The ''kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen'' ( en, light armoured command vehicle), known also by its ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 265, was the German Army's first purpose-designed armoured command vehicle; a type of

armoured fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured cars, ...

designed to provide a tank unit commander with mobility and communications on the battlefield. A development of the Army's first mass-produced tank, the

Panzer I The Panzer I was a light tank produced in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Its name is short for ( German for " armored fighting vehicle mark I"), abbreviated as . The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was '' Sd.Kfz. 10 ...

''Ausf''. A, the Sd.Kfz. 265 saw considerable action during the early years of the war, serving in ''Panzer'' units through 1942 and with other formations until late in the war. The ''kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen'', is commonly referred to as a command tank, but as it is without a turret or offensive armament and merely is built on the chassis of the Panzer I light tank, it does not retain the capabilities or role of a

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...

. Instead, it functions more along the line of an armoured personnel carrier in conveying the unit commander and his radio operator under armour about the battlefield.

History

The Sd.Kfz. 265 was designed to fulfill a growing need within the German Army for a command tank, following the realization that the leaders of a massive panzer formation would themselves have to travel in a tank of some type. This vehicle would have to carry extra equipment and personnel to assist the field commander in his duties. The Panzer I Ausf A then in service lacked a

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the ...

, and thus was unsuitable for commanders as they would have to leave the tank and rely on more vulnerable vehicles to carry a transmitter in order to be able to issue orders to their formation. Wishing to retain the Panzer I's armour and mobility, it was decided to modify the Panzer I ''Ausf.'' A to do the job. Not entirely satisfactory, significant chassis redesign was required, though this ultimately provided the basis for improvements in the combat tank line as well.

Design

To increase space for a unit commander, radio operator, and a FuG 6 radio transmitter with associated gear the rotating turret and main armament of the Panzer I combat tank was removed. A tall, fixed superstructure was installed which contained space for the commander and radio operator to work, and a single ball-mounted machine gun was mounted in the front armour of this to give the tank a measure of defensive firepower. Fittings in the vehicle provided for carriage of 900 rounds of ammunition for the machine gun, which was either an

MG 34 The MG 34 (shortened from German: ''Maschinengewehr 34'', or "machine gun 34") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun, first tested in 1929, introduced in 1934, and issued to units in 1936. It introduced an entirely n ...

or older MG 18 in some examples, though in the field it was common for the gun and ammunition storage to be removed to allow for additional internal space. While room existed within this structure for map boards, paperwork and other kit required for operational command and radio operation, the vehicle's interior remained small, a factor leading to its rapid replacement by conversions of larger tanks. Six such conversions were made but meanwhile a new chassis was developed with offered more space for the modifications, and all production vehicles were made on this larger base. In addition to more space, the original tank's 60 hp 4-cylinder air-cooled Krupp M305 engine was replaced by a 100 hp 6-cylinder liquid-cooled Maybach NL38TR to power not only the vehicle, but the newly installed equipment. The new chassis was more satisfactory and would go on to form the basis for the second mass-produced Panzer I, the ''Ausf.'' B.

Production and operational history

In addition to the six Panzer I Ausf A-based prototypes, 184 production examples were built by

Daimler-Benz The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufactur ...

from 1935 through 1937, meaning the German Army received just over one ''kleine Panzerbefehlswagen'' for every ten Panzer I ''Ausf.'' A and B combat tanks built. Between 1935 and 1940 the Sd.Kfz. 265 ''Panzerbefehlswagen'' was the standard command tank of the German Panzer divisions. Each Panzer division contained sixteen tank companies, grouped into four battalions, two regiments or one brigade, for a total of twenty-three headquarters. Each headquarters would be issued at least one command tank. In 1940 the Sd.Kfz. 265 was also issued to the signals and observation battalions of the Panzer artillery regiments. The Sd.Kfz. 265 first saw combat in the

Polish Campaign The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week afte ...

of September 1939. Afterwards, many were converted to ''Sanitätskraftwagen'' I (Sd.Kfz. 265) armoured ambulances which served in the

French Campaign The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second World ...

of 1940. Of the 190 produced, 96 were still in use in May 1940 at the start of the invasion of France and the Low Countries. Following a 15 mm increase in armour protection (to a total of 28 mm) that was hastily applied to the surfaces of the superstructure as a result of combat experiences in Poland, the Sd.Kfz. 265 command tank continued in use throughout the invasions of France and the Netherlands, and in 1941 many were shipped across the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

to participate in the North African Campaign. Sd.Kfz. 265 also saw considerable action in the Balkans Campaigns of 1941 before being replaced by larger command vehicles. Though replaced at the company level, many would continue to see service at higher levels of command through 1942. Some were also used as radio control vehicles for ''Minenräum-Wagen'' BI/BII (Sd.Kfz.300). A small number were also exported to Hungary. A few were still in service with the German Army when the war ended, though largely delegated to training roles.

Survivors

*Sd.Kfz. 265 ''Panzerbefehlswagen'' I Ausf B in markings of 1st Battalion of the 21st Panzer Division (as captured in North Africa) is on display at the

Bovington Tank Museum The Tank Museum (previously The Bovington Tank Museum) is a collection of armoured fighting vehicles at Bovington Camp in Dorset, South West England. It is about north of the village of Wool and west of the major port of Poole. The collecti ...

, UK.

References

* * * {{WWIIGermanAFVs Light tanks of the interwar period Light tanks of Germany World War II tanks of Germany Tanks of the interwar period Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s