TKS

(Polish light reconnaissance tank, also known as a tankette)

The TKS was designed in the Design Office of the State Engineering Works as a modernization of the TK-3 (derived from the British Carden-Loyd tankette), mainly involving changes to the shape of the front of the hull, replacement of the engine, addition of a periscope for the commander, changes to the armor and electrical system, and improvements to the running gear. Production at the Ursus Works lasted from 1934 to 1936, during which 280 units were produced, equipped with the wz. 25 Hotchkiss 7.9 mm heavy machine gun. In early 1939, TKS and TK-3 tankettes began to be rearmed with the modern, Polish-designed wz. 38FK 20 mm heavy machine gun, but by the outbreak of the war, only 23 units had been so modified. Platoon sergeant Edmund Roman Orlik, commanding such a vehicle, became the first Polish tank ace, destroying, according to various sources, 10 to 13 enemy tanks in the September battles. Three TKS tankettes, restored thanks to the efforts of many enthusiasts, delight visitors to Polish museums and dynamic displays during reenactments. Before you is a TKS with a wz. 25 Hotchkiss machine gun.

The drawing was made by Mariusz Felek Foltak.