Picture of the day
- Thread starter jwhc
- Start date
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
Balloon tires in action:
No traction issues here:
http://4.bp.########.com/-CZ2qjIPRD3w/UBwxSyE_vyI/AAAAAAAACfw/yiTKM_GXaFM/s1600/4.jpg
No traction issues here:
http://4.bp.########.com/-CZ2qjIPRD3w/UBwxSyE_vyI/AAAAAAAACfw/yiTKM_GXaFM/s1600/4.jpg
My late father-in-law was a Panzer Grenadier. I asked him his favourites weapons of the war. Answer without hesitation: "Kubelwagon and MG 34." I asked why ....
"Because when you needed them, they worked! The Kubelwagon got me out of Stalingrad before the complete encirclement."
What more can a soldier ask?
"Because when you needed them, they worked! The Kubelwagon got me out of Stalingrad before the complete encirclement."
What more can a soldier ask?
I see that most of you don't know about the Baja 1000 or the Mint 500 off road desert races. Most of the winners are 2 wheel drive volks based dune buggies. The fastest trucks are class 8 two wheel drive. I built off road racers and even a VW based one for my brother in-law. As president of Montreal 4X4 we were once rescued by a VW 1975 kubelwagen who conquered the mud better that our modified 4x4s. Never underestimate light weight with a perfect weight/power ratio of a 2 wheel drive.
True, not that a 25Hp VW engine weighs much but the weight is directly over the rear driven wheels and not at the front to drive the vehicle front down in bogs. Not that the motor weighs much is an understatement as its easily a two man lift and on a couple occasions I have Dragooned my mail man into giving me a hand lifting it out and setting on the bench. With the rear mounted engine you also get 50/50 weight balance on hard braking and being air cooled that takes away a whole range of issues. I had read an account of Ex-Wehrmacht/SS soldiers now fighting in the French Foreign Legion at Dien Bien Phu grossing about the American made jeeps being knocked out of use due to holed radiators and that that would never be an issue with the ever trusty Kübelwagen. And one last point is the wartime jeeps crossbar threaded tires sucked both on and off road at least with the skinny little Engebrecht or M pattern on a kübel one had a half ways decent tire of all surfaces and as DAD points out in his pics of balloon tires they certainly came into there own chasing Monty and company around N.Africa.
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I think that a type 181 ("Thing") would be an interesting toy and I suspect still some of the civilian versions are still around in the the US .... I think probably the Iltis would be more desirable.
Aircool engines might be nice and simple ... but give me a water cooled engine ... with a real heater any day for Canada. And yes I know there were heaters for the aircooled VW ... but if the regular units that warmed air over the exhaust system didnt induce carbon monoxide poisoning consider yourself lucky - and the gas fired heaters seemed to constantly threaten to blow you to kingdom come! Maybe I am exaggerating a little about the gas fired heaters - but for sure they could cause great consternation when they started to backfire without warning!!
This dashing young Panzer commander was quite fond of the Kubel. Although he earned the nickname "Kubel-Killer" for his habit of seriously pushing his luck scouting with them prior to panzer engagements.
Fair trade and a smart commander. Losing a Kubel here and there to get ground truth about the terrain and enemy positions kept a lot of his panzers intact and fighting, and a lot of his crews alive.
View attachment 55261
Otto Carius was a soldier's soldier, and a careful commander. He set the ideology aside (which most likely is what kept him from rising too far in the ranks), and fought to keep his men alive. That was always his goal.
Fair trade and a smart commander. Losing a Kubel here and there to get ground truth about the terrain and enemy positions kept a lot of his panzers intact and fighting, and a lot of his crews alive.
View attachment 55261
Otto Carius was a soldier's soldier, and a careful commander. He set the ideology aside (which most likely is what kept him from rising too far in the ranks), and fought to keep his men alive. That was always his goal.
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
Von Braun?
His autobiography was entitled I Aim for the Stars. Wags added "but sometimes I hit London..."
His autobiography was entitled I Aim for the Stars. Wags added "but sometimes I hit London..."
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
And if you need a little more space for your friends, there's always a Horch.
What's the device in front of the rad?
And if you need a little more space for your friends, there's always a Horch.
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
Notek Headlight, for ven you don't vant Tommy to zee you am nacht.
XRCD001 will be able to speak as to their effectiveness and utility.
XRCD001 will be able to speak as to their effectiveness and utility.
I seem to recall that's Rommel's command car - the Mammoth. It was captured from the British in North Africa, at least according to Colonel Hans von Luck, author of the book Panzer Commander.
Notek Headlight, for ven you don't vant Tommy to zee you am nacht.
XRCD001 will be able to speak as to their effectiveness and utility.
LOL--a German light with a German helmet on it!
Dashing? He kind of looks like Mr. Bean...
