Sd.Kfz. 300 & Other Remote Control Vehicles.

These small one man vehicles were designed and built by Borgward for the purpose of clearing mine fields. Capable of being driven or radio controlled they could tow a set of mine clearing rollers.
The bodies were constructed from cast concrete to conserve armour plate.

Minenräum-Wagen Borgward BI (Sd.Kfz. 300)


Minenrollern


Control vehicle: Kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen I


Destroyed


The second version was slightly larger with an extra roadwheel and a six cylinder engine.

Minenräum-Wagen Borgward BII (Sd.Kfz. 300)


Crew


Rear


Destroyed


The amphibious version
Ente (duck)


Kummesdorff: Kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen I, Ente, BII

 

Great photos - not come across this before. How many were made?

 

Great photos - not come across this before. How many were made?

50 of the BI, 1939/40. The books say experimental use only of the BII, but I have read somewhere up to 100. Used in Russia 1941.

The Ente was prototype only. Only 2 produced.

 

First I've heard of these - great discovery Bod!!!

 

If the mine-roller is towed... I would think that the towing vehicle is destroyed even before the roller comes near the mines. At least I would not volunteer for a job as a driver of such a vehicle ;-)

 

I believe the later variants were driven to the location required and then the driver retired and used radio control from a safe distance!

Otherwise it would have been a suicidal to drive it into a minefield.

Regards
Tom

 

I believe the later variants were driven to the location required and then the driver retired and used radio control from a safe distance!

Otherwise it would have been a suicidal to drive it into a minefield.

Regards
Tom

They all were Tom, even these early ones. With the caveat that they weren't driven under their own power for any great distance, with a top speed of only 5 Km/h they were transported to the battle area.

 

Was the idea that it was light enough or tracks narrow enough not to set off large anti tank mines so the rollors could catch them.

Cant beleive its was terribly effective on any dense minefield if it was a once use only.

Kev

 

Also its interesting what the armour quaities of concrete vs Steel plate. Probably less effective for HEAT but more effective for AP or Shaped charge? No idea??

Kev

 

These vehicles were not the best thought through ideas, let's be honest. They were essentially disposable, if they lasted more than one use then so much the better. They were made of concrete not for any ballistic quality but for cheapness and conservation of the armour plate for more worthwhile machinery.
They were able to carry a 300Kg explosive charge when under radio control which could be detonated remotely or when set off by a mine. It would clear a 20 metre area of mines. In operation it was found that the trigger was too sensitive and the explosive usually detonated prematurely.

 

Absolutely. The later versions of the concept were perfectly acceptable. You could argue that if the BI and BII hadn't been so awful the later Sprengladungsträger BIV (Sd.Kfz. 301) would not have been built at all.

 

As an aside, does anyone have an opinion on this



ripped from that Polish forum, the caption states that it is resident in a Wroclaw museum. Wroclaw in Silesia, south west Poland, does have a military museum.
Could this be the elusive Borgward BIII? It seems to share some characteristics with the earlier BII and the later BIV. I know that the latter was based on their VK 302 experimental munitions carrier. Or is there another explanation.

 

Hard to tell scale but the closest I can find is the prototype Leichte Ladungsträger Goliath (Sd.Kfz. 302)(E-Motor)



Though what it's doing there is curious.

 

Excellent navigation, I couldn't track it down.
So for 'postwar Polish gear' read Soviet?

 

A couple of pages showing the Goliaths and the larger SdKfz 301 with driver onboard.

The hand transporter for the Goliath is neat!

Regards
Tom