CZK - Škoda Š-I-D

The project of this gun was created at the request of the Yugoslav Royal Army. Their ideas were almost fulfilled by the Š-I-d type, but the Yugoslavian representatives submitted proposals for several modifications of this design and their ideas were fulfilled in the first half of 1936 by a new project of a small gun-tracked vehicle designated as Š-I-D (later the company's designation with the letter "D" was reserved for machines with diesel engines). The company subsequently signed a contract with the Yugoslavian army representatives for the production of 8 units of this tank.
Modifications to the original Š-I-d consisted of lengthening the platform and adding one running wheel and a support pulley, increasing the thickness of the armour as well as replacing the engine with a more powerful type. A simple box superstructure made of 5-22 mm armour plates was mounted on the platform. These were riveted together. The two-man crew had a modified Skoda A3 (A3J) anti-tank gun of 37.2 mm calibre (measuring 15° either side) and a light machine gun ZB vz. 30J of 7.92 mm calibre. There were two entry holes on the superstructure roof, one of them on the left side was fitted with an observation turret. The completed tanks were shipped to the customer in 8/1937, who included them in the armament of the Riding School in Zemun under the designation Brzi borna kola T-32[/i]. The machines were designed for combat and reconnaissance, but in peacetime they were used for intensive training of new tankers.
The tankers' first combat action was their deployment in the March 27, 1941 coup against the pro-German government of Dragiša Cvetković. After the invasion of Yugoslavia by German forces, four tankjets were used in defensive battles south of Belgrade. The unit with these tanks was tasked with defending the airfield and the area around Belgrade. Subsequently, on 10 April 1941, they were to be sent in the direction of Niš, where they were to confront the German troops advancing from Bulgaria. However, this plan was abandoned due to the impossibility of rapid movement and the unit was sent in the direction of Mladenovac - Topola. In Mladenovac they refuelled, but did not receive anti-tank ammunition. They were positioned at the intersections Mladenovac - Topola and Mladenovac - Arandjelovac. On 11.4.1941 they concentrated on the defence of the Topola - Mladenovac road. In the chaos of the fighting, the vehicle crews were ambushed by the German troops occupying Topola. The latter eliminated them with machine gun fire, the survivors were captured by the Germans.
The remaining four machines stood unfit for combat in the workshops of the cavalry school in Zemun. Despite the short combat deployment, the machines were judged to be successful and capable of effective combat. The captured machines were sent by the German forces to Škodovka Plzeň for reconstruction and were subsequently rebuilt under the markings Pz. Kpfw. SId-732 (j) (Pz. Kpfw. SID-732 (j) ????), Pz. Kpfw. T32-732 (j), or Pz. Kpfw. 732 (j) used in the Waffen SS probably as training machines.

Ivo Pejčoch, Oldřich Pejs - Obrněná technika 5, Central Europe 1919-1945 I.part, published by ARES, Prague 2004, ISBN 80-86158-32-2
Vladimír Francev, Charles K. Kliment - Czechoslovak Armoured Vehicles 1918-1948, ARES Publishing House, 2nd edition, Prague 2004, ISBN 80-86158-40-3
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Skoda Š-I-D, later tank T-32, later Beute Pz. Kpfw. 732 (j).

Photo via Fronta.cz - drawing from the prospectus of the Joint Stock Company, formerly Škoda Plzen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xlE8dRWH3o

Probably immediately after the capture, some of the surviving vehicles were repainted with German grey camouflage and some received German beam crosses. They probably served in staff units 11. Panzer-Division. There was an interesting discussion in the source below revealing the fates of the individual vehicles.

https://www.paluba.info/smf/index.php?topic=5965.0
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