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WorldWar2.ro Forum > Romanian Army > Romanian tank design & industry...

Posted by: PanzerKing July 18, 2003 10:04 pm

If Romania undertook a serious tank program in the late 1930's, would they have had the industrial capability to produce an indiginous tank? Or would a license-built tank like the Hungarian Turan have been more likely?

Thanks!

Posted by: Hohenstaufen July 19, 2003 06:09 am

Hi PanzerKing

With King Carol in power during the late 30's, it was very unlikely for the romanian army to have a "serious" tank program as this man wasn't very concerned about the country's defence and often diverted the military's funds elsewhere from what I read. His close ties with Allied powers pretty much hampered any chance of getting tank production rights from Germany, Czechoslovakia (whose industry was in the Germans' hands after 38 ), etc. Romania could have asked France for tank production rights but like I said, the king wasn't very eager to fix the army's pityful state. As for Romania's industrial capability of mass producing its own tanks, it was anything but able during the late 30's and only showed signs of improvement after the course of the war changed (About 1943) with the introducement of the indiginous Maresal tank-destroyer which proved to be better than the StuG40 in both, firepower and mobility. Unfortunately, the Soviets halted the production just when the tank-d. was about to be put on the battlefield. oops

Posted by: Victor July 19, 2003 10:47 am

There were plans in 1938 to buy also the license and a production line for the R-35, but because of financial problems this did not happen. Gheorghe Tatarascu was the promoter of the idea.
Later Romania also attempted to buy the Skoda LT VZ 35 license, but it was denied.

Posted by: PanzerKing July 20, 2003 12:03 am

Thanks for the replies! I wonder why Germany wouldn't offer them any type of license? You would think that having your ally fully capable of producing their own weapons would be a good thing!

Heck they could have atleast given the license for the PZ III Ausf N in 1943!

Posted by: daveh July 24, 2003 01:03 pm

Outside the major powers in Europe such as Germany, Italy, Britain and France only the Czechs produced indigenous AFV in any numbers. The Czech industry was based on the industrial heart of the old Austro Hungarian Empire. Romania lacked this industrial base to produce her own AFV designs in the late 1930's.

Romania I believe could have built AFV under licence in the late 1930's if suitable investment had been made but could not have developed her own designs.

Even if Romania had started licence production of say the R35 or a Czech design eg T 21 she would have faced similar problems to Hungary ie producing an obsolete or at best obsolescent design with no likely replacement. Useful for training but not for front line use after say mid 1942.

Would Romania have produced more useful vehicles such as the TACAM if she had a licence built tank? An interesting question I think.

Germany was generaly reluctant to offer licences to her allies, even when she did it was at high costs, eg Germany's offer of a licence to the Hungarians for building Panthers was refused on cost grounds.