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In 1933, as Germany began to rearm itself, the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Department) saw a requirement for a tank in the five ton class. This was planned to be used for training until the introduction of heavier vehicles. The Department issued contracts for the development of a light armoured fighting vehicle with two machine-guns in an all-round traverse turret and protected by armour immune to small-arms fire. Five firms were invited to tender; MAN, Krupp, Henschel, Daimler-Benz and Rheinmetall-Borsig. The Krupp entry, the LKA 1, incorporating experience gained jointly with the Swedish Landsverk company during examination of a British Carden-Loyd chassis, was selected. Krupp was made responsible for the development of the chassis while Daimler-Benz was to construct the turret and hull.
The drawings and design of this vehicle, code named Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper (agricultural tractor) or LaS, were finished in December 1933. By this time Hitler and the Nazi Party had assumed power and were about to overturn openly all the terms of the Versailles Treaty. Henschel was given orders to construct three LaS prototypes. These were completed in December 1933 and tested in February 1934.
Ausf A
An order was given for 150 machines of the LaS type, with production starting in July 1934. These vehicles were handed over to the Army under the designation Panzerkampfwagen (MG) Ausführung A (Armoured Fighting Vehicle MG Model A) and formed the nucleus of the vehicle strength of the armoured units. They were powered by Krupp M305 engines and troop trials soon proved that they were badly under powered for cross-country work.
1) Military Vehicle Technology Foundation (MVTF), Portola Valley, USA
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This vehicle was previously part of the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Canada (source: P.-O. Buan/Surviving Pz I Tanks). It was at MVTF by 2004 so probably transferred direct from Vimy House.
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