The SdKfz 2 Kleines Kettenkrad was a half-track used by Germany during World War II. It had gasoline powered, water-cooled, Opel Olympia 38 engine and was capable of propeling the SdKfz 2 at speeds of up to 49.7 mph (80 km/h). The weight of the Kettenkrad was 2,646 lb (1,200.2 kg) and the length was 8' 11" (2.71 meters).^[1] The SdKfz 2 had a one man crew and was capable of carrying 1 or 2 passengers.

The armament of the Kettenkrad was any weapon that the passengers possed and because the SdKfz 2 was a half-track, it was able to go in many different terrains including mud, snow, and sand. The fuel capacity was 11 gallons (42 liters) and it also had a 3 forward, 1 reverse transmission with a torsion bar suspension system.^[2] The main uses for the SdKfz 2 was to laying down cable, tow gun emplacements, or to carry troops. There were only two versions of the Kettenkrad besides the normal version.

VariantsEdit

The SdKfz 2/1 and SdKfz 2/2 were only differentiated by the fact that the 2/1 was meant to lay down normal cable and the 2/2 was meant to lay down heavy special cable. The SdKfz 2 was mainly used for the all-purpose function, not the SdKfz 2/1 or 2/2.

HistoryEdit

The SdKfz 2's prototype was the HK 101 and the second prototype was the HK 102, but the HK 102 came much later in WWII by which time the Kettenkrad was already in production. The Kettenkrad then appeared in 1939 because of the Whermacht's need for a small vehicles able to traverse mountainous, muddy, and snowy terrain.^[3] The Kettenkrad was especially useful for laying down wire and towing special trailers that usually carried the spools for laying down cables or supplies. The main use of the SdKfz 2 was in the Eastern Front where snow and mud are constant. Although the first use was in 1941 during the Battle of Crete where Junkers Ju 52s carried the Kettenkrad into battle.

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ http://www.wwiivehicles.com/germany/half-tracks/sdkfz-2-kleines-kettenrad.asp#p7TPMc1_7
2. ↑ http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt07/kettenkrad.html
3. ↑ http://www.kettenkrad.com/intro.html

Half-Tracks of the Wehrmacht
SdKfz 1 • SdKfz 2 • SdKfz 4 • SdKfz 6 • SdKfz 7 • SdKfz 8 • SdKfz 9 • SdKfz 10 • SdKfz 11 • SdKfz 250 • SdKfz 251 • SdKfz 252 • SdKfz 253