kettenkrads

[panzerspaher]

i have heard that kettenkrads were produced under licence from us army 1945 to 1948.
is this true ?

[Sturmschar]

To the best of my knowledge the only Kettenkrads produced after the war were only those capable of being built from parts already existing in the factory at Neckarsulm, wether this was carried out under American licence or not is a matter of conjecture. There was no manufacture carried out post war.

[sparky]

what are the vineyard kk's that i here people waffling on about all the time? Were these the ones assembled from left over parts or are they a very similar looking machine. I hear a lot about fake kk's as well

[Pug42]

Sound like the ones 'claimed' and adapted by French farmers after the war - quite a useful vehicle on small farms! More than a few abandoned in the Rückmarsch across the Seine in 1944 I would imagine...

Others have turned up being used by the Norwegian Postal Service, again useful for mail deliveries in snow!

[Lochner]

Kettenkrads (had an Opel engine) and at least 531 were produced after the war, from '46 on and partially modified, also in France. Used in agriculture, forestry and rebuilding (useful machine - they could pull half ton). A planned large scale continuation of production at NSU, however, did not take place.

Ref: Opel Military Vehicles 1906-1956, Rckhart Bartels, 1997.

Would agree with Sturmschar likely built from wartime production excess as per Merc, Opel trucks

Lochner

[Hoffman Grink]

"Vinyard vehicles" included such exotica as SdKfz250 too - I know a man who recovered a Neue from a Pear Orchard in Normandie and it had the rear armour removed and a wooden "truck back" added - they used to drive it round the orchard stood inside picking pears directly into the back of the halbkette. Fell into disrepair after some local kids lit a fire inside it.......

As Dave said, Ketten were used by the Norgie Posties for a long while...... some Ketten around today are either wholly or part Norge rescues....... but I always thought they had NSU engines...... I will stand correction but I thought NSU and Stoewer were the only manufacturers.........? Anyone?

[Hoffman Grink]

Having just Googled Dave is indeed correct - They used the same inline 4 cylinder engine as the Opel Olympia "Noddy Car" (sorry John, it had to be done!)

[Brigardefuhrer]

avatar_17434.gif (57.53 KiB) Viewed 3783 times

I despair

[Hoffman Grink]

Amazingly that looks just like me out clubbing........