World War 2 In Review: 04/25/25

The contradictions of the German Army in the blitzkrieg period. In the foreground are 8-ton SdKfz 7 half-track prime movers towing 15cm guns, but in the background teams of horses and limbers can be seen with 10.5cm le FH 18 howitzers.

SdKfz 8 half-track prime mover towing artillery, Russia.

A damaged German SdKfz 6/3 (7.62 cm Russian anti-tank gun 296 (PaK 36) mounted on a SdKfz 6 half-track) of the 605th Panzerjäger-Abteilung near El Alamein, Egypt, in November 1942.

Another view of the damaged German SdKfz 6/3 (7.62 cm Russian anti-tank gun 296 (PaK 36) mounted on a SdKfz 6 half-track) of the 605th Panzerjäger-Abteilung near El Alamein, Egypt, 1 August 1942.

German transport of heavy crane used in various places during World War II. This particular crane is on its way up to Fjell festning, or MKB 11/504, a German coastal fortress on Sotra, outside Bergen, Norway. The crane was used for construction and fitting of the B-tower from the battleship “Gneisenau.” Three vehicles (two of which can be seen in this picture) were used to tow the crane up to the area where the fortress was being built. The picture is from December 1942, possibly 20 December 1942. The two half-tracks in the picture used for hauling the trailer with the heavy crane are SdKfz 7 (left) and SdKfz 6 (right).

SdKfz 6, 3rd Panzer Division.

SdKfz 6/2 of the Luftwaffe.

SdKfz 6/3 of the Afrika Korps.

FlaK 36 auf Fahrgestell Zugkraftwagen 5t SdKfz 6/2.

Early SdKfz 6 halftrack.

SdKfz 6 towing artillery.

SdKfz 6/2 with 37mm FlaK 36.

German troops in SdKfz 6 towing 10.5 cm leFH 18 in Prague, 1939.

Bussing-NAG mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 5t SdKfz 6 half-track.

SdKfz 6/1 5t medium artillery half-track towing artillery, Eastern Front, 1941.

Bussing-NAG 5t Zugkraftwagen SdKfz 6, WH-24980.

SdKfz 6 mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 5t.

Mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 5t SdKfz 6/1.

Mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 5t SdKfz 6.

SdKfz 6/1 5t medium half-track, IIB-342704.

SdKfz 6/1 towing artillery.

SdKfz 6/1 towing bus through heavy sand.

SdKfz 6/1 towing artillery.

SdKfz 6/3.

SdKfz 6 on flat car.

SdKfz 6/5.

SdKfz 6/4.

SdKfz 6 towing trailer with ponton.

SdKfz 6/2.

SdKfz 6.

SdKfz 6/2.

SdKfz 6 towing trailer, Sedan, France, 1940.

SdKfz 6.

Another view of the same SdKfz 6.

SdKfz 6/1.

Early SdKfz 6.

German troops inspect a destroyed SdKfz 6/2.

German soldier inspecting a destroyed SdKfz 6/2.

SdKfz 6/2.

SdKfz 6/1.

SdKfz 6/2.

SdKfz 6.

SdKfz 6/2 towing trailer.

SdKfz 6.

SdKfz 6/1.

SdKfz 6/2.

SdKfz 6.

Early SdKfz 6.

German half-tracks move off a road in the Ardennes during the 1940 offensive.

SdKfz 7.

SdKfz 7: Reichswehr maneuvers in the Lüneburger Heide, September 1935. Pulling a 15-cm s.F.H. 18 (heavy field howitzer). This was the first production type, ‘KM m8’ produced in 1934-35, replaced by the ‘KM m9’ in 1935.

SdKfz 7: Externally identical to the KM m9, a new engine powered the Hansa-Lloyd built H.L. m10. This vehicle, towing a 15-cm field howitzer, is moving along a country road in northern Germany, prior to World War II.

Early SdKfz 7.

SdKfz 7 with trailer.

SdKfz 7: A lengthened running gear and different fenders were the most noticeable external changes of the final production series, Krauss-Maffei KM m11.

SdKfz 7 towing 88mm FlaK gun.

SdKfz 7 towing artillery.

SdKfz 7: The front end arrangement of the 8t Zgkw. prime mover with Luftwaffe license plates.

SdKfz 7 towing a field howitzer.

SdKfz 7 pulling a 4.7-cm Pak (t) Ausf. B self-propelled anti-tank gun on a trailer, N. Africa. This prevented unnecessary wear and tear on the running gear of tracked vehicles when moving long distances.

