Vollert, Jochen Krafträder. German Military Motorcycles

The role of the Kraftrad (motorcycle) in the German military at the time of World War One was primarily as a dispatch vehicle as it could go on small roads, bypass traffic jams and they were also faster than most other means of transport at that time. Motorcycles could also be used for scouting road conditions in front of truck columns, and serve as emergency transport. As with passenger cars, there were no military-type Krafträder in the German Army at the outbreak of war. All came from impressed civilian stocks. Heeresmodelle (army models) of motorcycles began to appear from 1915-16. This publication, for the very first time, grants an extensive written and pictorial overview on the impressed civilian motorcycles as well as the later army models of the Imperial German Armed Forces in 1914-18. Covered entirely with hitherto unpublished photographs are the types of the two main manufacturers, Wanderer and NSU, as well as impressed German types and confiscated foreign makes. Additional chapters describe the use of military motorcycle sidecar combinations, machine gun armed motorcycles, field repair workshops and the uniforms of the military dispatch riders.

As with passenger cars, the Imperial Army did not have its own military motorbikes at the outbreak of war. Initially, all examples came from requisitioned civilian stocks. The first "real" army motorbikes then appeared in 1915/16. This publication offers the first comprehensive written and pictorial overview of the requisitioned civilian motorbikes and the later army models of the Imperial German armed forces in the years 1914-18. Comprehensively illustrated with previously unpublished photos, the two main manufacturers Wanderer and NSU as well as the German and foreign motorbike brands requisitioned for the military are presented in detail. Further chapters describe the use of military motorbike sidecar combinations, motorbikes armed with machine guns, local repair workshops and the uniforms of military motorcyclists.