00:20This was one of the most unique and interesting WWII vehicle, which was originally designed
00:26for paratrooper units to use it as a light tractor, towing guns, carrying ammunition, or wounded
00:32if needed. Later it was used in many different roles, and its great off-road capability and
00:38versatility made it a welcome sight for German soldiers. This was the SDKFZ2 Kettenkraftrad,
00:45the smallest half-track of WWII. So let's see the history of this vehicle today.
00:57The idea of half-track vehicles was not new by the time WWII broke out. During the 1930s,
01:03most countries experimented with these kinds of vehicles, and tested them for several roles.
01:08A French example is the Citroen Keg rest vehicle, or on the other side of the Atlantic,
01:13the US Army's M2 and M3 half-tracks. The German Army was no exception, and during the 1930s,
01:21they developed a series of different types of half-track vehicles, as the advantages of these
01:25over the wheeled vehicles far surpassed the drawbacks. Especially when we talk about towing vehicles
01:31and artillery tractors, used over rough terrain, through mud and snow. The low ground pressure and
01:37high traction achieved by using tracks was a very important factor for these vehicles.
01:43The German Army also used many types of motorcycles, and during the war several very good designs appeared,
01:49from BMW, Zündapp, NSU and other manufacturers. And from the combination of these two vehicles,
01:56born the topic of this video, the so-called Ketenrad. If you're interested in the history of half-tracks
02:03or motorcycles, the German Army used in WWII, I have already made videos covering the history of those
02:08vehicles. Check them out on the channel. But now back to the history of the Ketenrad.
02:14The development of this vehicle started in 1938 by NSU, initially as a light tractor,
02:21under the name Tracked Vehicle Narrow Tractor HK101. Initially this vehicle was aimed to be used by the
02:28newly formed paratrooper units. These units, sometimes equipped with anti-tank or anti-aircraft guns,
02:34needed a vehicle small enough to fit in the cargo compartment of the Ju-52 aircraft,
02:39but strong enough to tow guns, carry equipment and also possess good off-road capabilities.
02:46NSU being a motorcycle manufacturer, initially used as many already available parts in their new vehicle as
02:52possible. So the first models used a 600cc motorcycle engine, the fork design, headlights, handlebars,
03:00front wheel and many more also came from earlier motorcycle types. And they were combined with a tracked rear suction.
03:08But as it turned out, almost all of the original parts were inadequate for the task on this new vehicle.
03:15Using tracks and weighting around 1200 kg, it quickly became obvious the motorcycle engine producing barely 20
03:22horsepower would be too weak. The front fork was also prone to brake, as the front wheel was many times
03:28lifted from the ground during the off-road trials. But by 1939 the new vehicle was updated, using a reinforced
03:36fork design, and the engine was also replaced with a 1500cc Opel unit, producing 36 horsepower and more torque.
03:45The Ketenrad didn't receive any big redesigns during its lifetime, but it received many smaller changes
03:51and upgrades. Mainly focused on replacing problematic or weak components with stronger ones,
03:57or making the vehicle more convenient to use. For example, on the early models,
04:01both the front and road wheels were spoked. Later replaced by more robust cast road wheels and a stronger
04:07front wheel. The original front fork, after it proved to be too weak, was first strengthened,
04:12then later, from 1942, it was replaced with a new design.
04:19Early models of the Ketenrad used 8-spoke load-bearing wheels, which was later changed to a 6-spoke design.
04:25Also, later variants, the front tow hooks were moved to a lower position.
04:30Late war models from 1943 also featured metal panels over the rear side, replacing the earlier sidebars.
04:40Despite looking like a simple design, the vehicle was very complicated. It used a sophisticated steering
04:46system, as beside the front steering wheel, it had brake steering on the tracks as well,
04:51just like other tracked vehicles. The steering system worked automatically,
04:55when the handlebars were moved more than 5 centimeters to either side.
04:59So in wide turns, the driver used only the front wheel to steer the vehicle.
05:03While in tight spaces or tight turns, the steering brakes helped,
05:07allowing the vehicle to have a minimum turning radius of around 4 meters.
05:12This system was not just used for easier handling, but it was actually a necessity,
05:16because as we mentioned earlier, during off-road use the front wheel was often lifted from the ground,
05:21so steering with the wheel would have been impossible.
05:25But the transmission and the brake steering were actually the weakest points of the vehicle.
05:29The transmission gears and housing many times broke under stress,
05:33which as it turned out was mainly caused by low quality materials.
