Sleigh riding anyone?

[Pirate-Drakk]

Originally Posted by Tom Houlihan

Want a model of an armed one? http://www.udisco.com/hobbies/pics/007211.jpg or http://www.udisco.com/hobbies/pics/007230.jpg ?

Dark Roasted Blend: Unique Soviet Snowmobiles (read that article, and it mentions a "rare off-road model for youth!" As opposed to an on-road sled?)

The Russian Battlefield

Great links Tom!

Given the variety of vehicles made, it must have been a successful design concept.

[AMVAS]

NKL-16/42 photos et.al.

NKL-16/42

[AMVAS]

NKL-26 Wikipedia page (in Russian)
NKL-26





source:NKL-26 article (in Russian)

[AMVAS]

The Russian Battlefield

RF-8-GAZ-98 Snowmobile

[AMVAS]

Automatically translated article from:
LINK
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War with Finland in 1939-1940 has allowed to use widely serially issued snowmobile of type TsAGI-ANT-IV of a design of A.N.Tupoleva and OSGA-NKL-6 N.M.Andreeva's designs. Snowmobile NKL-6 equipped with a machine gun, established on a rotary turret, participated in battle operations, patrolled open sites of front, carried battle охранение objects. Thanks to high speed and an easy manoeuvrability, they were used for revealing of fire points of the opponent and updating of artillery fire, carried out communication between subdivisions, transported an ammunition and a foodstuff, took out wounded men. So, on February, 11th 1940г. In approach of the Soviet troops at the front 13th armies between Ladoga and lake Vuoksa were used three snowmobile companies. Snowmobile groups were used and during time of "an ice campaign» in March, 1940 for capture of bridgehead on the bank of the Vyborg gulf.
New cars have operatively been created also: sanitary NKL-6S, specially for evacuation hard wounded, on a stretcher of a snowmobile inserted into the case through the onboard hatch, headquarters snowmobile НКЛ-38, snowmobile-platforms NKL-12* [* Sledge NKL-12 have been constructed earlier and only considered for participation in operations (ред.)] for service of field airdromes - for fuel transportation in flanks, replaceable engines for planes, etc.
On June, 22nd, 1941 the Great Patriotic War has begun. The unleashed war Hitler hoped for its fast termination - prior to the beginning of the winter period 1941-1942 Nevertheless, the Rate of the Main command and Work and Defense Council, despite heavy position at the front and sharp decrease in industrial potential of the country, were other opinion.
Already in the end of June, 1941 under the task HUNDRED intense training of Red Army by forthcoming winter has begun. Among numerous actions there was also an industry task by the winter 1941-1942 to create designs of a battle and transport snowmobile, to provide their serial release and to equip with them army. It has simultaneously been created спецуправление Red Army as a part of armoured troops to which the organisation of works on a complete set of special battle and transport snowmobile subdivisions has been charged. The crew training of these subdivisions has been assigned to it - command, political, technical and in particular driver's also.
In connection with extremely short terms all available serviceable, earlier issued snowmobile ОСГА-6, NKL-6, ЦАГИ-IV on which the staff passed to practice and from which the first transport snowmobile batallions that was promoted by the come early snow and frosty winter which has allowed already in November, 1941 on a number of fronts to carry out to these subdivisions responsible tasks of command have been completed has been mobilised.
And the industry under the documentation developed under the guidance of N.M.Andreeva and M.V.Veselovskogo, built new battle snowmobile NKL-26 both the RF-8(GAZ-98) and transport NKL-16/41, and later NKL-16/42 which being completed in battle and transport batallions in December 1941 and January, 1942 have arrived on a number of various sites of fronts and have started to perform the operations charged to it successfully.
For successful fulfilment of the task on creation of samples of new combat material by the Decree of Presidium of the Supreme body of the USSR from 21 нюня 1942 the big group of workers of the enterprises participating in creation new аэpocaней, and including their main designers Андреев and Veselovsky, have been awarded by awards and medals.
