Introduction
The performance of the German Army on the battlefield was attributed mainly to one vehicle that transported troops, ordnance and supplies to the front. It was called the half-track. These front-wheel steering vehicles with tracked drive transformed the fighting ability of both the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS during the Second World War. This book reveals the complete illustrated history of the half-track and shows just how versatile these vehicles were in combat. Various half-tracks were built during the war, and production of the Sd.Kfz.251 variant, for instance, saw over 16,000 of them pour off the production line between 1940 and late 1944.
The book analyzes the development of the half-track and shows its increased role in combat, where newer variants were given main armaments in order to increase the overall firepower on the battlefield and support the advancing troops and Panzers to the front lines.
The full range of Hitler’s half-tracks is covered in this book, ranging from the Sd.Kfz.10, Sdk.Kfz.7/1 self-propelled flak gun, Sd.Kfz6 and Sd.Kfz.8 prime mover, to the most popular half-track of them all, the Sd.Kfz.251 medium infantry armoured vehicle. Despite being lightly armoured, the Sd.Kfz.251 could maintain a relatively modest speed and manoeuvre across country and keep up with the fast moving armoured spearheads.
German Half-tracks at War is a captivating glimpse of these formidable machines, and will undoubtedly be of great interest to military historians as well as modellers and war-gamers.
Chapter One
The invasion of Poland was the first time that the half-track was used extensively on the battlefield. Whilst the bulk of the Wehrmacht was still animal draught in 1939, there were only a few hundred vehicles that were half-track to tow ordnance, carry troops and supplies to the battlefront.
Spearheading one of the first promising attacks into Poland on 1 September 1939 was Army Group North, under the command of General Günther Hans von Kluge’s Fourth Army. Kluge controlled five infantry divisions, plus two motorized divisions and the Third Panzer Division under General Heinz Guderian. The main thrust of the Fourth Army was east and south, sealing off and then destroying General Bortnowski’s Pomorze Army, which was situated in what was known as the Polish corridor. All main efforts were carried out by the army’s XIX Corps, under the faithful command of the Panzer ace, General Heinz Guderian. Bearing the brunt of this German armoured stampede stood the Pomorze Army, which consisted of five infantry divisions and one cavalry brigade. Throughout the first day of intensive fighting, Kluge’s army caused such severe losses to the Pomorze Army that it was forced to reluctantly withdraw in total confusion.
Further east, separated by the Polish corridor in East Prussia, General Georg von Kuechler’s Third Army made a number of thrusting all-out attacks south from the Prussian border in the direction of Warsaw against the Polish Narew Group and Modlin Army. Under Kuechler’s command were seven advanced infantry divisions, an ad hoc panzer division consisting of SS-Panzer Division ‘Kempf ’, which incorporated SS-Panzer Regiment Deutschland, and four brigade-size commands, all of which were divided under three corps.
To the south, German forces were inflicting almost equal misery upon the enemy. Army Group South’s main task was to try and engage the enemy as far forward of the Vistula and eliminate any attempt he might make to retreat east behind the line of the Vistula and San. It was for this reason that the Southern Army Group were ordered to reach the Vistula and San with the greatest possible speed.
Over the next few days both the German Northern and Southern groups continued to make furious thrusts on all fronts. As this great advance gathered momentum, more towns and villages fell to the onrushing forces. The campaign had taken on the character that was to remain for the few weeks that followed. Everywhere north, south and east, the fronts were shrinking, cracking slowly but surely under the massive German pressure. In this unparalleled armoured dash, some units had covered 40 miles – 60 road miles in just twenty-four hours.
By 18 September, the invasion of Poland was more or less sealed. The half-track had clearly demonstrated its effectiveness, not just as a weapon of war, but as a versatile machine that had kept up with the thrusting Panzers and supported the infantry as well.
Astonished by the successive gains of the Panzers and supporting armour, eight months later on 10 May 1940, Hitler finally decided to attack the west, which comprised the invasion of Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg.
