“Snow tanks” why the Germans were so afraid of Soviet snowmobiles

Another 27/12/19 “Snow tanks” why the Germans were so afraid of Soviet snowmobiles

a significant role in the victory over Nazis in the great Patriotic war, as we know, played the infamous “General winter”, i.e. the Russian winter. The red Army was better equipped with winter clothing than the Wehrmacht. However, not everyone knows that Russian was also unique technique for the war in winter conditions – self-propelled combat NKL-26. The sound of the propeller, which brought them into motion, causing panic at the “Krauts”.

Development

the First self-propelled sled with the screw appeared in Russia before the revolution. It was invented by engineer Sergei Nezhdanovskoe. On the sled in those years, for example, loved to ride the Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich, cousin of Nicholas II. During the First world war, “snow car” was used for intelligence purposes. However, armed with the Imperial army they were few – only about 30 units.
In the USSR prior to 1939 was tested about 20 designs snowmobiles, intended for combat operations. The first production machine Glassimage the Moscow factory was the model of the OSG-1. Design continued to improve, and eventually during world war II the most widely NKL-26. They began to design in the summer of 1941 by order of the State defense Committee. The engineers were tasked to create a machine that can quickly move through the virgin snow, but it is inexpensive and simple to manufacture.

the Name of the DOT represents a reduction from the people’s Commissariat of the forest industry, which is subordinate to the manufacturing plants. From the NKL-26 had four skis, which were installed on the wooden case protected bronsitei. Self-propelled machine was set in motion located on the rear of the five-cylinder engine M-11 training aircraft U-2. The fire was on the go the commander of the crew with a machine gun DT of 7.62 mm, securedennogo on the turret. The driver-mechanic was driving the sleigh.

the role of the snowmobile

the Training of personnel we of battalions and companies was coordinated by a special body consisting of armored troops of the red Army. There were also prenesenie special units of the NKVD.
baptism of fire of the NKL-26 was held in the fields near Moscow in January 1942. About a dozen bronzani divisions became available to the 16-th army, Konstantin Rokossovsky, fought in the district of Kozelsk-of Madenska. In his book “Soldier’s duty” the captain called snowmobiles “very strong assistance not only for the living connection.” He often used the NKL-26 for quick movement along the front line on the road.
the German prisoners told the soldiers that the attacking planes had just hit. At first, the soldiers of the Wehrmacht took racing in deep snow machines are fantastic for a quick Russian tanks. As he wrote Rokossovsky, one of the attacks we company that watered the enemy fire of 14 guns, literally scattered the Germans. To escape the bullets, the Nazis would run into the woods and bushes, where self-propelled could not pass.

in Addition to the snow-covered fields NKL-26 was used on the ice of rivers and lakes. If necessary, they could take in tow up to two dozen skiers. Thanks to the speed and maneuverability of self-propelled vehicles rarely came under return fire – cases, their destruction is almost nebylo.
in addition to the battle for Moscow snowmobile has been successfully applied in other areas, for example, in Karelia and in the vicinity of Pskov. We battalions participated in hundreds of airborne, reconnaissance and combat operations. For example, the fearful roar of the screws NKL-26 played a major role in the storming of Novgorod, on 20 January 1944. One of the most important tasks of the snowmobile was also patrolling and protecting the Road of life, which carried out the connection with the blockade of Leningrad.

it is Worth noting that the Nazis also had a snowmobile (the name in German was borrowed from the Russian language, Aerosani). However, the Wehrmacht used them on a smaller scale, mainly on the lakes of Karelia. German cars with propellers inferior in its technical characteristics of Soviet and therefore, usually avoided direct confrontations with them.

Timur Sagdiyev

Source:
© Russian Seven

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