The Sd.Kfz. 2, Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 or short Kettenkrad was conceived and patented by a German inventor, Heinrich Ernst Kniepkamp and started its life as a light tractor for Fallschirmjager troops. The vehicle was designed to be delivered by the Luftwaffe Ju 52 aircraft, but not by parachute. The Sd.Kfz. 2 was built and designed by the NSU Motorenwerke AG, Stoewer. There were two sub-variants of the Kettenkrad, Sd.Kfz.. 2/1 Kleines Kettenkraftrad für Feldfernkabel and Sd.Kfz.. 2/2 kleines Kettenkraftrad für schwere Feldfernkabel. Both vehicles were used with a trailer and had field communication wire spools mounted behind the driver. The Sd.Kfz. 2/1 vehicle mounted a small wire spool and frame similar to the backpack piece used by the infantry. The Sd.Kfz. 2/2 utilised much larger spools, two of which were mounted on a frame behind the driver. Additional spools were mounted in a specialised trailer Sd.Anh. 1 Most
Kettenkrads saw service in Europe and the Eastern Front, and Libya, Egypt Morocco,
Algeria, Tunisia. Where they were used as troop transports, towing small cannons
or to lay communication cables, There were several different trailers designed
during the war for the Kettenkrad. The first was designed but never reached production
status. The second was the most numerous with longer hitch pole and solid wheels.
This trailer had the designation of Sd.Anh. 1 sonderanhanger, This was the only
one designed exclusively for the Kettenkrad. Two variations of this trailer, the
Sd.Anh. 1.1 and the Sd.Anh. 1/2. Both of these were modified to be used in conjunction
with the Sd.Kfz.. 2/1 and Sd.Kfz.. 2/2. These trailers were fitted with cable
drum mounting devices. Later in the war, Kettenkrads were used as runway tugs
for the Luftwaffe the aircraft would be towed rather than run the engines while
taxiing.
German Military Vehicles. ISBN-10: 087349783X Armoured Fighting Vehicles of Germany World War II. ISBN-10: 0214203077 Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World Two. ISBN-10: 1854095188 For a complete list of sources
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