Kraka
The Kraka ( Kra ft ka rren) was a quad developed by the Zweirad Union . The vehicle was initially intended for use in agriculture and forestry as well as for disaster control and emergency services, but was then used in a further developed version as a military means of transport by the Bundeswehr until the 1990s due to its good air transportability and parachute drop capability . The production took place in the vehicle factory Ansbach und Nürnberg GmbH. The Zweirad Union was a subsidiary of Faun at the time .
history
In 1962, Zweirad Union developed a vehicle designed for high mobility and off-road capabilities . The actual target sales market from the agricultural, forestry and disaster control sectors showed little interest in the vehicle. Since the Bundeswehr had been looking for an all-terrain, air-transportable weapon carrier for the airborne units since the experience of the Second World War, the manufacturer increasingly tried to win the military area administration as a buyer.
In 1965, the Bundeswehr acquired 50 vehicles for testing purposes. The vehicles were tested in detail at both test site 41 and the airborne division. From 1971, after the engine and chassis had been modified, quads known as 0.75 t gl Kraka type 640 trucks were delivered to the Bundeswehr. After a few other changes, a total of 862 Quads were added to the Bundeswehr in 1974/75.
The Kraka was retired from the Bundeswehr with the introduction of the Mercedes-Benz Wolf carrier vehicle and the Wiesel 1 weapon carrier vehicle in the 1990s.
Use and technology
The Kraka was the typical vehicle of the 4th / and 5th / heavy paratrooper companies and the anti-aircraft anti-aircraft company, airborne mortar company and airborne engineer company of each airborne brigade. These served both as a transport vehicle for the heavy weapons and as a carrier vehicle, such as the field cannon and the TOW, as well as an ammunition vehicle for other combat ammunition. The heavy hunter companies of the mountain hunter and hunter battalions, however, were made mobile with M113 and / or had tank destroyers (cannon) or (rocket).
The first prototypes were equipped with a two-stroke engine from the Goggomobil . This parallel twin from Glas achieved around 12 kW (16 hp) with a displacement of 400 cm³. The rims with size 6.00-16 tires were identical to the wheels of Auto Union's DKW Munga .
The light vehicle, which can be folded up in the middle to relieve air in a few simple steps, significantly increased the mobility of the infantry . The first Bundeswehr version of the quad had four specially developed low-pressure tires measuring 22 × 12 Lypsoid (spherical shape), but was otherwise initially unchanged. During testing, it turned out that the chassis was too weak for the intended payload of 750 kg. In addition, the built-in two-stroke engine turned out to be not powerful enough. Thus, the vehicle was equipped with a type 427 boxer engine from the BMW 700 that was throttled to 26 hp and, after reinforcing the frame and leaf springs, was able to transport around 750 kg of load with a dead weight of 735 kg. The long drive chains on each side of the small vehicle, which are used for power transmission, were a disadvantage.
The vehicle had a height of 1.19 m and was equipped with a loading area of 1.4 × 1.4 m, about 1.51 m wide. The length was 2.78 m; folded 1.85 m. The nominal maximum speed was 60 km / h, although up to 80 km / h were possible.
The chassis could transport various kits, among others
- the anti-tank missile systems PARS TOW with six anti-tank guided missiles,
- as a multi-purpose weapon the automatic cannon MK 20 Rh 202 from Rheinmetall ,
- 120 mm mortar and as
- Ambulance and ammunition transport.
The anti-tank guided missile MILAN , with which the IV / infantry companies were equipped, were mobile with off-road vehicles like the VW Iltis , later with the Mercedes-Benz G Wolf , and were deployed from field positions.
