German machine gunners, in winter camouflage uniform and armed with an MG-34 machine gun, taking up position in an undisclosed location. Behind the trees are two wrecked Soviet KV-1 tanks.

Machine gunners in the snow

German NCO poses with captured Polish TKS tankette, 1939.  This tankette is fitted with the standard armament for the type, a 7.92 Hotchkiss machine gun.  

TK series tankettes formed the bulk of Polish armour in 1939.  Their light armour and machine-gun armament, along with poor deployment, resulted in their suffering substantial casualties.  On the other hand, the fact that the bulk of German tanks at this time were lightly-armoured PzKpfw I and (less numerous, but important) PzKpfw II meant that individual TK tankettes could, with a bit of skill and luck, hurt the panzers.  The very small number of 20mm cannon-armed TKS could certainly present difficulties for a PzKpfw I or II.  For this reason, along with the Polish artillery, the TK tankettes played their part in inflicting the not-insignificant losses suffered by the panzers in the Polish Campaign.

For all its inadequacies as a combat vehicle, an intact TKS tankette like this was a valuable acquisition for the Wehrmacht, in view of Germany's ongoing shortage of motor vehicles.  A substantial number of TK tankettes were captured by the Germans.  These were subsequently used as artillery and general purpose tractors, and in local security duties.  Best regards, JR.

Spoils of war - Polish TKS tankette.

italian alpini torn photo my dad in the back the tallest one gastone colombo 1918-2004 from melegnano milano italia unkown where the photo was taken