Panzer I variants Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf A ohne Aufbau . Actually the first Panzer I vehicles to be built , 15 were completed by the various firms included in the program ( Daimler - Benz , Henschel , Krupp , MAN , and Rheinmetall ) to develop their industrial capacity and provide initial training vehicles to the Wehrmacht . The Ausf A ohne Aufbau was merely a Panzer I hull without superstructure or turret . The interior was completely open , and was crewed by a driving student and instructor with room for three student observers behind them . The suspension and hull were identical to the Ausf A , but total weight was reduced to 3 . 5 tons and height to 1 . 15 m . Performance was similar . Munitionsschlepper auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf A . Given the designation SdKfz 111 , the Munitionsschlepper ( ammunition tractor ) was built to provide panzer units with an armored , tracked vehicle for front - line re - supply of tanks . 51 examples were converted from older Ausf A tanks in September 1939 . The conversion involved simply removing the turret and providing a two - piece armor plate cover over the resulting opening . This was a rather crude conversion , and served in Poland and France with panzer units . Total weight was a little less than the Ausf A at 5 . 0 tons and height reduced to 1 . 4 m . Since some fuel capacity was removed , range was cut to 95 km . No armament was provided . Brückenleger auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf A . An attempt to mount bridging equipment on the Ausf A chassis proved impractical due to the weak suspension of the vehicle , although this was later tried with greater success on the Panzer II chassis . Flammenwerfer auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf A . A simple field modification , the Flammenwerfer consisted simply of a portable flamethrower being mounted in place of one of the machine guns with enough fuel for about 10 seconds of firing at a range of up to 25 m . The idea came from an experiment during the Spanish Civil War intended to give the Panzer I more firepower against close targets . The conversion was not permanent , and was only reported to be used in the Battle of Tobruk by the German 5th Light Division . Kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen ( klPzBefWg ) . Given the designation SdKfz 265 , the klPzBefWg was designed from the Ausf A to provide a command vehicle for panzer units . This required lengthening the chassis ( by adding a fifth road wheel ) and upgrading the engine . Ultimately , this chassis would be the basis for the improved Ausf B version . The klPzBefWg also differed in replacing the turret with a built up superstructure , affording more interior room for command equipment and a FuG6 radio in addition to the FuG2 . A single MG13 or MG34 in a ball mount on the front of the superstructure was provided , although often removed . Slightly heavier ( 5 . 9 tons ) and taller ( 1 . 99 m ) than the Ausf B , the klPzBefWg served with all panzer units into the early war years . It did receive an additional 15 mm of armor later , but eventually was moved to auxiliary duties by 1942 . 184 were built by Daimler - Benz at the same time as Ausf B production , as well as six examples built from Ausf A tanks . Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B ohne Aufbau . The Ausf B ohne Aufbau used the same chassis as the Ausf B , but deleted the superstructure and turret . Designed to provide panzer units with a tracked recovery and repair vehicle , 164 were produced alongside the standard Ausf B vehicles . However , the introduction of larger tanks left it unable to do recovery work and by 1940 it was being transferred to training duties . Versus the Ausf B it was much lighter ( 4 . 0 tons ) and shorter ( 1 . 35 m ) . Like the Ausf A ohne Aufbau , the compartment was open topped , but the hull was armored . 4 . 7 cm PaK ( t ) ( Sf ) auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B . Commonly known as the Panzerjäger I , this version marked Germany ' s first attempt at an armored tank destroyer . The turret was removed , and a 4 . 7 cm PaK ( t ) antitank gun ( captured from Czechoslovakia ) with a tall wrap - around gun shield installed instead . Although made from 14 . 5 mm thick armor plate the shield offered no protection to the rear or above . The gun was capable of 35° of traverse and elevation from - 8° to + 12° . 86 rounds were carried for the main gun . While performance was similar to the Ausf B , it was heavier at 6 . 4 tons and taller , 2 . 25 m , than the B . 15 cm sIG 33 ( Sf ) auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B . The larger Ausf B chassis made possible the mounting of heavier guns with removal of the turret . The largest was the 150 mm heavy infantry gun , the sIG 33 . This mammoth piece was relatively short and fit just barely in a tall superstructure not only built up to the vehicle ' s 2 . 8 m height but also out over the tracks to their full 2 . 06 m width . The superstructure armor was light at only 13 mm and only protected the front and sides . The heavy resulting weight of 8 . 5 tons overstressed the chassis and ultimately , the vehicle was not a great success . 38 were converted from Ausf B tanks in February 1940 and they served with six heavy SP infantry gun companies with survivors in service into 1943 . The sIG mounting was capable of 25 ° of traverse and 75 ° of elevation , and could be depressed to - 4 ° . It used a Rblf36 sight , and ammunition was carried separately , there being no room for onboard shell storage . The sIG would be mounted more successfully on larger chassis as the war progressed . Flammenwerfer auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B . An experiment at a field modification similar to that done to the Ausf A later in North Africa , this conversion was made during the Spanish Civil War , although there is no record of later use during World War II . Ladungsleger auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B . A field modification kit , the Ladungsleger , or explosives layer , was mounted on the rear deck of an Ausf B tank and used to lay explosives to defeat field fortifications . A number of vehicles were given these kits , with authorized use on the armored engineers company of each Pioneer Battalion . Flakpanzer I . A rare modification that attempted to make the Panzer I into a self - propelled anti - aircraft gun was the Flakpanzer I . It was not produced widely due to extremely high developmental costs .