Another view of a 4.7-cm Pak (t) Ausf. B being towed by an 8t Sd.Kfz. 7 prime mover.

SdKfz 7. A Flak unit of the Afrika Korps with their 8.8-cm Flak 18 in tow.

SdKfz 7: Luftwaffe vehicle ‘KM m 8’ towing an 8.8-cm Flak 18 on Sonderanhänger (trailer) 201.

SdKfz 7. Luftwaffe Flak unit in North Africa towing their 8.8-cm Flak.

SdKfz 7 towing their heavy field howitzer, North Africa.

SdKfz 7 in North Africa towing a 8.8-cm Flak.

SdKfz 7 pulling two Mercedes-Benz 3A 3t trucks through marshy terrain in northern Russia.

SdKfz 7: Close-up of the Schachtellaufwerk (staggered running gear) as maintenance is being performed by the crew, a necessary and constant requirement to keep any German half-tracked vehicle running.

SdKfz 7/1: 8t Zgkw. (Sf.) 2-cm Flakvierling 38.

SdKfz 7/1: 8t Zgkw. (Sf.) 2-cm Flakvierling 38. Crew in action: range finder (left), gunner, squad leader (with binoculars), and loader.

SdKfz 7/1: 8t Zgkw. (Sf.) 2-cm Flakvierling 38. Luftwaffe unit pulling an ammo trailer (Sd. Anhänger 56). Note the rifles fixed on top of the front fenders.

SdKfz 7/1: 8t Zgkw. (Sf.) 2-cm Flakvierling 38. Fully armored late version on the Eastern Front.

SdKfz 7/2: early version of the 3.7-cm Flak 36 auf 8t (Sf.) Zgkw. had no gun shield.

SdKfz 7/2 mounting the 3.7-cm Flak 36 with gun shield and ammo trailer (Sd. Anhg. 56), Russia, summer 1942.

SdKfz 7/2.

SdKfz 7/2 late version with armored cap and radiator, seen here with a unit of the Division Hermann Göring, Italy, summer 1943.

SdKfz 7/6: An armored Flugabwehrmesswagen (anti-aircraft detection vehicle) with an 8.8-cm Flak.

German artillery unit with SdKfz 7 half-track prime movers pass knocked out Soviet BT-5 light tank and BA-10 armored car, Russia, circa 1941-42.

10.5cm field gun, SdKfz 8 half-track tractor-drawn.

15cm gun with crew, drawn by SdKfz 8 medium half-track tractor.

SdKfz 8 during driving practice of a future prime mover driver.

SdKfz 8 of a Luftwaffe Flak unit with their 8.8-cm Flak anti-aircraft gun. Camouflaged in sand with brown-green mottle and black canvas top.

Close up view of the driver’s cab and driving sprocket of a 12t DB 10 (SdKfz 8).

SdKfz 8 towing artillery, southern Russia, 21 June 1944.

A burnt out German 88 mm FlaK 36 gun and its SdKfz 8 half-track near El Alamein, Egypt, November 1942.

A captured German SdKfz 8 in Libya, December 1941.

Schwerer Zugkraftwagen 18t (SdKfz 9) FAMO: The 18-ton prime mover was the heaviest half-track vehicle in the German inventory. Developed by Fahrzeug und Motorenbau GmbH (FAMO) in Breslau, Silesia, as early as 1934, the FAMO was slated as the prime mover of the 24 cm Kanone 3 (howitzer).

SdKfz 9 undergoing cross country terrain testing.

A new FAMO is factory tested prior to delivery to troop service. The box-like all metal superstructure allowed for hauling ammunition and accessories for the howitzer.

SdKfz 9, the largest of the Wehrmachtschlepper, the 18t s.Zgkw. FAMO F3.

The 18-ton prime mover found its way into panzer units as a recovery vehicle and was equipped with a power winch with a lifting capacity of 7.5 tons.

Up to three vehicles had to combine their pulling capacity to recover a disabled Panther or Tiger I tank. The massive front suspension is comprised of a tubular floating axle, mounting two pneumatic-tired heavy duty wheels with transverse leaf springs.

SdKfz 9s during retrieving operations of a Panther tank (note the tank’s tracks to the left).

Three SdKfz 9s retrieving a disabled Tiger I barely visible through the dust.

SdKfz 9 vehicles moving along a dusty road.

SdKfz 11: A Luftwaffe 5-cm Pak anti-tank gun crew in a blue-gray prime mover. This is the final version of the 3t SdKfz 11.

