History: Prevented by the Treaty of Versailles from possessing or manufacturing tanks or similarly designed armoured fighting vehicles. Germany skirted the treaty restrictions by producing 15 tank hulls without superstructures, turrets or armament. To spread production experience as far as possible, five companies had been selected in 1933 to produce three vehicles each. The official designation, 'Land-wirtschaftlicher Schlepper' (agricultural tractor), helped disguise the fact that any type of tracked armoured vehicle was being manufactured. Specific features: This vehicle had a fully-tracked armoured hull. The suspension consisted of a sprocket. 4 road wheels, a fifth, larger road wheel (also acting as the idler) and 3 return rollers. The forward road wheel was cushioned by a coil spring and hydraulic shock absorber. The other 4 road wheels were mounted in pairs, cushioned by leaf springs supported by a girder. This girder was all that remained of a suspension design which related back to development from a Carden-Loyd design. Combat service: Designed as a training vehicle, the turretless Krupp Traktor was not intended for combat. In the Spring of 1934. it was issued to the first two Panzer regiments, Kraftfahrlehrkommando (Motorization Instructional Command) Zossen und Ohrdruf to give the troops their first experience of driving a fully-tracked armoured vehicle.
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