Hakl OT 810
Year of manufacture: 1938
Power: 120 hp
Engine displacement:11,762 cm3
Number of cylinders/valves: 8/2
Weight: 7,600 kg
Catalog number: 215
This is a combat, half-track, armored vehicle developed in Germany before World War II. It entered service with the German army in 1939. It was developed by the company Hanomag as the HKL6p model. Standardly, it could carry up to 13 soldiers, including the crew. Originally intended as a support vehicle for tank divisions, it eventually became a widely used vehicle in the German army. Its use was very diverse, and numerous modifications were gradually produced. It was powered by a Maybach HL 42 six-cylinder gasoline engine with an output of 100 hp. Maximum speed was 52 km/h and the operational range was 300 km.
During the war, the Hakl was also produced in Czechoslovakia at Škoda Plzeň and the Bohemia company in Česká Lípa. After the war, many abandoned units remained on Czech territory and were incorporated into the Czech army’s arsenal. In total, 15,250 of these armored vehicles were produced.
Based on very positive experience with these vehicles, in the late 1950s a decision was made to produce domestic half-track vehicles under the designation OT-810. These vehicles were almost identical with a few changes. Mainly, the front of the vehicle was lengthened to accommodate an air-cooled diesel engine from the Tatra 138 truck, producing 120 hp. The engine’s use increased the vehicle’s range and speed. It was better armored to adapt to new combat conditions.
Again, many variants and modifications were produced. It was manufactured between 1958 and 1962 in Slovakia at the Podpolianske Strojárne in Detva. About 1,500 units were produced. At the time, it was probably the only half-track vehicle produced in series.
The vehicle was finally withdrawn from service in 1995 and many found their way into private collections where they are restored and modified in various ways.