V2ROCKET.COM - Support Vehicles

The specialized support vehicles and efficient supply methods of the V2 contributed greatly to the successful operational record compiled by German rocket troops. The firing of up to 8-12 missiles per day by some batteries showed the ruggedness in ingenuity of these vehicles. Some vehicles were adapted from existing Wehrmacht equipment and proved quite compatible.

Feuerleitpanzerfahrzeug für V-2 Raketen auf Zugkraftwagen 8-ton
Zugkraftwagen 8t - Sonder Kraftfahrzeug – Special Motorvehicle (Sd.Kfz.7/3) half-tracked prime-mover, powered by the Maybach HL62TUK, was converted to control post vehicles for rocket launching units. The rear of the Feuerleitpanzer was mounted with an armored superstructure to house the guidance and radio equipment and to protect the crew of 3 men from the blast and explosion. The vehicle also sometimes towed the mobile firing platform used to launch the rocket (Abschussplattform).

Meillerwagen Transporter/Erector/Service Tower - Meiller Corporation, Munich
The Meillerwagen consisted of two major components: the transportation frame and the erecting frame. The elevating assembly was powered by a hydraulic ram. The Meillerwagen would transport the V2 to the firing site, raise it, and then be used in fueling and servicing the rocket.

A-Stoff Betriebstoffanhanger Liquid Oxygen Bowser
The Betriebstoffanhanger Liquid Oxygen towed bowser was used at the railhead and at the firing sites. It was normally towed by a heavy tractor such as the Hanomag SS-100. The A-Stoff mobile trailer frame was heavily reinforced to withstand the weight of hundreds of gallons of liquid oxygen.

Opel Blitz T-Stofftankwagen
The Opel Blitz Ausf S Kessel-Kw. 3t tanker carried the highly-volatile T-Stoff (85% hydrogen peroxide 560 gallons & 15% water 80 gallons) that, along with permanganate, powered the rockets steam turbo fuel pumps. Shown also is the alcohol B-Stoff tanker version, which could carry 770 gallons. The vehicle was equipped with a rear pump, capacity 66 gallons per minute, and a hand pump 21 gallons per minute. Weight loaded 13,000 lb. It would require at least 2 tanker trucks to fill the large alcohol tank on each V2. Three trucks could fill 2 rockets.

Kfz.385 Flugbetriebstoff Kesselwagen
Another alcohol tanker used was the Opel Kfz.385 Flugbetriebstoff Kessel Kraftwagen. This was a 3t self-propelled B-Stoff alcohol tanker used by the V2 rocket troops. Originally built for use by the Luftwaffe, this vehicle would need a towed tailer pump.

Mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 12t Sd.Kfz.8
Halftracked prime mover of Wehrmacht troops, the Zugkraftwagen 12t heavy traction powered vehicle. The Sd.Kfz.8 was manufactured primarily at the Daimler-Benz factory in Berlin - Marienfeld and the Kruppwerke at Mülhausen, some also at Skodawerke at Pilsen. Manned by a crew of up to 13 and powered by a 185 net horsepower- this machine was used as a support tractor for the V2 troops, although shown in a few photos towing the Meillerwagen.

Vidalwagen Road Transporter
The Vidalwagen was used to transport the V2 from the railhead to the field stores and then again to the firing troop transfer point, where the missile would be hoisted onto the Meillerwagen. It was lightweight, but very strong. The 46-foot long A-frame tubular design could easily support the 4,485 lbs (2040 kg) weight of the empty V2. The Vidalwagen was designed by Otto Daus, at that time chief constructor in the Tempo-works at Vidal & Sohn Co. It is a very elusive subject as very little informations remains about this trailer. All documents were destroyed after the war to give the impression that Vidal Co. was not a war factory. Besides a few photos and the statement of Oscar Vidal, that the Vidalwagen existed, no one has found any documents about this transport wagon.

Towed Alcohol Bowser
Luftwaffe B-Stoff (alcohol/water mix) towed tanker unit.

