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Among the many hafltracks on display at the fabulous World War II Victory Museum at Auburn, Indiana is this final production SdKfz 11 3t Leichter Zugkraftwagen. The SdKfz 11 was the
prime mover for a number of German artillery pieces, including the 7.5 cm PaK 40 and the 10.5cm le.FH 18, and also provided
the chassis for the SdKfz 251 armoured personnel carrier. The museum at Auburn had two SdKfz 11s on display, as well
as three SdKfz 251s, which provides an interesting opportunity to examine the similarities and differences between the vehicles.
The subject of this page is a very late production vehicle, produced by Auto Union (Horch). Over 25,000 examples were
built between 1937 and 1945 by six manufacturers.
The front end of the later versions are quite angular and very different from the curves that abound on earlier Sd Kfz
11s. The grillework is surprisingly delicate, and a prime candidate for photoetched in 1/35 scale. The Auto Union
(now Audi) hood ornament is apparent. The front tow hook, embedded in the bumper, is prominent, while details of the
front suspension and the rears of the wheels can also be seen here. The markings are for the 2. Panzer Division; I have
no idea whether they are accurate or original, but they certainly appear plausible. At least, they are plausible enough
for AFV Club, who included these very markings in their kit! I wonder whether this vehicle was measured by AFV Club
as part of the research for that model.
The exhaust for the Maybach HL42 6 cylinder engine protrudes from the left side of the SdKfz 11's hood, just as it does
with late model SdKfz 251s. The rather crude bending of the exahust pipe leading into the muffler is quite evident.
Under the fender can be seen the steering linkage, while some details of the drive sprocket are also visible. Some interesting
hood details are also visible, including the latches on either side (the hood hinges upwards, towards the centreline of the
vehicle) and the seal between the hood and the driver's cab.
This shot of the right wheel well shows the simple, angular construction of the fenders. Some details of the
wheels and hubs are also visible.
Although the quality of this photo is considerably less than stellar, it shows the "austere" (to put it charitably) cab
adopted for the final production versions of the SdKfz 11. I was told that the cab was made of pressed cardboard!
Gone are the complicated contours of earlier versions, replaced by flat windows, lots of right angles, and a cab that
looks like a shack (with a tent on the back). If the Beverly Hillbillies drove a halftrack, I think it would look like
this.
This photo shows some useful details of the canvas tilt for the wooden cargo body. The construction of the driver's
door and cab can also be studied here.
This view from the right rear of the SdKfz 11 gives a good view of the roadwheels and tracks. The wooden construction
of the cargo bed can also be seen, complete with some pretty nasty splits in the wood. A large U-bolt seems to hold
the cargo bed onto the frame of the vehicle. There is a step on each side of the cargo bed, seen to the right.
Looking up the rear of the vehicle, one can see how the fram and cargo bed connect, and get some idea of what the bottom
of the SdKfz 11 looks like. The towing pintle is at the left, and the hinges for the rear of the cargo bed can be seen
along the base of the bed. An item of interest is how the axle for the idler goes through the frame of the halftrack.
As you can see, this vehicle has been restored to a very high standard (as have almost all of the vehicles in this huge
collection), and provide an invaulable reference for an obscure vehicle. Seeing this vehicle made me want to go and
find the AFV Club SdKfz 11 (Late Model), which is the only 1/35 scale plastic rendition of this vehicle. I hope that
those of you who already have that kit find these photos of use.
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