Sd.Kfz. 8 – Foto e video

Le Sonderkraftfahrzeug 8 ("veicolo motorizzato speciale 8") era un semicingolato tedesco che vide un uso diffuso nella seconda guerra mondiale. I suoi ruoli principali erano come motore principale per cannoni trainati pesanti come il Mörser 18 da 21 cm, il Kanone 18 da 15 cm e il FlaK 38 da 10,5 cm, tuttavia era anche in grado di servire come trasporto di fanteria. Circa 4.000 esemplari furono prodotti tra il 1938 e il 1945. Fu utilizzato in ogni campagna combattuta dai tedeschi nella seconda guerra mondiale, in particolare l'invasione della Polonia, la battaglia di Francia, la campagna dei Balcani, il fronte orientale, la campagna del Nord Africa, la battaglia di Normandia e la campagna d'Italia.

fonte: Sd.Kfz. 8 su Wikipedia

The Sd.Kfz. 8 was a German half-track vehicle that was used during World War II. It was designed as a heavy tractor for towing artillery pieces and other heavy loads. The Sd.Kfz. 8 had a crew of four and could carry up to 12 passengers. It was powered by a Maybach HL 85 TUKRM engine that gave it a top speed of 50 km/h on roads and 30 km/h off-road. The Sd.Kfz. 8 was equipped with a 7.92 mm MG 34 or MG 42 machine gun for self-defense.
The Sd.Kfz. 8 was first produced in 1937 and saw service in various theaters of war, such as Poland, France, the Soviet Union, North Africa and Italy. It was mainly used to tow the 15 cm sFH 18 howitzer, the 21 cm Mörser 18 heavy mortar and the 8.8 cm Flak gun. The Sd.Kfz. 8 could also be fitted with special equipment for different purposes, such as bridging, engineering, recovery and fire-fighting. The Sd.Kfz. 8 was a reliable and versatile vehicle that proved its value in many situations.