This page is a short overview of various types and sizes of halftracks, prime movers, unusual tracked vehicles and hybrids developed by the Germans from 1933 to 1945. Of all the combatants of the second world war, Germany ranked number one in research and development, planning, production and modifications to these unusual semi-tracked machines.

I always had an interest in halftracks, especially the German ones. Their designs show incorporation of anti-tank information (sloped armor), ease of use, stowage capacity, weaponry and efficiency. In the end though maintaining production on all the different sizes and types proved too complicated, and simplication of production and types occured too late in the war to make a difference.

I'm an amateur 1/35 scale modeler also. So I've included a few pictures of the vehicles I've built and am building now.

Some notes:

• Towing capacity refers to the pulling power of the vehicle, not the actual weight of the towed load.

The 'HK 101' Sd. Kfz. 2 Kettenkrad was originally conceived as a light prime mover for mountain troops to be used for towing light mountain guns, mortars, the MG36 and telephone wire drums. It found favor with all Wehrmacht troops, especially those in the Eastern Front where it's excellent cross-country ability allowed it to manuever in the mud-bogged roads and the mountainous Caucasus region. It was also engaged by paratroopers units and by the Luftwaffe for runway duty.

Powered by a 4 cylinder 1.5 ltr. Opel-Olympia water-cooled engine, its top speed was 80 kph. It carried a crew of 3. Built by NSU Werke AG Neckarsulm and Stower Werke Stettin, a total of 8345 vehicles were produced between 1940 and 1944.

After the war several hundred of the vehicles found duty with the agricultural and forestry services in Germany.

Variants

• SdKfz 2 - light towing tractor
• SdKfz 2/1 - cable laying tractor for field phone

The SdKfz 4 was developed out of a need to improve the mobility of the commercial type trucks used to supply the German army in its invasion of Russia. The original all-wheeled vehicles had become hopelessly bogged down in the mud and ice of the eastern front, and many had to be abandoned. So half-track modifications were developed for the 3t 'S' model of trucks.

A total of 22,500 of these upgraded trucks were produced by 1944. Four major types were modified. They were the 3t Opel-Blitz Type 3.6-36 S, the 3t Ford V8 Type G 398 TS/V 3000 S, the Magirus Type S 3000 and the 4.5t Mercedes-Benz Type L 4500 R. The first three types were fitted with a copy of the British Carden-Lloyd running gear, with the last type using a PzKpfw. II running gear.

Later in the war a need arose to provide greater mobility for 15cm Panzerwerfer 42 rocket launchers. About 300 Opel 'Maultier' were outfitted with armored cabs and superstructures on which the rocket launchers were mounted. Designated SdKfz 4/1, these 7t vehicles severly overloaded the chassis and had a top speed of only 25 mph. Later these rocket launchers were mounted on the s.W.S. which afforded greater mobility and ammunition stowage capacity.

Variants

• Opel-Blitz with Carden-Lloyd running gear
• Sdkfz 4/1 15cm Panzerwerfer 42 auf 'Maultier'

4/1 front view
4/1 rear view

Again the need for greater mobility of vehicles on the Eastern Front drove the development of the RSO, a fully tracked 4 ton transport which was selected by Hitler over the l.W.S. This simple yet effective design was based on a lorry chassis with a V-8 gasoline engine and a four-speed transmission. Development was completed in 1942 with full scale production starting the following year. Manufacturers included Steyr, Graf & Stift, Auto Union and Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz (Magirus). The original version RSO/01 had and enclosed cab with side windows and doors, with the later version RSO/03 having a soft-top cab and powered by a 4-cylinder Deutz diesel engine. The main function was as a gun tractor, but the RSO was also used as a snow plough, ambulance, anti-tank gun carrier, amphibian tractor, and was slated to replace the 'Maultier' as the main supply vehicle. Although very slow and unable to keep up with the Panzer formations, the RSO proved rugged, reliable, and popular with the troops. Total production up to 1945 was 27,000 units.

