Battle of Old Fort Wayne

The Leichter Kampfwagen (English: light combat car) or "LK I" was a German light tank prototype of the First World War. Designed to be a cheap light tank as opposed to the expensive heavies coming into service at the time, the tank only reached the prototype stage before the end of the war.

History

The LK I was designed by Joseph Vollmer. It was based on a Daimler car chassis, using the existing axles to mount sprocket and idler wheels. Its design followed automobile practice, with a front-mounted engine and a driving compartment behind it. It was the first German armored fighting vehicle to be equipped with a turret, armed with a 7.92 mm MG08 machine gun.

Only two prototypes were produced in mid 1918, but no vehicles were ordered.^[1] Designed as an experimental cavalry tank, it paved the way to the LK II.^[2]

Notes

^ Õun, Mati (1998). Wermachti tankid. Väike tankiõpik vana sõjatehnika huvilisele. Tallinn: Tammiskilp. p. 5.
^ Chant, Christopher (2002). World Encyclopedia of the Tank. Second edition. England: Sutton Publishing. p. 46. ISBN 0-7509-3147-7.

External links

Achtung Panzer! First Panzers 1917-1918

[tank-1] Õun, Mati (1998). Wermachti tankid. Väike tankiõpik vana sõjatehnika huvilisele. Tallinn: Tammiskilp. p. 5.

[2] Chant, Christopher (2002). World Encyclopedia of the Tank. Second edition. England: Sutton Publishing. p. 46. ISBN 0-7509-3147-7.

[1]

[2]

Tanks of the First World War
Light	M1918 Ford 3-ton tank M1917 light tank Renault FT
Medium	Medium Mark A Whippet Medium Mark B Medium Mark C
Heavy	A7V Mark I Mark II Mark III Mark IV Mark V Mark V* Mark V** Mark VIII Saint-Chamond Schneider CA1
Prototypes, experimentals	CLB 75 Tank FCM 1A Fiat 2000 Holt gas electric tank Little Willie LK I LK II Mark VII Skeleton tank Steam tank Steam Wheel Tank Sturmpanzerwagen Oberschlesien Tsar Tank Vezdekhod
World War I tanks List of combat vehicles of World War I Background: History of the tank, Tank classification, Tanks in World War I