Description

In 1935, the German army requested an amphibious vehicle capable of being towed lightly to assist in crossing the river. Rheinmetall undertook the project and produced a tracked vehicle with two rear thrusters that looks very much like a ship. In 1940, three such vehicles, now known as LWS, entered the military service and were assigned to the 100th Tank Detachment as a practice preparation for the invasion of Britain’s Operation Sea Lion. The army's idea is to use this type of vehicle as a towing barge that assists in tank landing operations but does not have its own power. Because the Luftwaffe lost the "Battle of Great Britain" over the English Channel and lost its air superiority, the "Operation Sea Lion" was later forced to abandon it. Even so, but in moderation, the design of the car can be considered a success. In the early LWS, the large civilian-style floor-to-ceiling glass windows at the front of the car and the three funnel-shaped ventilation ducts on the roof are the main appearance features. In the new car produced after 1940, the shape of the front window was changed and the funnel-shaped ventilation tube was reduced to only one located in the center of the roof and used as a podium.