SdKfz 10
Encyclopedia
The Sd.Kfz. 10 was a German
half-track
that saw very widespread use in World War II
. Its main role was as a prime mover for small towed guns such as the 2 cm FlaK 30
, the 7.5 cm leIG
, or the 3.7 cm PaK 36 anti-tank gun. It could carry eight troops in addition to towing a gun or trailer.
The basic engineering for all the German half-tracks was developed during the Weimar
-era by the Reichswehr
's Military Automotive Department, but final design and testing was farmed out to commercial firms with the understanding that production would be shared with multiple companies. Demag
was chosen to develop the smallest of the German half-tracks and spent the years between 1934 and 1938 perfecting the design through a series of prototypes.
The chassis formed the basis for the Sd.Kfz. 250 light armored personnel carrier. Approximately 14,000 were produced between 1938 and 1945, making it one of the most widely produced German tactical vehicles of the war. It participated in the Invasion of Poland
, the Battle of France
, the Balkans Campaign and fought on both the Western Front
and the Eastern Front
, in North Africa
and in Italy
.
6-cylinder, water-cooled, 3.791 litres (231.2 cu in) NL 38 TRKM gasoline engine of 90 hp. It had a semi-automatic Maybach Variorex-transmission SRG 102128H (Schaltreglergetriebe 102128H) with seven forward and three reverse gears. The driver selected the desired gear and initiated the shift by depressing the clutch. It could attain 75 km/h (46.6 mph), but the driver was cautioned not to exceed 65 km/h (40.4 mph). In 1942 the Luftwaffe
limited its vehicles to a non-tactical speed of only 30 km/h (18.6 mph) to extend the life of the rubber track pads (Gummipolster).
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 farther the steering wheel was turned. The drive sprocket had the track-saving but more complicated rollers rather than the more common teeth. The rear suspension consisted of five double 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 transversely mounted leaf springs and shock absorbers, the only ones on the vehicle, to dampen impacts.
The upper body had a baggage compartment separating the driver's compartment from the crew compartment. Bench seats on the sides of the vehicle, with under-seat storage, could accommodate six men. 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. Four side pieces could be mounted to protect the crew from the weather.
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. Demag
was assigned to develop the "Liliput" Kleinster geländegängiger Kettenschlepper (smallest cross-country tracked towing vehicle) with the first D ll 1 prototype produced in 1934. It had a six-cylinder, 28 hp BMW
Type 315 engine mounted in the rear and only had three roadwheels per side. The D ll 2 followed in 1935 and kept the same engine, but added an extra roadwheel. It weighed 2.56 tonne.
While the first two vehicles were only automotive prototypes, the 3.4 tonne D ll 3 had a 42 hp BMW Type 316 engine mounted in the front, 5 roadwheels and a troop compartment that could fit six. The D 4 prototype never left the drawing board. There was no D 5. It was succeeded by eight trial series (Versuchs-Serie) D 6 prototypes in 1937. This weighed 3.85 tonne, had a 83 hp Maybach
NL 38 TRK engine and a different transmission, but otherwise differed only in detail from the D ll 3. Several D 6s and the D ll 3 were used as prototypes for the models intended for service with the Chemical Troops (Nebeltruppen) and the Air Defense Troops (Luftschutztruppen). A series of 60 pre-production (0-serie) D 6s were ordered in 1937 from Demag, Adler and Mechanische Werke Cottbus (MWC) which differed only in details from the trial series. They were all delivered by November 1938. On 17 March 1937 the vehicle was renamed as the leichter Zugkraftwagen 1 to (Sd.Kfz. 10) (light 1 ton semi-tracked towing vehicle).
The D 7 was the mass-production model and differed mainly from the D 6 by having different tracks and a NL 38 TRKM engine. The NL 38 TRK had proven to have too much compression for the 74 octane
(OZ 74) gasoline decreed for use after 1 October 1938 and had to be modified with new cylinder heads and shorter pistons as the TRKM, but this did not change the engine's power. Deliveries began in October 1938 with one of the first machines off the production line demonstrated for the Army on 11 October 1938. Early machines had two fuel tanks, one of 58 litres (15.3 US gal) and the other of 31 litres (8.2 US gal), but they were replaced by a single 110 litres (29.1 US gal) tank early in the production run. The NL 38 TRKM engine was replaced in late 1939 by the HL 42 TRKM which differed little other than it had been bored out to 4.192 litres (255.6 cu in) to increase its power to 100 hp. During 1940 the hull rear was reinforced to allow the vehicle to tow heavier loads like the 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun, 15 cm sIG 33 infantry gun and the 10.5 cm leFH 18
howitzer
. An air compressor was added later for loads equipped with air brakes. These were designated as Model (Ausführung - Ausf.) B. In 1943 the semi-automatic transmission was replaced by a manual transmission. During 1943–44 the original metal upper bodies were replaced with wood to conserve steel.
The D 7p chassis for the Sd.Kfz. 250 light armored personnel carrier was based on that of the D 7 with a shortened suspension, but actually shared very few components with it other than the engine.
Demag was contracted to design a new version of the Sd.Kfz. 10 in 1944 with ten roadwheels, a strengthened front axle, a strengthened idler crank arm, an improved track tensioner and increased ground clearance. Three prototypes were completed; two were delivered in September 1944, but the third was retained at the factory. Development, however, did not proceed any further. Yet another new version of the Sd.Kfz. 10 was proposed in the Emergency Development Program (Entwicklungs-Notprogramm) of 20 February 1945 with armored engine and driver's compartments that was to have had its development completed in June 1945.
oberservation vehicles.
- OKH) ordered the tanks on the 65 vehicles in storage dismounted, the spray system disabled and the vehicles modified to carry 216 rounds of anti-tank ammunition. The vehicles were to be issued to rebuilding Nebeltruppen units. By this stage of the war they were equipped with Nebelwerfer rocket launchers and had organic anti-tank guns.
mount on a special platform with fold-down side and rear panels. This platform was specifically designed for the Flak 30 mount and could not readily accept a Flak 38 mount or vice versa. To accommodate the gun mount the vehicle was both wider and taller than normal, namely 2.02 metres (6.6 ft) wide and 2 metres (6.6 ft) and weighed 4075 kilograms (8,983.8 lb) empty. Four folding seats were fitted on the platform for the crew. Some of these gun mounts had a gun shield
fitted. The ready ammunition bins fastened to the side and rear panels (four on each side and two in the rear) contained one 20-round clip each. It usually towed an ammunition trailer (Sd.Ah. 51 - Sonderanhänger—special single-axle trailer) with 640 more rounds, the gun's sights and its rangefinder.
Vehicles built in 1940 (only) were fitted with removable loading ramps, cable rollers to act as pulleys, and a reinforced tail gate to allow a Flak 30, mounted on a Sd.Ah. 51 trailer, to be quickly dismounted. From 1940 they were fitted with rifle racks over the front fenders and from 1942 these were given sheet metal covers as protection from the weather. Flak 38s were mounted on 10/4s beginning in 1941 although the platform wasn't widened until later. As the war progressed the guns were more often fitted with gun shields.
The Sd.Kfz. 10/5 carried the 2 cm FlaK 38
whose mount was wider, and lighter, than that of the Flak 30, and the platform was enlarged to accommodate it from 1942. Vehicle width increased to 2.156 metres (7.1 ft), but the height returned to that of the normal vehicle. Initially vehicles modified with the wider platform for the Flak 38 did not have a special designation, but they were given one sometime in 1943. The earliest known use is 1 September 1943, but the older name lingered until 1 December 1944. The Luftwaffe ordered 293 sets of armor plate (Behelfspanzerung) for its vehicles in 1943. These plates covered the radiator, windshield and both sides of the driver's compartment and were fitted to both versions.
Production began in 1939 for deliveries to the Army and Luftwaffe, although the exact numbers will never be known as they were often not broken out separately in the production reports. At any rate Adler built 1054 between 1939 and February 1943, although some of these were completed as 10/5s beginning in 1942. MWC was awarded two contracts for 975 10/5s to be delivered in 1943–44, but 13 of these were delivered as ordinary Sd.Kfz. 10s in 1944.
in 1942 as tractors for anti-tank guns.
For the Chemical Troops (Nebeltruppen) each decontamination battery (Entgiftungs-Batterie) was authorized six Sd.Kfz. 10/1 and six Sd.Kfz. 10/2. Eighteen Sd.Kfz. 10/3 were held at the battalion level for issue to the batteries in lieu of their Sd.Kfz. 10/2s if needed. If necessary they could be substituted for Sd.Kfz. 11s of the appropriate type. When the decontamination units were authorized to be re-equipped with heavy rocket launchers in November 1941 seven Sd.Kfz. 10/1s were used to tow the 28/32 cm Nebelwerfer 41 launchers and another was used by the platoon leader to tow an anti-tank gun. Similarly decontamination units usually retained their Sd.Kfz. 10/2s and used them just like the 10/1s after removing their special equipment. However, it seems that the 10/3s were turned in when the unit was reorganized.
An early-war Army anti-aircraft company (Flugabwehr-Kompanie) was organized in three platoons with a total of eighteen Sd.Kfz. 10/4s, twelve with guns and six carrying ammunition. When the four-barrel 2 cm Flakvierling 38 was fielded in 1941 each platoon had four Sd.Kfz. 10/4s towing the guns and another for ammunition. Later these companies were reorganized with a total of eight Sd.Kfz. 10/4s carrying guns, two towing Flakvierlings and three carrying ammunition. These are just examples of some of the Army organizations which differed depending on the unit and the period. Sd.Kfz. 10/5s were substituted for 10/4s on a one for one basis. Detailed records do not survive for the Luftwaffe light anti-aircraft units, but they appear to have been organized into batteries of nine or twelve guns.
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
half-track
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 very 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 role was as a prime mover for small towed guns such as the 2 cm FlaK 30
2 cm FlaK 30
The Flak 30 and improved Flak 38 were 20 mm anti-aircraft guns used by various German forces throughout the Second World War. It was not only the primary German light anti-aircraft gun, but by far the most numerously produced German artillery piece throughout the war...
, the 7.5 cm leIG
7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18
The 7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18 was an infantry support gun of the German Wehrmacht used during World War II.- History :...
, or the 3.7 cm PaK 36 anti-tank gun. It could carry eight troops in addition to towing a gun or trailer.
The basic engineering for all the German half-tracks was developed during the Weimar
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
-era by the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
's Military Automotive Department, but final design and testing was farmed out to commercial firms with the understanding that production would be shared with multiple companies. Demag
Demag
Demag or Demag Cranes AG is a German heavy equipment manufacturer now controlled by US based Terex. The roots of Demag date back prior to its formation, but became Märkische Maschinenbau-Anstalt, Ludwig A.-G in 1906 as the biggest crane building company in Germany employing 250-300 people...
was chosen to develop the smallest of the German half-tracks and spent the years between 1934 and 1938 perfecting the design through a series of prototypes.
The chassis formed the basis for the Sd.Kfz. 250 light armored personnel carrier. Approximately 14,000 were produced between 1938 and 1945, making it one of the most widely produced German tactical vehicles of the war. It participated in the Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
, the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, the Balkans Campaign and fought on both the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
and the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
, in North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
and in Italy
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
.
Description
The Sd.Kfz. 10 was unique among German half-track designs as it used a hull rather than a frame. 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...
6-cylinder, water-cooled, 3.791 litres (231.2 cu in) NL 38 TRKM gasoline engine of 90 hp. It had a semi-automatic Maybach Variorex-transmission SRG 102128H (Schaltreglergetriebe 102128H) with seven forward and three reverse gears. The driver selected the desired gear and initiated the shift by depressing the clutch. It could attain 75 km/h (46.6 mph), but the driver was cautioned not to exceed 65 km/h (40.4 mph). In 1942 the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
limited its vehicles to a non-tactical speed of only 30 km/h (18.6 mph) to extend the life of the rubber track pads (Gummipolster).
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 farther the steering wheel was turned. The drive sprocket had the track-saving but more complicated rollers rather than the more common teeth. The rear suspension consisted of five double 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 transversely mounted leaf springs and shock absorbers, the only ones on the vehicle, to dampen impacts.
