The Sd.Kfz. 11 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug - special motorized vehicle) was a German half-track that saw very widespread use in World War II. Its main role was as a prime mover for medium towed guns ranging from the 3.7 cm FlaK 43 anti-aircraft gun up to the 10.5 cm leFH 18 field howitzer. It could carry eight troops in addition to towing a gun or trailer.

The basic engineering for all the German half-tracks was developed during the Weimar-era by the Reichswehr's Military Automotive Department, but final design and testing was farmed out to commercial firms with the understanding that production would be shared with multiple companies. Borgward was chosen to develop the second smallest of the German half-tracks and built a series of prototypes between 1934 and 1937. However development was taken over in 1938 by Hanomag who designed the main production version, H kl 6.

The chassis formed the basis for the Sd.Kfz. 251 medium armored personnel carrier. Approximately 9,000 were produced between 1938 and 1945, making it one of the more numerous German tactical vehicles of the war. It participated in the Invasion of Poland, the Battle of France, the Balkans Campaign and fought on both the Western Front and the Eastern Front, in North Africa and in Italy.

The Sd.Kfz.11/4 was a modified version of the basic 11/1 3 ton and was used to tow 10cm mortars and later to carry 15cm and 21cm Nebelwerfer rockets, the vehicle was also used to tow the NbW 41 and NbW 42 rocket launchers. Basically identical with the 11/1 except for the rear storage compartments being enlarged to allow room for the rockets. The width of the rear section was also increased to allow the storage of longer rockets.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German Sd. Kfz. 11/4 3-Ton Nebelkraftwagen that was attached to 5th Werfer Brigade, which was deployed to Italy during 1944. Sold Out!

Dimensions
Length: 4-1/2-inches
Width: 1-1/2-inches

Release Date: December 2014

Historical Account: "Smoke Mortars" - The Nebelwerfer ("Smoke Mortar") was a World War II German series of weapons. They were initially developed by and assigned to the Wehrmacht's so-called "chemical troops" (Nebeltruppen). This weapon was given its name as a disinformation strategy designed to lead spies into thinking that it was merely a device for creating a smoke screen. They were primarily intended to deliver poison gas and smoke shells, although a high-explosive shell was developed for the Nebelwerfers from the beginning. Initially, two different mortars were fielded before they were replaced by a variety of rocket launchers ranging in size from 15 to 32 centimetres (5.9 to 12.6 in). The thin walls of the rockets had the great advantage of allowing much larger quantities of gases, fluids or high-explosives to be delivered than artillery or even mortar shells of the same weight. With the exception of the Balkans Campaign, Nebelwerfers were used in every campaign of the German Army during World War II. A version of the 21 cm calibre system was even adapted for air-to-air use against Allied bombers. The name was also used to fool observers from the League of Nations, who were observing any possible infraction of the Treaty of Versailles, from discovering that the weapon could be used for explosive and toxic chemical payloads as well as the smoke rounds that the name Nebelwerfer suggested.