Book Review of
German Sd.Kfz. 7
Mittler Zugkraftwagen 8t (Medium Traction Car)
Camera On No. 17
Author: Alan Ranger
MMP-Stratus
ISBN: 978-83-65958-52-5
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $25.00
Copyright 2019
ISBN: 978-83-65958-52-5
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $25.00
Copyright 2019
HISTORY:
The Sd.Kfz. 7 was a half-track military vehicle used by the German Wehrmacht Heer, Luftwaffe and Waffen-SS during the Second World War. Sd.Kfz. is an abbreviation of the German word Sonderkraftfahrzeug, "special purpose vehicle". A longer designation is Sd.Kfz. 7 mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 8t, "medium towing motor vehicle 8t".
Development of the Sd.Kfz. 7 can be traced back to a 1934 Wehrmacht requirement for an eight-tonne (7.87 tons) half-track. Various trial vehicles were built by Krauss-Maffei from 1934 to 1938. The production vehicle first appeared in 1938 and was intended to be used mainly as the tractor for the 8.8 cm FlaK gun and the 15 cm sFH 18 150 mm howitzer.
Production was stopped in 1944. The vehicle was made by Krauss-Maffei in Munich, the Saurer Werke in Vienna and the Borgward works at Bremen. Because of its heavy power, it often found use as a recovery vehicle.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Half-track artillery tractor
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1938 - 1945 (Nazi Germany)
Used by: Nazi Germany, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria,Czechoslovakia (postwar), Allies (postwar)
Wars: World War II
Designer: Krauss-Maffei
Designed: 1934
Manufacturer: Krauss-Maffei, Borgward, Österreichische Saurer-Werke AG, Breda (Breda 61)
Unit cost: 36,000 Reichsmark
Produced: 1938 - 1944
No. built: 12,187
Variants: Sd.Kfz. 7/1, Sd.Kfz. 7/2, Feuerleitpanzer auf Zugkraftwagen 8t, Breda 61
Mass: 11.53 tonnes
Length: 6.85 m (22 ft 6 in)
Width: 2.35 m (7 ft 9 in)
Height: 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in)
Crew: 1 driver, 11 passengers
Engine: Maybach HL62 TUK, six-cylinder petrol of 135 PS, (133 hp, 99 kW)
Power/weight: 12.1 hp/tonne
Payload capacity: 1,800 kg
Suspension: Torsion bar
Fuel capacity: 215 liters
Operational range: 250 km (160 mi) on roads, 120 km (75 mi) off-road
Maximum speed: 50 km/h (31 mph) on roads
The Sd.Kfz. 7 was a half-track military vehicle used by the German Wehrmacht Heer, Luftwaffe and Waffen-SS during the Second World War. Sd.Kfz. is an abbreviation of the German word Sonderkraftfahrzeug, "special purpose vehicle". A longer designation is Sd.Kfz. 7 mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 8t, "medium towing motor vehicle 8t".
Development of the Sd.Kfz. 7 can be traced back to a 1934 Wehrmacht requirement for an eight-tonne (7.87 tons) half-track. Various trial vehicles were built by Krauss-Maffei from 1934 to 1938. The production vehicle first appeared in 1938 and was intended to be used mainly as the tractor for the 8.8 cm FlaK gun and the 15 cm sFH 18 150 mm howitzer.
