What was the Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper in World War 2?
Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper (Heavy Military Tractor), or sWS for short, was a German World War II half-track flat-bed cargo vehicle used in various roles between 1943 and 1945. Production: 825 halftracks. Manufacturer: Büssing-NAG and Tatra.
What was the role of the Schwerer in World War 2?
The Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper (Heavy Military Tractor), or sWS, was a German World War II half-track vehicle used in various roles between 1943 and 1945. The unarmored models were used as supply vehicles and as tractors to haul artillery.
What kind of armor did the SWS have?
The first major variant in the sWS series was a combat conversion which added 8 to 15 mm of armor to the frame which gave the sWS the appearance of a completely armored SdKfz 251 half-track. Similarly, some versions of the sWS were only given an armored cab, keeping the open flat bed at the rear of the vehicle.
What was the SWS used for in World War 2?
The Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper or heavy tractor was not intended for the artillery or panzer units but for the infantry, and was mainly used for pulling the 8.8 cm PaK 43, PaK 43/41 or the 8.8 cm FlaK gun. The sWS, a heavy tractor, had virtually no armour and lacked the time consuming rubber parts on the tracks.