What is a German half-track?

What is a German half-track?

half-track, motor vehicle that has wheels in the front and tanklike tracks at the back. Rugged armoured all-terrain half-tracks were widely used by American and German forces in World War II as armoured personnel carriers and for other purposes. They usually had open tops, armoured sides, and engine coverings.

What does Sdkfz mean?

Sonderkraftfahrzeug (abbreviated Sd. Kfz., German for “special purpose vehicle”) was the ordnance inventory designation used by Nazi Germany during World War II for military vehicles; for example Sd. Kfz. 101 for the Panzer I. Sd.

How many half tracks did Germany have in ww2?

Kfz. 251s were the most widely produced German half-tracks of the war, with at least 15,252 vehicles and variants produced by seven manufacturers….

Sd.Kfz. 251
Main armament MG 34 or MG 42
Secondary armament MG 34 or MG 42
Engine one Maybach HL42 6-cylinder petrol engine 100 PS (99 hp, 74 kW)

Who invented the half-track?

Joseph-Armand Bombardier
With the snow and ice of Canada in mind, Joseph-Armand Bombardier developed 7- and 12-passenger half-track autoneiges in the 1930s, starting what would become the Bombardier industrial conglomerate. The Bombardier vehicle had tracks for propulsion in the rear and skis for steering in front.

What was the strongest German tank in ww2?

Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus
Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus (English: “Mouse”) was a German World War II super-heavy tank completed in late 1944. It is the heaviest fully enclosed armored fighting vehicle ever built….Panzer VIII Maus.

Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus
In service 1, the other was never finished
Used by Nazi Germany
Wars World War II
Production history

What is the longest tank name?

Panzer VIII Maus

Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus
Mass 188 t (207 short tons; 185 long tons)
Length 10.2 m (33 ft)
Width 3.71 m (12.2 ft)
Height 3.63 m (11.9 ft)

Are half tracks still used?

Half-tracks were extensively used after World War II until the late 1960s, mostly in form of surplus World War II vehicles. As of March 2008, 600 half-tracks were still officially listed as on active duty.

Who made the half tracks ww2?

M3 half-track

Carrier, Personnel, Half-track, M3
Designed 1940–1941
Manufacturer Autocar Diamond T White Motor Company
Unit cost $10,310
Produced 1941-1945

How many half-tracks were built in ww2?

Some 12,499 M3 half-tracks were built by White, Autocar, and Diamond T during World War II. An additional 2,862 M3A1 models were produced with an armored cupula containing an M49 ring gun mount. Many earlier M3s were upgraded to M3A1 standards in the field.

Were half-tracks used in Vietnam?

It was used during World War II, the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Six-Day War, and the Yom Kippur War. It had been used by eleven different countries by the end of its service.

What is the difference between SPW 251 and SPW 250?

Sd.Kfz. 251s were known as SPW mijlociu (“medium SPW”) in Romanian service, while Sd.Kfz. 250s were referred to as SPW ușor (“light SPW”). The Army of the Independent State of Croatia received 15 Sd.Kfz. 251 in spring 1944 and the Ustashe Militia received 12 in autumn 1944.

What does SDP 251 stand for?

Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. A armored car. Unter den Linden, Berlin, 1 January 1940. The Sd.Kfz. 251 ( Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) half-track was a World War II German armored personnel carrier designed by the Hanomag company, based on its earlier, unarmored Sd.Kfz. 11 vehicle. The Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the Panzergrenadier

What kind of steering does the 251 have?

The Sd.Kfz. 251 also had tank steering, whereby the normal steering wheel moved the front wheels, but after more turning of the steering wheel, the tracks are braked to cause turning, like on a tank.

What were the future uses of the SDK 251?

Future tasks included reconnaissance, radio liaison, supply, mobile headquarter or artillery observation. It was produced by Demag, Adlerwerke, Büssing-NAG, MWC from 1941 to 1945 at an extent of 6630 vehicles, and was externally a shortened SdK/Fz 251, which led also to many fire support and special purpose variants.