The Škoda MU-4 Tankette was a

Czechoslovak Czechoslovak may refer to: *A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93) **First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38) **Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39) **Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60) ** Fourth Czechoslovak Repu ...

tankette design of 1933. It was designed as a successor to the Škoda MU-2 tank.

History

In 1932, the company Škoda tried to develop a new tank after the unsatisfactory Škoda MU-2. The result was the MU-4, made from a modified Carden-Loyd Mk. VI tankette chassis, which was entered into a competition for tankettes in the

Czechoslovak Army The Czechoslovak Army (Czech and Slovak: ''Československá armáda'') was the name of the armed forces of Czechoslovakia. It was established in 1918 following Czechoslovakia's declaration of independence from Austria-Hungary. History In t ...

, where it lost to the

Tančík vz. 33 The ''Tančík vz''. 33 () was a Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak-designed tankette used mainly by Slovakia during World War II. Seventy-four were built. The Germans seized forty when they occupied German occupation of Czechoslovakia, Bohemia-Moravia i ...

. It was then entered into a competition for the Yugoslav Army, where it lost to both the Polish TK-3 (also developed from the Carden-Loyd) and the ČKD PI. The Škoda MU-4 was then offered to Afghanistan, Hungary, and Sweden, but was rejected by all of them. In the end, only a single prototype was made, which surprisingly survived

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The prototype was acquired by the Military History Institute Prague in 1972 and was restored to running condition. The prototype is now in the

Military Museum Lešany A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

where it is occasionally shown in exhibits.

References

* * * {{Weapons of Czechoslovakia MU-4 Tankettes of the interwar period Tankettes