38(t) or ČKD LT vz. 38 at AusArmourFest 2024. German & Czechoslovak Tank.

The Australian Armour and Artillery Museum outside of Cairns, QLD, Australia hosted AusArmourFest once again, giving visitors an opportunity to see armour in operation on their track. The festival ran from 23-25 August 2024 Czechoslovak tank manufacturer ČKD, jointly with Škoda Works, developed this tank, the ČKD LT vz. 38 in the mid 1930s. 50 were produced for export to Iran, and 24 each to Peru and Switzerland. Škoda Praga submitted the design when the Czechoslovakia Army called for a design competition to develop a new medium tank. In July 1938, The Czech Army ordered 150 of these vehicles, but none had entered service by the time of the German occupation in March 1939. Germany ordered production of the tank to continue as it as it was superior to the Panzer I and Panzer II that were their main tanks at the time. Only 87 Panzer III would be available ahead of the invasion of Poland, and the Czech vehicle became an important component of early war German Panzer Division