Special Purpose Panzers.

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

Hey CB, I came across an image you may be interested in. If you look at the right of this image, you'll see a small panzer with what looks to be a radio tower attached to it.

I've seen telecom equipped trucks, but never a tank with a tower on it. Do you have any info on this machine?
 

Attachments

  • Wehrmacht_telecom.jpg
    32.3 KB · Views: 299
Great Stuff CB! Keep it coming...
Click to expand...

thanks, they will be keeping coming.

I've seen telecom equipped trucks, but never a tank with a tower on it. Do you have any info on this machine?
Click to expand...

Weirdo, I can say for sure if the thing in on the tank or in the background.

In any case those were bren gun carriers, obviously captured and put back in service with germany.
 
Tauchpanzer III.

The diving or scuba tank was an spezialpanzer wich performed flawlessly, but was never used for its intended purpose, the invation of Britannia.
 

Attachments

  • 5.JPG
    16.1 KB · Views: 251
  • 4.JPG
    152.9 KB · Views: 297
  • 3.JPG
    39.3 KB · Views: 209
  • 2.JPG
    40.4 KB · Views: 207
  • 1.jpg
    88.2 KB · Views: 304
GrauGeist said:
Hey CB, I came across an image you may be interested in. If you look at the right of this image, you'll see a small panzer with what looks to be a radio tower attached to it.
Click to expand...

Is it just me, or is the fact that there are at least a couple of Bren carriers off to the right sitting parked, while the poor guys in the infantry have to move a carriage by hand .......
 
Maybe the Brens were for officers only.


Incidentaly: there was a special german mineclearing and antibunker remote controled variant....
 

Attachments

  • Dibujo.JPG
    77.1 KB · Views: 248
Raupenschlepper Ost



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
 

Attachments

  • 6.jpg
    34 KB · Views: 361
  • 7.jpg
    50 KB · Views: 261
Bergepanzerwagen 38(t) / Bergepanzer 38(t) Hetzer (Sd.Kfz.136).


Armoured recovery vehicle based on Hetzer's base - Bergepanzer 38(t) Hetzer and PzKpfw 38(t)'s base - Bergepanzer 38(t), with lower open-top superstructure which was operated by the crew of four. For local defense purposes, one MG34 was carried inside. From October of 1944 to May of 1945, 170 of those light recovery vehicles were produced by BMM (Praga/CKD). 64 of those were based on Hetzer's base - Bergepanzer 38(t) Hetzer, while 106 on PzKpfw 38(t)'s chassis - Bergepanzer 38(t). Bergepanzer Hetzer was used as a base for 150mm s.IG.33/2 howitzer carrier of which 30 (6 based on Bergepanzer 38(t) Hetzer) were produced in 1944. Single one was experimentally mounted with 20mm Flak 38 gun.

Engine: Praga 6 cilinders gasoline, 150hp.
Crew - 4
Weight - 14.4 tons
Dimensions - lenght: 4.87m, width: 2.63m, height: 1.17m, ground clearance 0.38m
Armor - 10-60
Armament - 7.92mm machine gun type MG42 (500 rounds)
Range - road: 180 km
Negotiated obstacles - vertical obstacles: 0.65m, fording: 0.8m, trench: 1.8m
Armor: maximum 60mm, rear 15mm, top and belly, 11 mm.

4 views of the Bergepanzer 38, the vehicle could individually tow the Hetzer, heavy trucks and haltrack but could not be used to recover heavier tanks like the Panzer IV or Panther.
 

Attachments

  • 4.jpg
    30.1 KB · Views: 377
  • 3.jpg
    33.1 KB · Views: 318
  • 2.jpg
    31.5 KB · Views: 346
  • 1.jpg
    37.7 KB · Views: 322
Here is another image of what I always assumed was a Hetzer tank recovery vechicle (based on the side racks). Howver what looks like a center mounting always threw me off.
Click to expand...

Well, it looks like a bergepanzer 38 ( t)... without the recovery equipment.


Hey guys, REMINDER, please cite your sources for your pics or pasted text. Even if you don't know the source, then say so.

Thanks.
Click to expand...



