Geschützwagen B2
This strange looking vehicle was an attemp to create an assault gun to accompany the flamethrowing tanks used in the early stages of “Barbarossa”: it comprised a medium 105 mm german field howitzer on the Char B1 chassis. In the end was relegated to other teathers of operation.
Two more images of the Geschützwagen B2, probably you wont agree with me but I think it was a very atractive vehicle.
Mittlere Pionerpanzerwagen Sd.kfz 251/5 & 215/7.
“Medium sized armored vehicle for assault engineers”, it was the armored lorry for the Pionere, used for carring a small 8 tons bridge with supplies and tools likes wire cutter, rope, steel wire, aditional fuel, and even explosive charges and mines.
The Sd.kfz 251 was made between 1940 and 1941 and carried no brigde. Variant 251/7 took over the job in with the rail 8 tons bridge and standarizated radio equipment Fug 5 in 1942, and was emplaced almost exclusively inside panzer divisions, between the ranks of the Pionere kompanies.
Factory fresh Sd.kfz 251/7.
The resposability to manufacture this variant layed in the firm Wesserhütte wich completed nearly 2000 Pionerpanzerwagen between 1940 and 1945.
Characteristics Mittlere Pionerpanzerwagen 251/7.
Weight combat loaded: 8180 kg
Lenght: 5,8 meters
Crew: 7 or 8
Engine : Maybach inline 6, Hl 42 100 hp.
Max speed: 50 km/h
Internal fuel: 165 liters.
Armor; 8 to 14,5 mm
Armament: 2 MG 34 with 1100rpg ( MG 42 in 1944 and onwards)
1 AT rifle PZb 40 with 40 rounds ( deleted in 1943)
5 x 3 kilograms T.N.T demolition charges.
10 x Te.Mi 42 antitank mines
20 stick grenades and 10 smoke grenades.
2 x K-98k with 125 rpg, 2 x MP-40 with 160 rpg.
Optionally a backpack flamethrower.
Inside view, the Pzb 40, rope, explosive charges, 7,92 and 9mm ammo boxes are seen.
Mörserzugmittel
Literally; mortar towing element or better translated: artillery tractor. There were several types of tanks captured by the Wehrmacht used as tractor for heavy pieces of 150mm and bigger. The conversion of a standar tank into a Mörserzugmittel was simple, it consisted in removing the turret , adding a towing brackets in the rear and sometimes covering the turret ring with canvas.
The first type was the Czech Pz 35 (t) wich was retired from service in 1945. A large quantity of french tanks were also modified for artillery towing task, mostly due the good automotive characteristics but one man turret that didnt fit into german combat tank doctrine.
There were even tractors made from T-34, however that was done only when the turret of this tank was irreparable, the T-34 a too valious combat vehicle to be wasted if fully functional.
[b]- Morserzugmittel Matilda captured in the Eastern Front
- Zugmittel Renault R-35 towing artillery and trucks.
did they break down
Amended info about the “Goliath”
The complete name was Leitche ladungsträger Goliath ( Goliath light explosive charge carrier)
There were two variants, the Sd.kfz 302 with electric motor and the Sd.Kfz 303 with a 2-stroke gasoline/petrol engine.
Sd.kfz 302.
Development began in late 1940 by Borgward and first deliveries were in april 1942 for testing in Sebastopol area. Electric motor, batteries feed variant carried 60 kilograms of T.N.T and had a maximum speed of 10km/h. Gasoline engine variant carried 75 kilograms of explosives and had 12 km/h max speed.
The one in the video is a Sd.Kfz 302 electric variant. This variant was deleted from production line in december 1943.
Even is not noticiable in the video the control is by 2 cable wires, not radio, it can by used at a maximum range of 500 meters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWEtN8UlB_A
A total of 2850 Goliath were manufactured up to mid-1944. Used in all the teathers of operation but Afrika.
Sd.Kfz 303 Goliath near Warsaw, 1944.
SD.Kfz 303a captured in a entrenchment near Juno Beach.
