Panzer I Ausf B light tank 1/35 Tamiya-35388

The Panzerkampfwagen I (Pz.Kpfw.I) was the first tank mass-produced by Germany after the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles following World War I. Initially designed for training, its first version, the Ausf.A, appeared in 1934. Two years later, in 1936, the improved Ausf.B model was introduced, featuring a more powerful 100 hp engine compared to the 57 hp of the original model, and a 40 cm longer chassis. Armed with two MG13 machine guns, the Pz.Kpfw.I quickly outlived its original purpose and entered combat. It participated in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), where it served as a test bed for German military doctrine. Subsequently, it was used in the invasions of Poland (1939), France (1940), the Balkans (1941) and in Operation Barbarossa (1941), where its design was rendered obsolete by Soviet tanks.