A Model 34 half-track / Artillery tractor C4P


A Model 34 Polish half-track / Artillery tractor C4P







	E019 A Model 34 Polish half-track

The Model 34 half-track was the Polish derivate of a 2,5t truck Polski FIAT 621, which was produced by the Italian licence. The halftrack variant was designed in 1934 by the Armoured Forces Technical Research Bureau in Warsaw. The design utilised some truck components, some of them were strengthened or modified. A prototype series was built in 1935, a series production started in 1936 in PZInz. (Państwowe Zaklady Inzynieryjne - State Engineering Works). Until 1939 about 400 halftrack cars were completed in all versions. At least 80 of them were artillery tractors C4P.


A Model 34 Polish half-track		A Model 34 Polish half-track


The body of Model 34 half-track was mixed wooden-steel construction, seated upon a rectangular frame. The front axle was sprung on semi-elliptic leaf springs with shock absorbers. The rear suspension consisted of an axle suspended on semi-elliptic leaf springs, with a rocker-arm on it (earlier and later vehicles were differing a bit in the rocker-arm shape). The two-wheel bogey and the idler were suspended on a rocker-arm. The idler wheel was also the last road wheel. The drive sprocket was in the front. One return wheel was fixed to the rocker-arm. The tracks were pin less, rubber and steel, quite modern design. The track width was 0.3 m (11.8 in).


Late-production C4P tractor with 75mm wz.1897 (Schneider) field gun		The tractor C4P of early production from cannon 105 mm wz.29


It seems, that both early and later C4P tractors were appearing in two variants: with a longer chassis frame for towing 75mm and 100mm artillery pieces with limbers, and a variant with shorter frame for towing heavy 105 mm and 120 mm artillery pieces. In a short-frame variant, behind the front two seats, there was a transversal bench for four crewman, sitting rearwards. In this variant, a gun-tail leant upon the tractor, like a semi-trailer.
Later series C4P tractors had closed wooden and steel cab, similar to the Polski FIAT 621 truck. A canvas could be set up over the platform. On the left side of the engine hood a spare tyre was carried. It also differed in some other details from the early variant (eg. in wheel hubs).

Technical data :
- Engine: Fiat-122B (PZInż. 367); 4-stroke, 6-cyl. inline, 2952 ccm, 46 HP per 2600 rpm, water-cooled. Gearbox: 4 forward gears, 1 reverse gear, with a reducer. A more powerful 63 HP engine variant was worked in 1936, but the production started just in 1939. It isn't known, if any vehicles were fitted with that better engine, apart from 5 tractors fitted with prototype-series engines.
- Frame length 5250 mm (206,7 in), width 1900 mm (75 in), track of wheels 1470 mm (58,3 in), tracks centers 1480 mm (58,3 in), track width 300 mm (11,8 in).
- Weight about 3000 kg.
- Max. road speed 30-35 km/h (up to 22 mph), range up to 250 km.
- Max. steepness 20 %, wading depth 0,5 m ( 20 in), trench crossing 1m (39 in)
- Fuel consumption 60 litres /100 km (120 - off road).


E021 C4P tractors, (resin kit)		E021 C4P tractors, (resin kit)



E023 C4P tractors, with a short chassis frame (resin kit)		E023 C4P tractors, (resin kit)

Painting :
The painting was a standard camouflage pattern of three colours: greyish-sand and dark brown (sepia) over brown-green, or brown-green only. Ambulances were painted in brown-green, with big red cross signs over white circles.



Instruction of model E019	Instruction of model E021	Instruction of model E023
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Picture from book ,,Pojazdy Wojska Polskiego 1939,, A.Jońca, R. Szubański, J. Tarczyński as well as the author of model.