Tamiya 1/35 German 18 ton Heavy Half-Track "FAMO"
In the wake of Blitzkrieg advances made by the Wehrmacht at the outbreak of WWII, the recovery of damaged or broken tanks from the battlefield proved relatively simple. After securing an area, reinforcing divisions could easily send inoperative vehicles back to the homeland for repair via railway. However, in the seesaw battles with the British Army in North Africa and against the Russian Army on the Russian front, the quick replenishment of tank strength became an indispensable element of the Wehrmacht battle strategy. The utilization of the 18 ton Heavy Half-Track 'Famo' proved fundamental to this strategy.
The 18 ton half-track was mainly developed for the towing of 21cm and 24cm artillery howitzer and of course for tank recovery. It could also be used for the transport of over 30 troops. Officially designated 'Panzerbergegerat 18t Sd.Kfz.9', this mighty towing vehicle was equipped with two rows of seats and a flat bed in back for the storage of equipment such as a draw-bar and spare wire rope. A tool storage compartment was found on each of its outer sides. The powerplant of the 'Famo' was a Maybach HL 108 12-cylinder engine, which put out 270hp. Production of the 'Famo' began in 1938 by the skilled hands of the Famo Company (Fahrzeug und Motorenbau Gmbh). In 1942, one recovery platoon was deploying six 'Famo', one 6 ton crane equipped Sd.Kfz.9/1 and four 22/23 ton Sd.Ah.116 trailers. 20-25 ton tank class could either be loaded on the trailer or towed. Except for cases of emergency towing, the draw-bar was used instead of wire rope. Towing with wire rope led to difficulties in guiding the direction of the towed vehicles, especially during cornering.