Hi,
I can’t find any information or photographic evidence of Schürzen being used in combination with winter tracks. Were they ever used together?
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I do not have any evidence or documents to prove that schürzen were never used with winterketten.
My thoughts, for what they are worth …
The winter tracks extend outwards and I think they would interfere with schürzen.
Yes, the hangers for the schürzen could be adapted to move the schürzen further out.
Schürzen and snow would crate problems. Snow gest caught inside them and needs to be cleared away to prevent the whole suspension from freezing and getting blocked.
Schürzen could also be caught by deep snow and torn off.
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Pretty sure Winterketten were too wide to be used with Schürzen. Some vehicles with Ostketten still had Schürzen installed.
This blog includes photos of Stug IVs with ostketten and schurzen.
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It’s interesting that the two Stugs pictured with schurzen and ostketten didn’t appear to be operating in winter conditions.
Bob
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From following the link posted by @Tommi_Lukkarinen you will notice that the Schurzen front hangers are reinforced to hold the Schurzen away from the tracks, just. There are at least 5 photos in that link so on that evidence yes they did fit Ostketten and Schurzen just not often and it would seem with a bit of modification.
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For whatever it’s worth, I think Ostketten were not particularly intended for use in winter, but rather all-round in the eastern front with it’s muddy fields and equally muddy roads during the rasputitsa. I quite like the aesthetic of Panzer IV-based vehicles with wide tracks.
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You won’t see that many stugs (or panzers) wearing schurzens with the Winterketten tracks installed. There are some exceptions; where the mounting brackets are extended in order to allow the Schurzens to stick further out.
But a lot of the images I’ve seen either have Schurzen and no winterketten tracks or viceversa.
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It is worth remembering that Winterketten and Ostketten are different,
the Winterketten have longer extensions.
In case someone had forgotten …
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To piggyback on what @Uncle-Heavy mentions…
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Ok an interesting and timely short video from Aus armour about this very subject.
@SableLiger @Uncle-Heavy It includes the blueprints and fitting of Adjustable mounts for the Schurzen
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Yet another example of why I love this site.
I learn about stuff like this that I just, hadn’t thought about before.
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We all do!
Me too.
I have learned LOTS of stuff here.
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