Abteilung 502: Halbkettenfahrzeuge German Half-tracks (1939-1945) (HC)

The half-track vehicles represented the concept of mechanized infantry during World War II. We can find earlier examples where firepower is combined with mobility, such as the classic Dragon that appeared in the 16th century, or even better, the French Dragons portés that also used the vehicles under study. However, the main proponents of this idea were the German and American armies, with the Germans having a much wider variety of half-track models specifically designed to fulfill certain functions. Despite this, they did not last much beyond the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, perhaps due to the complexity of their maintenance, limited armor, and the vulnerability of the cargo area. They were replaced by wheeled vehicles that could perform the same function without problems, being cheaper to produce and less mechanically complex. In this work, we will delve into the study of German half-track vehicles during World War II, categorized under Sd.Kfz. or Sonderkraftfahrzeug (special purpose vehicles), which became the workhorse of the Panzergrenadiere, one of the first mechanized infantry formations in military history.