Achtung Panzer

My other sources:
 

Attachments

  • 1.jpg
    45.2 KB · Views: 224
  • 2.jpg
    41.7 KB · Views: 296
  • 3.jpg
    91.3 KB · Views: 250
Last edited:
Aditional images of the Raupenschlepper ost, 1st series, simpleified second series and ambulance variant.
 

Attachments

  • 4.JPG
    76.5 KB · Views: 748
  • 3.JPG
    45.2 KB · Views: 293
  • 2.JPG
    56.3 KB · Views: 377
  • 1.JPG
    33.8 KB · Views: 321
The antitank variant of this transport vehicle.

7.5cm PaK 40/4 auf Raupenschlepper Ost (Selbstfahrlafette)

83 RSOs were built with 60 mounting the 75mm PaK 40. The RSO began production in Oct of 43 and it seems production ended at the end of May 44. A production plan was formulated for 1944; March-60, April-100, May-150, June-200 and from July-400 per month.

The RSO with 7.5cm PaK40/4 vehicles were put on field trials with Army Group South. Of the 60 RSO/4 with PAK 40 14 each were given to Army Panzer Jager Abteilungen 743 and 744, 14 were issued to 18th Panzergrenadier Division and 7 were given to 1st Ski-Jager Brigade. They were not considered satisfactory on account of their low speed and noisy engine.

The Pak 40 penetrated 114mm of armor at 500 meters range.
 

Attachments

  • 1.JPG
    58.8 KB · Views: 446
  • 2.JPG
    56.1 KB · Views: 297
Last edited:
Gepanzerte Munitionsschlepper (VK302)



As early as September of 1937, orders were made to develop fully-tracked armored ammunition carrier. Prototype of VK302 armored ammunition carrier (Sonderschlepper BIII) was produced in 1940. At first, 20 vehicles were ordered followed by 100 vehicles but only 28 were produced from October of 1941 to January of 1942 by Borgward. The machine was powered by a Borgward 6 cilinders 49h engine. It had a lenght of 3,9 meters and could carry 4500 rounds of packed 7,92mm ammunition up to 50 km/h. Max front armor 14mm. Side 10mm.

Borgward VK 302 in action ( wochenschau 678 late 1943)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zsUyPhnXvQ
 
Last edited:
Grosser funk und Beobachtungspanzer auf Lorraine Schlepper.

Atractive looking vehicle based upon the french Lorraine infantry supply/tractor. 30 examples were made by BauKommando becker, this special panzer was covered by an maximum 16 mm rolled welded armor with a 3 or 4 men crew, it task was artillery observation, recce and liason by radio with Luftwaffe units. Armament consisted only in a single MG 34 or 42 plus 1 x MP-40 and some handgrenades.

The vehicle entered in action in the Normandy campaing and most of them were destroyed two months after D-day. Its weight was 6,3 tons and it was powered by a 6 cilinders, 70 hp renault
 

Attachments

  • 1.jpg
    29.2 KB · Views: 237
  • 2.jpg
    27.4 KB · Views: 236
The RSO was a great vehicles, absolutely priceless in the muddy terrains in Russia Belgium.

Like Charles pointed out there were two versions:

RSO 0/1 (Specs from manual)
Weight (with fuel and equipment): 3,500 kg
Engine: 86hp/3000rpm, V8-cyl overhead-valve (OHV) air-cooled petrol engine, 3517cc (Also used by the Steyr 1500A 4x4)
Top speed: 30 km/h
Towing capacity: 3+ tons
Carrying capacity: 1.5 tons
Range: 300 km
hp/t: 24.3

RSO 0/3:
Weight (with fuel and equipment): 3,700 kg
Engine: 66 hp 5.5 L 4 cylinder Deutz diesel
Top speed: 30 km/h
Towing capacity: 3+ tons
Carrying capacity: 1.5 tons
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Similar threads

The original Special Forces?
Replies
19
Views
9K
mikewint
Fallschimjäger Panzers
Replies
9
Views
3K
futuredogfight
Panzers in action!
2
Replies
24
Views
6K
Soren
Iwo Jima Veterans Blast Time's 'Special Environmental Issue' Cover
Replies
9
Views
2K
ToughOmbre
The Russian Special Forces
2
Replies
27
Views
19K
Aardvark111
A
Menu
Log in
Register