Sd Kfz6 5 ton medium halftrack
John L. Rue

In the years before the Second World War, the production figures for the individual types were inadequately documented. Only the respective inventory reports from the army provide information on the speed at which these vehicles were delivered to the Wehrmacht. It is certainly important to note that on September 1, 1939, 1,506 vehicles were registered with the army and 68 vehicles with the air force.

During development, the Sd.Kfz. 6 was planned for use in the army’s engineer and artillery units. The vehicle was typically intended to be used in bridge columns and with the divisional artillery. Typical towing loads for these vehicles were the pontoons on Pf. 10 or Pf. 11 for the engineers and the light pontoons on Pf. 14 and 15 for the artillery, and the 10.5cm le.FH 18 for the artillery. The superstructures for these different tasks were different, as the engineers’ crews were larger and the artillery usually carried standby ammunition. The rough ratio of production for the superstructures is said to have been 1/3 engineer and 2/3 artillery.

As the war progressed, the Sd.Kfz. 6 was also planned as a towing vehicle for the 8.8 cm PaK 43 (K.St.N. 1146 of the heavy tank destroyer companies) with 12 m.Zgkw 5t each.

After Büssing-NAG was given the task of developing a new, standardized type, the Sd.Kfz. 6 was replaced by the new heavy Wehrmacht tractor from 1943 onwards.