One of the first references to the use of a Tatra air-cooled diesel engine (Tatra Type 111) in a German half-track tractor Sd.Kfz.9 of the 18-ton weight category can be found in a report Ringhoffer-Tatra-Werke A.G. from Nesselsdorf (Kopřivnice) on test runs dated 20.3.1944. One tractor was delivered directly from the Famo company in Breslau (Vratislav) sometime in 2/1944 (Spielberger1) lists delivery of one vehicle without engine from 12/1943 production). The original Maybach petrol engine was replaced by a Tatra diesel engine. The engine designation reported is Tatra 111, but various sources generally refer to the Tatra 103 type. The difference between the two types is unknown to me, presumably it is an identical engine with two different designations. The purpose of this modification was probably an attempt to save fuel. The original German Maybach HL 108 TUKRM petrol engine had a standard petrol consumption of 120 l/100 km, the Tatra diesel engine had a standard diesel consumption of 63.5 l/100 km. The tractor with diesel engine reached a top speed of up to 60 km/h. On 5 March 1944 the vehicle was sent on its own axis to the test centre in Kummersdorf. Probably, an order for this conversion was placed afterwards (Auftrag Nr. 65/44 of 3.11.1944 - order for the installation of a 12-cylinder Tatra diesel engine for Zgkw 12 t and 18 t). I am missing more information.
However, attempts to fit diesel powerplants to this tractor continued after the end of the war in Czechoslovakia. The photos attached to the topic are attributed in the historical literature to a trial rebuild (conversion) of V 926. In the case of "V 926", it was the installation of a Tatra T 103 (111) engine with an oil cooler. This conversion also had an additional gear. On the drawing of the additional gear there is an index V 926 (V926 2000).
There were more conversions. A post-war report of Tatra for the Ministry of General Engineering dated 5.3.1953 lists the following test conversions: V 913, V 918, V 926, V 948, V 949, V 951, V 952. These were the fitting of 8- or 12-cylinder engines to the armoured half-track "E 3 BMW" (?). This is how it is stated in the report. The consultant on this subject, Jirka Tintěra, forwarded me the opinion of Radek Zavadil, who believes that the "E" is a typo instead of "F" (F 3 was the designation of the main production version of this 18-ton tractor Sd.Kfz.9). Respectively, in my opinion, since it is supposed to be an armoured vehicle assembly, this "E3BMW" designation may refer to the 3-ton half-track, which however has little to do with this topic.
The vehicle in the photo has the military registration number "65 384" (taped over) and has the civilian test (trade) mark "M-NJ 038" (M - Moravia-Silesia, NJ - Novy Jicin) on the right front fender.
Interestingly, the photo records in the Opava Provincial Archives refer to this vehicle as "V 809". This number designation was used for several diametrically different types of vehicles.
In older sources, I found a reference to an experimental Tatra tractor with a 12-cylinder engine being referred to as 'T 810'. Whether this has any relation to this vehicle is rather unclear in the chaos of type designations and conversions. I assume that this is a misstatement.
The photos of the vehicle in the thread are dated to 4/1948.
correspondence with Jirko Tintér (Radek Zavadil), Dalibor Feuereisl
V 926 - montáž motoru s prídavným olejovým chladičom. Prototyp sa inak vo firemnej dokumentácii označuje ako V 809.
Vozidlo na fotografii má vojenské evidenčné číslo "65 384" (prelepené lepiacou páskou) a na pravom prednom blatníku má civilnú skúšobnú (obchodnú) značku "M-NJ 038" (M - Morava-Sliezko, NJ - Nový Jičín).
However, attempts to fit diesel powerplants to this tractor continued after the end of the war in Czechoslovakia. The photos attached to the topic are attributed in the historical literature to a trial rebuild (conversion) of V 926. In the case of "V 926", it was the installation of a Tatra T 103 (111) engine with an oil cooler. This conversion also had an additional gear. On the drawing of the additional gear there is an index V 926 (V926 2000).
There were more conversions. A post-war report of Tatra for the Ministry of General Engineering dated 5.3.1953 lists the following test conversions: V 913, V 918, V 926, V 948, V 949, V 951, V 952. These were the fitting of 8- or 12-cylinder engines to the armoured half-track "E 3 BMW" (?). This is how it is stated in the report. The consultant on this subject, Jirka Tintěra, forwarded me the opinion of Radek Zavadil, who believes that the "E" is a typo instead of "F" (F 3 was the designation of the main production version of this 18-ton tractor Sd.Kfz.9). Respectively, in my opinion, since it is supposed to be an armoured vehicle assembly, this "E3BMW" designation may refer to the 3-ton half-track, which however has little to do with this topic.
The vehicle in the photo has the military registration number "65 384" (taped over) and has the civilian test (trade) mark "M-NJ 038" (M - Moravia-Silesia, NJ - Novy Jicin) on the right front fender.
Interestingly, the photo records in the Opava Provincial Archives refer to this vehicle as "V 809". This number designation was used for several diametrically different types of vehicles.
In older sources, I found a reference to an experimental Tatra tractor with a 12-cylinder engine being referred to as 'T 810'. Whether this has any relation to this vehicle is rather unclear in the chaos of type designations and conversions. I assume that this is a misstatement.
The photos of the vehicle in the thread are dated to 4/1948.
correspondence with Jirko Tintér (Radek Zavadil), Dalibor Feuereisl
Hilary Louis Doyle - www.network54.com
Report on operational tests of Ringhoffer-Tatra Werke A.G., Nesselsdorf (Kopřivnice), 20.3.1944
Karel Rosenkranz with an appendix by Milan Olšanský - Nákladní automobily Tatra, published by Tatra, a.s., Kopřivnice 2007, ISBN 978-80-239-9877-1
Digital archive of the Zemský archívu v Opavě
Jirka Tintěra and Radek Zavadil
1)Walter J. Spielberger - Sturmgeschutze, Motorch Verlag Stuttgart, year of publication 1994, 2nd edition, ISBN: 3-613-01356-8
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V 926 - montáž motoru s prídavným olejovým chladičom. Prototyp sa inak vo firemnej dokumentácii označuje ako V 809.
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Vozidlo na fotografii má vojenské evidenčné číslo "65 384" (prelepené lepiacou páskou) a na pravom prednom blatníku má civilnú skúšobnú (obchodnú) značku "M-NJ 038" (M - Morava-Sliezko, NJ - Nový Jičín).