Škoda SK 13

German Reich/Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (1944-1945) Light Tractor – 1-2 Prototypes Built At the beginning of the Second World War, Germany faced a total resource crisis, especially in terms of fuel. In a panic, the country’s leadership sought for a cheap and plentiful equivalent. Along with synthetic fuel, steam engines were one of many …

3.7 cm Selbstfahrlafette L/70

 German Reich (1935) Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun – 1 Prototype Built It is well known that prior to WW2, the Germans were heavily involved in tank development. What is less known, is that they also experimented and evaluated anti-tank self-propelled vehicles, based on half-track chassis. These were intended to provide a quick anti-tank response to enemy …

Schwerer-Flammpanzer auf Tiger I (Flammanlage auf Tiger I – ‘Flammpanzer VI’)

German Reich (1944-1945) Flamethrower Tank – 1 Incomplete Prototype There is something about a flamethrower that induces the primordial fear amongst those on the receiving end. The awe of seeing a sheet of flame projected towards you with little or no chance of stopping it was recognized as a very effective psychological weapon during World …

Schwerer-Flammpanzer auf Jagdtiger (Flammanlage auf Jagdtiger)

German Reich (1944-1945) Flamethrower Tank – Design Only The Germans were quick to exploit the devastating psychological effects of the flamethrower in the First World War with man-portable examples. Those were short-range devices that excelled at demoralizing the enemy and at clearing enemy positions. However, they were seriously limited by their weight, range and operational …

Demag D II ‘Liliput’

German Reich (1934-1936) Half-Track – At Least 3 Built The D II series of experimental half-tracks arose from the German Army’s pursuit of motorization in the years preceding the outbreak of the Second World War. Following successful trials with prototype designs that utilized the half-track principle in the late 1920s, semi-tracked trucks and prime movers …

Mahlkuch Armored Cover

German Reich (1938) One-Man Tank – None Built Ernst Mahlkuch is not a name synonymous with tanks or armored vehicles, yet he designed an armored vehicle at the height of pre-war Nazi Germany. He designed this vehicle not as the product of a ‘crack-pot’ inventor or an otherwise-untrained engineer, but from the mind of a …