SdKfz 10 - le. Zugkraftwagen 1t (light traction powered vehicle) Type D7

The Demag light 1t prime mover appeared first as the Type D6 version powered by a 90 h.p. 3.8 litre 6 cylinder Maybach NL38TRKM engine. Its production was from 1937 to 1939, when the D7 was produced until 1944. The builders included Demag, Berlin; Adler, Frankfort am Main; Bussing-NAG, Braunschweig; Phanomen, Cottbus and Saurer, Wien. A total of 25,000 were built, with 7,500 being converted to SPW (SdKFz. 250). Although having a complex Maybach pre-selective tranmission which complicated maintenance, these machines proved rugged and easy to operate. Crew was 8. These vehicles were used to tow light artillery weapons, and later versions carried various anti-aircraft guns.

Variants

• SdKfz 10 - light 1t towing tractor
• SdKfz 10/1 - Gasspurekraftwagen (gas sensing vehicle)
• SdKfz 10/2 - Entgiftungskraftwagen (decontamination vehicle)
• SdKfz 10/3 - Spruhkraftwagen (sprinkler)
• SdKfz 10/4 - 2cm Flak 38 (Sf.)
• SdKfz 10/5 - chassis for various gun mounts

SdKfz 11 - le. Zugkraftwagen 3t (light traction powered vehicle)

Development was started in 1934 on a halftracked vehicle with a 3-ton towing capacity for "the towing of trailers and the carrying of special bodies." The actual production vehicle was the HL kl 6 produced by Hanamog, Adler, Auto-Union and Skoda from 1938 to 1944. Designated le Zgkw 3t SdKfz 11, a total of 25,000 of these 3-ton chassis were produced with 16,000 being used as the basis for the m Schutzenpanzerwagen (medium armored personal carrier) SdKfz 251.

The SdKfz 11 was powered by a Maybach NL38 TUKR or HL42 TUKRM 6-cylinder engine having a top speed of 53 kph for a 250 km range. The standard version was mainly used to tow light artillery weapons such as the 37 mm and the 105 mm along with ammunition. A very rare specially designed multi-doored version was produced for engineer battalions. All versions saw heavy use on all fronts.

By 1944 only the le.Zgkw. 3t mit Holzpritsche (light tractor 3 ton with wood plank bed) model was being produced.

Variants

• SdKfz 11 - light 3t towing tractor
• SdKfz 11/1 - foglaying vehicle
• SdKfz 11/2 - Entgiftungskraftwagen (decontamination vehicle)
• SdKfz 11/3 - Spruhkraftwagen (sprinkler)
• SdKfz 11/4 - foglaying vehicle
• SdKfz 11/5 - ammunition hauler for 36 rounds Nebelwerfer 41 or 10 rounds 21cm rocket launchers, and other designations

SdKfz 6 - m. Zugkraftwagen 5t (medium traction powered vehicle)

The development of the SdKfz 6 was started by Bussing-NAG in Berlin-Oberschonweide in 1934. The Type BN1 5 was produced in 1935 with a Maybach NL 35 6-cylinder engine capable of 90HP. The later Types BN1 7, BN1 8 and BN 9 used the Maybach NL38 engine rated at 100HP. Daimler-Benz also produced these types under the designations DB1 5, DB1 7 and DB 8, as well as Praga (Czechoslovakia) with the Type BN 9. Top speed was 50kph and a crew of 7. A total of 3,500 of these vehicles were produced.

Designed as a towing trailer for various engineer trailers (SdKfz 6) and artillery pieces (SdKfz 6/1) a later version (SdKfz 6/2) was developed as a mount for the 37mm Flak 36 AA piece with ammunition towed in a trailer. A few of these vehicles in North Africa were fitted with a Russian 7.62cm anti-tank gun with large side armor plates, making it an easy target. All SdKfz 6 types saw action on all fronts.