05:37The steering system and brake parts were also problematic,
05:40as they were not sealed properly and many times failed only in a few months.
05:45And if we are talking about the construction of the Ketenrad,
05:48let us now take a look at the technical specifications of the vehicle.
05:58The Ketenrad was 3 meters long, 1 meter wide and 1.2 meters tall.
06:06It had an empty weight of 1,280 kg and a combat weight of 1,560 kg.
06:15The vehicle used a 1,478 cc petrol engine producing 36 horsepower,
06:22driving a transmission with 3 forward and 1 reverse gear and low gears for towing and off-road use.
06:29The vehicle was able to reach a top speed of 70 km an hour and had a range of 250
06:36km.
06:38It had a carrying capacity of 3 fully equipped soldiers of 325 kg and was able to tow a 450
06:46kg trailer.
06:56The design of the Ketenrad was finalized by 1939,
07:00initially until 1941 no other roles were envisioned for the vehicle apart from the original paratrooper use.
07:06The military at the time showed little interest in the type.
07:10During 1940, only 150 units were produced in total,
07:14from which 70 units were delivered to the Wehrmacht for service trials.
07:19These early models can be identified by the original fork design,
07:238-spoke road wheels and the front tow hooks, which were about level with the headlight.
07:28The type entered service with the Army under the designation as the KFZ2.
07:34Despite its origins and looks, this vehicle was not a motorcycle,
07:37and it was not used by the motorcycle troops.
07:41It was categorized and used as a light tractor,
07:43and they were used to lay communication cables and carry heavier loads.
07:48They were also used to carry ammo to front line troops,
07:51tow light cannons or carry officers, or later in the war on airfields as towing vehicles.
07:58The type was first used in 1941 during the invasion of Crete.
08:02Later the same year they appeared on the East and Front,
08:05and this is where the type finally had the chance to show what it could do.
08:09Under the difficult conditions on the East and Front, in the deep mud and snow,
08:14the Ketenrad proved to be very useful in every role.
08:17Carrying personnel or ammo, rescuing other vehicles, and so on.
08:22The Ketenrad had very good traction and good power to weight ratio,
08:26making it very capable, and because of its smaller size,
08:29it could reach places heavier vehicles were unable to get to.
08:33After its debut on the Eastern Front, and showing what a capable vehicle it was,
08:38the army showed more interest in the type, and an SU received more orders.
08:41The production of the type picked up, and in 1942 a thousand units were built,
08:46which was expanded further to three and a half thousand units built in 1944.
08:51The interest in the type was understandable, as the Ketenrad was a great off-road vehicle.
08:56In low gears it had great pulling power, or it was able to climb by extreme angles,
09:01but on the other hand it had high center of gravity, so it could tip over easily on side slopes.
09:07But its narrow body again also meant it could reach areas other heavy vehicles couldn't.
09:13The type was also used in Africa, where it arrived in the same time in 1941, although in smaller numbers.
09:20For the hot, dusty climate they received several modifications.
09:24Stronger cooling, a different carburetor, different air and oil filters, and a modified starter.
09:31They were used everywhere in the European theater,
09:33and by the end of the war more than eight thousand units were built from the type.
09:37Many were captured and used by the Allied forces as well.
09:42In the last years of the war, other variations based on the original design appeared.
09:46One of them was the so-called Springer, or as it was officially called as DKFZ-304 Medium Charge Carrier,
09:54a radio-controlled demolition vehicle carrying a 330 kg explosive charge.
10:00I have already mentioned this vehicle in my earlier video, covering the German remote-controlled mines.
10:06The other late war variant was a larger 5-seat model of the original design,
10:11with a longer body and powered by a 2-liter 6-cylinder engine.
10:15But only a few prototypes were built from this model.
10:19Though these were the only two official variants based on the Keterrad,
10:23but it had many field modifications and experimental variants,
10:26some carrying machine guns or armor plating.
10:31The production of the original Keterrad was restarted after the war as an agricultural vehicle,
10:37and around 550 units were built until 1949, when its production ended for good.
10:45Though the Keterrad was not a big or heavily armed vehicle, it is one of the most interesting designs of
10:50World War II,
10:51mixing the best parts of motorcycles and the heavy towing tractors in a light vehicle form,
10:56with very good off-road capabilities and versatility.
11:03Hope you guys enjoyed this video.
11:05Please leave a like, subscribe to my channel,
11:07and in the comments let me know if there's any interesting events or vehicles you'd like to see.
