Prime movers

[David W]

In the Western Desert what was the Prime mover used in the Infantry Regiments for their 7.5cm Le/IG 18 L/11?

[Alanmccoubrey]

David, I have seen video on Youtube of one being towed by the Horch 108 Heavy Car.

http://www.fahrzeuge-der-wehrmacht.de/A ... Pkw_s.html

[David W]

That's interesting, thank you.

[David W]

What about the captured Russian 7.62cm field piece?
I have seen photos of one behind an Opel Blitz, but was this usual practice?

[Alanmccoubrey]

David, I've also seen it being towed by the SdKfz 10 but like everything else they just used what they had.

[David W]

David, I've also seen it being towed by the SdKfz 10 but like everything else they just used what they had.

I guess so.

[David W]

What about the 15.0cm S/IG 33 L/11, any ideas?
I seem to think that they were a bit of a desert rarity. Perhaps just in the heavy weapons companies of the Motorised Infantry/Panzer Grenadiers?

[Alanmccoubrey]

Once again David it would have been the SdKfz 10, not that I've seen any pictorial evidence of it. I think that there were only 4 of the towed sIG33 in Africa at first, they would have arrived with the Regimental Gun Companies of 15 PD's two grenadier regiments.

[David W]

Thanks Alan.

What about the 21cm MRS18?

That would be SdKfz 8?

[Alanmccoubrey]

That one and the 17cm should have been the artillery version of the SdKfz 9 but there weren't many of those around so it was more often towed in two loads by the SdKfz 8.

[David W]

Thought so, thanks.

[David W]

Anywhere on T'Internet that gives some performance figures for German half tracks of WWII?

I am interested in Road speed, cross country speed, range and the effect of towing guns on the said speeds and range.

[Alanmccoubrey]

David, I know there is some of the information that you're after on this link, I also know that it is in German but once you've found out what "range"...Reichweite, "top speed".....Höchstgeschwindigkeit , etc are you'll soon get the hang of it.

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Waf ... twagen.htm

[David W]

Thanks Alan that's great.

I wonder what allowances I should make for towing a load and then for cross country performance?

[Alanmccoubrey]

David, some where there will be an "official" German standard cross country speed which units were expected to maintain. I just don't know what it was.