Volkswagen Schwimmwagen
Encyclopedia
The VW Type 128 and 166 Schwimmwagen (literally Floating / Swimming Car) were amphibious
four-wheel drive
off-roaders, used extensively by the German Wehrmacht
and the Waffen-SS
during the Second World War. The Type 166 is the most numerous mass-produced amphibious car
in history.
. Erwin Komenda
, Ferdinand Porsche
's first car body designer, was forced to develop an all-new unitized bodytub structure since the flat floorpan chassis of the existing VW vehicles was unsuited to smooth movement through water. Komenda patented his ideas for the swimming car at the German Patent office
.
The earliest Type 128 prototype was based on the full-length Kübelwagen chassis with a 240 cm (7.9 ft) wheelbase
. Pre-production units of the 128, fitted with custom welded bodytubs, demonstrated that this construction was too weak for tough off-roading, had insufficient torsional rigidity, and easily suffered hull-ruptures at the front cross-member, as well as in the wheel-wells. This was unacceptable for an amphibious vehicle. The large-scale production models (Type 166) were therefore made smaller, and had a wheel-base of only 200 cm (6.6 ft).
VW Schwimmwagens were both produced by the Volkswagen factory at Fallersleben / Wolfsburg
, as well as by Porsche's facilities in Stuttgart; with the bodies (or rather hulls) produced by Ambi Budd
in Berlin. From 1941 through 1944 a total of 15,584 Type 166 Schwimmwagen cars were produced; 14,276 at Fallersleben and 1,308 by Porsche. Given these numbers, the VW 166 is the most mass-produced amphibious car in history.
Only 163 are known by the Schwimmwagen Registry to remain today, and only 13 have survived without restoration work.
only on first gear (and reverse gears with some models) and had ZF self-locking differentials on both front and rear axles. Just like the Kübelwagen, the Schwimmwagen had portal gear
rear hubs that gave better ground clearance, while at the same time reducing drive-line torque stresses with their gear reduction at the wheels.
When crossing water a screw propeller could be lowered down from the rear deck engine cover. When in place a simple coupling provided drive straight from an extension of the engine's crankshaft. This meant that screw propulsion was only available going forward. For reversing in the water there was the choice of using the standard equipment paddle or running the land drive in reverse, allowing the wheel-rotation to slowly take the vehicle back. The front wheels doubled up as rudders, so steering was done with the steering wheel both on land and on water.
in the manga
and anime
series Kokoro Library
, used by the three sisters who maintain the titular library, is very reminiscent of a Volkswagen Schwimmwagen, as is the vehicle used by Section III in Pumpkin Scissors
. It was also used in Polish TV series Samochodzik i templariusze
(Mr Automobile and Knight Templars) as main character's amphibious car (to which he owes his nickname), although in the book the car is described as modified Ferrari 410 Superamerica.
The vehicle is also featured in the game Company of Heroes
as alternate units. It also makes an appearance in the racing simulator Gran Turismo 5
and the war game Battlefield: Secret Weapons of WW2.
Amphibious
Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to:*Amphibious warfare, warfare carried out on both land and water*Amphibians, vertebrate animals of the Class Amphibia...
four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
off-roaders, used extensively by the German Wehrmacht
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:...
and the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
during the Second World War. The Type 166 is the most numerous mass-produced amphibious car
Amphibious vehicle
An amphibious vehicle , is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water – just like an amphibian....
in history.
Development
Volkswagen Schwimmwagens used the engine and mechanicals of the VW Type 86 four-wheel drive prototype of the Kübelwagen and the Type 87 four-wheel drive 'Kübel/Beetle' Command Car, which in turn were based on the platform of the civilian Volkswagen BeetleVolkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
. Erwin Komenda
Erwin Komenda
Erwin Komenda ex Dr Ferdinand Porsche employee, helped in the design of the bodies for the VW Beetle and various Porsche sports cars....
, Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian automotive engineer and honorary Doctor of Engineering. He is best known for creating the first hybrid vehicle , the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, as well as the first of many Porsche automobiles...
's first car body designer, was forced to develop an all-new unitized bodytub structure since the flat floorpan chassis of the existing VW vehicles was unsuited to smooth movement through water. Komenda patented his ideas for the swimming car at the German Patent office
Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt
The Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt or German Patent and Trade Mark Office is the German national patent office, with headquarters in Munich, and offices in Berlin and Jena...
.
The earliest Type 128 prototype was based on the full-length Kübelwagen chassis with a 240 cm (7.9 ft) wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
. Pre-production units of the 128, fitted with custom welded bodytubs, demonstrated that this construction was too weak for tough off-roading, had insufficient torsional rigidity, and easily suffered hull-ruptures at the front cross-member, as well as in the wheel-wells. This was unacceptable for an amphibious vehicle. The large-scale production models (Type 166) were therefore made smaller, and had a wheel-base of only 200 cm (6.6 ft).
VW Schwimmwagens were both produced by the Volkswagen factory at Fallersleben / Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig , and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG...
