Panzer I

The Panzer I was a light tank produced by Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Its name is short for Panzerkampfwagen I (German for "armored fighting vehicle mark I"), abbreviated as Pz.Kpfw. I. The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 101 ("special purpose vehicle 101"). Design of the Panzer I began in 1932 and mass production began in 1934. Initially intended only as a training tank to introduce the concept of armored warfare to the German Army, the Panzer I saw combat in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, in Poland, France, the Soviet Union and North Africa during the Second World War, and in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Experiences with the Panzer I during the Spanish Civil War helped shape the German Panzerwaffe's invasion of Poland in 1939 and France in 1940. By 1941, the Panzer I chassis design was used chiefly as a basis for tank destroyers and assault guns. There were attempts to upgrade the Panzer I throughout its service history, including by foreign nations, to extend the design's lifespan. It continued to serve in the Spanish Armed Forces until 1954. The Panzer I's performance in armored combat was limited by its thin armor and light armament of two MG13 machine guns, which were never intended for use against armored targets, being intended for infantry suppression, in line with inter-war doctrine. As a design intended for training, the Panzer I was less capable than many other contemporary light tank designs, such as the Polish 7TP and the Soviet T-26, although it was still relatively advanced compared to older designs, such as the Renault FT, still in service in several nations. Although lacking as a antitank vehicle, it formed a large part of Germany's mechanized forces and was used in all major campaigns between September...