German War Files - Military vehicles and Half Tracks
A loaded pistol WZ 28 car brands with early, with pneumatic tires repaired form over a cupola seems a signal flag.
A car rmoured WZ 28 an armored car based Polish units in early 1930, was one of the few semi-tracked armored vehicles models in the world most unique was that these cars were converted in full wheeler Although their service in the original form was short, but this design has proved important for Polish armor after conversion to WZ 34 model, despite the shortcomings, they constituted the majority of Polish armored cars available in the September 1939 campaign outside these three WZ 28 cars survived to take part in the campaign in their original form.
French armored car Citroлn-Kegresse AMC M23 above - prototype 3, below - 4 production car.
armored vehicle WZ 28 wzуr 28 was designed in Poland on the half-track chassis Citroлn French-Kegresse B2 10CV with Kegresse P4T monitoring mechanism One chassis manufacturer, Adolphe Kegresse was one of the pioneers of a halftrack player in the world and the most successful one since 1909, being the head of the Russian Tsar garages, he worked on the halftrack mechanism for cars one of its early models was used in an armored car Austin-Kegresse After the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, he left back for France, and he developed a long series of semi-tracked cars there.
The first French project Kegresse was a half-track mechanism with rubber tracks for a passenger car Citroлn B2 10CV of 1921, made famous for rally cross Sahara desert in 1922 23 Of course, first of all, semi vehicles -CHENILLES became a subject of interest to the army Kegresse most popular models in the French army were semi-tracked artillery tractors among other Citroлn-Kégresse P14 cars and cavalry among other Citroлn Kegresse-P19 but just in 1922 an armored car Peugeot was experimentally equipped with a mechanism halftrack as well in the following years several semi-tracked armored cars were designed in France in 1923, a prototype armored vehicle Citroлn-Kegresse AMC M23 was built, based on the Citroлn B2 10CV chassis with Kegresse P4 monitoring mechanism and a body by Schneider Two years later, a short series e M23 16 different cars, the prototype were built for the French cavalry They were armed with a 37mm SA-18 or MG gun Puteaux Some served in Syria and Lebanon u ntil 1941.
In 1928, four experimental armored cars AMC M28 somewhat larger were built with two arms located on opposite sides of a turret, and later Kegresse P16 monitoring mechanism Finally, 96 armored cars improved half-track AMC M29 were built Schneider in 1929-1930 they had Panhard 15HP engine, they were also known as AMC Panhard-Schneider-P16 Kegresse they were armed with a 37mm SA-18 gun and a coaxial machine gun in a turret These cars were used in units recognition motorized infantry GRDIm in 1940, but not too popular According to sources, in 1933-1935 12 other vehicles with improved engine 20hp Hotchkiss were built as six armored cars halftrack Citroлn-Kegresse not known the model were used in the army of one of the Chinese warlords, Wu P ei FU.
ARMORED WZ 28 with a body type over base 5.
The first car WZ 28 with a new body type, No. 5294 1.3.
The French experiences observed with interest the Polish army halftrack seemed a perfect solution for roads in poor countries, who were numerous at the time, especially in the current territories Eastern Poland from western Ukraine and Belarus therefore, a special committee was sent to France to test new halftracks.
The committee, however, some reservations about the first half-track armored cars French designs Therefore, the Polish government decided to buy chassis only, and own armored car design on them therefore 135 half-track chassis Citroлn-Kegresse B2 10CV were purchased, in 1924 it was decided to use 90 armored cars; the others were to be built like trucks or passenger cars.
An armored body was designed and manufactured in Poland, roughly modeled on the French CMA production cars M23, but more simple form of weaponry was the single 37 mm Puteaux low speed gun or a machine gun in a turret the main designer was Robert Gabeau of Wojskowy Instytut Badaс Inїynierii research Institute of military engineering Construction Bureau, with Jуzef Chaciсski workshops CWS Two prototype vehicles were built in 1925. There is no such mention in publications, but recently found the pictures indicate that the prototype had a different type rejected armored body and cylindrical turret see below prototype cars were then evaluated in numerous exercises of Central cavalry School as a result, one of these was saved for production.
The first 20 production vehicles were completed in 1927 and assigned to other trials in 1928, the design was accepted by the Army as an armored car designation wzуr 28 WZ 28-1928 Reason These are commonly referred Citroлn-Kegresse brief CK, or just Citroлn Poland All vehicles were completed in the SCF Centralne Warsztaty Samochodowe - Workshops cars Central Warsaw, armored plates were delivered by Bismarck steelworks Hajduki Wielkie now Chorzуw 1 at the end of 1929, a closer improvement was developed hull with a sloped rear plate and different proportions, and the last 15 cars were manufactured with a new shell, in July-August 1930 in 1930, 90 WZ 28 cars were manufactured, March 1 to them armed with cannon.