, as well as by Porsche's facilities in Stuttgart; with the bodies (or rather hulls) produced by Ambi Budd
Ambi Budd
Ambi Budd was a company founded by Edward Gowen Budd in Philadelphia, USA. Budd studied at the University of Pennsylvania and his first work was at a company making automobile wheels from pressed steel rather than by casting. Steel-shaping technology progressed rapidly at the time and soon the...
in Berlin. From 1941 through 1944 a total of 15,584 Type 166 Schwimmwagen cars were produced; 14,276 at Fallersleben and 1,308 by Porsche. Given these numbers, the VW 166 is the most mass-produced amphibious car in history.
Only 163 are known by the Schwimmwagen Registry to remain today, and only 13 have survived without restoration work.
Technology
All Schwimmwagen were four wheel driveFour Wheel Drive
The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, more often known as Four Wheel Drive or just FWD, was founded in 1909 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, as the Badger Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich.-History:...
only on first gear (and reverse gears with some models) and had ZF self-locking differentials on both front and rear axles. Just like the Kübelwagen, the Schwimmwagen had portal gear
Portal gear
Portal axles are an offroad technology where the axle tube is above the center of the wheel hub.-Description:Compared to normal layout, portal axles enables the vehicle to gain a higher ground clearance, as both the axle tube and differential casing are tucked up higher under the vehicle.Due to...
rear hubs that gave better ground clearance, while at the same time reducing drive-line torque stresses with their gear reduction at the wheels.
When crossing water a screw propeller could be lowered down from the rear deck engine cover. When in place a simple coupling provided drive straight from an extension of the engine's crankshaft. This meant that screw propulsion was only available going forward. For reversing in the water there was the choice of using the standard equipment paddle or running the land drive in reverse, allowing the wheel-rotation to slowly take the vehicle back. The front wheels doubled up as rudders, so steering was done with the steering wheel both on land and on water.
Volkswagen Schwimmwagen in fiction
The amphibious vehicleAmphibious vehicle
An amphibious vehicle , is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water – just like an amphibian....
in the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Kokoro Library
Kokoro Library
is a manga series by Nobuyuki Takagi that has been adapted into a moe anime directed by Koji Masunari, who is also known for being the director of the anime OVA series Read or Die and the 2005 anime series Kamichu.- Plot :...
, used by the three sisters who maintain the titular library, is very reminiscent of a Volkswagen Schwimmwagen, as is the vehicle used by Section III in Pumpkin Scissors
Pumpkin Scissors
is a manga created and authored by Ryoutarou Iwanaga. Originally serialized in Magazine GREAT in 2002 it was later moved to Monthly Shonen Magazine in October 2006. The manga has been licensed by Del Rey...
. It was also used in Polish TV series Samochodzik i templariusze
Pan Samochodzik
Pan Samochodzik is a fictional art historian, journalist, renowned adventurer and historical detective created by Polish writer Zbigniew Nienacki. He is a main character in a series of adventures centering around historical mysteries and treasuers...
(Mr Automobile and Knight Templars) as main character's amphibious car (to which he owes his nickname), although in the book the car is described as modified Ferrari 410 Superamerica.
The vehicle is also featured in the game Company of Heroes
Company of Heroes
Company of Heroes is a real-time strategy computer game developed by Relic Entertainment. It was released on September 12, 2006, and was the first title to make use of the Games for Windows label. A standalone expansion, Opposing Fronts, was released on September 25, 2007. A second standalone...
as alternate units. It also makes an appearance in the racing simulator Gran Turismo 5
Gran Turismo 5
is the fifth edition of the Gran Turismo racing video game series. Developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, it was released for PlayStation 3 on November 24, 2010...
and the war game Battlefield: Secret Weapons of WW2.
Literature
René Pohl: Mit dem Auto baden gehen. HEEL Verlag, Gut-Pottscheidt Konigswinter 1998, ISBN 3-89365-702-9See also
- AmphicarAmphicarThe Amphicar is an amphibious automobile, the first such vehicle mass-produced for sale to the public starting in 1961. The German vehicle was designed by Hanns Trippel and manufactured by the Quandt Group at Lübeck and at Berlin-Borsigwalde. Its name is a portmanteau of "amphibious" and "car". The...
- LuAZ-967LuAZ-967The LuAZ-967 was the civil designation of the Transporter of the Front Line, a small Soviet four-wheel drive amphibious vehicle. It was designed in 1959 at the Moskvitch MZMA plant, for Russian Airborne Troops...
- Ford GPAFord GPAThe Ford GPA 'Seep , was an amphibious version of the WWII Ford GPW Jeep. Unlike the jeep, the seep was not a successful design being too slow and heavy on land and lacking sufficient seagoing abilities in open water...
(A similar Jeep-based vehicle used by the Allies.) - Su-KiSu-KiThe Amphibious Truck "Su-Ki" was a World War II Japanese military vehicle by the Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. 198 trucks were produced between November 1943 and August 1944.-Specification:*Weight : 6.4 metric tons*Dimensions: 7.6 x 2.2 x 2.4 m...
, Japanese World War II amphibious
External links
- U.S. Intelligence report on German Schwimmwagen
- The VW-Schwimmwagen Registry
- Schwimmwagen enthusiast site
- Schwimmwagen Photos of the Schwimmwagen at the Canada War Museum in Ottawa
- UK Schwimmwagen owners site