Chinese Panzers: The Sad State of the KMT's Armored Units during their short service in the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
"Fifteen Panzer I Ausf.A’s were sold to the Kuomintang in mid or late 1936, but they only arrived in June 1937 because the Chinese ordnance department was so poorly organized. The Chinese paid 1.03 million Reichsmarks for the tanks (about US$25 million in today’s money), but they were shipped poorly and were not protected from the elements."
The damage was reported by a Krupp representative, Herr Habermas, from Nanjing, 26th November, 1937:
- Water, 2-4cm deep, had collected in the hull of the tanks.
- Lots of parts had rusted, including the gun mounts, the telescopic gun sights, and steering brakes.
- The electrical components were heavily damaged by the warm and humid air.
- The cooling fans for the brakes were non-operational without serious cleaning.
- The batteries for the electrical components were ruined due to heavy oxidization. A representative from Bosch in Shanghai stated that the contact material on the magnetos and voltage regulators was not suitable for tropical environments.
- Some tool boxes, cloth components, and operation manuals were also partially ruined.
Source:
Panzer I Ausf.A in Chinese Service
