This picture show's an Sd.Kfz 8 ( by the pattern of the rear wheels ) that has an odd front cab. Most all have the fender over the front track wheel to be in a rounded curved shape. This one seems to have the fender shaped like the one on the late Sd.Kfz 7. It also seems to not have the standard rear bed as seen on the Sd.Kfz 8, but also like the late Sd.Kfz 7. Anyone know of anymore pictures of this particular vehicle?

http://i.ebayimg.com/07/!BrFQUhg!mk~$(KGrHqUOKjEEuf5gw1UqBLyKtjbpbg~~_3.JPG

Hello,
This looks to be a late model "Famo". It also looks to be destroyed. The rear superstructure and cabin look like they are in pretty bad shape. It is very hard to tell from the grainy black and white picture. That's my guess. For what it's worth.

It's definitely been destroyed/battle damage.
It may possibly be a Sd Kfz 7 ( Type KM m 11 ) which was the final version of the of the Sd Kfz 7 by which two more wheels were added & the track lengthened.

ralph

Interesting photo. The base vehicle definitly looks like an Sd.Kfz.8 12t to me but I see what you mean. It looks to have the armoured cab platform of the Sd.Kfz.7/2 so looks like it may have been an armoured FlaK version. I might have to start paying more attention to the wheels on photos of Sd.Kfz.7/2s to see if any in fact are Sd.Kfz.8s.

This is a slightly enlarged cleaned up version of that image ( just run through Picnik ) just for the purposes of this discussion.

After twiddling around with the photo a bit more on each end you can see a twisted metal frame for a canvas cover, so although I've never seen a photo of one I'm going to take a punt on something like the wooden bed late Sd.Kfz 7 with the wooden cargo bed burnt away.

So like an Sd.Kfz.8 version of this...

It's NOT an Sd.Kfz.7 because the bogeys have 8 slots instead of 7.

It's NOT an Sd.Kfz.8 because the bogey slots are either triangular or half-elipses (it's hard to tell from the photo). The 8's bogey's had round holes.

It's probably a LW Sd.Kfz.9. Please let's not call it a FAMO, because that's only the Patentfirma ("original contractor") name. Same as calling an Sd.Kfz.251 a Hanomag.

I like the idea of a wooden cargo bed having been burned away, except the engine shows no signs of fire, nor are the front wheels burned up.

...........or like calling a tissue a Kleenex...or any soft drink a Coke...point taken. I was just trying to point out that it was not an SdKfz. 8. Regardless...it looks to have sustained some damage.

Jeff

Jeff, I wasn't singling you out. After all, Tamiya calls it a FAMO, LOL. Just being a little bit anal. These half-tracks were built by a variety of firms, and FAMO (Fahrzeug und Motorenbau GmbH) was one.

The damage is very intriguing, as it looks like a fire, except the tracks aren't damaged. Given their rubber pads, I would think the tracks might fall apart if subjected to fire? Maybe Frenchy has some photos of burned-out German half-tracks?

No offense taken Bill. I should know better since WWII German vehicles are my main interest.
It does cause you to wonder how it was damaged. In the original picture there were two 88s parked behind it. It looks like there is some type of towing arm or cable attached to the rear of the vehicle...maybe towing the guns into position. If you look at the bottom right side on the original picture it is credited to the US Army Air Forces. Maybe an air strike? A very interesting puzzle here.

Just a thought...the picture is credited to the USAF (US Air Force) not the USAAF US Army Air Forces and there is a number beside it. Could it be a date? (92948) Sept. 29 1948...well over three years after the war. I don't think the Flak guns would have retained their camouflage tree branches for that long but who knows. Maybe the vehicle was stripped for scrap....??? Just a thought

Jeff

Sorry Bill, unless someone changed the running gear that's not a 9, it's definitely an 8. The 8 had 8 triangular holes in slightly concave outer bogeywheels and slightly convex inner and final wheel. It also had the solid hub late roadwheel.

The 9 had eight round holes. Same concave outer/convex inner arrangement.

Dimensionally the two are so close it's conceivable that the 9 just took the 8 and added a bigger engine and assossiated strengthening for the heavier workload. As far as I've been able to tell even the wheels are similar diameter ( I'm working on the possibility of converting a Tamiya Sd.Kfz.9 into an Sd.Kfz 8 )

Dean, I stand corrected. I had confused the two when looking at my research books, Nuts & Bolts v. 16 (Sd.Kfz.8 ) and Nuts & Bolts v. 12 (Sd.Kfz.9). That's what comes from getting older. Thanks for slapping me upside the head, LOL!

No worries Bill. And those are good books, in fact it was the diagrams and drawings in the N&B Sd.Kfz.8 book that got me to thinking it might be possible to convert an S.dKfz.9 into one, specifically the Bunkerknacker which would require significant scratchbuilding anyway.