07 Czechoslovak Machine Gun ZB 35 Model Calibre 7,92 mm Mauser

Fotogalerie

The development of the 7.92 mm Mauser machine gun had been carried out by Ceskoslovenska zbrojovka in Brno since 1930, but not at the initiative of the Ministry of National Defence. In 1931, Vaclav Holek (1886–1954) together with Miloslav Rolcik (1880–1968) developed an air-cooled model called the ZB M 32 or the ZB 50 with a quick-change barrel. In 1933 the Military Technical and Airforce Institute (VTLU) specified the requirements for a heavy machine gun, on the basis of which the factory developed further prototypes ZB 53-I and ZB 53-II, tested in November 1934.

Because of the urgent armament needs of the assault vehicles, the Ministry of National Defence ordered 500 ZB-53 machine guns from the arms factory in March 1935, which were subsequently designated Model 35. The entire order was fulfilled by the end of 1935 and the armoury subsequently processed another 500-piece batch for stock. Although the Ministry of National Defence needed the heavy machine guns both for assault vehicles, and as armaments for the fortresses under construction, it allowed the arms factory to offer them abroad in June 1935.

At the end of 1936, the VTLU prepared a summary report for the Armaments Commission, which on 29 January 1937 approved the introduction of the M 35 machine gun, the M 37 machine gun and the M 37 base into the armaments. The full number of M35 machine guns in the armaments of the Czechoslovak Army did not survive too long. In the autumn of 1937, the General Staff decided to gradually replace all Model 35 machine guns in tanks with the new Model 37.