×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Scale (2024) Special Forces

SdKfz 10 leichter ZugKraftwagen lt


1-Ton Light Half-Track Vehicle


Nazi Germany | 1938



"Requiring the services of a light-class half-track, several German manufacturers produced the SfKfz 10 series for World War 2 service."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the SdKfz 10 leichter ZugKraftwagen lt 1-Ton Light Half-Track Vehicle.
1 x Maybach HL42 TRKM 6-cylinder, water-cooled gasoline-fueled engine developing 100 horsepower driving combination wheel-tracked arrangement.
Installed Power
47 mph
75 kph
Road Speed
186 miles
300 km
Range
Structure
The physical qualities of the SdKfz 10 leichter ZugKraftwagen lt 1-Ton Light Half-Track Vehicle.
2
(MANNED)
Crew
15.6 ft
4.75 meters
O/A Length
6.3 ft
1.93 meters
O/A Width
6.6 ft
2 meters
O/A Height
11,023 lb
5,000 kg | 5.5 tons
Weight
Armament & Ammunition
Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the SdKfz 10 leichter ZugKraftwagen lt 1-Ton Light Half-Track Vehicle.
Variable. Ranged from 2cm AA to 5cm PaK AT guns. Also any personal weapons carried by the crew.
AMMUNITION:
Dependent upon armament installed (if any).
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the SdKfz 10 leichter ZugKraftwagen lt family line.
SdKfz 10 - Base Series Designation.
SdKfz 10/1 - Chemical Detection Vehicle.
SdKfz 10/2 - Chemical Decontamination Vehicle.
SdKfz 10/3 - Chemical Spray Vehicle.
SdKfz 10/4 - Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (SPAAG) Vehicle; fitting 2cm FlaK 30 or FlaK 38 autocannon; 1,370 examples produced.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/22/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Like other German military systems of World War 2 (1939-1945), the SdKfz 10 series half-track was designed and developed in secret, its testing completed under the guise of a commercial product. The model was classified as a lightweight half-track vehicle and intended as a mover for light-caliber artillery such as the 2cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft gun up to the 7.5cm leIG infantry support gun (the vehicle was given an official towing capacity of 1 ton). Design work by Demag of Dusseldorf spanned 1934 to 1938 with production running from 1938 to the end of the war in 1945. Its manufacture yielded some 14,000 units by war's end and several prominent production models to boot. Participants in bringing the SdKfz 10 to the war fronts (beyond Demag) included Adlerwerke, Bussing-NAG, MWC, MNH, MIAG, and Sauerewerke.

The vehicle weighed 10,800 pounds and featured a length of 15.5 feet, a width of 6.3 feet, and a height of 6.6 feet. A standard operating crew was two and included the driver while a further six-to-eight passengers could be carried. Power was through a Maybach HL42 TRKM series 6-cylinder, liquid-cooled gasoline fueled engine developing 100 horsepower (earlier versions yielded only 90 horsepower from their Maybach engines). This engine was mated to a Maybach VG 10218H series transmission system. Interestingly, drive power was only to the rear track component and not the front rubber-tired wheels. Having non-powered front wheels meant that steering could become difficult in soft terrain. Nevertheless, the overall design allowed for rather excellent off-road mobility or when attempting to traverse uneven terrain. The chassis was suspended on a torsion bar system and sported a ground clearance of thirteen inches which also aided off-road travel and allowed travel through low water sources. Road speeds could reach 47 miles per hour and operational range was out to 190 miles. Off-road travel reduced range to 93 miles.

The SdKfz 10 was seen in a myriad of configurations throughout its wartime existence. Major (official) variants included the base SdKfz 10 hauler model. The SdKfz 10/1 was a chemical detection variant and the SdKfz 10/2 a chemical decontamination model. The SdKfz 10/3 was another chemical warfare-related vehicle fitted with a 130 US gallon tank for spraying poison. The SfKfz 10/4 (1,370 built) mounted the 2cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft gun system. The SdKfz 10/5 incorporated the faster-firing 2cm FlaK 38 series AA guns instead. Both AA models featured fold-down panels to serve as a platform for the gunnery team when in action and the gun units could be dismounted and use in their tradition stationary role.

Beyond these forms, there were plenty of other non-official standard and non-standard models that emerged. A soft-top could be erected over the passenger and driving compartment to protect from the environment. When left uncovered, the passenger section featured sidewalls that were inherently low enough to allow for quick unloading of infantry. The passenger area could just as easily accommodate the towed artillery piece (say a 3.7cm gun) while the rear of the vehicle could still tow additional hardware to the front. Signal vehicles and command/observation vehicles were also born by slightly modifying (if at all) the base SdKfz 10 design. Other models installed (in a semi-permanent nature) their artillery in the passenger area to serve as mobile gun platforms while still other field-improvised modifications existed, some supporting 3.7cm PaK 36 and 5cm PaK 38 anti-tank guns.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the SdKfz 10 leichter ZugKraftwagen lt. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.

Total Production: 14,000 Units

Contractor(s): Demag; Adlerwerke; Bussing-NAG; Saurerwerke - Nazi Germany
National flag of modern Germany National flag of Nazi Germany National flag of Romania National flag of Sweden

[ Nazi Germany; Romania; Sweden ]
1 / 1
Image of the SdKfz 10 leichter ZugKraftwagen lt
Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The SdKfz 10 leichter ZugKraftwagen lt 1-Ton Light Half-Track Vehicle appears in the following collections:
HOME
ARMOR INDEX
ARMOR BY COUNTRY
VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE VEHICLES
VEHICLES BY CONFLICT
VEHICLES BY TYPE
VEHICLES BY DECADE
WWII VEHICLES & ARTILLERY
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)