Panzerjager I

The Panzerjäger I was an unusual mobile anti-tank gun in that it was a 4.7mm Czech gun mounted atop a Panzer PzKpfw I Ausf B chassis and was the first German ‘tank destroyer’, AKA Panzerjäger, of Word War Two.

Its initial intended use was to destroy the French Char B1 tanks, which were more heavily armored than German tanks of the time and also invulnerable to the 3.7 cm PaK 36 anti-tank gun.

Over two hundred of the converted obsolete Panzer 1’s were produced between 1940 and 1941 and were employed during the Battle of France, the North Africa Campaign and on the eastern Front against Russia.

Panzerjäger 1

As seen in the above image, the original Panzer 1 turret was removed and the 4.7mm gun installed with a shield erected to somewhat protect the crew from enemy fire.