For the attack against the west the German Army were divided into three army groups – Army Group A, B and C. The main strike would be given to Army Group A, which would drive its armoured units through the Ardennes, and then swing round across the plains of northern France and then make straight for the Channel coast, thereby cutting the Allied force in half and breaking the main enemy concentration in Belgium between Army Group A advancing from the south and Army Group B in the north. The task of Army Group B was to occupy Holland with motorized forces and to prevent the linking up of the Dutch army with the Anglo-Belgian force. It was to destroy the Belgian frontier defences by a rapid and powerful attack and throw the enemy back over the line between Antwerp and Namur. The fortress of Antwerp was to be surrounded from the north and east and the fortress of Liege from the north-east and north of the Meuse.
Army Group C, which was the most southern of the three army groups, was to engage the garrison of the Maginot Line, penetrating it if possible.
Apart from the masses of tanks and other armoured vehicles in the Panzerwaffe’s arsenal, to support the Blitzkrieg there was a single company of ten 88mm FlaK 18 on Zugkraftwagen. These 88mm flak guns were mounted on the chassis of an armoured Sd.Kfz.7 half-track in order to give much needed firepower support against the thickly armoured British Matilda and French Char B tanks.
By the end of the first day of the attack in the west, Belgian resistance had been overwhelmed and the cavalry of the French 9th Army brushed aside. Although the French 7th Army had reached Breda on 11 May by the next day it was in retreat under strong pressure from Guderian’s Panzers. By evening of that same day, the Panzer units reached the Meuse along a 100-mile front, from Sedan to Dinant. They had advanced nearly 90 miles in three days. As the whole front began to crumble in indecision and confusion, the demoralized French Army tended to its wounds and withdrew to Antwerp along roads clogged with refugees. To the south, French troops immobilized at the Maginot Line were unable to move for the lack of transport, and were clearly unable to intervene against strong German forces.
By 15 May, the Dutch Army formally surrendered, although isolated units continued to fight a grim defensive battle until 17 May. As German troops occupied Holland with lightening speed, Belgium’s capital finally capitulated.
The next day on 18 May, the 5th Panzer Division reported that it had reached the northern bank of the Sambre. Here armoured vehicles from Panzer-Regiment.31 began expanding their bridgehead north of the river. The 28.Infantry-Division pushed further west meeting spirited French resistance.
On other parts of the front the advance was progressing equally as well. General Heinz Guderian’s reconnaissance had successfully crossed the River Somme and captured Peronne.
Within ten days the front lines in northern France were shrinking, cracking slowly but surely under the massive German pressure. German units seemed to be progressing with an increased determination and vigour, convinced of their ability to crush the enemy before it could prepare a secondary line of defence. In an unparalleled armoured dash, some units had covered more than 50 miles in just twenty-four hours.
By 14 June, the first German troops from the 9th Infantry-Division reported that they had arrived on the outskirts of Paris. Later that evening the division entered the French capital.
On 15 June, von Kleist’s and Guderian’s Panzergruppe reported that their armour was now advancing at breakneck speed on both sides of the Reims. These two powerful Panzer groups caused massive problems to retreating enemy formations. Guderian’s tanks successfully reached Bar-sur-Aube and Gray-sur-Saone, while armour of the von Kleist group had driven its armoured might into Saint-Florentin and Tonnerre. Two days later, on 17 June, the right wing of Guderian’s XXXIX Army Corps reached the Swiss border.
With the arrival of the German forces at the Swiss border, a ring was closed around the remaining French troops who were now frantically withdrawing from Lorraine and Alsace. Guderian was now able to move north-east and penetrate the Maginot fortifications from the rear using his powerful armoured units. In spite of determined French resistance along the Maginot Line, with its vast array of heavily constructed bunkers and well-armed fortifications, it was soon overrun and captured.
In the final days just before the French Army finally capitulated, the Germans continued their advance, smashing the enemy. By 20 June it was estimated that some 500,000 French soldiers had been captured. Large amounts of battlefield booty also fell into German hands.
To make the problems even greater for the French, the Italians had declared war on France, sending some thirty-two divisions against some six French divisions. However, against 185,000 troops, the Italians made little progress against well-trained French soldiers of the Alps.
A 1-ton Sd.Kfz.10 negotiates a hill whilst two crew members and their commanding officer enjoy the ride. Note the folded canvas and its framework, which was primarily used during bad weather.
