Überlandwagen
Encyclopedia
The Überlandwagen was a tracked supply carrier built on the chassis of the German A7V Sturmpanzerwagen
tank. When the A7V was first designed, the design committee made allowance for the chassis to be fitted with an alternative load carrier body.
engines centrally mounted. A driving position was sited above the engines on a platform, with dual sets of controls for driving in either direction to avoid the need to turn the vehicle. A canopy was fitted over the driving position, and wooden dropsides and ends were fitted at the front and rear of the vehicle. Some examples had rails added to support a tarpaulin over the load spaces. Towing hooks were fitted at both ends of the chassis.
The vehicle had a top speed of 13 km/h and was manned by a driver and an assistant.
Two lightly armoured vehicles resembling the A7V tank were constructed after the war, one of which was named "Hedi", which were used by government troops, or Freikorps
, to quell civil unrest in Berlin in 1919. It is thought that they were constructed using Überlandwagen chassis.
A7V
The A7V was a tank introduced by Germany in 1918, near the end of World War I. One hundred vehicles were ordered during the spring of 1918, but only 21 were delivered. It was nicknamed "The Moving Fortress" by the British because of the shape of the hull...
tank. When the A7V was first designed, the design committee made allowance for the chassis to be fitted with an alternative load carrier body.
Description
The Überlandwagen shared a common chassis with the A7V tank, with suspension derived from the American Holt tractor and twin 100 hp DaimlerDaimler Motoren Gesellschaft
Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft was a German engine and later automobile manufacturer, in operation from 1890 until 1926. Founded by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, it was based first in Cannstatt...
engines centrally mounted. A driving position was sited above the engines on a platform, with dual sets of controls for driving in either direction to avoid the need to turn the vehicle. A canopy was fitted over the driving position, and wooden dropsides and ends were fitted at the front and rear of the vehicle. Some examples had rails added to support a tarpaulin over the load spaces. Towing hooks were fitted at both ends of the chassis.
The vehicle had a top speed of 13 km/h and was manned by a driver and an assistant.
Service
A production run of 30 Überlandwagens was projected, but not completed, before the end of the war. By the end of September 1917, an experimental transport column had been formed equipped with 8 Überlandwagens, the ArmeeKraftwagen-Kolonne-Raupe Nr 1111. It was despatched to Northern France in November 1917, and initial reports indicated that the vehicles worked well. They were used up until the end of the war, chiefly to transport general stores and ammunition up to front line positions.Two lightly armoured vehicles resembling the A7V tank were constructed after the war, one of which was named "Hedi", which were used by government troops, or Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
, to quell civil unrest in Berlin in 1919. It is thought that they were constructed using Überlandwagen chassis.