Schwimmwagen

German ground forces used this Volkswagen-produced amphibious four-wheel drive off-road utility vehicle extensively in all theaters of operation. It was light and reliable and served in scouting, transport, dispatching, command, and officer car variants on the front line. They were unarmed but proved versatile, sturdy, and reliable. The type proved valuable in traversing marshy grounds like in the Pripet Marshes of eastern Europe. Soldiers sometimes nicknamed it 'the Frosche' ('frog'). The type was an evolution of the family of Volkswagen vehicles that included the Type 82 Kübelwagen and Type 60 KdF-Wagen staff car (precursor to the post-war 'Beetle'). Pre-production units of the Schwimmwagen Type 128 identified weaknesses addressed in the follow-up Type 166 design; with 14,265 built between 1942 and 1944, the Type 166 is the most numerous mass-produced amphibious car in history. It could go up to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) on land and 6 mph (10 km/h) in the water.