German Horse Drawn Transport.

[Gerard]

I would think that the dependancy on water would curtail the use of Horses or indeed mules. Camels would be more suitable.

[Za Rodinu]

Camels are not as easy to procure as horses or mules, especially for a continental european power... And camels drink as much or more water as the other, but only at intervals. So no dice there.

[von Poop]

From 'the flash' (and the best damned name for a website I've heard this week!):
Camelphotos.com (Camels at war.)

[von Poop]

I'm trying to build up a pictorial crib on German official models of horse drawn wagons but finding it rather difficult.
I've got some designations, mostly picked up from that Pallud book (again); Erzatz-feldwagen or ErFa40, Gefechtswagen (which seem to be numbered hf4, 5, 7 etc.) various different field kitchen/feldkuchen and one modern looking, heavy, metal, pneumatic tyred one apparently known as the 'horse-killer'.

Anyone seen any good web-reference specifically on these things or am I going to have to just order the Schiffer guide, which carries the 'sourcing fee' I dislike so much and from one sensible sounding review might be a little thin?

Cheers,
Adam.

[T. A. Gardner]

Originally Posted by Von Poop

This all raises an interesting question; what're the resources better spent on? Mechanised/Motorised transport as achieved early on (with varying degrees of success) by many allied participants, or concentration on the armour based on a somewhat old fashioned transport structure as largely practiced by Germany?
Strikes me as another example of the strange way Nazi Germany had of balancing needs, demands and capacity.

The US Army did a study in the 30's on this very subject based on their experiance in WW 1. Horse drawn transport, and horses in general, are very inefficent compared to motorized transport.
Fodder requires about three times the volume and is equal in weight to gasoline required for vehicles. An army cannot rely on grazing to feed their animals as this requires too much space and takes far too much time. Thus, fodder is the only solution.
Animals also require more human maintenance than vehicles. In addition to veternary requirements, there are requirements for ferriers, blacksmiths, etc to take care of things like harnesses and shoes. Animals also take considerable water and their down time for feeding, watering, resting, etc are all much greater than motor vehicles.
Cavalry operationally and strategically really do not move much faster than foot troops do. Tactically, they can be more mobile.
As for weight capacity, animals are very limited compared to vehicles. Just look at, say, a 105mm field gun. Using horses, 6 are requried along with a seperate ammunition limber with a small number of rounds on it. The crew must ride or walk seperately for the most part. The horse team requires two or three riders as handlers and the limber might seat 2 or 3. Additional ammunition has to be carried forward by other limbers and additional horse teams.
Using a single 2 1/2 ton truck a 105 can be towed with equal or greater ammunition carried along with the entire gun crew. If the vehicle is equipped with a winch it can also assist in limbering and unlimbering the gun. A second or third truck can carry additional rounds using a single driver each. The truck can also travel at several times the speed of a horse gun.
On this last, I have a model that shows how this works theoretically. I'll see if I can find it and post some of it up.
Basically, the US Army went to vehicles because they were far more efficent and cost effective than horses.

[Owen]

One thing about horses that you can't do with motor-transport was shown in the seige of Budapest.
Once food ran low they could be eaten.

[Za Rodinu]

What if you soak the tyres for long enough?

[Owen]

2 horse-power truck

Pancerne ciekawostki. - Ogólnopolski miesiêcznik ODKRYWCA

[von Poop]

Panjewagen in original markings at SdKfz.com:
SdKfz - Made in Great Britain - The Collection - Wehrmacht 'Panjewagen'

[marcus69x]

So if the German army was on par with the Allies in relation to vehicles instead of horses, do you reckon the outcome of the war would have been different?