Preparing for Poland

After Germany annexed Czechoslovakia in March 1939, they gained control of the Škoda and ČKD factories. In doing so, they were able to conduct thorough examinations of the LT vz. 35 tanks, deeming it suitable for adoption and taking all 244 available units. The tank was later renamed Panzerkampfwagen 35(t). The letter “t” stood for tschechisch in Czech. The 1st Light Division (redesignated as the 6th Panzer division after the Polish campaign) was equipped with up to 164 of these tanks, at least 8 of them being command variants. These variants, the Pz.Bef.Wg. 35(t), included modifications like a large frame antenna and a more robust radio system.

In the months leading up to the invasion of Poland, German forces were placed strategically around the Polish western border. Some tanks were transported to the staging grounds using the Sonderanhänger 115 tank trailer. This scene depicts a Pz.Bef.Wg. 35(t) of the 1st Light Division after arriving in German Silesia, waiting to be unloaded for the Army Group South's attack on September 1, 1939. This was widely considered the first major use of the German blitzkrieg strategy.