Krupp Protze
The L 2 H 43 and L 2 H 143 "Krupp-Protze" (unofficial designation) was a six-wheeled 6x4 German truck and artillery tractor produced between 1934 and 1941 and heavily used in World War II. It was powered by a 4-cylinder, 55 hp or, from 1936, 60 hp Krupp M 304 petrol engine. Its main purpose was to tow artillery, especially the PaK 36, and transport motorized infantry.
| Krupp L 2 H 43 / L 2 H 143 / Kfz.70 | |
|---|---|
 Krupp Kfz.70 on display at Deutsches Panzermuseum, Germany. | |
| Type | Artillery tractor / Utility truck |
| Place of origin | .svg.png){kind=small} |
| Service history | |
| Used by | |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Krupp |
| Manufacturer | Krupp |
| Produced | 1934–1941 |
| No. built | 7,000 |
| Variants | Several, see text |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2,600 kg |
| Length | 5.10 m |
| Width | 1.93 m |
| Height | 1.96 m |
| Crew | 1 + 5 passengers + 1 light towed gun (Kfz.69), 2+10 (Kfz.70) |
| Armor | None |
| Engine | Krupp Boxer motor, 3.3 liters 53 or 60 hp |
| Payload capacity | 1,150 kg |
| Fuel capacity | 110 liters |
Operational range | 450 km (on road) |
| Maximum speed | 70 km/h |
This vehicle was extensively used on the Eastern Front, during the North African campaign and in France and Sicily. The "Krupp-Protze" was of relatively advanced design. Its fuel consumption was relatively high (24 Litres / 100 km on road) in comparison to the comparable Opel Blitz 1.5 t truck (16.5 liters / 100 km, produced 1938 - 1942). Total production was about 7,000 units.
Variants
A successful design, the Krupp-Protze was converted into several variants:
- Kfz.19 - Telephone truck
- Kfz.21 - Staff car
- Kfz.68 - Radio mast carrier
- Kfz.69 - Standard configuration for towing the 3,7 cm PaK 36
- Kfz.70 - Standard configuration for personnel carrying
- Kfz.81 - Ammo carrier conversion for 2 cm FlaK gun, usually towed
- Kfz.83 - Generator carrier for anti-aircraft searchlight, usually towed
- Sd.Kfz. 247 Ausf. A - Armoured personnel carrier, six-wheeled version, only 20 built in 1937; production went to Daimler-Benz, who built the Ausf. B four-wheeled version in 1941 and 1942.
Sometimes anti-tank (37 mm Pak 36) and anti-air (2 cm Flak) guns were mounted directly on the truck bed. Note on troop carrying capacity: Kfz.69 carried 2 in front with 4 in a pair of forward and rear facing seats (2+2+2); Kfz.70 carried 2 in front with 10 seated in the rear bed benches (2+10).
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Krupp Protze. |