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The Trippel SG 6 was a ''Schwimmwagen'' (
In 1935 Hanns Trippel began to design all-terrain amphibious vehicle prototypes. In 1936 a factory was established in Hamburg for the mass-production of such vehicles.
Instead of a commercial suspension provided with a buoyant vehicle body, Trippel designed a streamlined, tub-shaped body into which the vehicle technology was fitted. The resulting ''Schwimmwagen'' SG 6 was intended for civilian use such as expeditions, but from the outset it was clear that the production of the vehicle could only be economical if military customers would order the amphibious vehicles in larger numbers. The first order of 20 vehicles went to the
kfz der wehrmacht Trippel-Werke GmbH
Model of SG 6/41
{{WWIIGermanVehicles World War II vehicles of Germany Amphibious military vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s Military vehicles of Germany
amphibious vehicle
An amphibious vehicle (or simply amphibian), is a vehicle that is a means of transport viable on land as well as on or under water. Amphibious vehicles include amphibious bicycles, ATVs, cars, buses, trucks, railway vehicles, combat vehicles an ...
) developed in the 1930s and used by the German ground forces during the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
History
In 1935 Hanns Trippel began to design all-terrain amphibious vehicle prototypes. In 1936 a factory was established in Hamburg for the mass-production of such vehicles.
Instead of a commercial suspension provided with a buoyant vehicle body, Trippel designed a streamlined, tub-shaped body into which the vehicle technology was fitted. The resulting ''Schwimmwagen'' SG 6 was intended for civilian use such as expeditions, but from the outset it was clear that the production of the vehicle could only be economical if military customers would order the amphibious vehicles in larger numbers. The first order of 20 vehicles went to the Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
. This version of the SG 6 was manufactured from 1937 to 1940.
At the end of September, 1938, a Trippel SG 6 was used on an advertising drive from Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
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, postal ...
to Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
and then across the water route to the island of Capri
Capri ( , ; ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. The main town of Capri that is located on the island shares the name. It has been ...
.
At the request of the military, a version of the SG 6 was built with an enlarged interior for transporting up to 16 soldiers. This military variant of ''Schwimmwagen'' was manufactured from 1939 to 1943.
In 1940, Trippel revised the streamlining and enhanced the detailing of the civilian version of the SG 6, resulting in the SG 6 Colonial Pioneer, but only a few were made because of the war.
Following the development of the swimming characteristics of the Colonial Pioneer model, the military version of the ''Schwimmwagen'' was also revised. The two doors were removed and the damage control improved. Production of this vehicle began in 1941 under the designation SG 6/41 at the Bugatti
Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French manufacturer of high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the Italian-born industrial designer Ettore Bugatti. The cars w ...
works in Molsheim
Molsheim () is a commune and a subprefecture in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
in Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
. With the outbreak of war in September 1939, Bugatti ceased the manufacture of expensive luxury vehicles and after the fall of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second World ...
in June 1940, Bugatti, on August 12, 1940 signed a lease agreement with the Trippel-works, to move the latter's headquarters to Molsheim.
From 1942, a version of the SG 6 with a folding roof was manufactured. From 1943, the production of SG 6 was shut down, and in 1944 replaced by the Volkswagen Schwimmwagen
The Volkswagen ''Schwimmwagen'' (literally "swimming car") was a four-wheel drive amphibious vehicle, used extensively by German ground forces during the Second World War. The ''Schwimmwagen'' is the most-produced amphibious car in history.
Pro ...
Type 166 which was much lighter and also cheaper to manufacture. A total of about 800 SG-6-''Schwimmwagen'' were produced.
Notes
References
* René Pohl: ''Mit dem Auto baden gehen.'' HEEL Verlag, Gut-Pottscheidt Konigswinter 1998, . pages 26-31External links
kfz der wehrmacht Trippel-Werke GmbH
Model of SG 6/41
{{WWIIGermanVehicles World War II vehicles of Germany Amphibious military vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s Military vehicles of Germany