"German Tank Captured by Japanese in Sino-Japanese War" Topic

Interesting…

link

link

link

Amicalement
Armand

China was one of several countries to which the PzkwI was exported.

I had never imagined Nazi Germany flogging tanks outside Europe pre War. I had imagined they were hard pressed to expand their own forces, let alone earn foreign exchange by selling to Nationalist China. Great pics Tango

ISTR there was also an attempt to send Japan a Tiger I for evaluation. This would have to have been by sea via the Arctic Circle. I don't recall if it succeeded.

It would really liven up an Okinawa game.

4th- the Japanese did buy a Tiger I but there was no way to deliver it so it was eventually put back in German service. You can learn more about it here: youtu.be/4AAik7LXwhM

Yes, the Chinese had a variety of AFVs from various sources including the Pz.I. But not many of any AFVs overall especially before and during the early days of WWII.

The IJFs it appears wisely used any of the Pz.Is they captured from the Chinese. The Pz.I was as good or better than most of IJFs' AFVs. And most of the time the Chinese forces were light and/or peasant infantry. The twin .30 cal MGs on the Pz.Is would be very useful in that regard.

Vehicles :

Tankettes -

V-C-L Tankette Mk VI (24 were bought and delivered from the United Kingdom between 1929 and 1930)

Renault UE (10 were bought and delivered from France between 1936 and 1937)

CV-35 (101 were bought and delivered from Italy between 1937 and 1938)

Type 94 tankette (18 were supplied to the Collaborationist Chinese Army in 1941

Universal Carrier (1,100 in the machine gun version and 400 with 3-inch mortar to the X Force in the Burma Campaign in 1943, but only used for training and never saw combat)

Tanks:

Renault FT (36 in total are reported, with 14 being bought between 1924 and 1925 and the rest having been captured by Zhang Zuolin after France withdrew from the Russian Civil War in 1920)

V-C-L Light Amphibious Tank (29 were bought and delivered from the United Kingdom between 1933 and 1935)

Vickers Mark E Type B (20 were bought and delivered from the United Kingdom between 1934 and 1936)

Panzer I (15 were bought and delivered from Germany between 1936 and 1937)

Renault ZB (16 were bought and delivered from France between 1936 and 1940)

T-26 (82 were supplied in the Soviet Aid Program in 1938)

BT-5 (4 were supplied in the Soviet Aid Program in 1938)

M3 Stuart (536 shipped as part of US Lend-Lease, but only 100 used in the Burma Campaign by the X Force between 1943 and 1945)

M4 Sherman (116 provided by the United Kingdom to the X Force in the Burma Campaign in 1944)

Armored cars -

Leichter Panzerspähwagen (15 in total between 1936 and 1937, mostly Sd.Kfz. 222, two Sd.Kfz. 221 and at least one Sd.Kfz 260)

M3A1 White Scout (36 were supplied in the American Lend-Lease program in 1941)

BA-10 (owned by Manchukuo), BA-3/6 and BA-27 (owned by KMT)

Happy for that my good friend!.

Amicalement
Armand

Found a link with pictures of most of those AFVs the Chinese used during WWII. link

The Pz.I was as good or better than most of IJFs' AFVs.

Questionable. It's armor was no better than the Type 89's, and lighter than the Type 97's. And an armament of two rifle caliber machine guns was hardly adequate.

Better may mean engine and track mechanical and not armament.

Thanks TG. I knew I remembered something.

I have a feeling there were some weapon deliveries via U-boat. Maybe the U-boat itself…

Questionable. It's armor was no better than the Type 89's, and lighter than the Type 97's. And an armament of two rifle caliber machine guns was hardly adequate.

That is why I said good or better than most.

Plus as I said, most of the time the Chinese forces were light and/or peasant infantry. The twin .30 cal MGs on the Pz.Is would be very useful in that regard.

Also note MOST AFV MGs were rifle caliber rounds. I.e. as in .30 cal.. e.g. 7.62/8mm.

As well as the Pz.Is were not only useful but plentiful in the France '40 campaign. As infantry AT capabilities GENERALLY were still in their "infancy" so to speak. Save for the 88 of course but that started out being AAA.

Again the Chinese AT capabilities were generally limited in most cases.

Better may mean engine and track mechanical and not armament.

Exactly … the Pz.I was more mechanically reliable than many of the IJF's AFVs, AFAIK.