Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf. A
5th Light Division

This is my take on Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf. A, Serie 3 tank, belonging to the 8th Company of the Panzer Regiment 5, 5th Light Division, later to become 21st Panzer Division. 8th company arrived in Tripoli on March 7th, 1941, and participated in one of the parades there. The company was sent on march to the frontline immediately after the parade.

Pz Is were never planned as official equipment for 5. Leichte Division. However, due to the lack of Pz IIs available for the campaign, 25 Pz Is were sent as a part of PzRgt 5. Some of the Pz Is were used as a combat vehicle in heavy companies (instead of Pz IIs), this one included. There are indications that some of them survived well into 1941 and maybe even 1942, but were withdrawn from the front line duty and were used as support vehicles (to tow other vehicles, etc.).

Tanks of the 5. Leichte Division tanks arrived in Tripoli painted in RAL 8021. However, in many photographs, these tanks are painted in a very light color. It is not known what was this paint exactly, except that they were painted on March 23rd in a yellowish color (mentioned in war diaries).

I was not able to find out what was the fate of this vehicle. However, many of them were lost during the initial siege of Tobruk, during April 1941 and this is maybe the fate of this tank as well. What is certain is that it was replaced by Pz II at some point before operation Crusader, because Pz II with the number 833 is listed as a casualty during Operation Crusader.