Chapter 125 Tank Destroyer (1)

During the Austro-Hungarian Empire's rule, Czechoslovakia, due to its favorable geographical location and abundant mineral resources, became an economic powerhouse within the empire. The Austro-Hungarian Empire invested significant resources in the Czech region, greatly promoting industrial development, especially in the military industry.

Its level of industrialization reached an astonishing 100%. What does this mean? Apart from industry, Czechoslovakia had little else, such as agriculture, and all the grain needed by Czechoslovakia was provided by England and France. Although Slovakia was an undeveloped agricultural area, the Czechoslovakian government did not take many measures to develop it.

Czechoslovakia focused primarily on mechanical manufacturing, various machine tools, power equipment, shipbuilding, automobiles, electric locomotives, steel rolling equipment, military industry, and light textiles. The chemical and glass industries were also relatively advanced.

In the first half of the 20th century, Czechoslovakia's achievements in military production were widely recognized. At that time, Czechoslovakia had a leading arms factory in all of Europe—the Škoda Works.

The Škoda Works had its origins in a machinery factory established in the western Czech city in 1868. In 1869, an Austrian count named Škoda spent a considerable amount of money to acquire the factory, renaming it Škoda Arms Factory. It was located in Brno, the second-largest city in Czechoslovakia.

The arms industry could produce 20,000 heavy machine guns, 36,000 light machine guns, 2,500 cannons, 1.6 million rifles, 80,000 hand grenades, and 500-600 tanks annually. Czech weapons not only met the needs of their own military but were also exported. At one point, Czech weapons exports accounted for 30-40% of the world's total, securing its position as the world's leading arms producer and exporter for many years.

In 1937, Škoda Works' artillery production output was almost equal to the total output of indigenous arms factories in the United Kingdom. Additionally, the factory engaged in machine tools, power equipment, and the production of various heavy industrial products such as small and large cars, trucks, tramcars (both on tracks and off tracks), and electric locomotives, making it a pillar of Czechoslovakia's industrial sector.

The Czechoslovakian-designed machine guns seen in various war movies during childhood are representative products of Czech military industry.

After World War II, Czechoslovakia joined the Warsaw Pact. Throughout the Cold War, Czechoslovakia's military industry remained formidable. In the late 1980s, the value of Czech military industry production accounted for 8-10% of the total value of the mechanical manufacturing industry. From 1984 to 1988, Czechoslovakia exported military hardware worth $2.7 billion, representing one-third of its total exports during that period and ranking seventh among the world's 16 major arms-exporting countries.

However, the massive military-industrial complex could not withstand the impact of the tide of history.

In the 1980s, the world witnessed the onset of the Third Industrial Revolution. Developed Western countries vigorously pursued high-tech industries such as electronics, information technology, and new energy, significantly enhancing their economic strength day by day. However, Czechoslovakia, still proud of its traditional heavy mechanical industry, considered outdated in the eyes of developed nations, lagged behind in terms of industrial development.

As the Cold War approached its conclusion, tensions eased in some hotspots, disarmament accelerated worldwide, and the global situation moved towards relaxation. Czechoslovakia's military-industrial production suffered significant consequences. Simultaneously, with the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and COMECON system, Czechoslovakia could no longer rely on resource support from the Soviet Union. Its limited national strength and strained finances were insufficient to sustain its colossal military-industrial production.

Gradually declining, Czechoslovakia ultimately became an export country for women fallen into prostitution in the West. In later years, the United States produced a gory horror film titled "Hostel," originally set in Thailand but changed to the Czech Republic to avoid offending Thailand. People who have seen this movie know the plot, and those who haven't can look it up. The film performed decently at the box office, and remarkably, the Czech Republic, despite being portrayed so negatively, did not voice any complaints.

Wilhelm's first destination was the Škoda Works.

Although Czechoslovakia had fragmented, its people continued to live their lives as before, and the same was true inside this arms factory. Workers still clocked in and performed their duties on time.

However, there were some new faces in the factory. Engineers from Germany had joined the Škoda Works, evaluating its products and analyzing areas that needed improvement or modification.

Wilhelm first arrived at the tank workshop, observing the current flagship products of the Škoda Works: the LT-35 light tank and LT-38 light tank.

The LT-38 light tank probably had performance similar to the historical Panzer III tank. After acquiring these tanks, Germany considered them as precious assets and incorporated them into its military, renaming them as the Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) tank (the (t) stands for tschechisch, the German word for Czech). At that time, Germany faced a severe shortage of Panzer III tanks.

For the Škoda company, these tanks were their pride. However, the German engineers, now in possession of the more advanced Jackal tank, looked down upon the LT-38 light tank in various aspects. Upon receiving the engineers' assessment report, Wilhelm promptly ordered, "Immediately halt the production of these two tank models. They cannot meet the needs of our army!"

The executives from the company and the Škoda engineers present wore uneasy expressions. After all, the LT-38 light tank was Czechoslovakia's most advanced tank, and being rejected was not a pleasant experience.

Every product reflected the efforts of the engineers. For these Škoda engineers, their tanks were like their children, and they hoped to produce all of them. However, they knew it was impossible. Compared to German tanks, theirs lagged behind. For instance, the armor was still riveted. When enemy shells hit, the flying rivets became the greatest threat to tank crew members.

However, Wilhelm's following words brought them immense joy. "But the chassis of this LT-38 light tank is good. Don't waste it. Keep the existing production line and continue producing this chassis. Of course, modify the components to be at least 75% compatible with the Jackal tank."

Wilhelm's words were equivalent to acknowledging the excellence of the LT-38, leaving the designers present feeling pleasantly surprised. After all, this royal highness was almost omnipotent, particularly in the field of weaponry. The German military's achievements in the Spanish Civil War were greatly influenced by him.

However, what's the use of just producing chassis?

Seeing the puzzled expressions of everyone, Wilhelm instructed his secretary to bring out the prepared design drawings and handed them to the company's executive. "Use this chassis to build tank destroyers. You have one year. The monthly production of these tank destroyers should reach 1000 units."

The executive, who hadn't had a chance to scrutinize the design drawings, was startled by this number. "1000 units?!" The current monthly production was just a little over a hundred. 1000 units would mean an eight to ninefold increase!

"Rest assured, the structure of these tank destroyers is straightforward. Even if I ask you to produce three to four hundred units per month now, it's feasible. When Speer consolidates the factories here, achieving a monthly production of 1000 units will be possible." After all, this tank destroyer could withstand Allied bombings in the late stages of the war; now it should be even easier.