World War Two German half-tracks

Although tracked vehicles have always provided considerably better mobility than the equivalent wheeled machine, the tracks generally require disproportionate amounts of maintenance.

For this reason, the half-track offers an excellent compromise, combining the simplicity of a wheeled vehicle with the advantages of tracks.

As a result, it is no surprise that these innovative vehicles began to appear during the chaos of World War 1.

Germany was particularly enthusiastic about the performance available from the half-track and during the early-1930s, it began to develop a range of standardised half-track tractors in various weight classes.

Produced to a more-or-less standard design, these vehicles were intended to provide infantry with the same level of mobility as the Panzer troops.

Unfortunately, the designers built an unreachable level of complexity into the vehicles which ensured that they could not be produced in sufficient numbers.The powerful Maybach-designed engines combined with torsion-bar suspension, and a combination of braked-differential and conventional steering provided excellent performance both on and off the road. However, whilst the rubber-faced tracks, rubber-tyred bogie wheels, and sealed needle bearings for the track pins may have ensured low ground pressure and minimum rolling resistance, they also demanded considerable man-power to manufacture and maintain.

Today sadly few of these machines have survived, but they continue to exert a hold over military-vehicle historians and enthusiasts around the world.

This brilliant new volume is the first comprehensive English-language work to concentrate on this entire family of unique vehicles.

A carefully selected collection of images supplement the skilful narrative, making this essential reading for all military historians and enthusiasts.