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maintenance, and its capability to take over a variety of roles - in every kind of terrain - that other vehicles lacked. The four road wheels per side, all in a single line as part of a "slack-track" system with no return rollers, comprised a much simpler suspension system, much more able to handle the
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None of the improved version ever reached the front. In
October 1943, Steyr was ordered by the Ministry of Munitions to cease production of any type of tracked vehicles. By then a new up-gunned version of the widened chassis had been designed and was planned to enter production in 1944; it had a more
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The project was carried out by Steyr. The suspension of the RSO remained unchanged, but the front driver's compartment was replaced with a low, lightly armoured superstructure. The result was a lightweight, cheap to produce, and highly mobile infantry anti-tank weapon. It was more exposed compared to
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Despite the decision to have Steyr shift its entire production line to the RSO/PaK 40, no specific order arrived, and only the approximately 60 pre-production vehicles were ever manufactured. While the first vehicles were rolled out from the production line, Steyr started testing an improved version
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Initially designed as a prime mover and artillery supply vehicle, it eventually served in a wide variety of roles. Immediately after the vehicle reached the
Eastern front, the combat units started using it for general transport duties. It gave outstanding service due to its reliability, its ease of
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The later model used a
Cletrac-type final drive (instead of the automotive-type differential unit used previously) along with many other improvements. The engine was mounted on the floor of the driving cab with the drive taken through a single plate clutch to the transmission. The transmission had
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four forward gears and one reverse. The suspension consisted of four large pressed-steel disk wheels on each side, mounted in pairs with elliptic springs. Steering involved upright steering levers to four hydraulic brakes on the sprockets and idlers. A spring-loaded
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The original version had a pressed-steel cab with a truck-like configuration similar to the wheeled trucks. The next two versions – RSO/02 and 03 – had a simpler, soft-top, slab-sided metal cab. All models had wooden, drop-side cargo beds typical of
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By 1943 infantry anti-tank units at the front complained strongly that it was almost impossible to move their guns using trucks at daylight under enemy fire, leading to enormous losses of equipment during "emergency relocations" (at the time a
556:
Division), due to the urgent need for replacements. Their low speed and light armour inevitably resulted in problems for these units trying to cooperate with those in other fighting vehicles. The German
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that incorporated a wider chassis and tracks; these changes improved cross-country performance and lowered the center of gravity, a problem in a vehicle of such a high ground clearance.
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possessed. Soon the orders for the RSO surpassed Steyr's production ability, and more manufacturers joined the vehicle's production in order to meet the ever increased demands.
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521:- on top of an RSO chassis. After seeing the blueprints, Hitler ordered a limited production run for combat testing, before the prototypes were completed.
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Although the vehicle was intended for use by the infantry anti-tank units, all pre-production vehicles were issued to armoured units (
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was fitted at the rear, and towing hooks were fitted in the front. It had a speed of about 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph).
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Two variants of this vehicle were built: the basic cargo carrier, and a self-propelled antitank vehicle armed with a
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responded by proposing a small, fully tracked vehicle based upon its 1.5-tonne (3,300 lb) truck, the
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Steyr V8 3.5l / 8-cylinder Petrol/ 85 PS (RSO/01) 5.5l / 4cyl Deutz diesel / 66 PS (RSO/03)
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conditions, without mud or snow freezing between the wheels of the complex overlapping/interleaved
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of the era. It had a ground clearance of 55 cm (22 in) and was originally powered by a
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403:, Tirana, the capital of Albania, after taking over the city from the Italians, September 1943.
317:. It was conceived in response to the poor performance of wheeled and half-tracked vehicles in
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V8 petrol engine of 3.5 L giving 63 kW (85 PS), which in the RSO/03
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purchased 100 RSO/01 tractors in 1943. These were used for towing anti-tank guns.
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691:, Nuts and Bolts (in German and English), vol. 29, Heiner Duske, p. 176
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full-tracked small artillery tractors in use in other armies (such as the Soviet
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Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the
European War, 1941–1945
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Approximately 23,000 RSO of all versions were produced by Steyr (2,600 pcs),
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L71 gun, by far the most powerful anti-tank weapon of its era designated
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388:, already in use in the army. The vehicle was introduced in 1942 as the
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powerful and less noisy V8 petrol engine to carry the 88 mm
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K43. It is doubtful any were constructed by the end of the war.
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explored a previously considered proposal to fit the 75 mm
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After the
Wehrmacht's first fall and winter (1941–1942) on the
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and snow during the
Wehrmacht's first autumn and winter on the
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required a fully tracked supply vehicle to maintain mobility.
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Andorfer, Volker; Greenland, Anthony J. (December 15, 2012),
469:-produced vehicles was replaced by a 49 kW (66 PS)
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suspension systems that German half-track vehicles like the
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for withdrawal), and their opinions reached the top ranks.
301:: "Caterpillar Tractor East", more commonly abbreviated to
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RSO/PAK40 at the
Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster, Germany.
