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The TK (TK-3) and TKS were Polish
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
 tankette
Tankette

A tankette is a type of lightly armed and armored tracked combat vehicle resembling a small tank roughly the size of a car, mainly intended for light infantry support or reconnaissance....
s during the Second World War.

TK tankette was a Polish design produced from 1931 that was based upon an improved chassis of the British Carden Loyd tankette
Carden Loyd tankette

The Carden Loyd tankettes were a series of United Kingdom pre-World War II tankettes, the most successful of which was the Mark VI, the only version built in significant numbers....
. The TKS was an improved model with a new hull and a more powerful engine. The armour
Vehicle armour

Armoured fighting vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, missiles, or shell s, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire....
 of the TK was up to 8 mm thick (10 mm on the TKS). In 1939, re-arming of the tankettes with 20 mm guns began, but only about 24 were completed before the outbreak of World War II.

On 6 November 1934 Estonia purchased 6 vehicles from Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
, with the contract deal worth over 180,000 krones
Estonian kroon

The kroon is the currency of Estonia. It is subdivided into 100 senti . The word kroon, meaning "crown", is related to that of other Nordic countries currencies and to the Latin language word Corona ....
.






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The TK (TK-3) and TKS were Polish
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
 tankette
Tankette

A tankette is a type of lightly armed and armored tracked combat vehicle resembling a small tank roughly the size of a car, mainly intended for light infantry support or reconnaissance....
s during the Second World War.

Design and development

The TK tankette was a Polish design produced from 1931 that was based upon an improved chassis of the British Carden Loyd tankette
Carden Loyd tankette

The Carden Loyd tankettes were a series of United Kingdom pre-World War II tankettes, the most successful of which was the Mark VI, the only version built in significant numbers....
. The TKS was an improved model with a new hull and a more powerful engine. The armour
Vehicle armour

Armoured fighting vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, missiles, or shell s, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire....
 of the TK was up to 8 mm thick (10 mm on the TKS). In 1939, re-arming of the tankettes with 20 mm guns began, but only about 24 were completed before the outbreak of World War II.

On 6 November 1934 Estonia purchased 6 vehicles from Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
, with the contract deal worth over 180,000 krones
Estonian kroon

The kroon is the currency of Estonia. It is subdivided into 100 senti . The word kroon, meaning "crown", is related to that of other Nordic countries currencies and to the Latin language word Corona ....
. The deal also included one additional tracked-lorry, and a motorcycle was given free as a bonus.Estonian Armoured Machines. Tiit Noormets & Mati Õun. Tammiskilp 1999. Page 52]

Combat history

The 575 TK/TKS tankettes formed the bulk of the Polish armoured forces before the outbreak of war. They suffered heavy losses during the Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)

The Invasion of Poland in 1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak invasion of Poland contingent....
, often being the only armoured fighting vehicles available. Due to their light armament of a single machine gun
Machine gun

A machine gun is a Automatic firearm mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire List of rifle cartridgess in quick succession from an Belt or large-capacity Magazine , typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
, they stood no chance in combat against German tanks, except the Panzer I
Panzer I

The Panzer I is a light tank which was produced in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. The name is short for the German ' , abbreviated '. The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was Sonderkraftfahrzeug 101 ....
 (also based on the Carden Loyd tankette), but their small size suited them for reconnaissance
Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information. Militarily, its shorthand Australian, Canadian, and British form is recce , its American usage form is recon ....
 and infantry support. Only the handful of tankettes armed with 20 mm guns had a fighting chance against the enemy tanks; in one instance on 18 September 1939 a 20 mm gunned TKS commanded by sergeant Roman Orlik destroyed three German Panzer 35(t)
Panzer 35(t)

The LT-35 or LT vz. 35 was a Czechoslovakia-designed light tank used mainly by Nazi Germany during World War II. In German service it had the formal designation Panzerkampfwagen 35 but it is commonly referred to as the Panzer 35....
 tanks.

Gallery

Image:TKS.jpg|TKS Image:TK-3.jpg|TK-3 Image:EST-Tanks-TSK.jpg|Estonian TKS tankettes on the Republics anniversary parade on 24th of February, 1925. Image:EST-TKS-2.jpg| Image:EST-TKS-3.jpg| Image:EST-TKS-4.jpg|

Variants

  • TK (TK-3) - from 1931, about 280 built
  • TKF - TK tankette with 46 hp (34 kW) engine, about 18 built
  • TKS - improved model of 1933, about 260 built
  • TKS with 20 mm gun - about 24 TKS fitted with 20 mm gun in 1939.
  • C2P - unarmoured light artillery tractor
    Artillery tractor

    Artillery tractor is a kind of tractor, also referred to as a gun tractor, a vehicle used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights. The first such devices were designed prior to the outbreak of World War I, often based on agricultural machines such as the Holt tractor....
    , about 200 built.


Experimental models:
  • TK-1, TK-2 - first prototypes
  • TKD - light self propelled gun with 47 mm gun, four made.
  • TKW - light reconnaissance tank with turret, one prototype made.
  • TK-3 with 20 mm gun - only one prototype with a modified hull was completed.
  • TKS-D - light tank destroyer
    Tank destroyer

    A self-propelled anti-tank gun, or tank destroyer, is a type of armoured fighting vehicle designed specifically to engage enemy armor forces, and not produced for an infantry support role....
     with 37 mm Bofors
    Bofors 37 mm

    The Bofors 37 mm gun was an anti-tank gun designed by Sweden manufacturer Bofors in the early 1930s. Licensed copies were produced in a number of countries....
     anti-tank gun, two made


External links

  • wwiivehicles.com
  • achtungpanzer.com