The Kraftfahrzeug 15 was a military car converted from various civilian vehicles and used by Germany during World War II.
Description[]
TThe Kfz 15 was converted mainly from the Mercedes-Benz 340 commercial car chassis. Other converted chassis included the Horch 8301 and Horch 830B11, and Wanderer W23S1. The Kfz 15 was powered by a 90 hp, 6-cylinder, 3.5 liter Mercedes-Benz petrol engine, and a fording depth of 0.6 meters. The total length of the Kfz 15 was 4.44 meters, the total width 1.68 meters, and the total height 1.73 meters, while the total weight was 2,405 kilograms. The Kfz 15 had a top speed of 88 km/h and total operational range of 400 kilometers on roads. It also had a four speed forward, one speed reverse transmission gearbox. The Kfz 15 had no armor or armament, required one driver, and could carry up to three passengers. The performance of the Kfz 15 was mostly acceptable, but the long wheelbase did hamper it's cross-country performance.[1]
Variants[]
Two variants of the Kfz 15 existed, the first being the Kraftfahrzeug 15 Fernspech, which was a mobile cross-country communication center. The second variant was the Kraftfahrzeug 15 Funk, which was a cross-country radio car.[1]
History[]
The Kfz 15 was first used in military service in 1933, following the conversion of the Horch 8301 for military use, and vehicles on this chassis remained in service until 1938. It was followed in 1937 with the conversion of the Wanderer W23S1, which remained in service until 1939, and finally in 1938 the Mercedes-Benz 340, which was the most widely used chassis for the Kfz 15 design. The final version was retired from military service in 1940, however, many models remained in military service until much later in war.[1]
References[]
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