During a training exercise probably in 1939 and the crew of an early variant Sd.Kfz.251 pose for the camera. The Sd.Kfz.251 was to become one of the most popular half-tracks used during the war not only to carry troops into battle, but to tow ordnance and stow other important equipment.
During a training exercise, more than likely just prior to the war, a Sd.Kfz.10 is being put through its paces. Onboard the half-track party officials and civilians are shown just how versatile the vehicle is across open terrain.
In this photograph the crew of a Sd.Kfz.8 show off the two-tone half-track as it negotiates a steep gradient during a training exercise. As with all vehicles during this early period of the war, the half-track has a camouflage scheme of dark grey.
A German parade, probably in Berlin on 20 April 1939, to mark Hitler’s 50th birthday celebrations. The vehicles moving along the road passing the viewing stand comprise of the Sd.Kfz.7 and the new 150mm s.FH 18 howitzers.
In one of the many mobile workshops near the front, troops pose for the camera with their half-track. The engine compartment has been removed exposing the vehicles large engine. A hoist can be seen attached to the engine.
Two Luftwaffe crewmen pose for the camera in front of their Sd.Kfz.8 half-track during a pause in their advance through Holland. This vehicle is more than likely towing an 88mm FlaK gun to the battlefront.
Moving towards the front and an 8-ton Sd.Kfz.7 is hauling a 150mm s.FH 18 heavy field howitzer across a field. Note that the gun is configured for towing by motorized transport with rubber-rimmed wheels of the same size on both the carriage and limber.
A column of Sd.Kfz.7 half-tracks towing a s.FH 18 heavy field howitzers have halted on a road. This particular half-track was primarily designed to move the 88mm FlaK, as well as the 100mm s.K 18 and 150mm s.FH 18 into battle.
A half-track passes through one of the many destroyed towns and villages in western Poland during early September 1939. The troops onboard are all armed with the standard Mauser 98K bolt action rifle and will probably dismount from the half-track once they near enemy positions.
A Sd.Kfz.6 advances along a sandy Polish road during operations in September 1939. The vehicle is towing a pontoon bridging section which suggests this is an engineer bridging section unit.
Advancing through a captured town is a Sd.Kfz.251/1 following a Sd.Kfz.10 light half-track. Note the divisional insignia painted on the rear of the Sd.Kfz.251 indicating that it belongs to the 1.Panzer-Division.
A Sd.Kfz.7, probably operating either in Poland or France, advances along a road with a small compliment of crew. The canvas foul weather cover has been removed so that it allows easy access for the crew to quickly board and dismount and allow all round visibility under battlefield conditions.
A Sd.Kfz.8 has halted on a road and the gun crew of a Mortar 18 carriage for a 170mm or 210mm piece take a much needed rest on a grassy verge. Note that the gun carriage the half-track is towing is fitted with wheels and a limber that were normally seen on a horse-drawn piece.
During operations on the Western Front in 1940 and a Sd.Kfz.251 half-track belonging to the 1.Panzer-Division advances along a road passing a stationary StuG.III.Ausf.A, which was making its debut on the battlefield that summer.
A Luftwaffe crew of a Sd.Kfz.7 have parked their vehicle next to a building, probably during operations on the Western Front. The half-track is well camouflaged. Note the two registration plates attached to the front fender.
A well camouflaged Luftwaffe Sd.Kfz.7 half-track travels through a town towing what appears to be an 88mm FlaK gun. The 88mm FlaK gun was a very deadly and effective piece of weaponry and scored sizable hits both in an antiaircraft and ground assault setting.
A Wehrmacht soldier poses for the camera on a road next to a stationary Sd.Kfz.7, which is hauling a s.FH 18 heavy field howitzer.
A Sd.Kfz.7 hauling a s.FH 18 howitzer crosses over a pontoon bridge towards the front lines. By May 1940, the Sd.Kfz.7 was used extensively during the conquest of Holland, Belgium and France. It was used primarily to pull heavy ordnance such as the s.FH 18, the 105mm and the 170mm or 210mm Mörsers.