Sturmstegpanzer
A vehicle sharing some characteristics with the “bruckenleger IV” . It was basically a self moving armored 2 piece telescopic assault ladder designed to be deployed over trenches, minefields and /or the roof of bunkers to allow the infantry crossing the obstacles and attacking targets inside or beyond.
The two sections could be extended up to 26.5 meters.
This tank also named “Bruckenleger S” was manufactured on a panzer IV ausf D chassis. Only 4 were complete in early 1941 and send to the front, used by the 39 Pioner-panzer Abteilung of the 3 Panzer Division in the invation of the USSR.
The second picture is already posted by lancer44 in the first post of this topic, but of course the tank is not a brigdelayer as he said but a armored self propelled lader.
http://www.achtungpanzer.com/panzerkampfwagen-iv.htm
Panzerkampfwagen IV also became a base for special purpose vehicles.From February to May of 1940, 20 Ausf C/Ds were converted by Krupp to bridge layers - Bruckenleger IVb. 16 vehicles were mounted with bridging equipment by Magirus and 4 by Krupp. They saw service in Belgium and France in 1940 with 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 10th Panzer Division. In late 1940, most were converted back to regular battle tanks.In January of 1941, Krupp completed 4 newer Bruckenleger IVc bridge layers. They saw service in 1941 in Russia with 3rd Panzer Division.
At the same time Infanterie Sturmsteg auf PzKpfw IV (Bruckenleger IV s / Sturmstegpanzer) - infantry assault (56m long) bridge mounted on Panzer IV Ausf C was produced. Only 4 were made and saw service in France in 1940 and in Russia in 1941 with 3rd Panzer Division. The bridging equipment worked in a similar fashion as firefighting equipment.Also single Panzer IV Ausf C was fitted with experimental mine rollers but it did not enter production.
I assumed that the Infantry Assault Bridge could be used like the Modern’ish’ British Army one to allow infantry to cross a river quickly to establish a bridgehead for a vehicle capable bridge to be built into, all references that I have found though are that it was more of an assault ladder. Wonder what sort of deck/rungs it had.
Image caption (sorry could not get the images to load alone, clicking on the blue links in the writing brought up some different pictures and one vehicle have never seen or heard about ‘Bruckenlager I’)
Some Polish tanks were incorporated into German ranks like this 7TP. Following this tank is a rarely found Brückenleger I and Panzer Is
Thanks for the info.
I am convinced that all this german “Funnies” were actually good ideas, some of them eventually saved a lot of assault engineers lifes. However the production of this very useful AFVs was minimal compared with the frontline normal tanks. Big mistake of the Heer, specially the lack of devoted mineclearing tanks other than the explosive carriers wich wer one used and is over.
Panzerfahre aus Pz IV einbau:
Developed in early 1941 by the firms of Klöckner Humboldt Deutz AG, Werk Magirus, Bosanwerft Maybach Zahnradfabik Friedrichshaften, Krupp Gruson and Kässbohrer. The Panzerfahre (Pz.F) was intended to replace the Landwasserschleper (LWS) as a vehicle capable of supply and combat operations on the land and in the water. The first of two units was delivered in May 1942.
The overall shape of the vehicle was that of a large, lightly armored, tracked boat, with a propeller located aft, and the running gear from a modified Panzerkampwagen IV. It was of riveted construction and powered by a Maybach HL 120 engine. The Pz. F had an armored protection of 11-13mm plate and it could tow an amphibious trailer, or work in tandem with another Pz. F and a floating platform to ferry loads up to 24 tons. Only 2 or 3 wer completed and tested but is not clear if ever were deployed to the frontline.
Definitely reminiscent of:
Well probably not in the usage doctrine, but in the shape definately there is some reminiscence. The machine was 8,25 m long, 2,9 m meters wide and 2,6 meters tall.
Kleiner funk und Beobachtungspanzer UE.
