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Military History Institute will present the Czechoslovak half-track transporter OT-810

Not only the current equipment of the armed and security forces will be on display at the NATO Days in Ostrava & Czech Air Force Days. Thanks to the regular participation of the Military History Institute, history buffs can look forward to a display of the Czechoslovak semi-tracked armored personnel carrier OT-810.

This machine was developed on the basis of the famous German type Sd.Kfz. 251, which was adopted by the Czechoslovak army after 1945, but which no longer met the conditions of the post-war army. Compared to it, the OT-810 is characterized by improved mobility and reliability. It allows you to transport an infantry squad on the battlefield, which is protected by 6-15 mm thick armor.

"During World War II, semi-tracked armored vehicles combining good cross-country ability and ease of driving were widespread among both German and Allied units. The OT-810 transporter is one of the few post-war examples of this concept, which offers an interesting insight into the armament of the Czechoslovak army and the Czechoslovak defence industry," says Zbyněk Pavlačík, chairman of the Jagello 2000 association.

Unlike the original transporter type Sd.Kfz. 251, which was equipped with an unsatisfactory German gasoline engine, had the OT-810 four-stroke eight-cylinder Tatra T-928 diesel engine. Production took place from 1958 in the Slovak Podpolianské strojírny Detva, and by 1962 1,140 units had been produced.

The army used these machines until the mid-1980s. However, the last pieces, including specialized types, survived in storage until 1995. The majority went straight to the scrap yard, but a smaller number managed to be preserved for museums and private individuals.

See you at
the NATO Days in Ostrava
& Czech Air Force Days!