A column of vehicles negotiate a dusty road. Leading the drive is a Sd.Kfz.7 towing a s.FH 18 heavy field howitzer. Its carriage and limber are clearly designed for animal draught.
Moving along a road towards the front lines is an 8-ton Sd.Kfz.7 medium half-track, towing a 150mm s.FH 18 heavy field howitzer. During the campaign in the West, the half-track transformed the fighting quality of the artillery batteries and enabled gun crews to support the advancing armoured spearheads with less difficulty than using animal draught.
A Sd.Kfz.7 has more than likely been utilized in a clear-up operation following heavy bomb damage to an urbanized area. Some of the crew can be seen observing the damage to a building, who are standing among civilians, some of which are children.
A Sd.Kfz.7 with a mounted four-barrelled light FlaK gun has halted inside a town. This weapon was very powerful and was capable of firing 1,800 rounds per minute, making it a deadly flak gun not just against low flying aircraft, but also ground targets as well.
Here Wehrmacht troops prepare to board a Sd.Kfz.251 Ausf.A variant, which can be identified by the three ports on each side of the upper armoured superstructure. Many of these early variants generally did not have the shielded MG34 machine gun attached to a sustained fire mount, as in this case.
The crew of a Sd.Kfz.7 can be seen halted on a hill, watching Wehrmacht troops salvage supplies, including ammunition from a truck that has toppled over and collided with another supply vehicle.
Probably part of a Gebirgsjäger pioneer unit assisting in pushing a supply vehicle with trailer along a temporary road surface. Nearby the crew of a Sd.Kfz.7 watch the spectacle from the comfort of their vehicle.
A Sd.Kfz.6/2 advances through a village somewhere in northern France in late May 1940. This Luftwaffe half-track is armed with an un-shielded 37mm FlaK 36. Less than 200 of these vehicles ever saw active service in the Luftwaffe, but nonetheless were very successful combating both aerial and ground targets.
A Sd.Kfz.7 with armoured body advances along a road hauling a modified 88mm FlaK 18 on a Sd.Ah.201 limber. These flak guns served well during the French campaign and scored considerable success owing to the rapid transportability of the weapon to the front lines.
A column of half-track vehicles comprising Sd.Kfz.7 are stationary beside a road. By 1940, the half-track had become a necessity on the battlefield. With the bulk of the Wehrmacht still relying heavily of animal draught, the Germans used the half-track extensively not only to tow ordnance and other supplies, but to carry troops to the forward edge of the battlefield.
This Sd.Kfz.7 can be seen hauling an 88mm FlaK 18 on its Sd.Ah.201 limber across uneven ground. Note the non-standard tarpaulin erected over the drivers compartment. This has obviously been done in order to keep the sun off the driver.
A Sd.Kfz.7 towing an 88mm FlaK 18 passes a gun crew during the campaign in France. The half-track probably belongs to a Luftwaffe unit. Note the kill rings painted in yellow on the flak gun’s 88mm barrel.
A Sd.Kfz.7 hauls a 150mm s.FH 15cm heavy field howitzer towards the battlefront. Whilst half-tracks were more than capable of moving heavy weaponry from one part of the front quickly and effectively, much of the motive power in 1940 was still animal draught.
An interesting photograph showing a Sd.Kfz.7 towing a light Horch country vehicle along a dirt track. The half-track has its foul weather tarp pulled up in order to keep the crew and driver dry.
A Sd.Kfz.7 tows a s.FH 15cm heavy field howitzer along a dirt road. Foliage has been applied to the field howitzer’s carriage and limber in order to break up its distinctive shape and limit the possibility of an air strike on the vehicle and its advancing column.
A Sd.Kfz.7 hauling a s.FH 15cm heavy field howitzer can be seen crossing a pontoon bridge during the French campaign. Reasonably good weather is predicted as the vehicles canvas foul weather cover has been removed.
An interesting photograph showing an early production model 8-ton Sd.Kfz.7 half-track. It hauls a 150mm s.FH 18 towards the battlefront.
What appears to be a Luftwaffe Sd.Kfz.7 towing an 88mm FlaK 18 gun stationary inside a French town, which, by the state of one of the buildings, has seen some considerable fighting. A column of horse drawn carts pass along the road trudging westward.