Israeli Military Vehicle Research

Czech tanks in IDF service (almost)

In early 1949 the Jewish Agency sent its top buyers to Europe in search of tanks. The buyers went to Czechoslovakia, who was the main supplier of Israel’s weapons, and sought to buy tanks. Ehud , who worked from Prague and was in charge of buying in Czechoslovakia wrote, on the 26th of May, that the Czechs have agreed to sell immediately 30 tanks weighing 16 tonnes, 20 tanks weighing 9 tonnes; and another 30 tanks weighing 16 tonnes at the end of June. On the 27th of May, Meirov announced that they were buying from Czechoslovakia 10-15 tanks. The following days saw the talks progress further and on, June 5, in a telegram from Meirov with the final agreement:

The 9 tonne tank was the LT-38, a light tank with cannon of 37mm, and two 7.92mm machine guns of ZB vz/37 (Besa). It started it’s service in the Czech army in 1938, and was known for it’s reliability and ease of servicing. The 16 tonne tank was known as the Hetzer, and was armed with a 75mm gun and an MG34. After the war the Czech army continued to use them

Significant progress was being made when stalling suddenly beset negotiations. On June 9, Meirov informs that the buying efforts have been postponed. The main reason for their postponement, it was discovered later, was the high price the Czechs were asking, and the stubbornness of the Israelis in trying to lower the price.

The postponement and bargaining over the prices didn’t deter the Czechs from trying to sell the tanks. On June 19 Avriel reported, while in Israel, that the signed contract with the Czechs included: 27x16.5 tonne tanks, ten 9.5 tonne tanks. Talks were underway as well for ten 9.5 tonne American tanks - without ammunition in them. Avriel added that the Czechs also wanted to sell the State of Israel another forty 16.5 tonne tanks and only finding the ammunition was slowing them down.

It is important to add that the Czechs, besides wanting to sell the tanks, were also interested in giving lessons in the use of and the strategic and tactical use of the tanks for drivers, and it appears for tank crews as well. The course will run for a month for 50 people and include tactical training and formation training.

In May-June 1948 , the deal with the Czechs on buying tanks was only in its initial stages, and those dealing with it really only saw it as a deal for the longer term, and wouldn’t help with the fighting that was going on in Israel at the same time. The operation in Czechoslovakia, that began toward the end of the defensive operations against the Arab invasion, heightened the expectations to equipping TZAHAL with tanks, a large amount, within weeks, if only they could surmount the money obstacle form this source.

In the end they deal did not go through and as history shows us the focus later turned to US Army surplus tanks from Italy, Philippines and elsewhere.

[Ehud, Avriel and Mierov were all Jewish Agency purchasing agents abroad.]

Source: Translated and summarised from "ORIGINS OF THE ISRAELI ARMOURED CORPS" BY AMIAD BREZNER