Maultier
Sign in to saveAlso known as Opel Maultier, Mule half-track, SdKfz 3, SdKfz3, Special Motor Vehicle 3
Maultier (English: "mule") or Sd.Kfz. 3 is the name given to series of half-track trucks used by Nazi Germany during World War II. They were based on Opel, Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo or Ford trucks.
Key facts
- Weapon.name
- Maultier
- Weapon.image
- Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-559-1085-07, Italien, Flugzeug Me 323 Gigant, Opel "Maultier".jpg
- Weapon.image_size
- 300
- Weapon.caption
- Opel Maultier exiting from a Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant transport.
- Weapon.origin
- Nazi Germany
- Weapon.type
- Half-track
- Weapon.is_vehicle
- yes
- Weapon.engine
- 3.6-litre 6-cyl petrol engine (Opel Blitz)
- Weapon.service
- 1941 - 1945
- Weapon.wars
- World War II
- Weapon.design_date
- 1941
- Weapon.production_date
- 1942-1944
- Weapon.crew
- 2
- Weapon.number
- 20,945
- Weapon.armour
- none
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-559-1085-07, Italien, Flugzeug Me 323 Gigant, Opel "Maultier".jpg
Show 3 more facts
- Commons category
- World War II Maultier Trucks
- service retirement
- 1945-01-01
- service entry
- 1942-01-01
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~2 min read
Article
4 sectionsContents
- History
- Production
- See also
- References
Maultier (English: "mule") or Sd.Kfz. 3 is the name given to series of half-track trucks used by Nazi Germany during World War II. They were based on Opel, Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo or Ford trucks.
==History== Soon after invading the USSR, German troops discovered that their wheeled transport vehicles were unsuitable for the sparse road network, particularly in the muddy conditions of the rasputitsa. Only half tracks like the Sd.Kfz. 11 could haul supplies to forward units in these conditions, but removing them from their combat role for supply duties was not feasible, so it was decided to produce half-tracked versions of standard Opel, Daimler-Benz, Alfa-Romeo and Ford trucks (lorries) by removing their rear axles, truncating the prop-shafts and connecting them to redundant Panzer I track assemblies. Heavier trucks (4 tons payload) were fitted with Panzer II track assemblies.