Germany was restricted from building tanks in the Weimar Republic. However, Germany was allowed to export and build tanks after 1933. It was the beginning of many futuristic tank designs. Some of these designs were designed in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and provided a small glimpse into the development of German armor.
Bofors worked closely with German companies during the interwar years on many projects. One of these projects included the design of a light tank. The company was tasked with designing a new tank for the German Army in 1930. Otto Merker was appointed head of tank design at the company. He was first to design a light-tank. He submitted a patent in 1937 for this design. He also designed fixtures that could be used to support armored vehicles.
Another design was submitted by the company to replace an outdated light tank. The trench was used to protect the design from enemy fire. This design was never built. The company was able change the design to include an off-set engine. This enabled two men to operate it. The machine gunner was also protected by a curved shield. A separate hull machine gun was incorporated into the design, but it could only provide a limited arc of fire. The rest would be made of flat armor plates.
Despite its faults, the design was able to display many of the same characteristics found in modern oneman tanks. The design's cupola (or hatch) allowed for better visibility and observation. The cupola was adjustable and could be raised or decreased to provide protection against enemy fire. It also offered an escape hatch.
The design was similar in appearance to other one man tanks. One man sat down in the tank's center and operated a forward-firing weapon. Crewman would gaze out of the cupola in search of targets. The design of the cupola was not circular. It had three vision openings, which were drilled into its sides. This made it difficult and more secure for the crewman to see out, but it was still challenging.
Also, the front was sloping. The front of this hull was angled and the upper portion was made of flat panels of angular metal. The hull was approximately 10 to 12 millimeters thick. The design had sharply sloping rooflines that would encourage the deflection of enemy fire. The hull was made of pressed steel while the rest was made of flat armor plates.
Low ground clearance was one of the main problems with this design. It made it difficult for a single person to manage the tank. The design also had a very thin armor plating. It was also difficult to see. This design was very unpopular with the Nazi Party. It was banned in 1941. The German Patent DE687038(C) 'Halbgleiskettenfahrzeug' was issued on 20th January 1940.