Kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen  JJ-COND-04 

Description: THE CONDOR LEGION

Kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen 1 Ausf B (PzBefw 1)

Germany sent 4 Befehlswagen 1 Command tanks to Spain. They were first issued 1 per company, and 1 in the battalion headquarters.

These were a version of the PZKPFW 1 AUSF B, but with a fixed superstructure and additional radio equipment. The provision of dedicated radio vehicles was due to the Wehrmacht’s prescient view that radio communications were essential in co-ordinating modern mobile operations. The German Command considered that the leader of a tank subdivision himself should not necessarily participate in the battle; his task lied in the battle control. Therefore, commander’s tanks of the first series had no armament at all. The tanks crew consisted of three people: a tank commander (who was also the leader of the tank division), tank driver and radio-telegrapher. Later it was determined that the tank should have arms and it was equipped with one MG - 13 machine gun of 7,92 mm caliber. Radio equipment included a transceiver FuG 6 with 13 - 16 km reach and receiving radio station FuG 2.

The prominent St. Andrews Cross painted on the roof was an air identity mark, common on Nationalist tanks to prevent straffing by friendly aircraft.