Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper

Schwere Wehrmachtschlepper
File:Hist-pritsche.jpg The unarmored cargo version of the sWS
Type	load carrier
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
In service	1944—5
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Büssing-NAG
Designed	1942—43
Manufacturer	Büssing-NAG, Tatra
Produced	1943—5
No. built	825
Variants	15 cm Panzerwerfer auf sWS 3.7cm FlaK 43 auf sWS
Specifications
Mass	13.5 tonnes (13.3 long tons; 14.9 short tons)
Length	6.92 metres (22.7 ft)
Width	2.5 metres (8.2 ft)
Height	2.07 metres (6.8 ft)
Crew	2
Armor	6-15 mm (certain models only)
Engine	4.198 litres (256.2 cu in) gasoline inline 6 cylinder, water-cooled Maybach HL42TRKMS 100 horsepower (75 kW)
Payload capacity	4,000 kilograms (8,800 lb)
Transmission	ZF kb 40D
Suspension	transverse leaf-spring and torsion bar
Ground clearance	46.5 centimetres (18.3 in)
Fuel capacity	240 litres (63 US gal)
Operational range	300 kilometres (190 mi)
Maximum speed	27.4 kilometres per hour (17.0 mph)

The Schwere Wehrmachtschlepper (Heavy Military Tractor), or sWS for short, was a German World War II half-track flat-bed cargo vehicle used in various roles between 1943 and 1945. The unarmored models were used as supply vehicles and as tractors to haul things. The semi-armored version could mount a medium anti-aircraft gun while the fully armored model carried a 10 barrel rocket launcher (Nebelwerfer). Less than a thousand were built before the end of the war, but production continued after the war of an improved model in the Tatra plant in Czechoslovakia.

History

On 7 May 1942 Hitler ordered that development begin of a simple, low-speed, half-track, load-carrying vehicle for use on the Eastern Front. Büssing-NAG was selected to develop a new 5 t (4.9 long tons; 5.5 short tons) tractor (Zgkw. 5t neuer Art) to replace the earlier 5 tonne Sd.Kfz. 6 and 3 t (3.0 long tons; 3.3 short tons) Sd.Kfz. 11 half-tracks as well as the various lesser-known vehicles of the same class. Production started in December 1943 at Büssing-NAG. Early examples used a truck-like, unarmored cabin similar to the earlier Sd.Kfz. half-tracks it replaced, while later examples featured an armored cabin and engine compartment that looked similar to the famous Sd.Kfz. 251 armored personnel carrier. Tatra also joined in production, but both factories produced only 825 in total. Tatra continued production of an improved vehicle after the war as the T809.

File:SdKfz-1.jpg

The 15 cm Panzerwerfer 42 auf sWS

In addition to the basic cargo role, the vehicle was also adapted as a mount for the medium 3.7 cm FlaK 43 anti-aircraft gun, which was placed at the front of the cargo area on a mounting with a large gun shield. The sides of the cargo compartment folded down to give the crew more room to maneuver. Ammunition was carried at the rear of the cargo area. The only other known modification was the Panzerwerfer, a 10-barreled 15 cm (5.9 in) Nebelwerfer 42 rocket launcher placed over an armored ammunition storage compartment built over the cargo area that was intended to replace the 15 cm Panzerwerfer auf Sf (Sd.Kfz. 4/1), commonly called the Maultier.

Armor

The Panzerwerfer mount itself had armor 10 millimetres (0.39 in) thick.

Thickness/slope from the vertical	Front	Side	Rear	Top/Bottom
Gun Shield (Flak 43 only)	10 mm (0.39 in)/30°	none	none	none
Superstructure	15 mm (0.59 in)/30°	12 mm (0.47 in)/8°	8 mm (0.31 in)/30°	6 mm (0.24 in)/87°
Hull	15 mm (0.59 in)/15°	12 mm (0.47 in)/15°	8 mm (0.31 in)/0°	6 mm (0.24 in)

References

• Chamberlain, Peter, and Hilary L. Doyle. Thomas L. Jentz (Technical Editor). Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two: A Complete Illustrated Directory of German Battle Tanks, Armoured Cars, Self-propelled Guns, and Semi-tracked Vehicles, 1933–1945. London: Arms and Armour Press, 1978 (revised edition 1993). ISBN 1-85409-214-6
• Spielberger, Walter J. Halftracked Vehicles of the German Army 1909-1945. Atlgen, PA: Schiffer, 2008 ISBN 978-0-7643-2942-5

External links

• sWS on wwiivehicles.com