Pegasus Hobbies

Panzer 38(t) Light Tank

This in-the-box kit review covers the smallscale light battle tank developed by CKD and absorbed into the German Army following the German dissection and takeover of Czechoslovakia. The initial Czech name was the CKD LT vz. 38. The letter designation (t) in 38(t) stands for tschechisch, the German word for Czech. This was a very successful AFV and widely used during the invasion of Poland, France, Balkans and the USSR. It was also used by the Slovak, Swedish and Romanian armies. The chassis and hull were later used as the basis for the Marder III Panzerjäger (tank destroyer), SP artillery, and the Jagdpanzer 38 (a.k.a. Hetzer) and the Swiss G-13. The surplus turrets were used in fixed fortifications. The Pz 38(t) was designed as a 3-person tank but the Germans managed to squeeze in a fourth crewmember, a loader, to reduce the workload on the commander/gunner.

The above box art shows a photo of the two enclosed smallscale Pz 38(t) light tank models assembled and posed in a diorama display. The models are finished in a panzer gray color but with no markings. Up on the turret we see the commander’s cupola with Czech 37-mm high velocity gun and an adjacent machine gun. Down on the bow area we have the drivers vision port on the right side of the driver’s plate and an adjacent hull machine gun for the radio operator.

Notice that the model in the foreground has the commander’s cupola closed, while the model in the background has an open cupola hatch. We can see the riveted hull and turret armor plate, the four large roadwheels on the spring suspension.

The instructions are the common exploded-view type and are clear and adequate. There are no sprue nor parts numbers on the instruction sheet nor the sprue.

There are two models within the box with each having 27 gray-colored, injection-molded, styrene plastic parts per model, for a total of 54 parts in the box. There are four sprues and two loose parts per each model. There is no etched brass nor cast resin parts, no decal markings, and no crew figures included. Detail looks good and there is even some rivet detail on the hull bottom. There are pioneer tools molded onto the fenders.

Based on the straight driver’s plate, I believe that this appears to be a Pz 38(t) Ausf. E, F or G. The addition of separate outer sprocket and idler wheels improves the simplified quick-build suspension. The track is a bit thick but I have seen worse. At the bottom left are a choice of commander’s cupola with both open and with closed hatches. The muffler exhaust pipe and 3.7-cm gun barrel muzzle can be drilled out.

This is a decent quick build model geared largely to the wargamer though it can be detailed into a respectable display model. To me this model appears similar in detail to the Pz 38(t) kit WW2V20019 from Plastic Soldier Co. Improvements can include scribing armor plate lines, adding storage boxes, tow cable, and spare tracks, and a good crew figure. Decal markings can be bought separately such as from Peddinghaus Decals or left over from a UM or an Attack Models Pz 38 kit.

Review sample purchased by the author.

Article Last Updated: 14 February 2021