Kübelwagen/Schwimmwagen: A Visual History of the German Army's Multi-Purpose Vehicle (Visual History Series)

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It concluded: ‘A study of the engine indicated that the unit was, in certain details, most inefficient… It is very doubtful whether it was even capable of giving reliable service had it produced performance commensurate with its size.’

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Humber, meanwhile, wrote a lengthy report that same year on a ‘German Light Aid Detachment Vehicle’ seized in the Middle East. Report of examination of a German Light Aid Detachment Vehicle type VW82", published by Humber Car Co. in 1943 (GB) At the same time, another Kübelwagen, also captured in North Africa, had been dissected in Britain by engineers of the Humber Car Company, whose report said it exhibited no "special brilliance" in design except in details and that "it is suggested that it is not to be regarded as an example of first class modern design to be copied by British industry". [12] During the 1960s, several European governments began cooperating on development of a vehicle known as the Europa Jeep, a lightweight, amphibious four-wheel drive vehicle that could be mass-produced for use by various national military and government groups.

Quite right; along with the Mk14 Torpedo, that was one of America’s major fails. But it was more about doctrine than technology or production (Evidence: they accepted the new light M24 w/o much fuss). Gen. Leslie McNair opposed an improved anti-tank gun for the Sherman, saying that was the job of Tank Destroyers. This was the Army’s initial response to Panzer victories of 1940, but it was obsolete by the time the US was involved; by then, the Germans were largely on the defensive. And in offensive war, who can say what sort of opponent a tank will encounter anyhow? The UK stumbled into a good compromise by D-Day: a mix of Fireflys & std. Shermans to cover all target types. Fireflys had poor HE ammunition & low rate of fire, but they could kill a Tiger I at combat ranges. The Weird and Wonderful pt4 Military VWs", Wheelspin, UK: LTV VWC, July 2000, archived from the original on 9 December 2014 , retrieved 16 April 2012 . Type 331: Prototype fitted for power by a "native fuel system" (acetylene gas) engine (also listed as Type 231) replacement a reproduction parts. Original parts were used wherever possible and only a few sheet metal partsType 82/8: Like regular open Type 82/0 Kübelwagen, but with body made of wood, to save on scarce steel resources Many other modifications were taken in account, resulting in a brand new model, renamed Type 82. Thanks to this the vehicle now corresponded to the Army's requests, production was setup and started in February 1940, so that thousands of Kübelwagens would be distributed to the divisions, ready for the Western campaign in May. Development did not stopped there however, as 36 variants were developed until 1945. The Kübelwagen, thanks to its geared hubs, could go as slow as marching troops 4km/h (2.5mph), yet reach a top speed of 80km/h (50mph). He wrote: ‘Shortly after capturing the VW, I made a trip down to Syracuse in Sicily. The only disturbing thing about the car was the speedometer, which, of course, read in kilometres. It was amusing to see my batman’s face when, on a good straight stretch, I pointed to the speedometer, which was indicating a shade over 100. The more complicated Type 62 Prototypes had four-wheel-drive and different engines, but since performances or capability does not proved better than the Type 82 they never left the prospects stage. In March 1943 however, a bigger 1,131 cc engine was adopted, which was initially developed for the Schwimmwagen (the amphibious equivalent of the Kübelwagen), which produced more torque and power. After VW closed its doors for years following the defeat of the IIIrd Reich, it had delivered 50,435 Kübelwagen vehicles, which proven itself useful, reliable, and durable and were also recycled for some in the world-beating Beetle in postwar years.

