Sd.Kfz. 9
Encyclopedia
The Sd.Kfz. 9 was a German half-track
that saw widespread use in World War II
. Its main roles were as a prime mover for very heavy towed guns such as the 24 cm Kanone 3
and as a tank recovery vehicle. Approximately 2,500 were produced between 1938 and 1945.
12-cylinder, water-cooled, 10.838 litres (660.9 cu in) HL 108 gasoline engine of 270 hp. It had a syncromesh ZF G 65 VL 230 transmission with four forward and one reverse gears. It had two fuel tanks, one of 90 litres (23.8 US gal) and the other of 230 litres (60.8 US gal) capacity.
Both tracks and wheels were used for steering. The steering system was set up so that shallow turns used only the wheels, but brakes would be applied to the tracks the further the steering wheel was turned. The drive sprocket, like all German halftracks, had rollers rather than the more common teeth. The rear suspension consisted of six double sets of interleaved roadwheels mounted on swing arms sprung by torsion bars. An idler wheel, mounted at the rear of the vehicle, was used to control track tension. The front wheels had leaf springs and shock absorbers.
The upper body had a crew compartment common to all versions. This had bench seats, one for the driver and his assistant, and another for the crew. The rear portion of the upper body was adapted for the vehicle's intended role. The artillery model had two extra bench seats for the gun's crew and space for its ammunition. The cargo version had just two storage compartments mounted in the front of the cargo compartment, one on each side, that opened to the outside. The windshield could fold forward and was also removable. A convertible canvas top was mounted at the upper part of the rear body. It fastened to the windshield when erected.
The Sd.Kfz. 9 was designed to have a towing capacity of 28 tonne. This was adequate for medium tanks like the Panzer IV
, but two or even three or four were necessary for heavier vehicles like the Tiger
, Panther
or King Tiger. It towed Sd.Anh 116 low-loader trailers to carry disabled vehicles.
Preliminary design of all the German half-tracks of the early part of the war was done by Dipl.Ing.
Ernst Kniepkamp of the Military Automotive Department (Wa Prüf 6) before the Nazis took power in 1933. His designs were then turned over to commercial firms for development and testing. Fahrzeug- und Motorenbau GmbH (FAMO
) of Breslau received the contract for the 18 tonne heavy towing tracked vehicle. Their first prototype, the FM gr 1, was completed in 1936. It had a 200 hp Maybach
HL 98 TUK engine and was only 7.7 metres (25.3 ft) long. The F 2 prototype appeared in 1938, but differed only in detail from its predecessor.
The F 3 appeared in 1939 and was the production version. The design was simplified over the course of the war to reduce costs and the use of strategic metals. Some vehicles produced by Tatra had its 12-cylinder, air-cooled Type 103 diesel engine
fitted. Large spades were added at the rear of the chassis during the war to improve the vehicle's ability to recover tanks and other heavy vehicles.
8.8 cm Flak 18 anti-aircraft guns were mounted on fifteen Sd.Kfz. 9s in 1940 as the 8.8 cm Flak 18 (Sfl.) auf Zugkraftwagen 18t (Sd.Kfz. 9) for anti-tank duties. The crew and engine compartments were lightly (14.5 mm (0.570866141732284 in)), but completely, armored, which limited the gun's ability to fire directly ahead. A platform with drop-down sides was fitted for the gun. Outriggers were necessary to brace the platform sides to support the weight of the gun crew. The vehicle weighed 25 tonne, was 9.32 metres (30.6 ft) long, 3.67 metres (12 ft) tall and 2.65 metres (8.7 ft) wide. One source claims that these vehicles were produced as prototypes in 1943.
began producing the Sd.Kfz. 9 in 1940 and Tatra joined in the last years of the war. 855 were on hand on 20 December 1942. 643 were built in 1943 and 834 in 1944. Approximately 2,500 were built in total.
Half-track
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling...
that saw widespread use in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Its main roles were as a prime mover for very heavy towed guns such as the 24 cm Kanone 3
24 cm Kanone 3
The 24 cm Kanone 3 was a German heavy siege gun used in the Second World War only by the first battalion of Artillerie-Regiment 84. Only four were in service when Germany invaded Poland, assigned to the first two batteries of I./AR 84. In the Battle of France the battalion still only had 4 guns...
and as a tank recovery vehicle. Approximately 2,500 were produced between 1938 and 1945.