Snowmobile batallions during the winter periods have conducted 1941-1944 independently and in interaction with batallions of skiers of hundred battle, landing and transport operations. The range of their use on fronts has appeared is extremely wide. High running speeds and passableness on a snow virgin soil provided to a battle snowmobile unexpectedness of their occurrence in the locations of the opponent adhered, basically, to settlements and roads, and молниеносность carrying out of battle operations. Speed, manoeuvrability and intensive fire of machine guns provided carrying out of some operations almost lost-free an equipment and staff. In many operations landing cars following a battle snowmobile with subdivisions of skiers, allowed as with minimum losses to finish performed operations.
Such raids of snowmobile batallions were conducted and at the front and in back of the opponent where rear garrisons and strong points, and also moving transports to a front line with an ammunition and provisions were destroyed that broke and so insufficiently regular because of weather conditions, supply of army of the opponent.
In the beginning of 1942 the German troops rejected from near approaches to Moscow, especially fiercely battled on a front site where they were resisted by 16th army under K.K.Rokossovsky's command.
It was region of the cities of Kazelska - Сухиничей - Мосальска - Мещенска. To this site of front it has been concentrated more than ten snowmobile battle and transport batallions. In K.K.Rokossovsky's memoirs gives an appreciation to battle and transport qualities of these subdivisions. He on a snowmobile went round troops. Here only one episode from its book «Soldier's debt»:
«Under our request V.D.Sokolovsky has sent a snowmobile company. It placed at an army administrative headquarters. Each snowmobile has been armed by an easy machine gun.
Very strong help, and not only for live communication as it was found out.
In second half of February German ski group - to two hundred with superfluous the soldier - has got to us into back at night and has crossed the road feeding the right wing of army by all necessary. The emergency was created for a while.
Main our signalman colonel P.J.Maksimenko was just in a snowmobile company. Under its initiative it used for blow on the enemy.
The company was instantly put forward in the region held by German skiers, developed and straight off attacked, delivering fire from fourteen machine guns. Germans have been disseminated, exterminated. Those who managed to reach bushes on a wood edge were rescued only.
Taken in this skirmish captured in a voice said, that this attack has stunned them: they have accepted a snowmobile for tanks and have been amazed, why cars as though fly on deep snow. (This remarkable means in winter conditions had a weak place - the propeller prevented to move on narrow wood roads and bushes.) »
On ice of Ladoga lake a snowmobile worked on movement of cargoes to Leningrad, and a battle snowmobile of type НКЛ-26 carried patrol and охранение life roads.
In the summer of 1942 in Moscow in territory of the Central recreation park A.M.bitter has been organised by it an exhibition of the German combat material grasped by our troops in rout of fascist troops near Moscow and in other offensive operations. Among the land technics: tanks, armoured personnel carriers, self-propelled instruments and various motor vehicles, there was also German snowmobile, basically Kareliyas used on lakes. But they had low road performance and shunned meetings with our more high-speed snowmobile.
Snowmobile batallions from the beginning of 1942 and the next winters provided movement of military subdivisions, military cargoes and conducting operations, in particular, at employment by our troops of cities of Volokolamsk, the Wedge, and in process of advancement on the West have provided carrying out of some successful operations around Staraya Russa, Tikhvin, Pskov. They could be met on the Central, Kalininsky, Volkhov, Northwest, Leningrad and Karelian fronts.
On one of sites of the Karelian front the opponent has seized settlement Coastal and has started its strengthening, assuming to save up reserves and to continue approach on Васильевцы. Our small groups of skiers, being in direct contact with the opponent, not in a condition were to reject it from Coastal. They have lain down and conducted defensive actions. Approached on island Loud battle and transport subdivisions of a snowmobile have received a problem at artillery and aircraft support to go over to the offensive on Coastal. Under cover of a battle snowmobile on a transport snowmobile the ski landing on flanks of the opponent has been thrown out. The skiers supported by fire of machine guns of a battle snowmobile, have gone to approach. As a result of this blow the opponent has been completely destroyed also Coastal grasped by our units.
