By combining chain chassis and steering axis is greater off-road capability than the pure wheeled vehicle reached. Manufacture and technology are again simpler than for pure tracked vehicle .
High expectations were 20th in the first half of the Century set in this technique. The French manufacturer Citroën crossed with halftracks 1922, the Sahara , 1924/25 Africa ( Croisière Noire ) and 1931/32 Asia ( Croisière Jaune ). After World War II half-track vehicles have become quite rare, in some cases they are even to be found in agriculture in mountainous regions.
The German army used in the Second World War, many half-track vehicles, such as the armored cars of Hanomag , for economic reasons: A half-track is cheaper than a full-tracked vehicle, on the other hand, however, take a much larger payload than a wheeled vehicle. This pretty light on vehicle designs can even guns (anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft machine guns) are placed, the stop the vehicle even at short firing only moderately shaken. Artillery tractors, which did not have to drive very fast, could attract much larger trailer loads, which in turn allowed the carriage to be drawn from the guns to construct optimal. Especially heavy loads can attract as easier as a rear chain Chassis greater traction can be achieved.
Halftracks initially had no traction seitendifferenzierbare (those necessary for a full-tracked vehicle for steering), but were controlled only with the front tires. An exception was the German half-tracks of World War II, because the steering only by the front axle in the area turned out to be totally inadequate. The benefits that have been achieved through reduced material cost of manufacturing, lower fuel consumption and wear and tear, but was the more involved maintenance of the wheel / chain system in the field opposite.
The Air Force used during the Second World War by the NSU built Kettenkrad as a tractor to move aircraft between shelters and waiting positions.
