The Panzerbefehlswagen Sd.Kfz. 265 was a German command tank based on the Panzer I chassis, used during the Spanish Civil War in the Condor Legion and later in World War Two. Designed for battlefield communication, it replaced the standard turret with a larger, fixed superstructure to accommodate additional radio equipment, including a FuG 6 or FuG 7 radio set with a distinctive frame antenna. Armed with a single 7.92mm MG 13 or MG 34 machine gun, it had limited combat capability. Powered by a 60 hp Krupp M305 four-cylinder engine, it had a top speed of 37 km/h (23 mph) and a range of 170 km (106 mi). With its 13 mm (0.5 in) armor, it provided minimal protection and was eventually phased out in favor of command versions of more modern tanks, though it saw use during the early Blitzkrieg campaigns in Poland and France.
This Panzerbefehlswagen Sd.Kfz. 265 Panzer I Command Tank was photographed at The Tank Museum in Bovington, England 2017.
