Various countries The new motorcycle
The German “kettendirad” Sdkfz2 tracked motorcycle.
(Although I know that everyone dislikes motorcycles, in fact, I also dislike motorcycles myself.)
However, because it was one of the most famous vehicles of World War II, it should not be absent from World War II games.
The main reason why it couldn’t join our game before was that we couldn’t send a vehicle similar to it to other countries.
But now I have found some vehicles that are quite similar to it！
1、Japan - Mazda Motorcycles
Mazda-DA（1935）
｢ Mazda-go｣Type-KC（1937）
In 1931, the East Asian Industrial Company (The toyo Kogyo) founded by Matsuda began manufacturing tricycles, and thus entered the automotive manufacturing industry.
After this type of tricycle was manufactured, it was purchased by the military and was used for transporting supplies, personnel, and other functions.
I think this motorcycle…
1 driver, 4 soldiers, a total of 5 people
As a highly mobile motorcycle team, the firepower might be strong enough.
Source of information
为什么南京人把机动三轮车叫作马自达? - 知乎
マツダ100周年サイト｜歴代のマツダ車 - DA型｜マツダ
2、Allied forces- Belgium FN Tricar
*In 1939, FN Company successfully launched a three-wheeled vehicle called FN Tricar. The term “Tricar” means three-wheeled vehicle, as this was the initial project name of the company, so this name has been retained. Additionally, it is also referred to as Tricar T3 or FN 12 T3. *
In order to reduce production costs and shorten the development time, the designers of FN decided to directly use the front half of an existing motorcycle, and then design a new rear half with a transportation platform to connect with it. The front half of the motorcycle was directly taken from the M12a SM. It was made by welding multiple steel pipes. These support frames supported the front wheels of the motorcycle and the front part of the engine. The newly designed small cargo box-like rear half connected with the front half supported the engine and the gearbox. The driver did not sit on the cargo box, but had a shock-absorbing seat set separately on the support elbow pipe behind the fuel tank.
The three-wheeler is equipped with a 992cc twin-cylinder engine that can generate 22 horsepower at 3200 rpm. This is quite sufficient for a three-wheeler with a total weight of 425 kilograms, meeting the basic power requirements. The power is transmitted to the rear axle through a universal joint, and the rear wheels are equipped with leaf springs for shock absorption, while the front wheels are spring-loaded.
*This three-wheeler comes in various versions. The general cargo version, as long as the size is appropriate, can easily transport items weighing approximately 550 kilograms; the personnel transportation version has four leather seats at the rear, allowing for the transportation of four passengers and carrying a little extra items; the self-defense version has removed the extra facilities of the rear cargo box, and on the flat plate, a water-cooled 13.2mm anti-aircraft machine gun produced by FN Company is installed; the fire-fighting version carries a fire ladder. Other versions have also attempted to install machine guns, such as the mobile machine gun vehicle, or armored three-wheelers with additional armor plates, etc. *
*In conclusion, this seemingly small three-wheeled vehicle has found a way to excel in Belgium. On the other hand, it also reveals that Belgium lacks automotive equipment and has resorted to using three-wheelers as a makeshift solution. *
Before May 1940, Belgium ordered a total of 331 FN Tricars. However, due to the German invasion of Belgium during World War II, only a small number of three-wheelers were produced. It is said that among them, 3 were successfully exported overseas. After the German occupation, there was a brief production, but in general, the quantity was small and the versions were diverse. This situation led to the three-wheelers that had already been manufactured being separated from the logistics system, with parts supply becoming a problem. Most of the motorcycles soon reached the end of their lifespan.
According to what is mentioned in the materials，
Three of them were successfully exported to foreign countries before the Germans’ occupation.
We don’t even know which country it was. Let’s just assume it was the Allied forces.
Then, we can send these similar motorcycles to the Americans.
- The Soviets don’t seem to have this type of motorcycle. Let’s just put it aside for now.
That’s all.
These motorcycle teams, I suggest are：
One driver, four soldiers.
There is no restriction on the occupations of the soldiers. They can choose any occupation they like.
However, it seems unsuitable for mounting a machine gun.
(Although the machine gun on the motorcycle doesn’t have much effect)
Do you wish that these three-wheel motorcycles could join our battle? Let’s make our battlefield more diverse and interesting.
- Yes
- No