Variants

• SdKfz 6/1 - Artilleriefahrzeug mit le. F.H. 18 (Artillery vehicle with light field howitzer)
• SdKfz 6/2 - 3.7cm Flak 35 (Sf.) (3.7cm anti-aircraft self-propelled mounting)

SdKfz 7 - m. Zugkraftwagen 8t (medium traction powered vehicle)

The SdKfz 7 was the most numerous of the Zugmaschinen of the German forces. Originally designed to haul the old 75mm cannon it added decisive weight in North Africa and the Eastern Front by giving mobility to the dreaded German 88mm Flak. Other varients included self-propelled mounts for quad 20mm or a single 37mm Flak gun, a light-tank hauler, an anti-aircraft detection vehicle and a command vehicle for the firing of V2 rockets.

In 1934 design work was started on the Type 1934 powered by a 115PS Maybach HL 52 gasoline engine. In 1938 three firms started producing the first type: the 'KM m 8' by Krauss-Maffei AG, Munich, the 'DB m 8' by Daimler-Benz and the 'BN m 8' by Bussing-NAG. In 1939 the 'KM m 9' with a Maybach HL 57 engine was produced as a hauler for the s.FH 18, the s. 10cm Kanone 18, and the 88mm Flak. The next type 'KM m 10' was the same as previous versions but with a 140PS Maybach HL 62 TUK engine. The last type 'KM m 11', with minor changes, was produced from 1939-1944.

Total weight was 11 tons, hauling capacity 8 tons with a crew of 11. Total production was 12,000 units.

Variants

• SdKfz 7/1 - 20mm Flakvierling 38 (Sf.)
• SdKfz 7/2 - 37mm Flak 36 (Sf.)
• SdKfz 7/6 - Flugabwehrmesswagen (anti-aircraft detection vehicle)

The Sd. Kfz. 8 12-ton prime mover was orginally designed for pulling trailer loads, which included the 15 cm Kanone 16 and Kanone 18, the 10.5 cm Flak, and the 21 cm Morser. Other uses were for towing the 30.5 cm mortar, the 88 mm Flak 36/37, searchlight trailers, tank hauling trailers, and towing smaller tanks and vehicles solo. A few versions had an 88 mm mounted on the rear bed, and some of these versions were armored. Production of this vehicle tapered off during the war years with the introduction of the heavier FAMO Sd. Kfz. 9 18-ton prime mover.

Crew was 13, with a loading capacity of 1.3 tons. Daimler Benz was the primary contractor, with 4000 units being completed by war's end. Other manufacturers included Krupp, Krauss-Maffei, Skoda, and Muhlhausen (Alsace). The Czech Army continued to use this vehicle after the war.

Variants

• Type ZD5 (1931-34)- built in conjunction with the then-cooperative Soviet Union. It was powered by a 150 hp 12-cylinder Maybach Type DSO 8 engine.
• DBs 7 (1934-36)- this version was the first designation of this vehicle as a 'heavy all-terrain half-tracked prime mover (Sd. Kfz. 8)'. It used the same engine as the ZD5, and was rated at 8-ton towing capacity.
• DBs 8 (1936-38)- again using the ZD5 engine, this version was rated at 12-tons and received the designation 'schwerer Zugkraftwagen 12 t' (12-ton heavy half-tracked prime mover). The final chassis design for all subsequent models was set with this version.
• DB 9 (1938-39)- now equipped with a more powerful 185 hp 12-cylinder Maybach HL 85 TUKRM engine. The 's' (schwerer) was dropped from the official designation.
• DB 10 (1939-44)- front torsion bar suspension is used instead of the former leaf spring suspension, and solid tire discs are used. Rated at 14-ton towing capacity.

Variants

• SdKfz 9 with 88 mm mount.
• SdKfz 9 with 6-ton Bilstein crane.

The SdKfz 250 le.SPW was developed out of dual requirements: the need to use armored vehicles to get motorized riflemen into position for close-in tank support ; and the greater cross-country performance required of halftracks for reconnaissance battalions, as their 4, 6 and 8-wheeled vehicles again became hopelessly bogged down on the destroyed road network in Russia.

Based on the SdKfz 10 Type D7, very few modifications were necessary to afix the armored superstructure to the existing frame and utilize the same powerplant. Slightly heavier than the D7, 12 versions were designed to fill various roles. Crew was from 3 (SdKfz 250/9) to 6. One of the particular advantages of this vehicle was its low profile - only 5'6" to the top of the hull - allowing it to make use of even limited cover. Production was from 1940 to 1944.

