Germany was restricted from building tanks in the Weimar Republic. After 1933, however the Versailles restrictions were ignored, and Germany was allowed the freedom to construct and export tanks. The result was some futuristic, innovative tank designs. These designs, which were created in the 1920s and 1930s, offer a glimpse into the development and evolution of German armor.
During the interwar years, German companies worked closely with Bofors on a variety of projects. One of these projects was to develop a new light tank. The company was assigned the task of developing a new tank that would be used by the German Army in 1930. Otto Merker was appointed head of tank design at the company. His first task consisted of designing a lightweight tank. For this design, he received a patent in 1937. He also designed fixtures for other armored vehicles.
A design for an obsolete light-tank was submitted by the firm. This design provided protection against enemy fire with a shallow trench. This design was never built. The company was able change the design to include an off-set engine. This enabled two men to operate it. A curved shield protected the machine gunner. Although a separate hull gun was included in the design, it could only provide an arc of light. The rest would be made of flat armor plates.
Despite its faults, the design was able to display many of the same characteristics found in modern oneman tanks. The design's cupola, also known as a hatch, allowed for greater visibility and better observation. The cupola was adjustable and could be raised or decreased to provide protection against enemy fire. It also provided an escape hatch.
The design was similar in appearance to other one man tanks. One man sat down in the tank's center and operated a forward-firing weapon. To search for targets, the crewman would look out from the cupola. The cupola had three vision holes that were drilled through the sides. Although it made it difficult to see outside for crewmen, it increased the protection.
A sloping front was also part of the design. The front of this hull was angled and the upper portion was made of flat panels of angular metal. The hull measured approximately 10-12 millimeters in thickness. The roofline was steeply sloped, which would allow enemy fire to be reflected off the hull. The hull and armor were made from pressed metal, while the rest were made of flat armor plates.
One of the major problems with the design was the low ground clearance. This made it difficult for a single man to control the tank. The armor plating on the tank was also very thin. The vehicle was also hard to see. This design was extremely dislikable among the Nazi Party. It was banned in 1941. The German Patent DE687038(C) 'Halbgleiskettenfahrzeug' was issued on 20th January 1940.