| R-1 |
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La 1 aprilie 1936, militarii romani au acceptat in serviciul armatei tancul cehoslovac AH IV, fabricat de uzinele CKD (Ceskomoravska Kolben Danek), iar in august 1936 au fost comandate 35 de bucati. Inainte de livrare, tancurile AH IV au fost modificate corespunzator nevoilor armatei romane. Cupola comandantului a fost indepartata din varful turelei, grosimea blindajului a fost redusa de la 15 mm la un maxim de 12 mm, iar motorul original Praha de 60 CP a fost inlocuit cu unul mai usor, de 50 CP. Reducerea greutatii vehiculului original cu peste jumatate de tona a dus la un consum mai mic de carburant si la o crestere a autonomiei, pana la 160 km pe sosea. In serviciul armatei romane, tancul a fost denumit "R-1" si a echipat escadroanele de recunoastere mecanizate ale brigazilor de cavalerie. Brigazile 5, 6 si 8 de cavalerie au primit cate 6 tancuri R-1, iar Brigazile 1, 7 si 9 de cavalerie au primit cate 4. In perioada 1941-42 tancurile R-1 au participat la actiuni in cadrul Corpului de Cavalerie (Brigazile 5, 6 si 8 cavalerie), in sudul Ucrainei si in Caucaz, dar si pe alte fronturi unde au actionat unitati de cavalerie (Odesa). Dupa dezastrul de la Stalingrad, Centrul de Instructie al Cavaleriei a retras tancul R-1 din serviciul armatei romane.
| Specificatii tehnice |
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| Echipaj | 2 |
| Greutate | 3,5 t |
| Dimensiuni |
| Lungime | 3,2 m |
| Latime | 1,79 m |
| Inaltime | 1,67 m |
| Motor |
| Tip | Praha, racire cu lichid |
| Cilindri | 6L |
| Putere | 50 CP |
| Carburant | benzina |
| Performante |
| Viteza maxima pe sosea | 45 km/h |
| Viteza maxima pe teren | 20 km/h |
| Santuri | 1,5 m |
| Adancime vad | 0,9 m |
| Panta maxima | 45° |
| Autonomie | 160 km |
| Armament |
| Principal | 1 mitraliera ZB md.37 calibru 7,92 mm |
| Secundar | 1 mitraliera ZB md.30 calibru 7,92 mm |
| Munitie | 3000 cartuse |
| Blindaj |
| Blindaj | 5-12 mm |
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Dan Iloiu (5 martie 2009)
I was the one to wrote that article. The problem is that in 1989 there was not a lot of info available and my article was also somehow modified.
The model without the cupola is in fact the R-1. There was a single Romanian AH-IV with a commander cupola, this one was a prototype built by CKD for the planned production of the AH-IV in Romania. See the serial number 301 painted on the hull. Production that never materialized. This prototype had some other modified parts, some to be used later in the Swedish m37.
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Agarici (20 iulie 2005)
The tank from the first photo is NOT a Skoda R 1 but an original CKD-AH IV. Note the commander cupola which is not removed and compare that photo with the two pictures bellow.
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Agarici (20 iulie 2005)
According to an article from “Modelism” magazine (no. 25 - 4/1989), page 23 (not signed), in 1937 a number of 75 modified CKD AH-IV light tanks (designated as “tancheta Skoda R 1” in the Romanian army) were purchased. They were distributed as follows: 10 pieces to the 1st Cavalry division, to the 2nd and 3rd cavalry divisions 11 pieces each, 9 pieces to the 4th Cavalry division and 35 pieces were retained by the Cavalry Training Center. Also after Romania entered WW 2 an unknown number of CKD AH-IV without modifications (the original design) were delivered by the Germans in order to replace the lost material.
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Sus