During the Weimar Republic, Germany was restrained from building tanks. However, after 1933, the Versailles restrictions were ignored and Germany was given the freedom to build 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.
Bofors worked closely with German companies during the interwar years on many projects. One of these projects included the design of a light tank. In 1930, the company was given the task of designing a new tank to serve the German Army. Otto Merker, the company's chief of tank research, was hired. His first task was to design a light tank. He submitted a patent in 1937 for this design. He also designed fixtures to fit other armored vehicles.
A design for an obsolete light-tank was submitted by the firm. This design had a shallow trench for protection from enemy fire. However, this design was never actually built. The company was able modify the design to include an offset engine. This allowed two people to operate the tank. The shield provided protection for the machine gunner. The design included a separate machine gun for the hull, but it was limited in its ability to provide a narrow arc of fire. The rest of the armor was made from flat armor plate.
Despite its shortcomings, the design featured many features that are common to modern one-man tank designs. The cupola, or hatch, of the design allowed for increased visibility and improved observations. It could be raised or lowered and protected from enemy fire. It also featured 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. The crewman would look out of the cupola to look for targets. The cupola had three vision holes that were drilled through the sides. This made it difficult and more secure for the crewman to see out, but it was still challenging.
The front of the design was also sloping. The front was angled while the upper half of the hull was made of angular flat metal panels. The thickness of the hull was about 10-12 millimeters. The rooflines were steeply sloped to encourage enemy fire deflection. The hull was made out of pressed steel. The rest of the armor was made with flat armor plates.
Low ground clearance was a major problem with the design. It was difficult to control the tank by one person. This tank also had very thin armor plating. The vehicle was also difficult and difficult to spot. This design was not popular with the Nazi Party. It was banned in 1941. The German Patent DE687038(C) 'Halbgleiskettenfahrzeug' was issued on 20th January 1940.