Production was stopped in 1944. The vehicle was made by Krauss-Maffei in Munich, the Saurer Werke in Vienna and the Borgward works at Bremen. Because of its heavy power, it often found use as a recovery vehicle.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Half-track artillery tractor
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
In service: 1938 - 1945 (Nazi Germany)
Used by: Nazi Germany, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria,Czechoslovakia (postwar), Allies (postwar)
Wars: World War II
Designer: Krauss-Maffei
Designed: 1934
Manufacturer: Krauss-Maffei, Borgward, Österreichische Saurer-Werke AG, Breda (Breda 61)
Unit cost: 36,000 Reichsmark
Produced: 1938 - 1944
No. built: 12,187
Variants: Sd.Kfz. 7/1, Sd.Kfz. 7/2, Feuerleitpanzer auf Zugkraftwagen 8t, Breda 61
Mass: 11.53 tonnes
Length: 6.85 m (22 ft 6 in)
Width: 2.35 m (7 ft 9 in)
Height: 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in)
Crew: 1 driver, 11 passengers
Engine: Maybach HL62 TUK, six-cylinder petrol of 135 PS, (133 hp, 99 kW)
Power/weight: 12.1 hp/tonne
Payload capacity: 1,800 kg
Suspension: Torsion bar
Fuel capacity: 215 liters
Operational range: 250 km (160 mi) on roads, 120 km (75 mi) off-road
Maximum speed: 50 km/h (31 mph) on roads
THE BOOK:
Mushroom Model Publications (MMP) is based in the UK. All their books are printed in English by their associate Status in Sandomierz, Poland. Stratus also publishes their own line of books in both Polish and English.
This book is soft-cover of 80 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a black and white wartime photo of a Sd.Kfz. 7 on a dirt road next to a forest and under dark clouds. It belongs to a heavy gauge (large caliber) howitzer company, as denoted by the variation on the emblem painted in white on the driver’s side wing below the Notek light, Of interest are the two lookouts posted on either side of the driver’s cab. They are looking for any mines or other obstacles that the driver can’t see due to the length of the engine’s hood/bonnet.
Mushroom Model Publications (MMP) is based in the UK. All their books are printed in English by their associate Status in Sandomierz, Poland. Stratus also publishes their own line of books in both Polish and English.
This book is soft-cover of 80 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a black and white wartime photo of a Sd.Kfz. 7 on a dirt road next to a forest and under dark clouds. It belongs to a heavy gauge (large caliber) howitzer company, as denoted by the variation on the emblem painted in white on the driver’s side wing below the Notek light, Of interest are the two lookouts posted on either side of the driver’s cab. They are looking for any mines or other obstacles that the driver can’t see due to the length of the engine’s hood/bonnet.
The back cover shows 4 black and white covers of other MMP books in their CAMERA ON series. No, 14 "Morane Saulnier MS.406, No. 15 & 16 "Kaiserlich Und Königliche Eisenbahn-bau Kompanie" (Imperial & Conical Railway Construction Company) and No. 18 "Wurzburg Radar & Mobile 24KVA Generator".
The book holds 145 black and white war time photos. These include 3 photos of the Sd.Kfz. 7 pulling a 15cm Kanonn 18, 4 photos of it pulling a 88mm Flak 37, 1 photo of it pulling a 20mm Flak 28, 5 photos of it pulling a s.K18 105mm gun, 1 photo of it pulling a searchlight on a trailer, 10 photos of it pulling a s.FH 18 150mm gun, 2 photos of it pulling a 21cm Morser 18 heavy howitzer, 1 photo of it pulling an empty trailer, 1 photo of it pulling a disabled Pz.Kpfw. I on a trailer, 1 photo of it pulling a Panzer Jager on a trailer and 8 photos of it pulling a 88mm Flak 18.
There are 22 photos of the Sd.Kfz. 7 with a 2cm Flak 36 mounted on it and 2 photos of it with a 3.7cm Flak 36 mounted on it,
This is a neat book. I am a little disappointed that the book has no color illustrations in it. MMP books usually have color profiles.
Otherwise highly recommended.
This book will be of great interest to AFV modelers and military historians alike.
I want to thank Casemate Publishers, who sent me this review sample and also Roger Wallsgrove the owner of MMP books.
Casemate is the North American distributor of MMP books and all MMP book titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
There are 22 photos of the Sd.Kfz. 7 with a 2cm Flak 36 mounted on it and 2 photos of it with a 3.7cm Flak 36 mounted on it,
This is a neat book. I am a little disappointed that the book has no color illustrations in it. MMP books usually have color profiles.
Otherwise highly recommended.
This book will be of great interest to AFV modelers and military historians alike.
I want to thank Casemate Publishers, who sent me this review sample and also Roger Wallsgrove the owner of MMP books.
Casemate is the North American distributor of MMP books and all MMP book titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at: