Landsverk L-120
Encyclopedia
The Landsverk L-120 was a light tank designed in Sweden. One tank and one tank chassis was ordered for tests by the Swedish Army
in 1936, and one chassis was ordered by the Norwegian Army
the same year. The chassis
sold to Norway became Norway's first ever tank, after an improvised turret and make-shift armour had been added.
in the Scania
n city of Landskrona
for one L-120 tank and one L-120 tank chassis for testing purposes. In April the following year an order for a tank turret
followed. The tank chassis was delivered to the Swedish Army in May 1937, and the tank in July-August the same year. In July 1937, just some two months after it was delivered, the tank chassis was bought back by AB Landsverk in connection with a large order for Strv L-60
light tanks being made by the Swedish government from AB Landsverk. The repurchased tank chassis was then probably used to fulfil an order from Norway
.
30,000, around the equivalent of . After delivery delays the tank chassis was handed over to Norway. The chassis was equipped after arrival with an improvised turret and ordinary iron plates for armour and was armed with a Colt M/29 heavy machine gun
, making it Norway's first ever tank. The tank was quickly dubbed "Rikstanken" (The National Tank) by the Norwegians. Other nicknames were "Kongstanken" (The Royal Tank) and "Norgestanken" (The Norway Tank). The name "Norgestanken" was a humorous invention, playing on the fact that the word "tanken" in Norwegian
means both "the tank" and "the thought", making it a pun
. The noun "Norgestanken" (the Norway thought) was an old nationalistic term for the idea of an independent Norway. "Kongstanken", as in "the royal thought", signifies a grand and bold thought or an idealistic idea.
The purchase of the tank by the Norwegian government happened on the background of the increased tension in Europe preceding the Second World War
. The threatening situation convinced the Norwegian government to budget for the purchase of a tank for the Norwegian Army. As the shipping costs of the complete tank would be too expensive, only the chassis was imported. As adding the original steel armour would cost another NOK 50,000, iron plates were used instead. In addition, the steering levers were replaced with a steering wheel
. The engine of the tank proved unreliable and at best gave a top speed of 25 kilometre per hour. The brakes were also found to be too weak, with the tank once ending up crashed against a tree during an field exercise
in Trøndelag
.
Together with an experimental platoon of locally manufactured armoured cars "Rikstanken" formed the Norwegian cavalry
's armoured force. "Rikstanken" and the three armoured cars took part in all the Norwegian Army's exercises in 1938 and 1939. The armoured vehicles moved around to the different dragoon
regiments in Norwegian Army.
On 9 April 1940, when the Germans invaded Norway
, the tank and the three armoured cars were stored in the depot of Dragoon Regiment 1 at Gardermoen
. When Dragoon Regiment 1 finished its mobilization at 0300hrs on 10 April and moved out to oppose the invading German forces
they left both the tank and the armoured cars behind. The tank and the armoured cars were captured by the advancing Germans and disappeared from records, after having been a popular object for souvenir photos for German troops at Gardermoen in May 1940.
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...
in 1936, and one chassis was ordered by the Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
the same year. The chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
sold to Norway became Norway's first ever tank, after an improvised turret and make-shift armour had been added.
Swedish service
In October 1936 the Swedish Army placed an order with the armoured fighting vehicle manufacturer AB LandsverkAB Landsverk
Landsverk was founded in 1872 as Firman Petterson & Ohlsen. It was a heavy industry, manufacturingrailroad cars, harbour cranes and agricultural machinery. It was located in Landskrona, Sweden.-Early days:...
in the Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
n city of Landskrona
Landskrona
Landskrona is a locality and the seat of Landskrona Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 28,670 inhabitants in 2005.-History:The city of Landskrona was founded at the location of Scania's best natural harbour, as a means of King Eric of Pomerania's anti-Hanseatic policy, intended to compete...
for one L-120 tank and one L-120 tank chassis for testing purposes. In April the following year an order for a tank turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
followed. The tank chassis was delivered to the Swedish Army in May 1937, and the tank in July-August the same year. In July 1937, just some two months after it was delivered, the tank chassis was bought back by AB Landsverk in connection with a large order for Strv L-60
Strv L-60
Stridsvagn L-60 was a Swedish tank developed in 1934. It was developed by AB Landsverk as a light tank which included several design features later adopted by Germany and Russia in their tank designs....
light tanks being made by the Swedish government from AB Landsverk. The repurchased tank chassis was then probably used to fulfil an order from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
"Rikstanken"
Concurrently with the Swedish order Landsverk also received an order from Norway for a tank chassis, with delivery set at March 1937. The cost of the purchase was SEKSwedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
30,000, around the equivalent of . After delivery delays the tank chassis was handed over to Norway. The chassis was equipped after arrival with an improvised turret and ordinary iron plates for armour and was armed with a Colt M/29 heavy machine gun
Heavy machine gun
The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...
, making it Norway's first ever tank. The tank was quickly dubbed "Rikstanken" (The National Tank) by the Norwegians. Other nicknames were "Kongstanken" (The Royal Tank) and "Norgestanken" (The Norway Tank). The name "Norgestanken" was a humorous invention, playing on the fact that the word "tanken" in Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
means both "the tank" and "the thought", making it a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
. The noun "Norgestanken" (the Norway thought) was an old nationalistic term for the idea of an independent Norway. "Kongstanken", as in "the royal thought", signifies a grand and bold thought or an idealistic idea.
The purchase of the tank by the Norwegian government happened on the background of the increased tension in Europe preceding the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The threatening situation convinced the Norwegian government to budget for the purchase of a tank for the Norwegian Army. As the shipping costs of the complete tank would be too expensive, only the chassis was imported. As adding the original steel armour would cost another NOK 50,000, iron plates were used instead. In addition, the steering levers were replaced with a steering wheel
Steering wheel
A steering wheel is a type of steering control in vehicles and vessels ....
. The engine of the tank proved unreliable and at best gave a top speed of 25 kilometre per hour. The brakes were also found to be too weak, with the tank once ending up crashed against a tree during an field exercise
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
in Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
.
Together with an experimental platoon of locally manufactured armoured cars "Rikstanken" formed the Norwegian cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
's armoured force. "Rikstanken" and the three armoured cars took part in all the Norwegian Army's exercises in 1938 and 1939. The armoured vehicles moved around to the different dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
regiments in Norwegian Army.
On 9 April 1940, when the Germans invaded Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
, the tank and the three armoured cars were stored in the depot of Dragoon Regiment 1 at Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is...
. When Dragoon Regiment 1 finished its mobilization at 0300hrs on 10 April and moved out to oppose the invading German forces
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
they left both the tank and the armoured cars behind. The tank and the armoured cars were captured by the advancing Germans and disappeared from records, after having been a popular object for souvenir photos for German troops at Gardermoen in May 1940.