The Volkswagen 181 was only supposed to a fill in until the time that the Europa Jeep was ready. From 1968 until 1979, over 50,000 Type 181s were delivered to the NATO forces. Originally called the Kübelsitzwagen, the name was shortened to Kübelwagen as the Type 82 went into full production at VW factories in February 1940, with only modest modifications being made throughout the war until Germany was defeated in 1945. The biggest change came in 1943 when a new dashboard was introduced and the engine was upgraded from 985cc to 1,131cc by fitting one designed for the Shwimmwagen. Top speed was about 80 kph on flat, 20-30 kph on average on rough terrain. The wheelbase was only 2.40 m and weight 715 kg (1,576 lb) (GVW 1,160 kg fully loaded) but it had almost a 30 cm ground clearance thanks to the adoption of a portal gear hub reduction, which provided more torque at the same time. It had a basic 4-door utility roadster body layout. Since the body was not a load-bearing part of the structure, the chassis could receive a great deal of configurations and modifications for all purposes. All wheels had independent suspensions. Rear swing axle suspension with reduction gearing from the discontinued split-screen Volkswagen Transporter was used until 1973, when it was replaced with double-jointed axles used by Porsche and IRS semi-trailing arm setup as used on the 1303 and US-spec Beetles. It went on to add: ‘Looking at the general picture, we do not consider the design represents any special brilliance, apart from certain detail points, and it is not to be regarded as an example of first-class design to be copied by the British industry.’We took a brief spin in the rig, fittingly near the U.S. War College in Carlisle, PA, with a de-commissioned Howitzer aimed our way. As noted in the initial testing of captured Type 82, the ride and seating of this replica version is indeed comfortable, although more so, thanks to Intermeccanica’s modernization of the design. While the acceleration is moderate at best, the handling is smooth and predictable, and right in keeping with all-terrain intentions of the original design. manufactured include: Boxer - armored fighting vehicle, TPz Fuchs "Fox" - personnel carrier, YAK - armored Although the Kübelwagen acquitted itself very well, there was a perceived need for a more extreme-conditions vehicle, combining four wheel drive and amphibious capability. The Type 166 Schwimmwagen was a superb accomplishment, making it the most numerous mass-produced amphibious car in history. Military vehicles from Germany haven’t been featured on nearly such a scale at Amelia, but in a couple weeks, Bonhams will be offering a few interesting and rarely seen pieces of such World War II hardware. All three examples featured below are from the impressive collection of Gerhard Schnuerer and are offered without reserve—an exciting opportunity for military collectors everywhere. 1945 NSU SdKfz 2 “Kettenkrad” Mass-production started in February 1940, literally at the opening of the VW factories (known as Wolfsburg after the war), while the bodywork was produced by Ambi Budd Presswerke in Berlin. The design ws such a success that no major changes was required until it ended in 1945. The few minor modifications were aimed at simplifying the design (unnecessary parts) or strengthening some.

Manufactured in Wolfsburg, West Germany (1968–74), Hannover, West Germany (1974–75), Emden, West Germany (1975–78), [2] Puebla, Mexico (1970–80), and Jakarta, Indonesia (1972–80), the Type 181 shared its mechanicals with Volkswagen's Type 1 (Beetle) and the pre-1968 Volkswagen Microbus, its floor pan with the Type 1 Karmann Ghia, and its concept with the company's Kübelwagen, which had been used by the German military during World War II. As the body was not a load-bearing part of the structure of the vehicle, it could easily be modified to special purposes, just like the jeep's. The brief specified that the vehicle should weigh no more than 2090lb (950kg) with four fully kitted-out soldiers onboard, and a maximum of 1210lb (550kg) unladen. U.S. War Department, 15 March 1945. Handbook on German Military Forces, TM-E 30-451, Chapter VIII, Section II: Automotive EquipmentLong after the end of the war, VW resurrected the basic Kübelwagen design as the 1969 Type 181, developed for the German Federal Armed Forces and later also produced this model for the civilian market, which was known as "Thing" in the US, "Trekker" in the UK, and "Safari" in Mexico. Although similar in looks and design, almost no parts were interchangeable with the original Type 82. types of military ground vehicles designed for specific uses in various arenas of conflict, such as tanks Mayer-Stein, Dr. Hans-Georg (1993). Volkswagen Militärfahrzeuge 1938–1948 (PDF) (in German). Karl Müller Verlag. ISBN 3860708619 . Retrieved 7 August 2021. Intriguingly, an unnamed British officer in the REME described his experiences of driving a Kübelwagen in The Motor in June 1944. Our Models". Intermeccanica. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019 . Retrieved 25 December 2019.