Lago I

Description

The Lago I was a Swedish medium tank, developed for export to Hungary. However, Hungary chose to design their own medium tank, with the help of Škoda, and the project was cancelled. It was not until later that the Lago I was trialed by the Swedish army and further developed to the Strv m/42, where it would have a long service life.

The Lago I was introduced in Update 1.97 "Viking Fury". It has a similar playstyle to an early Pz.III, being quite fast and manoeuvrable but not having the greatest in terms of firepower output. The Lago I does have access to post-war APDS rounds with great penetration, giving it the upper hand in long-range engagements where its angled armour can protect the vehicle well. The small breech of the vehicle also give it great gun depression, making it able to peek over hills to engage with hostiles without endangering itself.

General info

Survivability and armour

Notes:

• Turret ring: 30 mm
• Turret ring guard: 30 mm
• Tracks and suspension: 15 mm
• Fenders: 4 mm

Mobility

Modifications and economy

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Lago I

Note:

• As they are modeled by sets of 3 to 5, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the set.

Machine guns

The Lago I is armed with a 8 mm ksp m36 machine gun, useful for hitting lightly armoured AA vehicles.

Usage in battles

The Lago I is a medium tank one has to get used to. It has a 37 mm gun with a short barrel similar to that of the early Panzer III's 37 mm KwK 36, which gives it inadequate penetration against better-armoured targets. Enemy tanks with an effective armour of above 55-60 mm will be a concern against the stock shell slpprj m/38 and the upgraded slprg m/39, but the 3,7cm slpprj m/49 might be sufficient when it is unlocked.

The armour of the Lago I might look weak with it being 34 mm maximum at the front, giving it a similar armour to that of a light tank, but it can still bounce shells with its angled armour. Angling the armour gives the Lago I more effective armour than it actually has, which can make it a difficult tank for inexperienced tankers to fight. But even while angled, the Lago I has lots of weak spots in the front where its armour is less than 34 mm thick or is flat, which makes it vulnerable to most tanks at its BR.

The Lago I has a great power-to-weight ratio, giving it an excellent acceleration and manoeuvrability. Use its great acceleration to get into positions where the slpprj m/38 and slprg m/39 will actually penetrate the enemy vehicle. The Lago I equipped with slpprj m/49 can pose a serious threat to more heavily armoured vehicles like the B1 ter and M4A3 (105) as the sabot has excellent penetration for its BR. However, sabot rounds have poor post-penetration damage and you should therefore aim to disable the enemy crew rather than try to knock out the whole vehicle.

The Lago I's engine also allows it to reach its top speed fast, having great acceleration can make a huge different when it comes to survival. Being able to avoid shells with its narrow and small silhouette, it can move around the battlefield quickly like a light tank, however it has one drawback as its limited speed of 45 km/h makes it slower than a light tank, though this is still an adequate speed to move around slower targets and to pose a serious threat. But it also has a slow reverse speed of -7 km/h which makes it harder to hide after peeking around a corner after taking a shot or fire off a shot.

Enemies worth noting:

• B1 bis/ter: Can pose a serious threat to the Lago I if unattended, the B1's 47 mm can penetrate the Lago I if gets into close combat. The 75 mm can also pose a serious threat to the Lago I if the shell hits. If the Lago I is not equipped with the slpprj m/49 APDS round, it will have a struggle to defeat the armour of the B1, specially against the more armoured version Ter which puts the Lago I in a huge disadvantage if fighting in close quarters. If equipped with slpprj m/49, the B1's can be fought at distance where the Lago I will have the advantage.
• M4 Sherman: Low rank Shermans like the M4A1 and M4A3 (105) can pose a serious threat, having mobility and guns capable of eliminate the Lago I with ease. Their short 75 mm and 105 mm can easily penetrate the Lago I and close range and at distance. These are highly dangerous enemies for the Lago I even if equipped with APDS rounds. The angled armour of the Shermans can easily bounce the 37 mm rounds of the Lago. You must be more careful where you aim when fighting Shermans. But even if the Shermans are a dangerous target, they are not invincible for the Lago I can deliver a well-placed shot, or a flanking manoeuvre could give the Lago the penetration it needs to cause serious damage to the Shermans.
• T-34: The T-34 is also one of the tanks the Lago I needs to be wary of, T-34 is a threat for inexperienced Lago I users. The sloped hull of the T-34 can bounce most APDS and APCBC rounds, but the T-34's turret is a weak spot making them less of a threat than Sherman tanks.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Still effective in uptiers, since it has access to a high-penetrating APDS shell with an amazing 115 mm of penetration and high velocity
• -10 degrees gun depression means that it can adapt to different terrains well
• Quite fast and mobile
• Sufficient power to weight ratio ensures good mobility even on bad terrain
• Good turret traverse speed
• Small target profile
• Short reload time

Cons:

• Terrible stock grind - APDS is the only acceptable shell for the battle rating, and it is a tier IV modification, while the other shells are extremely weak and wholly inadequate for the opponents you will have to face
• Armour is inadequate to resist any shells, even a Panzer II can penetrate it frontally
• Roof armour can be penetrated by common aircraft armaments such as the 12.7 mm M2, and 15 mm MG 151

History

The Landsverk Lago was an interwar medium tank design. It was designed in 1936 as an export medium tank by Landsverk. One prototype was made to be sent to Hungary for trials, but the Swedish government banned exporting military equipment. As such, the Lago was given to the Swedish military for trials. There were six Lago prototypes. The Lago I had a twin 140 hp engine, a crew of five, a 37 mm Bofors cannon, and 3 machine guns. It weighed 15 tonnes. The Lago never reached the production phase, but it became the basis of the Strv m/42, which saw lengthy service in the Swedish military.

Devblog

During the 1930's, the Swedish Landsverk company, like many other European arms manufacturers, wished to capitalize on the growing tensions on the continent in order to secure new production and licencing contracts. Among the most profitable markets was the one for new armoured fighting vehicles. As a result, Landsverk began developing a whole range of new combat vehicles during the 1930's, aimed solely at the export market.

Among them was the L-60 light tank, whose basis Landswerk used to develop the larger and heavier Lago tank. While the L-60 saw some commercial success, the Lago tank received little interest from foreign customers. However, after some time passed, the Swedish military changed their doctrine and sought to procure a medium tank themselves. Given that Landsverk already developed the Lago, Swedish military officials turned to the company with the orders to further develop the design.

In the end, the Lago tank went through multiple prototype stages and was ultimately used only as a testbed for the development of the subsequent Strv m/42 and Pvkv m/43 tanks. The vehicle never had any production orders and didn't take active part in any conflicts. Due to its design however, the Lago I can be seen as the first true domestically built Swedish medium tank.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Lago I from live.warthunder.com.

Images

Videos

See also

Related development

• Strv m/42 EH
• Strv m/42 DT
• Ikv 73
• Pvkv m/43 (1946)

Similar role

• Pz.III E
• M15/42

External links

• [Devblog] Lago I: The Medium From the North

Bibliography

• David B. (2015, April 24). Landsverk Lago. Tanks Encyclopedia. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/Sweden/landsverk-lago.php