Track Changing

gavmeister13 · Post by **gavmeister13** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 1:03 pm

how long did it take [roughly] for a panzer crew to change a damaged track?

Matt L · Post by **Matt L** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 2:11 pm

I would think that it depends on the damage- a broken link pin would probably be a quick fix, whereas a bent and damaged link or links could have to be cut off with a blowtorch.

According to http://www.achtungpanzer.com/tiger.htm , an experienced Tiger crew could change a track (completely- e.g. transport to combat track) in 30 minutes- but of course that's probably under training conditions. Under battlefield conditions, the time would likely be far more variable.

Matt

Rich Yankowski · Post by **Rich Yankowski** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 3:49 pm

I believe that the Tiger had a system where the crew attached a cable to the track and that was hooked to the drive sprocket,this allowed the track to be installed using the tanks drive system(we do almost the same thing with the snow cats at the ski slope I work at).I don't know if other panzers used a similiar system or not.

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 4:19 pm

I don't know if anyone would be interested, but I learned how to change tracks when the Norwegians trained me to be a BV-206 driver a few years back. Being a modeler, I thought it was amusing.

It was one, big, heavy loop!!! Just like older models!! Nobody could understand the look of amusement on my face!

Paul_9686 · Post by **Paul_9686** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 6:55 pm

Rich, I'm mighty sure that the Panther had a similar system for replacing a track to the one you describe for the Tiger. Panthers had a "track cable" wound around the wooden jack rest block on the starboard side of the vehicle, and this cable was attached to the drive sprocket and used to draw the heavy track up and over the sprocket, engaging the track to the sprocket's teeth; then, the links were aligned, a pin was installed using a sledge-hammer, a lock-washer added, track tension adjusted, and voila! (Still, I expect a lot of sulphurous oaths were emitted by the crewmen during this sort of job!)

Perhaps it was easier to man-handle the tracks of the earlier German tanks, because I've never seen evidence in photos of a Panzer III or IV using such a track cable.

Yours,
Paul

gavmeister13 · Post by **gavmeister13** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 12:33 pm

have you got any pics of tanks using the track cable?

thanks

Paul_9686 · Post by **Paul_9686** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 7:41 pm

No, Gavmeister, I sure don't know where to find any online, and I don't have a scanner, but on page 194 of Feist and Culver's book on the Panther, they have a pic of a track-changing job in progress, and there's a series of comic-book-style drawings of this operation on page 23 of the Japanese softcover, Panzers at Saumur #2.

Yours,
Paul