The
Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) was originally a
Czechoslovak tank of pre-
World War II design. After
Czechoslovakia was taken over by Germany, it was adopted by the German Army, seeing service in the invasions of Poland, France and the USSR. Production ended in 1942, when its main armament was deemed inadequate. In all, over 1,400 Pz. 38(t)s were manufactured. The chassis of the Pz. 38(t) continued to be produced for the
Marder III (1942–1944) with some of its components used in the later
Jagdpanzer 38 (1944–1945) tank destroyers and its derivative vehicles.
The (t) stands for
tschechisch, the German word for Czech; the Czechoslovak military designation was
LT vz. 38 (
Lehký tank vzor 38, Light Tank model 38). Manufacturer's designations included
TNH series,
TNHPS,
LTP and
LTH. The special vehicle designation for the tank in Germany was
Sd. Kfz. 140.