Leichte Kampfwagen II Tank

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Although Joseph Vollmer designed the 30 ton A7V and a 148 ton heavy tank prototype, the K Wagen, he himself advocated the use of simpler, light tanks. In 1918 he designed and built a light tank known simply as the Leichte Kampfwagen. By this time the Germans had a large part of their tank force made up of captured British tanks, including one Abteilung consisting of the Medium Mark A Whippet (its original light tank designation being changed when responsibility for producing light tanks was given to the French). The Whippet design clearly influenced that of the LK as it had the same characteristic low tracks and rear-mounted superstructure. This was, however, due in part to Vollmer’s use of a standard automobile chassis, with its front-mounted engine, as the basis for the design. It differed from production Whippets in having a small, rotating turret mounting a machine-gun instead of a fixed superstructure. Having seen this prototype vehicle, the German War Department drew up their own specification for a light tank. This included requirements for a 57mm gun and thicker armour. Vollmer produced two prototypes of a new design, the LK II, which conformed closely to this specification. They were built on Daimler chassis, like the original LK I, and were distinguished by having the larger armament in a fixed superstructure, and other smaller changes. Daimler received an order for 580 of these vehicles in June 1918 but none had been completed by the end of the war. Neither prototype vehicle survives to this day. A projected variant of the LK II with a machine-gun in a rotating turret, like the LK I, was never built. Similarly, an improved design with the turret at the front, the LK III, never reached production. Stridsvagn m/21 At the Armistice the German tank force was disbanded. The Treaty of Versailles included terms banning tanks in the post-war German Army. To get around this restriction, Vollmer travelled to Sweden to continue development of the LK series. A modified version of the LK II design, with a machine-gun in a revolving turret, went into production in 1921 as the Stridsvagn m/21. Ten examples were built and formed into a tank company - the first Swedish armoured unit. In 1929 the majority of m/21’s were rebuilt and redesignated as Stridsvagn m/21-29. They received a more powerful engine, a new power train, heavier armour, and other modifications. Model Id: 30 Manufacture: Daimler-Benz AG, Marienfelde, Berlin, Germany (Probable original producer of LKII parts) Göta, Sweden (Area used for assembly of LKII parts then testing of complete vehicles) 1) Pansarmuseet, Axvall, Sweden Number of Photos: 1 Click here or on the image for this tank's profile page Unique ID: 2 Serial Number: Registration: Name: Other Identification: Text in original Preserved German Tanks publication: This is an example of the m/21. Text in Preserved German Tanks Update: A photograph is now available.

2) Pansarmuseet, Axvall, Sweden Number of Photos: 3 Click here or on the image for this tank's profile page Unique ID: 3 Serial Number: Registration: Name: Other Identification: This is a later m/21-29.