The Volkswagen ''Schwimmwagen'' (literally "swimming car") was a

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer cas ...

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 Amphibious cycle, bicycles, Amphibious ATV, ATVs, Amphibious automobile, ca ...

, used extensively by 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 opposi ...

. The ''Schwimmwagen'' is the most-produced amphibious car in history. Prototyped as the Type 128, it entered full-scale production as the Type 166 in 1941 for 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 previo ...

''.

Development

Volkswagen Schwimmwagens used the engine and mechanicals of the VW Type 86 four-wheel drive prototype of the Kübelwagen and the Type 87 four-wheel drive 'Kübel/Beetle' Command Car, which in turn were based on the platform of the civilian

Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...

Erwin Komenda Erwin Komenda (6 April 1904 - 22 August 1966) was an Austrian automobile designer and Porsche employee, and a lead contributor to the design of the bodies for the VW Beetle and various Porsche sports cars. Erwin Komenda was born on 6 April 1904 ...

Ferdinand Porsche Ferdinand Porsche (3 September 1875 – 30 January 1951) was an Austrian-German automotive engineer and founder of the Porsche AG. He is best known for creating the first gasoline–electric hybrid vehicle (Lohner–Porsche), the Volksw ...

's first car-body designer, was forced to develop an all-new unitized bodytub structure since the flat floorpan chassis of the existing VW vehicles was unsuited to smooth movement through water. Komenda patented his ideas for the swimming car at the German Patent office. The earliest Type 128 prototype was based on the full-length ''Kübelwagen'' chassis with a

wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...

. Pre-production units of the 128, fitted with custom welded bodytubs, demonstrated that this construction was too weak for off-road use, had insufficient torsional rigidity, and easily suffered hull-ruptures at the front cross-member, as well as in the wheel-wells. This was unacceptable for an amphibious vehicle. The large-scale production models (Type 166) had a reduced wheelbase of which resolved these issues. Schwimmwagens were produced by the Volkswagen factory at Fallersleben / Stadt des KdF-Wagens and Porsche's facilities in Stuttgart; with the bodies (or rather hulls) produced by

Ambi Budd Ambi-Budd was a German automobile body company founded by Edward Gowen Budd In Germany, Edward Gowen Budd worked with Arthur Müller and set up a steel pressing plant ''Ambi Budd Presswerke'' (ABP) in the old Rumpler factory and became a successfu ...

in Berlin. 15,584 Type 166 Schwimmwagen were produced from 1941 through 1944; 14,276 at Fallersleben and 1,308 by Porsche; the VW 166 is the most-produced amphibious car in history. Only 189 are known by the Schwimmwagen Registry to remain today, and only 13 have survived without restoration work.

Technology

All Schwimmwagens were four-wheel drive in first gear (and reverse gears on some models) only and had ZF self-locking differentials on the front and rear axles. As with the Kübelwagen, the Schwimmwagen had rear portal axles, which provided increased ground clearance, while at the same time reducing drive-line torque stresses with their gear reduction at the wheels. The Schwimmwagen had a top speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) on land. When crossing a body of water a screw propeller could be lowered down from the rear deck/engine cover. When in place a simple coupling provided drive straight from an extension of the engine's crankshaft. This meant that screw propulsion always drove forward. The Schwimmwagen had a top speed of in the water. For reversing in the water there was the choice of using the standard equipment paddle or running the land drive in reverse, allowing the wheel-rotation to slowly take the vehicle back. The front wheels doubled up as rudders, so steering was done with the steering wheel both on land and on water. The Schwimmwagen could also be steered by the passengers using the aforementioned paddles.

Gallery

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1979-175-10, Carinhall, Göring begrüßt SS-Führer.jpg,

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

with a Schwimmwagen at Carinhall File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-721-0372-13A, Frankreich, Offiziere in Schwimmkübel.jpg, German officers in a Schwimmwagen in France in 1944 File:Schwimmwagen at RAF Duxford.jpg, Schwimmwagen at the

Imperial War Museum Duxford Imperial War Museum Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Britain's largest aviation museum, Duxford houses the museum's large exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artill ...

File:VW Schwimmwagen 2.jpg, Schwimmwagen interior File:VW Schwimmwagen Typ 166 - Heck.jpg, Type 166 Schwimmwagen File:Schwimmwagen Dresden.jpg, Schwimmwagen at the Army Museum Dresden File:VW Schwimmwagen 3.jpg, Detail of Schwimmwagen propeller File:KdF 166.JPG, Schwimmwagen File:Kübelwagen and Panzerfaust.jpg, A Schwimmwagen loaded with two

Panzerfaust The ''Panzerfaust'' (, "armour fist" or "tank fist", plural: ''Panzerfäuste'') was a development family of single-shot man-portable anti-tank systems developed by Nazi Germany during World War II. The weapons were the first single-use light an ...

60 anti-tank weapons

References

Notes

Bibliography

* René Pohl: ''Mit dem Auto baden gehen.'' HEEL Verlag, Gut-Pottscheidt Konigswinter 1998,

External links

U.S. Intelligence report on German Schwimmwagen

The VW-Schwimmwagen Registry

Schwimmwagen enthusiast site

Photos of the Schwimmwagen at the Canada War Museum in Ottawa
UK Schwimmwagen owners site
{{WWIIGermanVehicles World War II vehicles of Germany

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 ...

Rear-engined vehicles Cars powered by boxer engines Military light utility vehicles Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944 Amphibious military vehicles Wheeled amphibious vehicles Military vehicles of Germany