Technical specifications
engine
- BMW 427
- Number of cylinders: 2 (boxer)
- Bore × stroke: 78 × 73 mm
- Displacement: 697 cm³
- Power: 19 kW at 5000 rpm
- Torque: 50 Nm at 3000 rpm
- Compression: 1: 7.5
- Carburetor: 1 Bing equal pressure carburetor 64/32/16
- Valves: V-shaped hanging. Bumpers and rocker arms, central camshaft
- Crankshaft bearing: 3
- Cooling: blower air
- Lubrication pressure circulation, 2 liters of oil, with oil cooler
- Battery: 12 V 45 Ah
- Alternator: 12 V 130 W.
Power transmission
- Coupling: rear drive block, chain drive
- Gearshift: single-disc dry clutch
- Gearbox: 4 speed
- Synchronization: I-IV
General data
- Wheelbase: 2058 mm
- Front / rear track: 1138/1130 mm
- Overall dimensions: 2780 × 1510 × 1190 mm (height above steering wheel)
- Total length of the folded vehicle: 1850 mm
- Ground clearance: 280 mm
- Tires: Lypsoid 22 × 12 type L3
- Fording depth : 500 mm
- Turning circle-ø: 8.5 m
- Cart weight: 735 kg (with liquids)
- Permissible total weight: 1610 kg
- Seats: 3
- Top speed: 1st gear 12 km / h, 2nd 23 km / h, 3rd 35 km / h, 4th 55 km / h
- Minimum speed: 3 km / h
- Consumption: approx. 12 liters per 100 km
- Tank capacity: 24.5 liters
- Driving range: approx. 200 km
Source:
International comparison
The Kraka on the German side was a solution to the problems of airborne troops, which had already been recognized during the Second World War . The first real and supposed solutions for air- transportable light transport vehicles came about during the war, others later:
- Folding bikes include the BSA “Folding Military Bicycle” for British paratroopers.
- an English mini scooter, flat design, handlebars and seat post each at normal height and foldable ( Welbike ).
- Bernardet, a rather coarse motor scooter with a 250 cc engine.
- Cushman Airborne Scooter, a rough, sturdy scooter for parachute dropping.
- Valmobile, a miniature moped, folds into a suitcase.
- military Vespa scooter , with luggage rack, crash frame and pierced windshield for transporting ammunition and a light gun barrel. The scooters were used in the French army.
- a military tricycle from Italy, possibly from Piaggio , two seats side by side, with an additional single-axle trailer. Tested together with the Kraka in Germany.
- The Belgian Fabrique Nationale AS 24 is similar in design , a ball tire trike with a bench for four soldiers and trailers. The air-packable, compactly dismountable vehicle was used by the Belgian Army in 1962 during Operation Dragon Rouge in the Congo .
- M274 Mechanical Mule US Army, mainly used during the Vietnam War.
See also
Web links
- Website from faun-kraka.de
- Website with extended information (pictures, history and technical data)
- Bundeswehr Classix: Airborne Force carts (1975) ( YouTube video)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Anno 1970: Paratrooper training bivouac. (Video; 5:34 min) In: youtube.com. Bundeswehr, January 7, 2014, accessed June 4, 2016 .
- ↑ Faun KraKa (power carts). In: faun-kraka.de. Accessed March 15, 2014.
- ↑ a b c Kraka story. In: kraka.de. Andermann & Partner Softwaredesign GmbH, accessed on September 14, 2013 .
- ↑ a b Karl Anweiler, Rainer Blank: The wheeled and tracked vehicles of the Bundeswehr 1956 until today. Bechtermünz-Verlag, 1999, ISBN 3-8289-5369-7 , p. 219.
- ↑ bicycle Union Kraka. In: Lexicon of forgotten types of cars. Paul Pietsch Verlage GmbH & Co., accessed on September 14, 2013 .
- ↑ Truck 0.75 t gl Kraka (Bw). In: panzerbaer.de. Andreas Richter, accessed on September 14, 2013 .
- ^ Werner Oswald : Motor vehicles and tanks of the Reichswehr, Wehrmacht and Bundeswehr. Catalog of all types and models. Motorbuchverlag, 1971, expanded edition ISBN 978-3879438501 .
