Kettenkrad - Sd. Kfz 2 - Gotha 242 Assault Glider - Motorcycle Tractor - Europa Woche - Gebirgsjäger

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Here is a unit of German mountain troop cadets on training exercises with their fleet of Kettenkräder.

Yeah, I like that. The Kettenkrad, or Sonder Kraftfahrzeug zwei, was an odd vehicle which can best be described as a combination of a tractor and a motorcycle. Originally they were used to pull planes around airfields but it was realized that it was the only vehicle small enough to fit into the bay of the Ju 52, which was the most common transport plane in the German Luftwaffe.

We’ll introduce various films that show these these vehicles in action, we’ll look at a blueprint of the Kettenkrad and talk about its mechanical specifications, and we’ll see them being produced during the war.

But first if you’d like to see more introductions of this type of primary source historical material please subscribe to our channel, and hit that like button. And now let’s take a look at those mountain troops training.

This footage is from the series Europa Woche and was released on December 5th of 1944. These newsreels were shown in occupied and allied countries and therefore often had very little, and sometimes no, German commentary. The content and quality of the newsreels is very good.

This blueprint is from the US journal Tactical and Technical Trends, Nr. 19 from 1943. I love the way they called it the German motorcycle tractor. It reminds me of how the first name for the V-1 was the flying bomb. I guess cruise missile does sound a bit more sophisticated.

If you are interested in me sending you the journal by download, subscribe to this channel, send me your email through the link in the description and in the comment section below please type - Journal.

The Kettenkrad had a 4 cylinder motor situated behind the driver which drove the front sprocket wheels of the tracks. The other 10 wheels were not powered. Turning the handlebars would apply breaking pressure to the opposite track and so made the vehicle turn. In extreme weather or terrain conditions it could also be used without the front wheel. It had an advanced suspension so riding over very rough terrain was smooth. It had carrying capacity 3 men, the two passengers would sit backwards on the vehicle.

Its top speed was 70 km/hour and had 5 gears, 3 for travel forwards and two in reverse. In addition it had road and off-road settings. With its tanks full, could travel about 250 KM. It had a length of 300 cm, a width of 100 cm and height of 120 cm and weighed 1560 kg.

Here is some great footage showing a Kettenkrad being transported by a German Go 242 glider. This is from the Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 675 from August 11, 1943.

In this final film clip from 1943 we see the Kettenkräder being produced.

Here on the production line they are being assembled. About 8800 were produced during the war with most of them being built in 1943 and 44.

The finished vehicles are rigorously tested under the most difficult of conditions.

This specialty vehicle provided the Wehrmacht an easily transportable and reliable mode of transportation in combat zones with the most challenging of conditions.

SEEN IN THIS VIDEO

Europa Woche

Nr. 93 / 5.12.44