AB Landsverk

AB Landsverk (full name: Aktiebolaget Landsverk, lit. 'The Corporation Landsverk') was a Swedish heavy industry company, manufacturing a wide variety of tracked and wheeled military vehicles, such as tractor units, off-road vehicles and armoured vehicles, etc, most notably the world's first welded tank constructions, among others, but also a wide variety of civilian heavy equipment, such as railroad cars, harbour cranes and agricultural machinery.

It was founded in 1872 as Firman Petterson & Ohlsen. It was located in Landskrona, Sweden.

Early days

In late 1920, the company found itself on the verge of bankruptcy. Through a German company, the Gutehoffnungshütte Aktienverein für Bergbau und Hüttenbereich Oberhausen (GHH), invested heavily and gained control of 50 % of the shares.

In 1923, the company manufactured a small number of tracked agricultural tractors based on an American design. The Germans increased their ownership to 61% in 1925 and three years later the name was changed to AB Landsverk. In 1929, the German engineer Otto Merker was assigned to Landsverk to develop armoured vehicles, a few prototypes of a German design with both wheels and tracks were manufactured in Landskrona. In 1930, the Swedish Army placed an order of armoured car for trials, and a few years later three light tanks on wheels and tracks.

In 1933, Lithuania ordered six, in 1935, the Netherlands ordered twelve Landsverk L181 and in 1937, an order of thirteen L-180 armoured cars. Landsverk presented the L-60 in 1934, the first tank with torsion-bar suspension. There was some very limited export of armoured cars to other countries like Denmark and Finland. Hungary manufactured the L-60 as the Toldi. The Landsverk anti-II was an AA variant of this tank.

Landsverk built a few L-120 light tanks in the 1930s, one of which was exported to Norway; it was the first tank operated by the Norwegian Army.[1]

The modern era

During the Second World War, Landsverk designed and partly manufactured, most of the Swedish Army's tanks. At the conclusion of that conflict, Landsverk was subject to an effort to dismantle German foreign business interests. Landsverk was confiscated by the Swedish state and, through its Flyktkapitalbyrån agency, sold to Kockums.

The Irish Army operated several Landsverk vehicles over the last 80 years. Two L-60 tanks were purchased in 1935 as training vehicles to supplement the single Vickers Mk D. Although, three tanks were of dubious military value, however, budget constraints prevented additional purchases. Both were out of service by 1953 due to a lack of tracks. Both are still in existence, whilst one has been restored to working condition.

The Irish Army also used the L-180 armoured car. The type was adopted to replace the aging Rolls-Royce fleet in 1937. Eight were delivered by 1939, but the last five on order were never delivered due to the outbreak of the Second World War (they were instead taken over and used by Sweden). The same was the case with many other vehicles in the Irish Army, budget constraints meant that the L180s were still in front-line service (albeit up-gunned with 20mm cannon) until 1972. Incredibly, they were then transferred to the Irish Army Reserve, the FCA, where they were kept in service until the mid-1980s. Five are preserved, including one donated to the Swedish Army.

The Landsverk Company produced an armoured scout car based on the Unimog

Vehicles produced by AB Landsverk

External links

• Dutch Cavalry Museum