Two other SdKfz designations were developed from this chassis, both being up-armoured but built only in small numbers:

• SdKfz 252 munitions carrier
• SdKfz 253 le.Panzerbeobachtungswagon (armored observation post vehicle)

Variants

• SdKfz 250/1 - le.SPW
• SdKfz 250/2 - Fernsprechwagen (telephone vehicle)
• SdKfz 250/3 - Funkwagen (wireless vehicle)
• SdKfz 250/4 - Luftschutzwagen (air support vehicle)
• SdKfz 250/5 - Beobachtungswagen (artillery observation post vehicle)
• SdKfz 250/6 - Munitionswagen (ammunition and supply carrier)
• SdKfz 250/7 - 88mm Granatenwerferwagen(88mm mortar carrier)
• SdKfz 250/8 - 75mm L/25 auf le SPW (self-propelled 75mm Kwk.37 L/24 howitzer)
• SdKfz 250/9 - Panzerspahwagen (armoured reconnaisance car)
• SdKfz 250/10 - 37mm PAK auf le SPW (self-propelled 37mm anti-tank gun)
• SdKfz 250/11 - sPzB 41 auf le SPW (self-propelled heavy Panzerbuchse anti-tank gun)
• SdKfz 250/12 - Messtrupp Panzerwagen (armored survey section vehicle)

SdKfz 251 - m.Schutzenpanzerwagen (medium armoured personnel carrier)

Variants

• Sdkfz 251/1 - m. SPW (sometimes with side-mounted rocket launchers)
• SdKfz 251/2 - 8cm Gr.W-wagen (mortar carrier)
• SdKfz 251/3 - wireless vehicle
• SdKfz 251/4 - ammunition carrier for le.I.G. (light infantry gun)
• SdKfz 251/5 - engineer (troops) vehicle
• SdKfz 251/6 - command vehicle
• SdKfz 251/7 - engineer (equipment) vehicle
• SdKfz 251/8 - armoured ambulance
• SdKfz 251/9 - 7.5cm Stu.K 37 L/24 (Sf.)
• SdKfz 251/10 - 3.7cm Pak (Sf.)
• SdKfz 251/11 - telephone vehicle
• SdKfz 251/12 - survey section instrument vehicle
• SdKfz 251/13 - sound recording vehicle
• SdKfz 251/14 - sound ranging vehicle
• SdKfz 251/15 - flash spotting vehicle
• SdKfz 251/16 - flame throwing vehicle
• SdKfz 251/17 - 2cm Flak (Sf.)
• SdKfz 251/18 - observation post vehicle
• SdKfz 251/19 - telephone exchange vehicle
• SdKfz 251/20 - infra-red searchlight vehicle
• SdKfz 251/21 - 1.5cm or 2cm Flak MG-drilling (Sf.)
• SdKfz 251/22 - 7.5cm Pak 40 (Sf.)

l.W.S - le. Wehrmacht-Schlepper (light armed forces tractor)

Variants

s.W.S - s. Wehrmacht-Schlepper (heavy armed forces tractor)

Variants

• German Light Halftracked Prime Movers, 1933-45 - Schiffer Publishing
• German Medium Halftracked Prime Movers, 1933-45 - Shiffer Publishing
• German Heavy Halftracked Prime Movers, 1933-45 - Shiffer Publishing
• World War Two Military Vehicles, Transports and Halftracks - Osprey
• German Tanks and Armored Vehicles, 1914-1945 - Arco Publishing
• SdKfz 251 in Action - Squadron Signal Publishing
• German Armoured Cars and Reconnaissance Halftracks - Osprey
• The SdKfz 251 Half-track - Osprey
• German Halftracks in Action - Squadron Signal
• Halbkettenfahrzeuge - Aero Publishers

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Please ask permission before using my material. Thanks.
Tim Ice 1996-2008 bibliophilist@myway.com