The cars of a training platoon at Central cavalry school, to 1925, with most likely the two prototypes of armored vehicles WZ 28 The right car is the accepted variation, while the car is left seemingly model alternative rejected, described for the first time on our page Note that it also has a P4 chassis type Between them - armored Ford Tf-c remarkable FT-B is its small size Photo courtesy of Julian Skelnik its collection.
After the first years of service, he has shown that training halftrack did not meet the expectations Maximum speed was low - not more than 30 km h h on the road May 18 halftrack The player needed a lot of maintenance and caterpillars rubber had low durability Off -Road capabilities are not outstanding at all, and does not compensate for the disadvantages of the high center of gravity and narrow increased risk of reversal on cross slopes because of these facts, in 1933, it was decided to convert cars into vehicles fully wheels, replacing the mechanism followed with a rear axle the first car No. 5423 was amended in this way in 1934, and his tests came out well there did worse off-road, but it was much more convenient on the road he then checked with an armored car military designation WZ 34 becoming armored car Basic Polish e in 1939.
Left WZ 28 car in the first series, wearing a camouflage Turret beginning just four colors visible 7 observation hatches, indicating the production lot earlier The car has a pointed nose last two digits of vehicle are retouched 1.3 right on the first WZ 28 car with a new body type - No. 5294 Note massive tracks and tire rafter 3.
It may be noted that, outside the Polish cars WZ 28 and mentioned French armored cars AMC M23 and M29 P16, the only armored vehicles series of half-track was the 1919 Soviet Austin Kegresse and SdKfz 250 German 9 1942 .
WZ 28 cars, probably painted in uniform green color.
The WZ 28 cars on parade in Warsaw, November 11, 1930 nearest car new hull are rare Renault Noteworthy M 26 27 tanks, also with Kégresse runs in the background A location is misidentified as Grudziadz in books .
The first two prototype cars WZ 28 were tested in maneuvers in Volhynia in August 1925 1927 began deliveries of vehicle production, supplementing and replacing armored cars Peugeot in armored units Polish armored units have undergone several reorganizations in that period among others, in 1928- 1930 there were five squadrons of armored vehicles in the independent cavalry divisions from 1930, there were two detachments of armored vehicles dywizjon our 1 and 4 and 2, in 1933 renamed the 2nd and 4th battalions they have also been used in a training center at Modlin from 1934 WZ 28 cars were also used in the Independent armored Car Company in Bydgoszcz last, February 26, 1935, were created several armored battalions, which were large the time units peace of mixed composition, including tanks too.
In 1931, the Polish Army received all 90 armored cars WZ 28 Thirty of them were used for training, while 60 were in reserve mobilization In the first five months of 1931, 18 cars have supported the police in removing the communist-inspired riots in the province of Malopolska It was then offered to sell these police cars, but the price was considered too high.
Between 1934 and 1938, armored cars WZ 28 were successively converted into WZ 34 cars in workshops units Unfortunately, a number of converted cars is not sure - it was converted at least 80, probably 87 cars According to the source 2, in 1939, was still a car WZ 28 in the 4th armored battalion in Brzesc on the Bug, also used for training three or two vehicles were left teaching in armored weapons CWBrPanc training Center in Modlin Presumably these cars were armed MG.
After World War II broke out in September 1939, the three remaining cars WZ 28 were included in the reserve armored weapons Center Nr 2 O RODEK Zapasowy Broni Pancernych, and formed an impromptu band, commanded by Lt. Feliks U cinski they were lost on a withdrawal track - the last was destroyed by Ukrainian nationalists saboteurs September 19, when the Polish column was broken to the Hungarian border.
Sources said that, instead of being converted to WZ 34 cars, four armored body wz 28 cars were mounted on the hulls of boats, creating armored River connecting boats Km 12 - 15 km, with a propeller driven by a motor shaft, however, a picture of two boats KM does not confirm, and it is doubtful many compare WZ 28 and 34 vehicles WZ this conversion was probably considered because there is such a sketch, but not deliberation.
WZ 28 cars of the 5th Squadron, 2nd Armored Car Detachment at the parade in 1933 Krakуw A model with an old shell and a blunt nose is visible, click to see a whole scene.
Right Squadron WZ cars Rating 28 mixed armament and different parts before.
Below WZ 28 squad cars armored 1 car Detachment BRZE ж, 1930 or 1933 first not 5421 car 37mm gun, the rest of our 5253 and 5282 have machine guns behind them - armored cars Peugeot A staff leading car Citroлn-Kegresse B2 10CV.
About 30 WZ 28 cars were armed with 37 mm SA-18 Puteaux L 21 low velocity guns with 96 rounds he was a First World War vintage weapon, is best for the fight against the locations of machine guns and infantry, but it could also destroy light armored vehicles at close range it had a telescopic sight with 1 5X maximum fire rate was 10 per minute he shot and aT hE rounds.
The remaining 60 cars were armed with a machine gun Hotchkiss 92mm 7 WZ 25 with 2,000 other sources 4200 22 24 2013-10-21 towers were mounted in two arms belts 252 rounds in similar gimbal mounts, usually rectangular with cars guns were squadron commanders or troops.