By to Leningrad German command has concentrated powerful artillery installations to approaches and has begun firing of Kronstadt and the battle ships, вмерзших in ice on island spot-check. Here a snowmobile has been used for smoke screen statement on spot-check and before island that deprived of the opponent of possibility to conduct aim fire. Repeatedly undertaken attempts to destroy a snowmobile have not crowned success thanks to a high running speed and an easy manoeuvrability of cars. A snowmobile always found to themselves a way between the numerous ice-holes formed in ice from ruptures of shells.
During historical battles under Сталинградом a snowmobile was used not only for communication and as headquarters cars, but on them were bombarded landings of submachine gunners in back of the enemy. Special subdivisions of a sanitary snowmobile were used at liquidation of the grouping of German troops encircled by our troops. On this snowmobile an ammunition and a foodstuff on a front line were brought up, and wounded men were evacuated by return flights in медсанбаты.
Around Novgorod to command of our troops arranged at lake Ilmen, it was required to extract "language". The scouts leaving repeatedly in back of the enemy extract of "language" could not. Then a battle snowmobile of 53rd batallion has been directed to back of the enemy. Suddenly having rushed into village, commandoes have grasped some the captured. A snowmobile a prompt manoeuvre left from under fire of the opponent and has returned to an arrangement of our units, delivering captured to command.
In the beginning of 1944 snowmobile batallions have been used at offensive operations of 59 armies at a capture of of Novgorod Marshal K.A.Meretskov recollected: «it was necessary to give a lot of attention to an auxiliary direction bypassing Novgorod from the south. Here have thrown snowmobile batallions of skiers and special means of strengthening - easy self-propelled guns, art installations and armour vehicles».
I.T.Korovnikov in the book «On three fronts» recollecting actions of 59 armies at a capture of Novgorod, writes: «... Exploiting a success the group of general T.A.Sviklina by an outcome has struck a blow on January, 14th through lake Ilmen, to the south of Novgorod, has seized bridgehead in width to five, depth to four kilometres, and restricted the opponent to the river Verezha. Skiers and snowmobile batallions under command of captain Prokotilova especially defiantly operated. The last rushed into battle usages of the opponent with a frightening roar of motors and encircled by a snow dust.» In the morning storm of Novgorod on January, 20th has begun and at 11 o'clock 25 minutes of troop of 59 armies have completely seized an ancient Russian city.
Successful use of snowmobile battle and transport batallions was promoted by a skilful and operative management of Vehicle management which has concentrated in the structure of talented commanders, competent experts, has provided a timely crew training of snowmobile batallions that has provided high working capacity of an equipment.
Management merit in its constant communication with designers that promoted creation of some updatings and new types of a snowmobile, in particular, creation on the basis of НКЛ-16 «repair летучки», providing returning in a system in field conditions of the snowmobile lined with the opponent. New samples-mobile machine-gun installation - snowmobile NKL-34* [* NKL-34 - a coherent snowmobile have been created also. The RF-7 (ред probably mean.)], and also ZP-1 and ZP-2 with motorcycle motors.
The big work was conducted by brothers Бескурниковы entering and structure of management personnel. They have created the big landing snowmobile ASD-400, allowing to transport in a body of 20 persons which successful tests in the winter 1943 - 1944 have passed, but in connection with successful advancement of our troops on the West necessity for the similar car has disappeared.
Unfortunately, till now archives of special snowmobile subdivisions of People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs which not only took part in battles with the opponent are closed for access, but also performed razvedyvatelno-diversionary operations in back of the enemy.

[Tom Houlihan]

Great creativity on the Russian part. One of those links shows a Tatra experiment that didn't work, but you'd think somebody in Germany could have come up with their own version that worked!!

[AMVAS]

NKL-26 in summer


RF-8 after mission 1943/44


NKL-26 Novgorod area 1943/44


NKL-16 of capt Prokhorov unit in action. 1943


Smoke screen NKL-16 snowmobile equipment. Leningrad Front 1943