"Czechoslovakian Dead End " Topic

"The greatest success of the Czechoslovakian tank industry was with light tanks. The LT vz. 35 and LT vz. 38 turned out to be excellent vehicles, used by several nations during WWII. Despite the fact that Skoda's T-15 and Pz.Kpfw.38(t) n.A. did not make it past the prototype stage, the chassis of the latter was used for the Jagdpanzer 38(t) tnak destroyer. It is not surprising that, after the end of the war and start of work on the TVP medium tank, work on a new light tank began in parallel. The result of that work was several interesting prototypes, such as the TNH 57/900, Skoda T-17, and the amphibious Letak.

Continuation of the German program

Czechoslovakia's tank fleet was incredibly diverse at the end of WWII. Its units fought on two fronts: the 1st Czechoslovakian Army Corps approached from the east, and the 1st Czechoslovakian Tank Brigade from the west. As such, one unit was equipped with British vehicles, the other with Soviet ones. At the end of the war, the vehicles were distributed between units to keep them as uniform as possible.

Because of this, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tank battalions, made up from the former 1st Czechoslovakian Army Corps, had no light tanks. These battalions only had medium T-34 and T-34-85 tanks. As for tank battalions made from the 1st Czechoslovakian Tank Brigade, they were chiefly composed of Cromwell IV and VI tanks. They also had some light tanks: the Czechoslovakian army acquired 38 Stuart VI tanks: American Medium Tanks M5A1 re-equipped by the British. By 1946, their number was reduced to 37, and remained at that level until 1949…."
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Amicalement
Armand

Yes, let's ignore the fact that post-WW2 Czechoslovakia was a Soviet puppet and did what Moscow told it to do. Must be the fault of Czech industry.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

… post-WW2 Czechoslovakia was a Soviet puppet and did what Moscow told it to do.

Except of course when they didn't.

I think it is a mistake to view "the other side" as a monolith, except when they behave like a monolith. The Soviets certainly displayed a heavy hand when it came to political dissent, but they did not control Czech industry with a heavy hand.

The Czech armament industry retained a significant degree of autonomy. Not full autonomy to be sure, but the Soviet armaments industry itself had all sorts of competition between design bureaus, and the Czech armaments industry was a further source of competition.

To wit:

OT-810: Half-track based on the German wartime SdKfz 251 design with slight modifications, produced through the early 1950s.

OT-64 "Skot": Joint project with Czech-built components and Polish final assembly, an 8-wheel APC with turretted HMG produced through the 1960s and early 70s, used by Czech, Polish and Hungarian forces as an alternative to the Soviet-produced BMP-60PK.

OT-65 "Fug": Four-wheel scout car built in Czechoslovakia, initially for a Hungarian requirement and later also supplied to Polish and Czech armies, as an alternative to the Soviet-produced BRDM-1 and -2.

MT-55A: Czech re-design of Soviet MT-55 bridge-layer built on a T-55 hull.

MT-55KS: The Czech armaments industry had some success selling re-designed Russian products overseas. The MT-55KS and MT-55L (maybe -55KL?) provide one example. These were export version of the Czech MT-55A, which was a Czech re-design of the Russian MT-55. Similar Czech redesigns of Soviet ARVs and armored cranes also saw export success, in competition with East German or Polish produced re-designs and Soviet originals.

PM-55L: To follow further on the prior item, this was a unique Czech design, using the bridge from the MT-55L but carrying and launching it from a Czech-original Tatra truck.

Just a few examples of how the Czech armaments industry did not just follow orders from Moscow. As the Soviets watched over them with a heavy hand they had to follow some Moscow-driven policy directions, but they still designed and built a lot of their own weapons.

Or so I understand. Wasn't involved in the processes of arms production … wasn't even in Prague nor Moscow at the time.

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)

Also, Czechs didn't make SKS, they made a different rifle that the Russians insisted shoot 7.62x39 (much like how the US insisted that all NATO use the same ammo).

Dana self propelled howitzer.

Their own small arms. The vz.52 mentioned above that was converted to 7.62x39 then the Vz.58 that was always in 7.62x39 though they did some experimental work trialling it in other calibres. And several other weapons.

And they didn't become communist until the coup of 1948.