Maultier (Mule)

The history of mules (mules)

Entering 1942, the German Army knew better than most the value of half-tracks when wading through the snow and mud of the Eastern Front. Under such unfavorable conditions, the half-track maintained its advantage over the wheeled track, being able to traverse soft terrain with little loss of momentum.

However, the Army has little ability to move half-tracks to the front line for other second-line tasks, such as resupply, and so sought a new, cost-effective solution.

This eventually came in the form of a "Maultier" (or "Mule"), which was simply a modified Daimler-Benz or Opel military truck with a tank-like tracked rear axle. The front axle remains on the wheels, representing the steerable part of the arrangement.

The rear axle consisted of running gear from the outgoing Panzer II light tank series, which in itself proved to be a very economical measure, as the Panzer II was still available in Universally available, the formula is a theoretical win -- albeit premature -- and the bulk of the mule fleet will consist of Opel Group trucks.

In battlefield missions, trucks can retain their general multipurpose utility, but their tactical value is now enhanced as they can keep up with mechanized troops on all types of terrain.

In practice, mods work for the most part, especially for supporting characters in vehicles. Because of their truck pedigree, they have inherent limitations and are not purpose-built half-tracks designed for heavy-duty military service. Nonetheless, the line made progress and was eventually used for tow missions and resupply/armament services, while another notable form was the modified mule used as a missile delivery vehicle for the Nebelwerfer detachment.

These versions added armor to the nacelle and engine compartment (protection against small arms fire and shrapnel), while placing a 10-round launcher (15cm anti-tank launcher) on a trainable mount above the top of the fuselage. The rocket launcher was a temporary measure until more sWS half-tracks (heavy Wehrmacht transporters - detailed elsewhere on this site) and arrived on the Eastern Front in 1943.

About 3,000 of them have been signed.

Maultiers continued until the end of the European war in May 1945. SWS production numbers never met demand (only a few hundred were completed), which meant that much more Maultier was produced than initially anticipated.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

Not applicable.

Changes