SdKfz 11: Charged in 1933 with the development of a tractor capable of towing loads up to 3 tons, the Hansa-Lloyd-Goliath Werke AG, Bremen, completed a prototype in 1934. The final chassis of the 3t prime mover can be seen here.

SdKfz 11: Loaded with paratroopers of the Division ‘Hermann Göring’ and towing a 3.7-cm Pak 35 anti-tank gun moving through an Italian town, summer 1943.

SdKfz 11: With a specially designed superstructure to hold 36 rounds of 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 projectiles or 10 rounds for the 21-cm launcher, the Hanomag built SdKfz 11/5 carried a crew of six men.

SdKfz 11: Supply trucks move ammo to the front under the protection of a PzKpfw IV Ausf H, while a 5-cm anti-tank unit is relocating.

SdKfz 11: Chassis of a Borgward type HL k/6 undergoing a cross-country test. The 110 liter gasoline tank is fitted in the rear part of the frame.

SdKfz 11 towing a field howitzer, North Africa.

SdKfz 11. The road to Tilimun Soluch in the Cyrenaica changed hands several times. The British sign indicating the necessity of posting an observer on vehicles driving in this area is evidence of the activity of the Luftwaffe.

SdKfz 11 prime mover, North Africa.

SdKfz 11/2: A medium decontamination vehicle (mittlerer Entgiftungswagen). The vehicle carried approx. 25 pounds of bulk decontaminant and a number of hand canisters of 22 pounds each. A distribution hopper was fitted on the rear of the vehicle. 28/32-cm schweres Wurfgerät 41 (Nebelwerfer 41) are positioned in the background.

Manhandling a 15cm Nebelwerfer 41 onto a SdKfz 11 tractor.

SdKfz 7 half-track.

Selbstfahrlafette 3.7 cm FlaK 36 auf Fahrgestell Zugkraftwagen 8t (SdKfz 7/2).

Leading the attack, a SdKfz 251/3 is followed by a VW “Kübel” and “Kradschützen” motorcycle infantry. North Africa, June 1942, during the battle of Tobruk.

German forces, including this half-track, enter Sevastopol, in the Crimea, as refugees leave. July 1942.

German tanks and half-tracks advancing on a Soviet position in a thrust in the Orel-Belgorod sector.

A road/railway bridge just after being repaired. September 1939.

Panzer and armored infantry fighting vehicles of the Afrika Korps on the march.

15 cm Panzerwerfer 42 auf Selbstfahrlafette SdKfz 4/1 (Maultier).

Panzerwerfer 42.

15 cm Panzerwerfer 42 auf Selbstfahrlafette SdKfz 4/1 (Maultier).

SdKfz 4 Gleisketten-Lastkraftwagen “Maultier” (Opel).

SdKfz 10/5 with trailer in the snow on the Eastern front.

2cm Flak SdKfz 10 Half-track.

The robust 1-ton Zugmaschine (SdKfz 10) prime mover was utilized for many tasks. One of these conversions was the adoption of a 2cm Flak 30 on a specialized mount on the rear of the prime mover. Pulling the Munitionsanhanger 32 (ammunition trailer), a Luftwaffe anti-aircraft unit is moving south during the opening stage of the battle for Kiev, Ukraine, September 1941.

Powered by a 100 hp six-cylinder Maybach “HL 42” water cooled engine, the Selbstfahrlafette mit 2 cm Flak 30 (SdKfz 10/4) (self-propelled 2 cm anti-aircraft gun) had a cross-country speed of 25 mph and a range of 93 miles. Water and gasoline was stored in the 5 gallon jerry cans stowed on the trailer along with the personal belongings of the crew. The Heer as well as the Luftwaffe utilized the vehicle. A unit of the 24th Infanterie Division is resting under the watchful eyes of the 2 cm Flak crew, during the drive to the Ukraine, August 1941.

Wreck of a Mk VI Tiger tank at Belpasso, 1943.

Panzer 35(t) and PzKpfw IV in France, 1940.

Panzer 38(t), France, June 1940.

Panzer 38(t), Soviet Union, June 1941.

Panzer 38(t), northern Russia, October 1941.

Panzer 38(t) Ausführung S in the Deutschen Panzermuseum Munster. The "Y"-like and ghost designs are emblems of 7th Panzer Division. Numbering on the side of the turret identifies the tank. Colored rings around the gun barrel indicate victories over enemy vehicles.

