UNIC-Kegresse P.107

History

"Halftracks" reached their zenith in combat use during World War II (1939-1945), with many designs surrounding the basic concept being put into service before the end. By installing a continuous track and wheel assembly at the rear of the truck-like body, and retaining the wheels (with steering capability) at the front, a new vehicle was born that retains the off-road capability of a tank with steering control tradition truck.

This allows useful war loads to be carried with advancing mechanized forces, and many of these vehicles are armed and armored for battlefield roles other than cargo transport.

One of the many half-tracks used by the French army on the way to the war became the UNIC "P. 107" - a product developed by Citroen based on the existing Kegresse patent. The car was another model in the long-running French half-track series of the 1920s, the 1934 model P. 107 was by far the most powerful - contributing to its popularity - this model was built in the early P. 17 The series was a success.

Following the bankruptcy of Citroen, UNIC was able to obtain a production license from the new parent company Michelin.

The P.107 produced two different versions during its long service life - the first became a dedicated artillery tractor for towing French Army light anti-tank (AT) artillery and indirect artillery. A soft top is standard to protect the crew (from 5 to 7) from bad weather, but does little to protect them from even minor battlefield hazards. Shells and other related mission equipment can be placed in the onboard storage compartment, making the P.107 an all-in-one solution.

The alternative variant became a technology-oriented vehicle with roughly the same form and function as the artillery tractor model - however, this design had an open cargo box at the rear, mainly for transporting engineering equipment and other Large mission components required.

By September 1, 1939, when World War II began, the French Army benefited from the number of half-tracked half-tracks in service in both forms. They are rugged and reliable platforms capable of performing a variety of standard and non-standard roles, making even the most inflexible Army a flexible product.

Such was the need for the vehicle, and both UNIC and Kegresse mass-produced to meet the demand.

With the fall of France in June 1940, many French half-track garages exist in Germany with new services, these bear the name of the Wehrmacht "Leichter Zugkraftwagen U 304(f)" - the small "f" details of their French ancestry. In German service, the type continued its excellent service history and was used in a variety of ways - artillery towing, troop transport, etc.

Some were even converted into SdKfz 250-style armored superstructures and used in front-line battlefield roles similar to their German counterparts.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

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Changes