killmore Posted December 2, 1999 Share Posted December 2, 1999 Did those ever existed? Seems like a good combination of mobility and firepower. Was it even possible to put 88 onto the halftruck or was it too large/heavy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted December 2, 1999 Share Posted December 2, 1999 From 'German Army Semi-Tracks 1939-45, Part 1, Prime Movers and Self Propelled Carriages' by P. Chamberlain and H. Doyle: '1943 8.8cm FLAK 37(sf) auf Zugkraftwagen 18t Crew: 9 estimated Weight: 25 tons This vehicle represents a most interesting conversion. In an attempt to provide mobility for the 8.8cm FLAK a small series of 14 of these vehicles were built to carry the 8.8cm FLAK 37 which was similar to the other 8.8cm guns (L/56) but with additional fire control equipment. Due to the size of the 18t vehicle an all round traverse could be achieved, special pivot arms folded down and increased the stability of the unit in action. The requirement for such vehicles did not continue as the war situation deteriorated and no further examples appeared. The armour was 14.5mm and covered all the crew compartment and engine. Conversion took place at Weserhuette of Bad Oeynhausen.' (book includes two photos) There is also a rare newsreel still of a 12 ton zugkraftwagen with an SP 88mm in France, 1940 in the same book. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killmore Posted December 2, 1999 Author Share Posted December 2, 1999 To me it sounds like match made in heaven in the late war. Perfect for defence and bugging out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeathome Posted December 4, 1999 Share Posted December 4, 1999 The Zug 18t is a BIG weapon system, also the vehicle had small outriggers to improve stability which would have slowed down any rapid movement - perhaps by just enough..... Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trooper Posted December 5, 1999 Share Posted December 5, 1999 The Italians had a similar idea with their equivalent, a 90mm gun, except lacking half-tracks, they put a turntable mount on the back of a truck. This also has outriggers, but I believe that more of these 90mm than the 14 German 88mm half-tracks were built. DWH Manic Moran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeathome Posted December 6, 1999 Share Posted December 6, 1999 Italy produced 90 and 102mm AA guns on truck mounts. The 102 had a minimum elevation of +10 deg, so probably isn't much use in CM! However the 90 had -2 min elevation, and fired 15-20 rounds per minute - will CM support ammo trucks feeding guns??!! Thye also made a fully tracked 90mm AT gun - the Semovente da 90/53. I don't know how many they made, but all Italian figure gamer's seem to use heaps of them!! Of course in CM they only get 8 rounds of ammo and will have o tow around a trailer with more, plus possibly a tracked ammo-carrier carrying yet more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Tom Posted December 6, 1999 Share Posted December 6, 1999 Working on the ammo-truck idea... I seem to remember reading that the Germans modified a substantial number of their Wespe's and Hummel's were modified as ammo carriers. This was to make up for the pitiful stores on the regular SP Guns. Sure, they would be virtually useless in direct combat (armed with only a HMG), but, their ammunition supply value would be invaluable. (Regular Hummel carried only 18 150mm shells!) http://www.achtungpanzer.com/humm.htm http://www.achtungpanzer.com/wespe.htm However, I don't know the time it takes to reload an empty SP-Gun, the value of accurate information from this site, or, the use it would be for a commander to drive around his frontline a virtrual moving bomb. But, it is something to take a look at for possibly CM2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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