Krupp Protze L2 H143 Funkkraftwagen (Radio-car)

  We can trace the name Krupp back to the year 1587 in Essen, Germany.  Krupp’s steelmaking tradition began in 1799, with the acquisition of a mill called Gute Hoffnung (Good Hope) mill, and later, the construction of a steel foundry factory, founded in 1811.

  Krupp’s most important invention in those early days was in 1853: a seamless, highly resistant railroad-wheel. This wheel became the emblem of the company, three joined rings, in 1875.

   Despite frequent financial crises in Europe, in the turbulent years of the late 19th century, the company steadily expanded and strengthened. With the advent of World War I, Krupp production was almost exclusively converted to the war effort, especially in the manufacture of weapons and ammunition.

    After the Treaty of Versailles, Krupp was forced to change to the production of other products (special steels, locomotives, farm machinery, public works vehicles, engines (for trucks), etc. The “Truck Factory Department” went into business in 1919. The first model made in large numbers was the “Five-ton with 75 HP 4-cylinder Otto Engine” of 1920.

    With the end of the WWI and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, Krupp had to shift its production to other products, such as special steels, locomotives, agricultural machinery, public works vehicles, truck engines, etc. The first truck model produced in large numbers was the “Otto 4-cylinder, 5-ton engine with 75 HP” of 1920.

   In 1924, 1.5, 2.5 and 3-ton high-speed trucks appeared. In 1925 a modified 5-ton truck was launched. The first low chassis buses appeared in 1928. Until the Second World War, Krupp offered a wide variety of trucks with different chassis heights (H, M, N), engines (petrol, diesel, wood gas) and load capacities ( 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 5.5, 6.5 tons).

    Krupp carried out pioneering work in the construction of truck engines, through the development of high-performance carburetors for gasoline engines and air-cooled diesel engines. In 1937 the number of vehicles produced totaled 4.300, made by a workforce of 2.685 employees.

    In 1939, official Nazi Party requirements limited the production of civilian vehicles to 3-tonne and 6.5-ton trucks. In 1940, Krupp was obliged to build 12-ton heavy half-track tractors, the Sonderkraftfahrzeug 8 (“special motorized vehicle 8”), usually abbreviated to Sd.Kfz. 8, under license.

   In 1941 only truck engines, the Krupp Protze L2 H143 and Sd.Kfz.8 vehicles were in production. In 1942, the production of Krupp Protz, almost 200 a month, was stopped. That year, 3.403 employees were on the payroll. The first heavy air raids on Essen and the factory took place from March 1943. By the end of the war, 70% of the company’s facilities had been destroyed or damaged.

Geländewagen Krupp Protze  L2 H143 chassis left view

Geländewagen Krupp Protze  L2 H143 chassis rear view

    It was powered by a 4-cylinder, 55 hp or, from 1936, 60 hp Krupp M 304 petrol engine. Its main purpose was to tow artillery, especially the 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun (designated Kfz 69), and transport motorized infantry (designated Kfz 70), in the early years of WWII.

    This vehicle was extensively used on the Eastern Front, during the North African campaign and in France and Sicily. The “Krupp-Protze” was of relatively advanced design. Its fuel consumption was relatively high (24 Litres / 100 km on road) in comparison to the comparable Opel Blitz 1.5 t truck (16.5 liters / 100 km, produced 1938 – 1942).

Variants:

Krupp Protze Funkmastkraftwagen (radio mast car) – Kfz.68 Now, the soldiers are erecting the radio mast with his cables.

Krupp Protze Protzkraftwagen (artillery tractor) – Kfz.69 towing a 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun over a railroad

Krupp Protze Protzkraftwagen (artillery tractor) – Kfz.69 carrying a 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun (portée) in his deck. Notice the wheels of the gun in the Protze’s rear Panzerjäger Unit 44 – 1st Mountain Division Marne at Chateau-Thierry – France – 12 june, 1940.

Another Krupp Protze Protzkraftwagen Portée – Kfz.69 carrying a 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun with shield lowered

Krupp Protze Protzkraftwagen (artillery tractor) – Kfz.69 towing a 7,5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18 (7,5 cm le.IG 18) howitzer

Krupp Protze Protzkraftwagen (artillery tractor) – Kfz.69 towing a 7,5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18 (7,5 cm le.IG 18) howitzer over a pontoon bridge

Gepanzerten Krupp Protze Protzkraftwagen Portée – Kfz.69 armoured 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun (field adaptation) side view

Gepanzerten Krupp Protze Protzkraftwagen Portée – Kfz.69 armoured 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun (field adaptation) notice the absence of the spare tyre

Gepanzerten Krupp Protze Protzkraftwagen Portée – Kfz.69 armoured 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun (field adaptation) right view

Gepanzerten Krupp Protze Protzkraftwagen Portée – Kfz.69 armoured 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun (field adaptation)

Gepanzerten Krupp Protze Protzkraftwagen Portée – Kfz.69 armoured 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun (field adaptation) in action – 1941, Ukraine. – Russian Front

Krupp Protze Mannschaftskraftwagen Kfz.70 with soldiers during a parade, Germany 1937-1938. trucks in two-color cammo used during this period.

Krupp Protze Mannschaftskraftwagen Kfz.70 with soldiers during exercises, Germany 1938-1939. Visible tactical markers are visible only during maneuvers.

Krupp Protze L2 H143 leichter Flakkraftwagen – Kfz. 81 towing a 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft gun

Krupp Protze L2 H143 leichter Flakkraftwagen – Kfz. 81 towing a 2 cm FlaK 38 anti-aircraft gun in the fields

Krupp Protze L2 H143 leichter Flakkraftwagen – Kfz. 81 carrying (portée) a 2 cm FlaK 30 anti-aircraft gun

    The Krupp Protze radio-car truck was designed as a front line communicalions vehicle. Good communications were key to the success of the Blilzkrieg War and these and other vehicles were distributed to Division and Corps commanders in the field. The Krupp Protze radio-car had a large closed “office” type body, with provision for mast or cage antennas, depending on the radio sets installed.

Krupp Protze L2 H143 Funkkraftwagen (Radio-car) – Kfz. 19 being towed in the mud… Notice the third extra wheel at the rear and the big cage antenna in the top of the vehicle.

   These specialized vehicles allowed communication with other army units as well as with Luftwaffe control centers. The Telephone-car version – Fernsprech-Betriebskraftwagen – telephone operating motor vehicle – (Kfz. 19) mit Fahrgestell des l. gl. Lkw. (o). – was very similar, the main difference being the absence of large antennas, in relation to the radio version.

    They were used on all fronts until the end of the war in 1945. The Protze began to be replaced by more fuel-efficient and cheaper-to-make trucks from early 1942 onwards, with total production of all versions was 7,000 vehicles.