Book Review of
With Raupenschlepper Ost
On the Eastern Front
Orel-Brjansk-Kowel-Warsaw-Danzig
Author: Wilhelm Bender
Peko Publishing
ISBN: 978-615-5583-68-1
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $41.95
ISBN: 978-615-5583-68-1
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $41.95
HISTORY:
Raupenschlepper Ost (German: "Caterpillar Tractor East", more commonly abbreviated to RSO) was a fully tracked, lightweight vehicle used by the Wehrmacht in World War II. It was conceived in response to the poor performance of wheeled and half-tracked vehicles in the mud and snow during the Wehrmacht's first autumn and winter on the Soviet Front.
The RSO was a contemporary with somewhat similar Allied full-tracked small artillery tractors in use in other armies (such as the Soviet STZ-5 "Stalingradets", and the U.S. Army's M4 Tractor), mostly originated from the pre-war light to medium series of Vickers artillery tractors.
Two variants of this vehicle were built: the basic cargo carrier, and a self-propelled anti-tank vehicle armed with a PaK 40 gun. Both shared the same chassis.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Prime mover
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
Mass: 2.5-3 t
Length: 4.425 m (14 ft 6 in)
Width: 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)
Height: 2.53 m (8 ft 4 in)
Crew: 2 (including Driver assistant)
Armor: None
Main armament: None
Engine: Steyr V8 3.5l / 8-cylinder Petrol/ 85 PS (RSO/01) 5.5l / 4 cyl Deutz diesel / 66 PS (RSO/03)
Suspension: Fully Tracked
Operational range: 300 km (190 mi)
Maximum speed: 30 km/h (19 mph)
THE BOOK:
Peko Publishing is based in Hungary.
The book is hardcover, wrapped in clear plastic.
The cover art shows a Raupenschlepper Ost pulling a wagon, 4 German officers looking through binoculars and a photo of the book’s author in German uniform.
It never says what rank he was. I assume he was just a private?
The book contains 184 pages (4 are blank) in 11 ½” x 8 ¼”page format. There are 320 black and white photos that the author took during his service on the Eastern Front.
He served:
28 August 1939-4 March 1940 with the 9th Infanterie Regiment 485
5 March 1940-26 February 1941 with the 3rd San Ersatz Abteilung 12
27 February 1942-9 May 1943 with the Reserve Lazarett Lorchingen
10 May 1943-1 April 1944 with 3rd Leichte Artillerie Abteilung 849
2 April 1944-24 August 1944 with Stab/Leichte Artillerie Abteilung 849 (RSO)
25 August 1944-3 October 1944 with 5th Leichte Artillerie Abteilung 849 (RSO)
4 October 1944-11 February 1945 with 5th Heeres Festungs Artillerie Abteilung 849
12 February 1945 – 8 May 1945 with 2n Heeres Artillerie Abteilung 849
This is interesting reading about Bender’s exploits. It will be of interest to modelers planning on building a model of the Raupenschlepper Ost and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Peko Books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Raupenschlepper Ost (German: "Caterpillar Tractor East", more commonly abbreviated to RSO) was a fully tracked, lightweight vehicle used by the Wehrmacht in World War II. It was conceived in response to the poor performance of wheeled and half-tracked vehicles in the mud and snow during the Wehrmacht's first autumn and winter on the Soviet Front.
The RSO was a contemporary with somewhat similar Allied full-tracked small artillery tractors in use in other armies (such as the Soviet STZ-5 "Stalingradets", and the U.S. Army's M4 Tractor), mostly originated from the pre-war light to medium series of Vickers artillery tractors.
Two variants of this vehicle were built: the basic cargo carrier, and a self-propelled anti-tank vehicle armed with a PaK 40 gun. Both shared the same chassis.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Prime mover
Place of origin: Nazi Germany
Mass: 2.5-3 t
Length: 4.425 m (14 ft 6 in)
Width: 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)
Height: 2.53 m (8 ft 4 in)
Crew: 2 (including Driver assistant)
Armor: None
Main armament: None
Engine: Steyr V8 3.5l / 8-cylinder Petrol/ 85 PS (RSO/01) 5.5l / 4 cyl Deutz diesel / 66 PS (RSO/03)
Suspension: Fully Tracked
Operational range: 300 km (190 mi)
Maximum speed: 30 km/h (19 mph)
THE BOOK:
Peko Publishing is based in Hungary.
The book is hardcover, wrapped in clear plastic.
The cover art shows a Raupenschlepper Ost pulling a wagon, 4 German officers looking through binoculars and a photo of the book’s author in German uniform.
It never says what rank he was. I assume he was just a private?
The book contains 184 pages (4 are blank) in 11 ½” x 8 ¼”page format. There are 320 black and white photos that the author took during his service on the Eastern Front.
He served:
28 August 1939-4 March 1940 with the 9th Infanterie Regiment 485
5 March 1940-26 February 1941 with the 3rd San Ersatz Abteilung 12
27 February 1942-9 May 1943 with the Reserve Lazarett Lorchingen
10 May 1943-1 April 1944 with 3rd Leichte Artillerie Abteilung 849
2 April 1944-24 August 1944 with Stab/Leichte Artillerie Abteilung 849 (RSO)
25 August 1944-3 October 1944 with 5th Leichte Artillerie Abteilung 849 (RSO)
4 October 1944-11 February 1945 with 5th Heeres Festungs Artillerie Abteilung 849
12 February 1945 – 8 May 1945 with 2n Heeres Artillerie Abteilung 849
This is interesting reading about Bender’s exploits. It will be of interest to modelers planning on building a model of the Raupenschlepper Ost and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Peko Books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.