The upper body had a baggage compartment separating the driver's compartment from the crew compartment. Bench seats on the sides of the vehicle, with under-seat storage, could accommodate six men. 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. Four side pieces could be mounted to protect the crew from the weather.
Design and development
Preliminary design of all the German half-tracks of the early part of the war was done by Dipl.Ing.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. Demag
Demag
Demag or Demag Cranes AG is a German heavy equipment manufacturer now controlled by US based Terex. The roots of Demag date back prior to its formation, but became Märkische Maschinenbau-Anstalt, Ludwig A.-G in 1906 as the biggest crane building company in Germany employing 250-300 people...
was assigned to develop the "Liliput" Kleinster geländegängiger Kettenschlepper (smallest cross-country tracked towing vehicle) with the first D ll 1 prototype produced in 1934. It had a six-cylinder, 28 hp BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
Type 315 engine mounted in the rear and only had three roadwheels per side. The D ll 2 followed in 1935 and kept the same engine, but added an extra roadwheel. It weighed 2.56 tonne.
While the first two vehicles were only automotive prototypes, the 3.4 tonne D ll 3 had a 42 hp BMW Type 316 engine mounted in the front, 5 roadwheels and a troop compartment that could fit six. The D 4 prototype never left the drawing board. There was no D 5. It was succeeded by eight trial series (Versuchs-Serie) D 6 prototypes in 1937. This weighed 3.85 tonne, had a 83 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...
NL 38 TRK engine and a different transmission, but otherwise differed only in detail from the D ll 3. Several D 6s and the D ll 3 were used as prototypes for the models intended for service with the Chemical Troops (Nebeltruppen) and the Air Defense Troops (Luftschutztruppen). A series of 60 pre-production (0-serie) D 6s were ordered in 1937 from Demag, Adler and Mechanische Werke Cottbus (MWC) which differed only in details from the trial series. They were all delivered by November 1938. On 17 March 1937 the vehicle was renamed as the leichter Zugkraftwagen 1 to (Sd.Kfz. 10) (light 1 ton semi-tracked towing vehicle).
Octane
Octane is a hydrocarbon and an alkane with the chemical formula C8H18, and the condensed structural formula CH36CH3. Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the amount and location of branching in the carbon chain...
(OZ 74) gasoline decreed for use after 1 October 1938 and had to be modified with new cylinder heads and shorter pistons as the TRKM, but this did not change the engine's power. Deliveries began in October 1938 with one of the first machines off the production line demonstrated for the Army on 11 October 1938. Early machines had two fuel tanks, one of 58 litres (15.3 US gal) and the other of 31 litres (8.2 US gal), but they were replaced by a single 110 litres (29.1 US gal) tank early in the production run. The NL 38 TRKM engine was replaced in late 1939 by the HL 42 TRKM which differed little other than it had been bored out to 4.192 litres (255.6 cu in) to increase its power to 100 hp. During 1940 the hull rear was reinforced to allow the vehicle to tow heavier loads like the 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun, 15 cm sIG 33 infantry gun and the 10.5 cm leFH 18
10.5 cm leFH 18
-History:The 10.5 cm leFH 18 was the standard divisional field howitzer used by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. It was designed and developed by Rheinmetall in 1929-30 and entered service with the Wehrmacht in 1935. Generally it did not equip independent artillery battalions until...
howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
. An air compressor was added later for loads equipped with air brakes. These were designated as Model (Ausführung - Ausf.) B. In 1943 the semi-automatic transmission was replaced by a manual transmission. During 1943–44 the original metal upper bodies were replaced with wood to conserve steel.
The D 7p chassis for the Sd.Kfz. 250 light armored personnel carrier was based on that of the D 7 with a shortened suspension, but actually shared very few components with it other than the engine.
Demag was contracted to design a new version of the Sd.Kfz. 10 in 1944 with ten roadwheels, a strengthened front axle, a strengthened idler crank arm, an improved track tensioner and increased ground clearance. Three prototypes were completed; two were delivered in September 1944, but the third was retained at the factory. Development, however, did not proceed any further. Yet another new version of the Sd.Kfz. 10 was proposed in the Emergency Development Program (Entwicklungs-Notprogramm) of 20 February 1945 with armored engine and driver's compartments that was to have had its development completed in June 1945.
