Volkswagen Type 276 Schlepperfahrzeug

The Volkswagen Type 276 Schlepperfahrzeug, meaning tractor vehicle, was a derivative of the Type 82 Kübelwagen modified to tow a load, a gun or a trailer. The plan was to use units of two vehicles, one towing a 7.5 cm Infanteriegeschütz 37 infantry support gun and the other an ammunition trailer carrying 16 three-round cases of armour piercing shell and seven men. It appeared only at the end of 1944 and never went into mass production. Differences from the Kübelwagen included a Wehrmacht tow hook, a strengthened rear suspension and the larger tyres of the Type 166 Schwimmwagen. Later changes to the rear axle reduction gears improved traction, raising rear ground clearance by 15 mm and cutting top speed from 80 to 54 km/h, and a governor stopped the engine over-revving. Drawbar pull reached about 700 kp on tarmac from a standstill.