SdKfz 4
Encyclopedia
The SdKfz 4 Gleisketten-Lastkraftwagen ("chain-track truck"), nicknamed Maultier
("mule
") was a family of half-track
s developed during World War II
by Germany
.
to deal with the ice and mud, which bogged down the road-bound commercial vehicles that were used to supply German forces.
A total of 22,500 SdKfz 4 halftracks were produced by 1944. Later in the war, Opel
trucks were outfitted with 15 cm Panzerwerfer 42
rocket launchers and designated SdKfz 4/1, with around 300 being produced. However these variants, with the extra weight, could only manage a top speed of 25 mph.
The vast majority of SdKfz 4s operated using British-pattern Carden-Lloyd running gear, with the exception of the Type L 4500 R, which used PzKpfw. II
running gear. The 6-cylinder engines were mated to a transmission with 5 forward / 1 reverse gears and could attain a maximum forward speed of 40 km/h. Each halftrack was equipped with the FuG Spr G f radio.
Aside from the SdKfz 4/1, the SdKfz 4 was armed only with a light 7.92 mm MG34 or MG42
machine gun
with a traverse of 270° and elevation limits of -12° to +80°.
Maultier
Maultier is the name given to series of half-tracked trucks used by Germans during World War II. They were based on Opel, Mercedes-Benz or Ford trucks.-History:...
("mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
") was a family of 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...
s developed during 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...
by Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
.
Development
The SdKfz 4 was developed after the 1941 invasion of the USSROperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
to deal with the ice and mud, which bogged down the road-bound commercial vehicles that were used to supply German forces.
A total of 22,500 SdKfz 4 halftracks were produced by 1944. Later in the war, Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
trucks were outfitted with 15 cm Panzerwerfer 42
Panzerwerfer
The German Panzerwerfer is one of two different types of half-tracked multiple rocket launchers employed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War...
rocket launchers and designated SdKfz 4/1, with around 300 being produced. However these variants, with the extra weight, could only manage a top speed of 25 mph.
The vast majority of SdKfz 4s operated using British-pattern Carden-Lloyd running gear, with the exception of the Type L 4500 R, which used PzKpfw. II
Panzer II
The Panzer II was the common name for a family of German tanks used in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen II...
running gear. The 6-cylinder engines were mated to a transmission with 5 forward / 1 reverse gears and could attain a maximum forward speed of 40 km/h. Each halftrack was equipped with the FuG Spr G f radio.
Aside from the SdKfz 4/1, the SdKfz 4 was armed only with a light 7.92 mm MG34 or MG42
MG42
The MG 42 is a 7.9mm universal machine gun that was developed in Nazi Germany and entered service with the Wehrmacht in 1942...
machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
with a traverse of 270° and elevation limits of -12° to +80°.