Production
Seven factories assembled the various models of the Sd.Kfz. 10. Demag built approximately 1,075 from 1938 to November 1942. Adlerwerke completed 3,414 between 1938 and December 1943. Büssing-NAG built 750 between 1938 and December 1942. MWC assembled 4750 between 1939 and November 1944. Mühlenbau-Industrie A.G. (MIAG) completed 324 between 1939 and 1941. Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen Hannover (MNH) built about 600 between 1939 and November 1942. Osterreicher Saurerwerke completed about 3,075 from 1940 to December 1943. Both Demag and MWC were producing the D 7p chassis for the Sd.Kfz. 250 light APC in 1945 when a shortage of armored bodies meant that 276 had to be completed with wooden upper bodies. Eighty of these are known to have been delivered by 1 March 1945. These numbers may include 310 chassis built for Sd.Kfz. 252 armored ammunition carriers and Sd.Kfz. 253SdKfz 253
SdKfz 253 leichter Gepanzerter Beobachtungskraftwagen was a German light observation vehicle that was used by artillery forward observers to accompany tank and mechanized infantry units. The vehicle belonged to the SdKfz 250 family....
oberservation vehicles.
Sd.Kfz. 10/1
The Sd.Kfz. 10/1 was a chemical detection vehicle. Before the outbreak of World War II only ninety were intended to be delivered in 1940–42 to equip the Chemical Troops (Nebeltruppen), but the 3 May 1940 production plan mentions that was to be produced at a rate of thirty per month until a total of 400 have been built and thereafter at ten per month. The last mention is a report that MWC was to complete ten vehicles by 15 January 1943. Production may have continued after that, but definitely not after 1943.Sd.Kfz. 10/2
The Sd.Kfz. 10/2 was a chemical decontamination vehicle fitted with a 200 kg (440.9 lb) capacity spreader and space for eight 50 kg (110.2 lb) barrels of decontamination chemicals. This left room for only two crewmen who had a bench seat between the barrels in front of the rear chassis wall. Each barrel could cover an area 1 by. The barrels were stowed on platforms over the tracks with foldable outer rails. The 10/2 had a significant number of differences from the standard model, including two fuel tanks totaling 86 litres (22.7 US gal), one of which had a tunnel to accommodate the auxiliary driveshaft which powered the spreader. This reduced the road range to only 250 kilometres (155.3 mi). The 10/2 was 4.83 metres (15.8 ft) long, 1.9 metres (6.2 ft) wide, and 1.95–1.7 m (6.4–5.6 ft) high, depending if the top was up or down. It weighed 3890 kilograms (8,576 lb) empty and 4900 kilograms (10,802.7 lb) loaded. While spreading its top speed was only 10–20 km/h (6.2–12.4 mph). Sixty to seventy were built in 1938–39.Sd.Kfz. 10/3
The Sd.Kfz. 10/3 was equipped with a 500 litres (132.1 US gal) tank and spray system to lay down poison gas barriers. The spray nozzle swung band forth to cover a width of 16 metres (52.5 ft). Approximately 67 were built in 1938–39. On 15 April 1942 the Army High Command (Oberkommando des HeeresOberkommando des Heeres
The Oberkommando des Heeres was Nazi Germany's High Command of the Army from 1936 to 1945. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht commanded OKH only in theory...
- OKH) ordered the tanks on the 65 vehicles in storage dismounted, the spray system disabled and the vehicles modified to carry 216 rounds of anti-tank ammunition. The vehicles were to be issued to rebuilding Nebeltruppen units. By this stage of the war they were equipped with Nebelwerfer rocket launchers and had organic anti-tank guns.