Czech LTvz 35. Used by the Germans as the Panzerkampfwagen 35(t). Brought to APG from Hillerslieben by G.B. Jarrett, June 1945.

Italian L40 near a Panzer II and some German Fallschirmjäger, probably during the Assoro Battle.

A variety of knocked out and destroyed German vehicles, including a Panzerkampfwagen IV medium tank being inspected by American soldiers, North Afirca.

A US Army Corps of Engineers solider packs ½- pound cans of the explosive TNT under the front of an abandoned German Tiger I tank in preparation for detonation during military operations in the El Guettar Valley, Tunisia, early 1943.

The explosion of the TNT has flipped the hull on its back and set it on fire.

A knocked out and abandoned Panzerkampfwagen IV, North Africa. In the background is a burning tank, possibly the same Tiger I in the previous two photos.

Destroyed Panzerkampfwagen IV medium tank, North Africa.

This photo from the German publication Signal depicts panzer troops with Panzerkampfwagen III tanks during the German advance during the Battle of Moscow, circa January 1942.

Panzerkampfwagen V Ausf A Panther turret after being struck by a ML-20S 152mm HE round. Late war German armor was very prone to shattering.

One of the two Tiger Ausf. H1 tanks first captured by the Red Army in the winter of 1943. This tank was tested at the artillery proving grounds and gave some alarming revelations about the ability of Soviet anti-tank artillery to combat the new type of tank.

The appearance of the Panther Ausf. D in the summer of 1943 was another unpleasant surprise. The front armor was much more powerful than that of the Tiger and could not be penetrated by an 85mm anti-aircraft gun. However, the Panther Ausf. D had much more variable armor; the thinner sides could be penetrated by any gun down to the 45mm.

A Tiger Ausf. B before firing trials at the proving grounds. The new tank was not very surprising after the study of the Panzerjäger Tiger(P), which had similar armor. Nevertheless, this was the most heavily armored tank of World War II.

One of the Panthers that was used to obtain armor samples at the Mariupol factory.

A Tiger Ausf. E tank used in Soviet trials. Markings for cutting out the sample are shown.

Fracture of the lower front plate of a Tiger Ausf. E tank during Soviet testing. The crystalline fracture with large lamination can be seen in the middle.

Microstructure fracture of the lower front plate of another Tiger Ausf. E tank during Soviet testing. It is clear that the quality of the fracture differs.

Results of firing 85mm sharp-tipped shells at the side armor of a Tiger Ausf. E tank (83mm) during Soviet testing. Spalling can be seen.

Tiger II 314 of SS-Schwere-Panzer Abteilung 503. This is the tank commanded by Unterscharführer Georg Diers. The crew: gunner Sturmmann Wolf-Dieter Kothe; loader Sturmmann Alex Sommer; driver Rottenführer Willi Kenkel, and radio operator Sturmmann Bodo Harms. It hit a mine in Schönhauser Allee.

PzKpfw IV, France.

PzKpfw IV medium tanks, Russia. Wartime artwork.

PzKpfw IV, Russia.

PzKpfw IV.

PzKpfw IV medium tank, France, 1940. German wartime artwork.

Painting of knocked-out and burning Panzerkampfwagen IV in North Africa.

Panzerkampfwagen IV engine change, Russia.

PzKpfw IV, captured by the 2nd Cavalry Group, Kotzing, Bavaria, fall 1945.

German panzer crews of 3rd SS Division Totenkopf study a map during maneuvers.

PzKpfw III.

German infantry and PzKpfw III Ausf F during street fighting, Russia.

Panzer III climbing river bank, Russia.

Panzerkampfwagen III with panzergrenadiers, Ukraine, 1941.

Panzerkampfwagen III, Caucasus, 1942.

PzKpfw III. Wartime artwork.

Sturmgeschütz III self-propelled gun.

Sturmgeschütz assault gun.

Porsche Type 180A.

Porsche Type 180B.

Porsche Typ 100 with a Krupp 8.8cm Kw.K. L/56 gun.

Armored version of SdKfz 8 Luftwaffe tractor in the Pilica River Open-Air Museum (Skansen Rzeki Pilicy) in Tomaszów Mazowiecki (salvaged from the Pilica). 2015.

Another view of the armored version of SdKfz 8 Luftwaffe tractor in the Pilica River Open-Air Museum (Skansen Rzeki Pilicy) in Tomaszów Mazowiecki (salvaged from the Pilica). 2015.

German AFVs in View