In anticipation of the delay in production of the two main strength tanks of the Pzkpfw III and the Pzkpfw IV then under development, the Ordnance Department decided in 1934 to develop a new tank instead to fill the gap. It gave specifications of the proposed new tank to the following three companies - the Mann, the Krupp and the Henschel. The specifications envisioned a tank weighing less than 10 tons and armed with 2 cm and 7.92 mm machine guns, one each. Among the designs of the rivaling three companies presented, the one by the Mann was selected and the Mann in cooperation with the Daimler-Benz developed a first tank of the a1 type in 1935. When 25 tanks of the same type were produced, the tank was officially named, "Panzer Kampfwagen II".