Half tank, half truck, halftrack
A captured German halftrack features prominently in the second WWII OSD thriller Wolves in the Mountains. Officially designated the Sonderkraftfahrzeug (special purpose vehicle) 251, it has become one of the iconic military vehicles of the Third Reich.
Experience in the 1930s Spanish Civil War showed German generals that tanks were vulnerable to enemy attack in tight settings. Panzers needed infantry support and that meant the infantry needed an armored transport vehicle. The answer was the half-truck, half-tank, Sd.Kfz. 251. Introduced in 1939, it was fast, able to navigate a variety of rough terrains, and inexpensive to produce
A gasoline-powered, 100 hp six-cylinder engine moved the 7-ton vehicle at up to 32 miles per hour on roads and 13 mph off-road. This was fast for an armored halftrack of the era. It had a payload capacity of 1.5 tons and a towing capacity of 2.7 tons,
Exterior armor plating was between 6 and 14.5 mm thick, but the angled surfaces meant bullets had to penetrate much more steel than that when they hit. The open top meant soldiers could aim and fire on the move, but it also meant that they were exposed to incoming shrapnel from overhead explosions.
The driver’s controls were basic, and as John finds out, the view through the slit ports limited.
The interior was austere. An MG 34 or MG 42 machine gun was mounted in the cabin above and behind the driver and a second machine gun could be mounted in the rear.
A set of rear doors was the only way in and out, even for the driver. The normal crew was 12, including the driver, unit leader, and ten Panzergrenadiers.
Steering was done using the front axle, but the wheels only turned 15 degrees, To make tighter turns, the driver had to stop one track while the other kept moving. It took 33 feet to turn a halftrack around.
Throughout the war about 15,000 Sd.Kfz. 251s were made in four different versions. There were numerous official variants, including command and control radio vehicles, mortar vehicles, anti-tank vehicles, anti-aircraft vehicles, and even flamethrower vehicles.
In Wolves in the Mountains, Corporal John Sobczak is keen to drive one of these. When he finally gets his chance, the fate of their mission hangs in the balance. To read what happens yourself, get your copy here on Amazon, or wherever you buy your books.
