wreck of a knocked-out Panzerjäger mit 7,5cm Pak 40 auf Fahrgestell Somua MCG, source: Flickr.com, Public domain, modified

The Somua MCG Tractors

The Somua MCG half-tracks were manufactured by the French industrial concern SOMUA (Société d'Outillage Mécanique et d'Usinage d'Artillerie) from 1932, designed as prime movers for heavy 155 mm army howitzers. In its original form the vehicle weighed 6.25 tonnes.

The vehicle's running gear consisted of a steerable front axle and a rear track assembly. The track assembly was bounded at the front by a large drive sprocket and at the rear by a slightly smaller idler wheel. Between them sat four small and rather intricately mounted road wheels. The front and rear pairs of wheels were combined into individual bogies, and both bogies were then attached to a single larger bogie. A bracket for the single return roller, which supported the track from above, was in turn connected to the top of this main bogie. The main bogie was sprung by a substantial leaf spring and linked to the rear idler wheel by a metal beam. As can be seen, this track arrangement was very similar to that used on the Unic P 107 described elsewhere and several other French half-tracks of the period.

The German Conversion

After the fall of France in 1940, large numbers of these vehicles fell into German hands in excellent condition. The Wehrmacht began using them partly in their original form as cargo tractors. In addition, a considerable number were converted for other purposes — for instance as engineer transporters, ammunition carriers, or self-propelled anti-tank guns.

wreck of a knocked-out Panzerjäger mit 7,5cm Pak 40 auf Fahrgestell Somua MCG, source: Flickr.com, Public domain, modified

One such anti-tank conversion was the vehicle known as the Panzerjäger mit 7,5cm Pak 40 auf Fahrgestell Somua MCG. On the half-track chassis described above, a sizeable superstructure was built — wider and taller towards the rear than the angular engine bonnet at the front. At the rear, above the tracks, the armour rose further to enclose the gun's fighting compartment, with the gun itself mounted in the front wall of this space. As the vehicle's name suggests, the chosen main armament was the 75 mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun. The roof and part of the rear wall of the fighting compartment were left open, and a waterproofed tarpaulin could be pulled over them in bad weather.

These half-track tank destroyers were produced by the so-called Baukommando Becker, with a total of 72 vehicles completed. All of them subsequently served within the so-called Schnelle Brigade West.

ARTICLE
CONTENTS:

THE SOMUA MCG TRACTORS

THE GERMAN CONVERSION