Abschussplattform (Firing Table) and its towing dolly
The Pfaff manufactured Abschussplattform (firing table) was usually towed by the Feuerleitpanzer. In the center of the table there was a blast deflector with a hardened steel tip. The 3600 lbs steel framework of the Abschussplattform could easily support the weight of a fully fueled V2. The towing dolly worked extremely well in its design. Once the legs of the Abschussplattform were screwed down, the dolly was rolled away. Also shown is the electrical cable mast and attachment.

Fries / Strabo 15t Portable Gantry Crane
The portable Gantry Crane was manufactured in 1942 by 1. S. Fries & Son, Frankfurt, Germany. It had a capacity of 33,000 pounds, and was used by Wehrmacht maintenance units in removing turrets and engines from heavy German tanks, as well as use by the V2 crews. The crane could be erected from traveling position to the operating position in an estimated time of twenty minutes. It was easïly erected to the operating position because of its jack-knife tubular legs which were equipped with wire cable tackle blocks and manual winch. The motor was a ten-horsepower, three-phase, fifty-cycle 220/380-volt squirrel cage induction type. The holsting block, a twin sheave type using a six-37-strand three-quarter-inch galvanized cable, could be raised or lowered manually when power was off. Weight 17,250 Ib. - Length (overall) 48 ft. - Width (overall) 7 ft., 4 ½ ins. - Height (overall) 22 ft., 8 ins.

Hanomag SS-100 Schwerer Radschlepper/Heavy Tractor
Wehrmacht heavy tractor multi-purpose vehicle. Engine: D85 diesel, 6-cylinder, 8550 cc, 100 bhp@1500 rpm. Wheelbase: 3000 mm, Tires 270-20 or 10.50-20 (2DT), Overall specs: I=5545 X W=2460 X H=2420 mm, Weight: 6540 Kg (14,418 lbs), manufactured from 1936-45, after 1945 as the French ST-100.

Bussing-NAG 4500A-1 Heavy Truck
4X4 & 4X2, Engine: 6-cylinder diesel, 105 bhp, Wheelbase: 4800 mm, Overall specs: I=8165 X W=2350 X H=3100 mm, Weight: 5900 kg (13,000 ibs). The modified Bussing truck (pic-1) was fitted for mobile loading and servicing of the electrical batteries of the A4/V2 rocket. The basic Bussing vehicle version (pic-2) was used by the rocket troops for general supply & transport.

Schewer Wehrmacht Schlepper
Wehrmacht general purpose pulling tractor. Ideal for rugged terrain, this vehicle appears on V2 batterie vehicle lists as a tug for the Meillerwagen, although probably only used in heavily forested areas.

Other Equipment

Opel Blitz 3t type A Fernraket Erzatsteile (carried spare parts for V-2)

Opel Blitz 3t A-Typ Brennschluss Anlage 4X4 measuring troop vehicle. Contained all essential equipment for calculating the firing site.

Towed liquid oxygen trailer pump.

Two-wheeled cable carrier for electrical connections on site.

Magirus ladder used to access the V2 when upright.

Opel Blitz (3t) type A 305 - test truck I - test truck II carried the launch site radio transmitters. This vehicle contained the radio equipment that interacted with the Leitstrahlstellung guide-beam apparatus some 6-8 kilometers from the launch site.

Opel Blitz Maultier 3t S-type with radiocabin based on the S-Typ, with the rear running gear copied from the British Carden-Loyd carrier. Cables inside for connecting the antenna's with the transmitter truck radio installation. Take a good look at the window - you can see the outer rim of the big cable reel.

Steyr 1500/2000 Heavy, 4x4, V-8 cyl., 85 bhp. Used for power supply to the FR batterie (regular version of vehicle shown in photo, not power supply version).

Steyr 2000 at V2 operations. Used for power supply to the FR batterie.

Large compressor trailer Luftverdichter-Anhanger FR: Fernrakete=Long distance rocket. Used by group 5 of the batterie to pressurize the liquid oxygen tank.

Radar unit associated with V2 operations.

Large two-axle Würzburg-Riesen radar dish, used in guidence control.

A very special thanks to Bert Koopman for clarification, additions and great photos for this page. Also thanks to Bert Hartmann.