517:/1 anti-tank gun – by then the standard PaK used by the
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A Raupenschlepper Ost (RSO) in service just before the
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Raupenschlepper OST Steyr (Catalog of Enemy
Ordnance
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60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
399:A Raupenschlepper Ost pulling 105 mm howitzer in
328:The RSO was a contemporary with somewhat similar
1012:Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944
701:Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995,
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8:
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133:
767:, U.S. Office of Chief of Ordnance, 1945)
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
771:HyperScale Raupenschlepper Ost Reference
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336:"Stalingradets", and the U.S. Army's
7:
58:adding citations to reliable sources
347:gun. Both shared the same chassis.
195:4.425 m (14 ft 6 in)
450:Museum of Military History, Vienna
438:Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum
309:, lightweight vehicle used by the
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623:, used in Europe and the Americas
211:2.53 m (8 ft 4 in)
203:1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)
1002:World War II vehicles of Germany
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147:
34:
806:German vehicles of World War II
264:4 quarter-elliptic leaf springs
45:needs additional citations for
525:the conventional, open-topped
219:2 (including Driver assistant)
1:
492:Anti-tank variant: RSO/PaK 40
1017:Military vehicles of Germany
983:List of Sd.Kfz. designations
27:German light tracked vehicle
661:Komsomolets armored tractor
633:Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper
1033:
839:Einheits-PKW der Wehrmacht
587:Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz AG
473:air-cooled diesel engine.
351:Cargo carrier variant: RSO
286:30 km/h (19 mph)
153:RSO towing 105 mm howitzer
980:
688:Raupenschlepper Ost - RSO
276:300 km (190 mi)
223:
169:Place of origin
146:
972:VW 276 Schlepperfahrzeug
905:Bicycles and motorcycles
548:Panzerjager Abteilungen
386:Steyr 1500A light truck
729:This section is empty.
550:743 and 744, and 18th
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896:Leichter Einheits-LKW
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69:"Raupenschlepper Ost"
951:(V-2 rocket trailer)
945:(amphibious tractor)
54:improve this article
18:Raupenschlepper, Ost
943:Landwasserschlepper
886:Raupenschlepper Ost
871:Mercedes-Benz L3000
824:VW Kommandeurswagen
589:(KHD; 12,500 pcs),
390:Raupenschlepper Ost
363:offensive in Russia
294:Raupenschlepper Ost
139:Raupenschlepper Ost
1007:Artillery tractors
927:M42 Truppenfahrrad
763:2010-11-10 at the
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486:Kingdom of Romania
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841:(multiple models)
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646:Universal Carrier
619:The 21st century
601:; 5,600 pcs) and
418:Schachtellaufwerk
401:Skanderbeg Square
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16:(Redirected from
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881:Radschlepper Ost
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731:You can help by
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603:Gräf & Stift
559:Army Group South
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765:Wayback Machine
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922:Zündapp KS 750
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414:Russian winter
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282:Maximum speed
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179:Specifications
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829:VW Kübelwagen
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605:(4,500 pcs).
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374:Eastern Front
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71: –
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65:Find sources:
59:
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49:
48:
43:This article
41:
37:
32:
31:
19:
949:Meillerwagen
885:
861:Krupp Protze
737:
733:adding to it
728:
713:Bibliography
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621:Bandvagn 206
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459:light trucks
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417:
406:
389:
378:seasonal mud
371:
342:
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323:Soviet Front
315:World War II
302:
293:
292:
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173:Nazi Germany
138:
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116:
107:
97:
90:
83:
76:
64:
52:Please help
47:verification
44:
819:Trippel SG6
651:C2P tractor
528:Panzerjäger
428:Description
270:Operational
163:Prime mover
996:Categories
965:Prototypes
876:Opel Blitz
740:March 2014
667:References
656:Renault UE
627:M29 Weasel
591:Auto Union
581:Production
410:rasputitsa
338:M4 tractor
261:Suspension
80:newspapers
955:Sd.Kfz. 2
891:Tatra 111
640:Sd.Kfz. 4
531:style of
519:Wehrmacht
507:euphemism
500:RSO/PAK40
422:Sd.Kfz. 7
311:Wehrmacht
110:June 2017
866:Maultier
761:Archived
705:, p. 124
609:See also
599:Wanderer
448:RSO/03,
436:RSO/01,
256:85/66 PS
242:armament
917:BMW R75
595:Siegmar
575:Pz.Jäg.
467:Magirus
392:(RSO).
368:History
319:the mud
307:tracked
187:2.5-3 t
94:scholar
849:Trucks
571:PaK 43
515:PaK 40
479:pintle
452:(2010)
440:(2004)
345:PaK 40
330:Allied
299:German
251:Engine
208:Height
192:Length
141:(RSO)
96:
89:
82:
75:
67:
672:Notes
615:STZ-5
471:Deutz
463:Steyr
382:Steyr
361:Kursk
334:STZ-5
272:range
230:Armor
200:Width
101:JSTOR
87:books
812:Cars
484:The
246:None
240:Main
234:None
216:Crew
184:Mass
159:Type
73:news
735:.
593:'s
511:OKW
313:in
303:RSO
56:by
998::
325:.
799:e
792:t
785:v
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738:(
297:(
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117:(
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108:(
98:·
91:·
84:·
77:·
50:.
20:)
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