Maultiers of the Wehrmacht (Germany 2ªG.M). Includes 3 vehicles. 1/35 ICM-DS3522

The Wehrmacht command, in its plans to conduct a blitzkrieg, well understood the importance of vehicles. Reliable mobility of combat units, delivery of military cargo, ammunition, transport of personnel, weapons and other tasks were assigned to the trucks. However, with the arrival of autumn 1941, in the difficult off-road conditions of the Eastern Front, thousands of Wehrmacht vehicles began to get stuck in the wet ground and snow. It was then decided to equip part of the trucks with a tracked trolley instead of the rear axle. This was done as part of the ‘Maultier’ (Mule) program, which aimed to create a half-tracked all-terrain cargo transport for the needs of the Wehrmacht.

In 1942, German industry began producing half-track vehicles based on three-ton trucks, among which were the Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz KHD S3000/SS M (on the KHD S3000 chassis) and the Ford V3000S/SS M (on the Ford V30 chassis). The Maultier produced by KHD received the military index Sd.Kfz.3c, and the Ford version, the Sd.Kfz.3b. These vehicles were versatile and possessed excellent off-road capability; they carried personnel and cargo off-road, towed guns, and with automatic guns mounted on the body, were used as self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. The closed body variants could be used as military ambulances.

From 1943, simplified cabins (“Einheitsfahrerhaus”) began to be installed in Wehrmacht trucks to simplify production. In turn, some Maultier were equipped with these cabins.