Description
The Sd.Kfz. 9 had a ladder frame chassis. Power was provided by a MaybachMaybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
12-cylinder, water-cooled, 10.838 litres (660.9 cu in) HL 108 gasoline engine of 270 hp. It had a syncromesh ZF G 65 VL 230 transmission with four forward and one reverse gears. It had two fuel tanks, one of 90 litres (23.8 US gal) and the other of 230 litres (60.8 US gal) capacity.
Both tracks and wheels were used for steering. The steering system was set up so that shallow turns used only the wheels, but brakes would be applied to the tracks the further the steering wheel was turned. The drive sprocket, like all German halftracks, had rollers rather than the more common teeth. The rear suspension consisted of six double sets of interleaved roadwheels mounted on swing arms sprung by torsion bars. An idler wheel, mounted at the rear of the vehicle, was used to control track tension. The front wheels had leaf springs and shock absorbers.
The upper body had a crew compartment common to all versions. This had bench seats, one for the driver and his assistant, and another for the crew. The rear portion of the upper body was adapted for the vehicle's intended role. The artillery model had two extra bench seats for the gun's crew and space for its ammunition. The cargo version had just two storage compartments mounted in the front of the cargo compartment, one on each side, that opened to the outside. The windshield could fold forward and was also removable. A convertible canvas top was mounted at the upper part of the rear body. It fastened to the windshield when erected.
The Sd.Kfz. 9 was designed to have a towing capacity of 28 tonne. This was adequate for medium tanks like the Panzer IV
Panzer IV
The Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz...
, but two or even three or four were necessary for heavier vehicles like the Tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, Panther
Panther tank
Panther is the common name of a medium tank fielded by Nazi Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. It was intended as a counter to the T-34, and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV; while never replacing the latter, it served alongside it as...
or King Tiger. It towed Sd.Anh 116 low-loader trailers to carry disabled vehicles.
Design and development
Diplom
A Diplom is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Finland , Greece, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Ukraine...
Ernst Kniepkamp of the Military Automotive Department (Wa Prüf 6) before the Nazis took power in 1933. His designs were then turned over to commercial firms for development and testing. Fahrzeug- und Motorenbau GmbH (FAMO
Famo
Famo is a type of music from Lesotho in Africa consisting of singing accompanied by the accordion, a drum and occasionally a bass. It originated in the drinking dens of migrant workers from Lesotho trying to relax after working in the mines in the 1920s but is now a popular form of music for...
) of Breslau received the contract for the 18 tonne heavy towing tracked vehicle. Their first prototype, the FM gr 1, was completed in 1936. It had a 200 hp Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
HL 98 TUK engine and was only 7.7 metres (25.3 ft) long. The F 2 prototype appeared in 1938, but differed only in detail from its predecessor.
The F 3 appeared in 1939 and was the production version. The design was simplified over the course of the war to reduce costs and the use of strategic metals. Some vehicles produced by Tatra had its 12-cylinder, air-cooled Type 103 diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
fitted. Large spades were added at the rear of the chassis during the war to improve the vehicle's ability to recover tanks and other heavy vehicles.
Variants
A new upper body was used for the Sd.Kfz. 9/1 which mounted a 6 tonne capacity crane in lieu of the crew's bench seat and the cargo compartment. It was issued to tank maintenance units beginning in September 1941. A larger, gasoline-electric, 10 tonne crane was fitted on the later Sd.Kfz. 9/2, but this required outriggers to stabilize the vehicle before operations could begin.8.8 cm Flak 18 anti-aircraft guns were mounted on fifteen Sd.Kfz. 9s in 1940 as the 8.8 cm Flak 18 (Sfl.) auf Zugkraftwagen 18t (Sd.Kfz. 9) for anti-tank duties. The crew and engine compartments were lightly (14.5 mm (0.570866141732284 in)), but completely, armored, which limited the gun's ability to fire directly ahead. A platform with drop-down sides was fitted for the gun. Outriggers were necessary to brace the platform sides to support the weight of the gun crew. The vehicle weighed 25 tonne, was 9.32 metres (30.6 ft) long, 3.67 metres (12 ft) tall and 2.65 metres (8.7 ft) wide. One source claims that these vehicles were produced as prototypes in 1943.
Production
Vomag of PlauenPlauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
began producing the Sd.Kfz. 9 in 1940 and Tatra joined in the last years of the war. 855 were on hand on 20 December 1942. 643 were built in 1943 and 834 in 1944. Approximately 2,500 were built in total.