LK I - the Leichter Kampfwagen

The German A7V had obvious flaws when it entered service. It had poor off-road mobility, it required an absurd number of crew, and it was so large that its armor couldn't be properly hardened with the equipment available to Germany. Joseph Vollmer began designing a light tank, called the "light combat car" (Leichter Kampfwagen).


The LK I was intended to be a cheap prototype, using the chassis of a Daimler car. The axles were used to mount drive sprockets for treads, and armor was mounted on the vehicle. A 60 horsepower Daimler-Benz engine was mounted at the front, with the crew of 3 in the rear of the vehicle in a driving cabin surmounted by a turret with a single MG08 machine gun.

The LK I was capable of road speeds of 16 kilometers per hour, and had a good enough power/weight ratio to suggest decent cross-country speed. However, its suspension was unsprung, as with most other tanks of the time, so it would have been a bone-shaking ride.

Only two prototypes were built, and they have not survived. It was not intended to enter serial production; instead, it was considered a development prototype for the LK II.

Leichter Kampfwagen I
Fire Control 0
Armament: One MG08 in all-round turret
Stabilization: None
Ammo: 2500x7.92mm
Fuel Type: G, A
Veh Wt: 6.2 tonnes
Crew: 3 (commander, driver, machinegunner)
Mnt:3
Tr Mov: 16/8
Com Mov:7/4
Fuel Cap: 150
Fuel Cons: 30

Config: Veh
Susp: T:2
HF:2
HS: 1
HR: 1
TF:1
TS: 1
TR: 1