Panzer I

Panzerkampfwagen I
Manufacturer	Krupp MAN Henschel Daimler-Benz
Production	1934–1938, 1943
Number Built	184 (as command tanks) 445 (as training tanks) 147 (as special convertible chassis)
Specification
Country of Origin	Nazi Germany
Weight	7.9 tonnes
Dimensions	Length : 4.02m Width : 2.06m Height : 1.72m
Main Armament	2 × 7.92 mm MG 13 machine guns
Armour	7–13 mm
Engine	Krupp M 305 four-cylinder air-cooled gasoline engine 60 PS (59 hp, 44 kW)
Speed	37 km/h (23 mph) on-road 25 km/h (16 mph) off-road
User	Blue Division High School Viking Fisheries High School

The Panzer I (short for Panzerkampfwagen I, ordnance designation Sd.Kfz. 101) was a German light tank designed before 1934.

History

Development

After the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles prohibited the newly proclaimed Weimar Republic from producing tanks and any vehicles for military purposes. Because of this, a secret operation was imposed with the Soviet Union to develop tanks without the French and British finding out. The design of the Panzer I began in 1932 and began mass production in 1934.

Operational History

It was first used in the Spanish Civil War, used by the Nationalists, where it proved that it was not a vehicle for direct combat due to its weak armament and thin armor, despite being able to handle tanks such as the Soviet T-26 used by the Republicans. Some models were equipped by the crews themselves with 20 mm Breda cannons, which increased their firepower significantly.

In 1937, approximately 10 Panzer Is were sold to China, which were fielded in the Battle of Nanking against the Japanese Imperial Army. After the Japanese victory of Nanking, the Chinese Panzer Is were captured by the Japanese and put on display at the Yasukuni Shrine. Because of the close relationship between Germany and Imperial Japan by that time, the Chinese Panzer I was instead labelled as "Made in the USSR".

At the beginning of the Second World War, this vehicle was already considered obsolete, however it was still used in the first German campaigns, such as the Invasion of Poland, where the only tank it was capable of destroying was the Polish TK-3/TKS tankette. It was gradually relegated to the role of training crews. The vehicle's chassis served as a platform for self-propelled guns.

In Girls und Panzer

Saga of Pravda

Blue Division High School fielded one Panzer I Ausf.B used as a flag tank during the tournament first round match against Kuromorimine Girls' Academy. Its role during the match is unknown. Seeing that their opponent only fielded heavy tanks, Carmen used the terrain at her advantage and started to provoke them by using her Panzer I as a bait to draw them into mud. Her tactics worked for a time until Maho Nishizumi get pissed and mauled nearly all Blue Division tanks with her Tiger, including the Panzer I flag tank.

Gekkan Senshado Magazine

Viking Fisheries High School fielded a Panzer I Ausf.B during the tournament first round match against Koala Forest Academy. When the Panzer I, together with Panzer II encountered Koala's tanks, they began an immediate attack as a distraction for the passage of the SOMUA, Hotchkiss and Panzer III. Thanks to Panzer I and II, the Viking tanks were able to form a joint attack on the Koala Forest tanks. Viking would later win the match.

Viking Fisheries High School again fielded their one Panzer I Ausf.B during the quarter-finals match against Pravda Girls High School. Its role in the match is unknown but it were likely destroyed by the KV-2's bombardment or during the final charge.

Trivia

• To avoid non-compliance with the Treaty of Versailles, during the interwar period, the Panzer I was designated as an agricultural tractor.
• The Panzer I, along with the Neubaufahrzeug, are probably the weakest German tanks shown in the series, as the Panzer I had thin armor and the Neubaufahrzeug had a very slow speed.