The complete name of this tiny vehicle was kleiner funk und beobachtungspanzer auf Infanterieschlepper UE. Little radio and observation armored vehicle over a infatry tractor UE. The UE “chenillette” was a french design used to carry munition to the front under combat conditions. A large quantity of them fell in german hands after France capitulation. 40 were converted in this variant by the Baukommando Becker in late 1942.
Its was used mostly for training artillery observation crews and for support the self moving artillery in some anti-invation exercises in Northern France, but evidently due its small size and little armor the combat capabilities were extremely limited.
Type: radio liason and artillery observation armored vehicle.
engine : renault 4 cilinders 2,1 liters 38 hp.
Armor: 6 mm max.
Lenght: 3,9 meters.
Suspension: leaf springs
Speed: 43 km/h
Weight: 3,8 metric tons.
Armament: none, equipped with Sf.14z scissors telescope and Fug 5 radio.
PzKpfw III Ausf H mounted with 150mm s.I.G.33 gun, North Africa.
The conversion was done by German troops in North Africa, who converted damaged Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf H to 150mm s.I.G.33 gun carrier by using components (such as gun itself, gun shield, superstructure sides with tool stowage and ammunition racks) from Sturmpanzer II Bison
This U-Panzer belonged to the 18th Panzer Division’s 18th Panzer Regiment. This photo was taken during the crossing of the River Bug at Patulin on 22nd June of 1941. During the preparation for invasion of England - Operation Seelöwe (Sealion), Panzer III and Panzer IVwere converted into submersible tanks able to travel on the bottom of body of water at the depths of 6 to 15 meters. From June to October of 1940, 160 Panzer III Ausf F/G/H and 8 Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf E along with 42 Panzer IV Ausf Ds were converted into U-Panzers / Tauchpanzers. After extensive tests and modifications U-Panzer were ready for action. Since Operation Sealion was never realized, Tauchpanzer IIIs and IVs were used during Operation Barbarossa (crossing river Bug at Patulin), in service with 3rd (6th Panzer Regiment) and 18th Panzer Division. It was also planned to use U-Panzers in never realized invasion on the island of Malta.
Interesting, that Panzer III field variant was object of a heated debate in other forum, some people said it was factory made but the truth is actually was an Afrika korps custom armored vehicle.
[b][u]Bruckenleger II
[/u][/b]Bridge layer based upon an Panzerkampfwagen II ausf F chassis. Requested by the Waffeamt in early 1939. 4 manufactured by Krupp and M.A.N.
The bridge could be extended up to 12 meters and could withstand 8 tons. 3 Bruckenleger II were used in the invation of Poland.
[b][u]Raupenschlepper Ost
[/u][/b]Literally “Crawling Tractor - East”, is more commonly abbreviated to RSO. This fully tracked, lightweight vehicle was conceived in response to the poor performance of wheeled and half-tracked vehicles in the mud and snow during the Wehrmacht’s first winter on the Soviet Front. It may have been inspired by very similar full-tracked small tractors in use in other armies, most notably the Red Army’s STZ-3 NATI artillery tractor.
The engina was a Deutz diesel 3,3 liters and 80hp, max speed 28km/h.
It was developed by Steyr during 1942 and used the transmission of the standard 1 ½ - tonne Truck. The suspension was entirely tracked, though of crude design, which gave rise to excessive vibration in service. The suspension wheels were of steel, without rubber tyres, and springing was by quarter-elliptic leaf springs.
Ground clearance was 55cm (21 ½-in), which allowed the vehicle to keep moving in the worst conditions. RSO tractors were to replace all light halftracked tractors. RSO/01 was produced from 1942 and RSO/03 from 1944. Both types were used to the end of the war. They were mainly used to tow 50mm and 75mm Pak guns, light howitzers and even 88mm Pak 43 guns in Volksgrenadier units.
Over 28000 vehicles were produced by Steyr, Klockner-Deutz-Magirus, Wanderer and others from 1942 to 1945.
Aditional images of the Raupenschlepper ost, 1st series, simplified second series and ambulance variant.
