank destroyers (Panzerjäger, Jagdpanzer) | ||
| Half-tracks | ||
| Armored cars | ||
| Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns | ||
| Demolition vehicles | ||
| Experimental/prototype vehicles | ||
| Proposed designs | ||
| Designations | ||
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