Škoda SK 13 (parný pásový ťahač)

SK 13 "Dampfschlepper"

Project of a Škoda Plzeň crawler tractor from the end of World War II. The need for tractors persisted, but at the end of the war there was an acute shortage of fuel. For use in the background, outside the battle line, it was possible to use alternative drives. An alternative in this case was to drive a steam engine. The company Krupp worked on the issue, but did not go beyond the considerations. The development of such vehicles was also dealt with by B.M.M. and Skoda. B.M.M. Krupp wanted to use the drive [/url]. The work was intentionally delayed by the chief designer [url=/topic/view/195741] ing. Alexei Surin and therefore the development and production of the prototype practically did not continue.


The Škoda Plzeň company started working on a steam-powered tractor in 12/1944. At that time, tank fighters Jagdpanzer 38 (t) were produced on a large scale, and therefore the company used the construction of this fighter as a basis. A significantly elongated machine was created with six wheels and a pair of support rollers on each side. The drive wheel was at the rear, tensioned at the front. It was structurally an open machine from above, the crew space was protected by a roof on the frame structure. At the center of the machine was a pair of steam engines used in steam vehicles Škoda Sentinel (engine had a power of 70 hp), which the company produced in the 20s of the 20th century under a British license from The Sentinel Wagon Works Ltd.Shrewsbury, England. The engines burned coke, coal, charcoal, and possibly wood or briquettes. However, coke was the best fuel. The prototype was completed and in January 1945 passed factory tests. I do not know the details of the construction, but I assume that the fuel was transported only in a towed trailer and the water was in a pair of tanks in the rear of the vehicle. The machine weighing about 20 tons tightened a load weighing 9.2 tons, the range was about 150 km (?). The maximum speed was around 12-15 km/h. The crew consisted of 3 men. The prototype was to run around 70 km around Pilsen.


Engine power was poor, fuel and water consumption had to be enormous. Development continued on the more powerful version, which was to be the machine SK 23 and SK 33.


SK 23
The SK 23 was to use a steam engine prepared by a competitor, BMM, and the modern steam engines envisaged in the company BMM were to be supplied by Krupp, who according to Mr. Spielberger at the end of the war worked on a similar machine.


SK 33
The SK-33 machine was to use steam engines with an output of 80 hp. It was to have a lower weight than the SK-13 (only 18 tons).


Projects SK-23 and SK-33 were not extended beyond the drawing documentation. The development of such machines has not continued.

Vladimir Francev, Charles K. Kliment, Milan Kopecky - Jagdpanzer 38 (t) Hetzer, MBI, Publishing House, Prague, year of publication 2001, ISBN 80-902238-9-3
Ivo Pejčoch - Czechoslovak artillery crawler tractors, Ares publishing house, year of publication 2007, ISBN 978-80-86158-52-5
Walther J. Spielberger - Die Rad- Und Vollketten-Zugmaschinen Des Deutschen Heeres 1870-1945, Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, ISBN-10: 3879435286, ISBN-13: 9783879435289
https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0koda_Sentinel
https://www.feudal.cz/sentinel/default.htm
https://henk.fox3000.com/38t/38D/30.jpg

Dear,
years ago I had the opportunity to consult in the corporate archive of Škoda Plzeň in several folders describing the Dampfschlepper I of the contract for the Wehrmacht.
The displayed document is from the 5. April 1945..