Landsverk L-120
| Landsverk L-120 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Light tank |
| Place of origin | Sweden |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1937–1940 |
| Used by | Sweden (testing purposes) Norway |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | AB Landsverk |
| Produced | 1936–1938 |
| No. built | 1 tank + 1 or 2 tank chassis |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 4 - 4.5 tons |
| Length | 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) |
| Width | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Crew | 2 (Commander/gunner and driver) |
|
|
|
| Armour | Steel armour (Sweden) Iron plating (Norway) |
|
Main
armament |
Norway: 7.92 mm Colt M/29 heavy machine gun |
| Transmission | 4-speed Volvo gear box |
| Speed | 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) |
|
Steering
system |
Levers (Sweden) Steering wheel (Norway) |
Stridsvagn L-120 (English: Battletank L[andsverk]-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 makeshift armour had been added.
In October 1936 the Swedish Army placed an order with the armoured fighting vehicle manufacturer AB Landsverk in the Scanian 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 Stridsvagn 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.
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 SEK 30,000, around the equivalent of US$3,000. 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" (English: The National Tank) by the Norwegians. Other nicknames were "Kongstanken" (English: The Royal Tank) and "Norgestanken" (English: 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" (English: 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.
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