Engineering and Combat Engineering Vehicles.Allied or Axis

A few things do look like they should be in a museum LOL.

 

Japanese again

 

At least that one is gasoline or diesel powered.

 

Thats true LOL. Here is another US Dozer on Guadalcanal.

 

That's a 10cu yard earth mover being pulled by a crawler tractor, not a bulldozer technically.

 

LOL True again. But to me they are almost interchangable. One has a blade and one doesn't .

 

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Re post #92

I found this photo of a SS Stug in Italy which confirms what you said, so despite M13/40 etc being common in driver trianing schools almost anywhere in the reich these photos are almost certainly in Italy.

 

I noticed that on the backs of some of the vehicles there appear to be a Four Leaf Clover marking on the back. That may be give an another indication of where they could be.

 

B IV Demolition Carrier

The B IV Demolition Charge Layer
Schwere Ladungsträger (Sd Kfz 301)

During the invasion of France in 1940 a number of Panzer Is were converted into demolition vehicles for use on mines, pillboxes and fortifications. The success of these improvised vehicles lead to the development of a specialised vehicle, the Borgward B IV (B IV).

The B IV was designed so that it could be driven by an on board crew man within a safe distance of its intended target.
It was then radio controlled for the remainder of the distance to the target where the explosive pack on the front could be released before the vehicle was withdrawn and the explosives detonated.
Borgward based the design of the B IV on their already existing Gepanzerte Munitionsschlepper (VK301 Armoured Ammunition Carrier) first developed in 1937. The B IV was powered by a 6-cylinder, inline, water cooled, petrol engine much the same as available in contemporary cars and light trucks. It had two forward and two reverse gears. The wedge shaped Explosive charge module positioned in the front of the B IV contained 500kg of high explosives capable of knocking out bunkers, pillboxes and clearing large areas of mines (radius of 40 metres).
It was lightly armoured with 5mm of armour before having a further 8mm added to its sides during its initial production run. The Ausf B had its basic armour increased to 10mm.
Combat Use

The B IVs first major combat roll was during Operation Zitadelle. It was used mainly as a mine-clearing device as part of the 312., 313. and 314. Funklenkkompanien (tank radio-controlled companies). During the opening phases of the battle B IVs were used to clear mines in groups. A B IV would be driven up to the minefield, the driver climb out, and the vehicle would continue into the minefield by remote control.
Once in the minefield the B IV would be detonated clearing a 40-50 metre radius area of mines. A second B IV would them be driven after the first further into the minefield and detonated. It was estimated that up to four B IVs would be required to breach the Soviet mines in the Ninth Army’s area.

The 312. Funklenkkompanie (radio-controlled company) supported the 505. schwere Panzerabteilung (Tiger Battalion), but in this sector (31. Infanteriedivision) lanes had already been cleared by Pioneers.

The B IVs were used instead as reconnaissance at first for the Tigers, but were then utilised to knock out anti-tank gun positions, bunkers and other Soviet positions. They even managed to knock out a T-34.
The 313. Funklenkkompanie (radio-controlled company) was used with the Ferdinands of the 654. schwere Panzerjägerabteilung.
One platoon was lost when it ran into an unknown friendly minefield, while the other was only able to clear one lane through the Soviet mines for the Ferdinands to advance through. They then had several B IVs destroyed by Soviet artillery. As a consequence a large number of Ferdinands were disabled early in the attack on un-cleared mines.
The final company to take part in the Kursk offensive was the 314. Funklenkkompanie (radio-controlled company) supporting the 653. schwere Panzerjägerabteilung (Ferdinand).
The mines were so deep in their sector a total of 12 B IVs were used to clear a path. The control tanks were able to traverse the gap, but the following Pioneers were held up by heavy Soviet artillery fire. The Artillery fire also chewed up the ground and the Ferdinand crews were unable to recognise the correct lanes to traverse and many vehicles were lost to mines. Of the 653.schwere Panzerjägerabteilung’s 49 Ferdinands only 12 made it too their objective at 1700 hours.
Later models of the B IV (Ausf C) were issued to the 301. Panzerabteilung in August 1944, the control vehicles were 21 Tiger IEs, a change from the earlier control vehicles of Panzer IIIs and StuGs. A Platoon consisted of 4 Tigers, 3 B IVs and an Sd Kfz 251 to carry additional explosive charges.

Hobby

 

Description

German "trench plough" in action towed by Raupenschlepper Ost. Near Vitebsk/Belorussia, March 1944. (ftg)

 

This is from Wiki so take with a grain of salt.

• Armoured Stretcher
• Armored Lumberjack "Brasso Ki"
• T G Armored Bridge Layer
• Armored Engineer Vehicle Soukou Sagyou Ki "SS-Ki"(Type Ko,Otsu,Hei,Tei and Bo)
• Mineplow Tank "Chi-Yu"
• Swamp Crossing Vehicle (FB)
• Armored Engineer Vehicle "SS"
• Armored Lumberjack "Ho-K"
• Type 95 Crane Vehicle "Ri-Ki"
• Armored Recovery Vehicle "Se-Ri"
• Type 98 Mini Engineer Vehicle "Ya-I Go"
• High-Voltage Dynamo Vehicle "Ka-Ha"
• Type 97 Pole Planter and Type 97 Cable layer
• Type 94 Repair Vehicle
• Type95 Crane Vehicle "Ri-Ki"
• Snowmobile "Yu-Ki"
• Amphibious Engineer Vehicle "Na-Mi"
• Experimental Excavator
• Experimental Crawler Truck
• Type 95 Collapsible Boat
• Type 99 Pontoon bridge
• Rubber Rafts

 

I was looking up the Type T-G armored bridge layer/engineering vehicle and found this bit of info. That it was a rocket fired bridge based on the Type 97 Medium tank that was supposed to launch its 9meter-span bridge over obstacles. Only experimental.