Armor - riveted steel plates rolled to 3-8 mm thickness of the vertical plates - 8 mm, the inclined plates - 6 mm, the background was not reinforced - made of wooden boards.
The armored body comes in two main variants It was riveted and bolted armor plates on a frame before there was an engine compartment, behind a fighting compartment, with a turret above an access door was on the side left, opening to the rear, and there was also a door to a back plate, opening to the left before the driver, there were one or two small windows two small ports of vision were in the door on the left and right all windows were protected with simple vision flaps slots before a radiator, before the engine has been protected by a door with two leaves, opening from the driver's seat the bonnet is openable for servicing.
The first most common variant of the body had a vertical rear plate, and the crew compartment expanded in two sponsons on tracks There were two windows before the driver in this embodiment the turret has been moved rearwardly, compared to the fighting compartment in a rear portion, the body was shorter, a framework, which created a step Photographs indicate that these vehicles were built in several series, which differ in the details, in particular a form of part radiator cap cars had a blunt nose, with a fixed portion above the radiator, part had a sharper nose, with a cap full appearance in length as pointed nose was in the first car, and also the last, with a newer hull the first production cars had 7 observation hatches in the sides of the turret, the rest were only two It should be e note that the bodies of differences have been rather neglected in the literature to date, and there is no reliable planning of these vehicles Some conclusions to be drawn from photos only further publications do not mention the first prototype unaccepted, shown in photographs on our page.
The latest version of the body had a sloped rear plate and the narrow hull turret was slightly wider than the hull This version had only one window before Proportions driver of the car were changed, comparing with the previous variant , because the entire seemes armored body to be moved backwards on the chassis, with the exception of the turret, which is remained in a similar position above the bogie frame According J Magnuski, only 16 new cars were made with new hull numbers 5294, 5449, 5572, 5573, 5579, 5580, 5584, 5586, 5589, 5591, 5594, 5596, 5599, 5628-30, and nine of them were armed rifle 1 more - on page 34 WZ car.
The turret is octagonal, with a small, hexagonal, the ventilation opening in two parts and signaling dome on the roof on the sides, there were two small flap windows, and a vision slits the first cars had windows 7 the turret is mounted on a roller bearing, and rotated manually.
According to the publications, the crew was probably three a driver, a commander and a gunner in March gunner sat on a bench on the left side of the crew compartment, in the fight, he was in the turret sitting on a belt, fixed between the walls of similar belt crew compartment was used as driver's record note that car WZ 34 had only two crew the car was not equipped with radio the commander was done with colored flags one removable lighthouse was on the left side before the driver's window, they differ on some cars.
Chassis of a rectangular frame before suspension was on quarter elliptic springs rear suspension leaf is the track mechanism Kegresse P4T, with a toothed wheel at the rear, an idler wheel at the front, and four double small roadwheels on a bogie bogie arose with double half -elliptic springs and are pivotally mounted on a transverse axis forward, there were solid rubber tires 710x90 mm or 750x90 mm later cars were tire tracks are rubber whose width was 275 mm 10 8 in.
Engine - Citroлn HP B-14 20 2100 rpm; 1477 ccm other source 1452 ccm, 4-cylinder 4-stroke, water cooled main transmission single dry mechanical gearbox clutch disc three forward gears and one reverse gear, with a reducing agent, which gave Release 6 forward speeds and two reverse tracks were only conducted brakes mechanical drum were on idle wheels, the auxiliary brake on the main direction of the shaft was made with the front wheels and a braking track.
Armored vehicles WZ 28 cars were first painted in a camouflage pattern four colors with low contrast, introduced in 1928, it consisted of irregular patches of dark green, dark brown, gray and sand only blue-gray colors were specified, forms patches could be different, but they were mostly vertical waves Some vehicles were only dark green a national mark at that time was the white and red shield with the oblique dividing line painted on the side.
The MG-armed car WZ 28 Squadron of the 3rd Armored Vehicle name is Poznaс in this unit, armed MG cars were named after cities, while armed firearms had female names, such as rating a Jaga flag on a cover, and something, which seems a stylish turn indicator arrow 1.
In 1932, there was a new disruptive three colors camouflage system introduced patches were separated with thin black stripes and shapes are more regular traditional quoted dark brown green colors publications, black and gray sand as the lighter shade but according to the latest research, based on the review of parts of caterpillars, it consisted of yellow sand, olive green and light blue-gray as the lightest shade it was known in Poland as camouflage Japanese style over the Bren page.
Vehicles that have survived until 1937, was painted in a standard camouflage final three colors of Polish vehicles see WZ 34, although he is not sure if anyone bothered with training vehicles repainting.
The armored car WZ 28 CWBrPanc armored weapons training center on a field training in Biedrusko near Poznan in August 1936 car door Japanese style camouflage pattern used in 1932-1936 right - the snowcat TK-3 February.
Polish armored car halftrack, Polish armored halftrack, semi-tracked armored cars.