Sd.Kfz. 10/4 and 10/5
The Sd.Kfz. 10/4 carried the 2 cm FlaK 302 cm FlaK 30
The Flak 30 and improved Flak 38 were 20 mm anti-aircraft guns used by various German forces throughout the Second World War. It was not only the primary German light anti-aircraft gun, but by far the most numerously produced German artillery piece throughout the war...
mount on a special platform with fold-down side and rear panels. This platform was specifically designed for the Flak 30 mount and could not readily accept a Flak 38 mount or vice versa. To accommodate the gun mount the vehicle was both wider and taller than normal, namely 2.02 metres (6.6 ft) wide and 2 metres (6.6 ft) and weighed 4075 kilograms (8,983.8 lb) empty. Four folding seats were fitted on the platform for the crew. Some of these gun mounts had a gun shield
Gun shield
thumb|A [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine]] manning an [[M240 machine gun]] equipped with a gun shieldA gun shield is a flat piece or section of armor designed to be mounted on a crew-served weapon such as a machine gun or artillery piece, or, more rarely, to be used with an assault rifle...
fitted. The ready ammunition bins fastened to the side and rear panels (four on each side and two in the rear) contained one 20-round clip each. It usually towed an ammunition trailer (Sd.Ah. 51 - Sonderanhänger—special single-axle trailer) with 640 more rounds, the gun's sights and its rangefinder.
Vehicles built in 1940 (only) were fitted with removable loading ramps, cable rollers to act as pulleys, and a reinforced tail gate to allow a Flak 30, mounted on a Sd.Ah. 51 trailer, to be quickly dismounted. From 1940 they were fitted with rifle racks over the front fenders and from 1942 these were given sheet metal covers as protection from the weather. Flak 38s were mounted on 10/4s beginning in 1941 although the platform wasn't widened until later. As the war progressed the guns were more often fitted with gun shields.
The Sd.Kfz. 10/5 carried the 2 cm FlaK 38
2 cm FlaK 30
The Flak 30 and improved Flak 38 were 20 mm anti-aircraft guns used by various German forces throughout the Second World War. It was not only the primary German light anti-aircraft gun, but by far the most numerously produced German artillery piece throughout the war...
whose mount was wider, and lighter, than that of the Flak 30, and the platform was enlarged to accommodate it from 1942. Vehicle width increased to 2.156 metres (7.1 ft), but the height returned to that of the normal vehicle. Initially vehicles modified with the wider platform for the Flak 38 did not have a special designation, but they were given one sometime in 1943. The earliest known use is 1 September 1943, but the older name lingered until 1 December 1944. The Luftwaffe ordered 293 sets of armor plate (Behelfspanzerung) for its vehicles in 1943. These plates covered the radiator, windshield and both sides of the driver's compartment and were fitted to both versions.
Production began in 1939 for deliveries to the Army and Luftwaffe, although the exact numbers will never be known as they were often not broken out separately in the production reports. At any rate Adler built 1054 between 1939 and February 1943, although some of these were completed as 10/5s beginning in 1942. MWC was awarded two contracts for 975 10/5s to be delivered in 1943–44, but 13 of these were delivered as ordinary Sd.Kfz. 10s in 1944.
Field modifications
Some vehicles were fitted with a 3.7 cm PaK 36 or 5 cm PaK 38 anti-tank gun. Sometimes they had the cab and engine compartment armored as well. The Pak 36 was usually carried complete, but the Pak 38 was usually mounted without its wheels on a pivot mount.Deployment and use
Initially it was planned to use the Sd.Kfz. 10 as a towing vehicle for various light guns and trailers, but it was authorized as a substitute for the Sd.Kfz. 250 light armored personnel carrier in 1939. The Ausf. B model saw its use broadened to tow heavier weapons like the 5 cm PaK 38 as well as their ammunition trailers. They also served in the maintenance and supply companies of motorized and tank units. Nine were delivered to RomaniaKingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
in 1942 as tractors for anti-tank guns.
An early-war Army anti-aircraft company (Flugabwehr-Kompanie) was organized in three platoons with a total of eighteen Sd.Kfz. 10/4s, twelve with guns and six carrying ammunition. When the four-barrel 2 cm Flakvierling 38 was fielded in 1941 each platoon had four Sd.Kfz. 10/4s towing the guns and another for ammunition. Later these companies were reorganized with a total of eight Sd.Kfz. 10/4s carrying guns, two towing Flakvierlings and three carrying ammunition. These are just examples of some of the Army organizations which differed depending on the unit and the period. Sd.Kfz. 10/5s were substituted for 10/4s on a one for one basis. Detailed records do not survive for the Luftwaffe light anti-aircraft units, but they appear to have been organized into batteries of nine or twelve guns.