Sd. Kfz. 302/303 "Goliath"

Sdkfz. 302 Goliath (302 leichter Ladungsträger Ausf. A Goliath; 303 leichter Ladungsträger Ausf. B Goliath)


A remote-controlled combat vehicle designed to destroy a target using a powerful charge. It was powered by two Bosch electric motors, one for each belt, powered by batteries. It also included a control vehicle. This ensured transport to the place of discharge and was controlled from it using two, 2000 meters long cables. This solution ensured that each engine could be controlled separately. It was also experimented with the Zundapp two-stroke internal combustion engine and radio remote control. For the first time, Goliath was deployed in combat in the Battle of the Curonian Spit, and later used during the Allied invasion of Normandy and the Ardennes. Due to its low speed and low ground clearance, it proved most effective against static targets such as field fortifications and barricades. He did this in suppressing the Warsaw Uprising.


Technical data:
Length: 1600 mm
Width: 660 mm
Height: 610 mm
Weight: 362 kg
Weight of transported charge: 91 kg

light charging strippers Sd.Kfz.302 (E Engine)





Development for a small vehicle designed to demolish point targets was commissioned in late 1940. Specifications specified that the vehicle should carry about 50 kg of explosives, should be powered by two electric motors with a power of 2.5 kW, which were to give the vehicle speed of about 8-10 km/throw. Only the front of the machine should have protection against small-caliber projectiles and should consist of 6 mm thick armor. The sides and back were made of classic steel and were practically unprotected from shooting. The vehicle was to be remotely controlled using two telephone cables.
The first experimental series of 15 pieces of Goliaths was completed in 4/1942. Subsequent series production of this version gave the following numbers:


1942 - 835 pcs
1943 - 1731 pcs
1944 - 69 pcs in 1/1944


In total, 2650 pieces were produced.





weight: 370 kg
explosive weight: 60 kg
length: 1.5 m
width: 0.85 m
altitude: 0.65 m
motor: 2 x electric motor Bosch MM/RQL 2500/24 RL2 (2 x 2.5 kW)
max speed: 10 km/h
fuel supply: 2 x electric battery
access to the road: 1.5 km
off-road access: 0.8 km
armor: 5 mm








leichte Ladungsträger Sd.Kfz.303a (V Motor)





The second serial version of the machine was powered by a two-stroke two-cylinder internal combustion engine. The slightly elongated version was to carry a 75 kg charge and the front part was to be protected by a 10 mm thick armor. This version was marked Sd.Kfz.303a.





weight: 365 kg
explosive weight: 75 kg
length: 1.62 m
width: 0.84 m
altitude: 0.60 m
engine: 2-cylinder Zündapp SZ7 703 cm3 (12.5 hp at 4500 rpm)
max speed: 11 km/h
fuel supply: 6 l
access to the road: 12 km
armor: 10 mm





light load striker Sd.Kfz.303b (V Motor)





It is essentially the same vehicle as Sd.Kfz.303a with the difference that it carried up to 100 kg of explosive charges.





weight: 430 kg
explosive weight: 100 kg
length: 1.69 m
width: 0.91 m
altitude: 0.62 m
engine: 2-cylinder Zündapp SZ7 703 cm3 (12.5 hp at 4500 rpm)
max speed: 11.5 km/h
fuel supply: 6 l
access to the road: 12 km
off-road access: 6-8 km








Serial production began in 4/1943 and gave the following numbers of pieces produced:


1943 - 2112 pcs
1944 - 2694 pcs
1945 - 123 pcs


So a total of 4929 pieces.








The first unit to test Goliath machines was 3.mittlere Panzer Kompanie/Panzer Abteilung 300 (F.L.). The first combat deployment was in the fighting in the Crimea, near Sevastopol in 6/1942.
Other units were created in 11/1942, namely Panzer Pionier Company (G) 811 and subsequently in 12/1942 Pz.Pi.Kp. (G) 812, 813 and 814. According to the organizational regulation, each of these units was to have 162 Goliaths and 22 engineers Sd.Kfz.251/7.
Pz.Pi.Kp. 811 and Pz.Pi.Kp.813 were deployed at Kursk in Operation Citadel in 1943. Later in 1944 they had Goliášov Sd.Kfz.303 in standard armament Panzer Bataillony in numbers 30 pcs each.





*source :





Thomas L. Jentz, Hillary Louis Doyle - Hepanzerte Pionier-Fahrzeuge (Armored Combat Enginner Vehicles) Goliath to Raeumer S, Panzer Tracts no.14, 1998, ISBN 1-892848-00- 7
http://pro.corbis.com/
www.ebay.com
www.modelarstwo.org.pl
http://www.geocities.com/madsin72/egoliath.html


There is mention of radio-controlled testing of Goliath, which had a flipping igniter. Wendelin Gott, a former employee of the Potsdam Ambulance Service , provided information.


*source :


Wolfgang Fleischer - German Military Shooting Range Kummersdorf, Bonus Publishing House, Brno 1997, ISBN 80-85914-43-3

Koristný Goliath v starostlivosti američanov.

3 x Goliath

...

One Goliath in quite good condition can be seen in the Museum of Transport and Communications in Bratislava at the main train station

So the one in the photo should be
Sd.Kfz.303a or b
The engine is an air-cooled two-cylinder petrol engine

The whole construction was technologically relatively simple, most of the components were extruded from sheet metal, only the necessary minimum was cast

Alternativním nákladem k několika desítkám kilogramů trhaviny mohl být i pěšák US Army. Vzhledem k vysoké siluetě bojového prostředku se tato kombinace v boji neosvědčila. Ale jako námět na diorama by to nebylo špatný.



Sd.Kfz.302 (E Motor)

Exponát z Prahy ze Žižkovského památníku (foceno 21.1.2007)

Goliath Sd.Kfz.302 (E Engine) in the collections of the fortress of Königstein, a branch of the military historical museum of the Bundeswehr in Dresden..

Sd.Kfz.303a/b (V Motor)

Dobové foto goliáše v zimě. Zbarvení je pravděpodobně německá žlutá, na boku je malé číslo (293?)


Zdroje:
www ebay.de
forum.axishistory.com

VHU Praha, 8.5.2010, vlastní foto
vlastní foto Bovington 05

Sd.Kfz. 302/303 Goliath