Croatian Armor (NDH)

[matija191]

Ustasha tankette L3 and another unknown vehicle behind it (maybe a Renault UE?), with one motocycle:

[TISO]

from what i seen (undercarridge, lights) its another L-3

[matija191]

Agreed, it is L3, thanks ...

The unknown Domobran armoured unit (platoon ?), including one motorcycle, three Panzers I and one Renault R35 (captured from Yugoslavian Army):


Source: Semper Fidelis magazine

Now, here is something entirely different, a motorized column of Osijek´s ustasha Preparatory battallion:


The vehicle is of domestic production, probably build on chasis of some artillery tractor or damaged tank; the armament of vehicle is unknown, and vehicle is simply called "Croatian Tank (Hrvatski tank)".If somebody knowns anything more, please, tell us .

[matija191]

[AVV]

Hello!

The vehicle is of domestic production, probably build on chasis of some artillery tractor or damaged tank; the armament of vehicle is unknown, and vehicle is simply called "Croatian Tank (Hrvatski tank)".If somebody knowns anything more, please, tell us

A really interesting piece of technics! I would also be interested in any additional information concerning it.

Best regards, Aleks

[matija191]

From 1941 to 1943
15 L.3/35 from Italy.
10 L.3/33 and L.3 Ganz licence produced from Hungary
22 TKS
4 Pz.Kpfw.I
few R.35
FT.17 on mixed german-croatian armoured train (two trains with 2-4 tanks in Sisak-Sunja-Bihac railroad, and two trains in Tuzla region).
Domestic produced armoured truck.

From1943 to 1945.
Small number of L.3/33. L.3/35, L.3 lanciaflame and L.6 light tanks captured after Italian colapse in Jastrebarsko and Karlovac.
Some Italian armoured truck and few Renault UE.
About 10 Hotchkiss H.39.

No photos, documents and combat reports from any other armoured vehicles in croatian units.

Well, in this list a lot of vehicles is missing:

Semovente 47/32
M13/40, M14/41, M15/42
Somua S35
Krupp Protze
Autoblinda AB41
Pz. III
Pz. IV

TKS was never in use in Armed forces NDH - you probably mixed with TK-3 and TK-F tankettes.

And FT-17´s were also boarded on various trucks, in the document of HQ of 1st Mountain Division there is mentioning of "platoon of tanks on trucks".

[matija191]

More pictures:

Panzer I ausf. A, 1942. (Domobranstvo)


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L3, Zagreb, 1942. (Ustasha Militia)


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CV 38, Donji Vakuf, 1942. (Black Legion)


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L3, 1942. (Ustasha Militia)


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Krupp Protze, Velika Gorica, 1943. (Ustasha Militia)


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Hotchkiss H39, 1944. (Domobranstvo)


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L6/40, Koprivnica, 1944. (Ustasha Militia)


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Schwimmwagen, probably Odzak, 1945. (HOS)


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[matija191]

ok so what I would like to see is what would be the paint scheme(s) and insignia on the tanks, tankettes and halftracks forces in the NDH. So far the only thing I got was a few really bad pictures (black and white) with not much detail visible...
I am trying to find info on that for a modelling project.

The Domobran Pz.I and TK tankettes were painted in panzergrau (grey) color, and the PTB L-3 tankettes were painted in dark-green color.

[TISO]

CV 38, Donji Vakuf, 1942. (Black Legion)

CV-35 (same as CV-33 but bolted). CV-38 had improved undercarridge with rather distincive spoked wheels

BTW nice pic's

[ZDRUG]

You should look for books:Tomislav i Viseslav Aralica (or Tomislav Aralica) "Hrvatski Ratnici kroz Stoljeca 3 published by Znanje (http://www.znanje.hr) with over 300 photo's & illustrations regardin the Croatian Armour 1941-45.
Or just google search: Tomislav Aralica knjige.

[Picard578]

ok so what I would like to see is what would be the paint scheme(s) and insignia on the tanks, tankettes and halftracks forces in the NDH. So far the only thing I got was a few really bad pictures (black and white) with not much detail visible...
I am trying to find info on that for a modelling project.

-----------------

Also what happened to the Yugoslav kingdom, French made R35's I found info that there were some 40-50 of them in the VKJ (Yugoslav Kingdom Army) did they go to the NDH or did the Italians nab them first.
-----------------
p.s. and heres the link to the other site with the photos of NDH armor (among other things)

http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/

I know that there were several Panzer IIs, IIIs and IVs (F and G models) in service within Croatian Armed Forces, but can't recall exact details. There were also some French Hotchkins and Char B's, possibly inherited from Yugoslavia, but at least some newly acquired (few of them flamethrower variant) but latter proved to be too heavy for areas of NDH south of Sava river, and were sent back to France.

[matija191]

Here is a front cover of magazine called "Ustaša", dated to 1944, number 22.You can see an Ustasha tank-crewmen on his L6/40 tank:

[Varadero]

On the mail of Matija191 from 2011 I found some more on an ebay auction. It is not quite the same vehicle but looks lot like it . Based on that info I would say that the improvised "tank" was firts used in a trainingcenter from the Wehrmacht in Croatia for training Croation tank crews. There are 3 pictures of the vehicle. In the same auction also new pictures of the PzKpfw I with the Croatian shield were offered. And surprisingly also an adapted Lorraine supply tractor with a PzKpfw I turred. In one of those pictures also Germans with an Italian AS43 are seen, so pictures should be taken after the Italian surrender in late 1943.

[Varadero]

The Lorraine with PzKpfw I cupola. Form ebay

[Varadero]

The croatian PzKpfw I. From ebay.