The Kettenkrad - In The Movies

#ww2 A commentary on the Sd.Kfz. 2 "Kettenkrad" as seen in popular WW2 movies and video games.
More War Movie Content: / johnnyjohnsonesq
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Movies Featured:
Girls Last Tour 2017
War Pigs 2015
Stalingrad 2013
Max Manus 2008
Valkyrie 2008
The Star 2002
Black Book 2006
Saving Private Ryan 1998
Indian Jones Last Crusade 1989
Escape to Athena 1979
The Secret of Santa Vittoria 1969
Breakthrough 1979
Winter in the Woods 1956
Video Games:
Heroes and Generals
Company of Heroes
Battlefield 5

[@borntofeel1152]

This seems like something fun to ride around if you had a little plot of land, to zip around in.

[@ricolek4166]

that would really be great to have…

[@davidbradley3227]

Yeah for sure! The primary reason for nazi expansionism. Lebensraum (living space) was really just a place to do burnouts and drifting these wierd nazi creations around icy Russian roads for shits and giggles

[@dragonfell5078]

I wanna just take one to a field and drive around for hours

[@logpheniox8606]

Believe me, it is. I know a guy in Nebraska with a working one in his private collection. I went to a ranch he owns there a few years ago. I asked if I could drive and he said Sure on the basis that he ride too so I don’t break it. Sadly, I don’t live in Nebraska, rather the Carolinas, so I only visited him once.

[@yuurichito1439]

Hehehe or a ruined city... (oh god this sounds wrong)

[@laniemon]

I wish there's a modern version of the kettenkrad, would be a blessing where I live in.

[@lukaskaelin6249]

nah, a small car with wheels is more efficient and cheaper..... also the tracks are very dangerous.

[@bigdapramirez6157]

@@lukaskaelin6249 true. I heard the top speed of this thing is 40 mph but good luck getting it to go that fast because it's really dangerous to go top speed in it

[@Citricpie]

@@lukaskaelin6249 haha mud go shhh

[@edi9892]

How about modifying a snow mobile?

[@miles_da-tractor_man]

Yes

[@ImperiumFist]

* Johnny Johnson recommends "Girls Last Tour" * Should be included with a warning depression, hopelessness, and 'wonders why living in such condition' included throughout the show.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

A fair warning indeed!

[@KBJade39]

Just never read the manga. Makes the anime look downright uplifting

[@loofus9133]

@@KBJade39 jesus

[@thatoneguyinthemiddle1910]

@@KBJade39 true, the ending just makes me more hopeless. it literally makes me cry inside, cuz literally, there's nothing left in that world except the empty mega-structures, which is fucked up. I just wanna forget anything about their story, cuz it's fucking sad

[@KBJade39]

@@thatoneguyinthemiddle1910 if it makes makes you feel better I think the author's newest project features Chi and Yuu in the background happily running a shop

[@justinancog6312]

the Kettenkrad has more show time than the Bren Carrier/Universal Carrier since I haven't really seen it in some movies/shows

[@mahmoudelsabbal416]

Anything mechanical, give it a good bash!

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@mahmoudelsabbal416 the Spike Milligan' school of mechanical engineering....mind you there was a scene in the Longest Day ,where a Beach master gave a stalled vehicle' an almighty whack which did the trick and got the engine running again...best wishes from the wirral...E

[@michaelneuwirth3414]

....even though more than 100,000 units of the Bren Carrier/Universal Carrier were produced!

[@arya31ful]

The last time i saw one in a movie iirc is in A Bridge Too Far. Even then, the Carrier itself doesn't move at all.

[@jimjolly4560]

Some really good footage of Universal Carrier use in Powell and Pressburger's A Canterbury Tale.

[@TheTrueAdept]

Ah, the Kettenkrad, the _cutest_ thing to come out of WW2...

[@michaelandreipalon359]

*coughs in Goliath mini-bombtank*

[@GundamReviver]

I see your kettenrad and your goliath, and raise you the luchs tank.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Cute, Thahat, but the Italians have beat it easily with the Carro Veloce tankette.

[@GundamReviver]

@@michaelandreipalon359 - looks it up- ah the shitty Italian tankettes😂 no those are small, but not cute

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Cruddy in real life, but memetically awesome in fiction like GuP.

[@edwardvincentbriones5062]

I love the Kettenkrad, Johnny. You know why I love it? Girls Last Tour. I love seeing the vehicle in action and was represented very well in that anime. I watched many episodes of it, if not all of them.

[@panzerkamf1237]

Only question is how the fuck did it only break down only like once the whole series

[@GhostycrewJaeger]

Nah in the manga it broke 2 times one from the Ishii and near the last chapter Spoliers It broke down and Chiito can't repair it

[@somethingtoputonpizza6667]

@@GhostycrewJaeger the sadness is back

[@sirboomsalot4902]

@@panzerkamf1237 Boy do I have news for you…

[@michaelandreipalon359]

​@@sirboomsalot4902 What do you mean?

[@donaldcampbell3043]

My Grandfather was killed just after the German surrender in Italy, he was killed by Partisans mistaking him for one of Tito's Partisans, he was wearing an assortment of uniforms an American Bomber Jacket, his own trousers and boots, a red bandana around his head, also he was armed with a Luger along with his own Thompson, he was said to be driving a German halftrack, that he planned to take back home to New Zealand for the farm, a Kettenkrad would actually have been a more likely and practical piece of war prize to take home from Europe...

[@PALACIO254]

Your grandpa sounded cool

[@myway7367]

“Ride of the Valkyries” gets louder

[@Heyhoooooify]

Tito in Italy?

[@donaldcampbell3043]

@@Heyhoooooify that's how the story goes...

[@KennyNGA]

That sounds stupid as fck

[@dennfett]

My friend Bob has one of these & I've been driven about on it, they're noisy, a bit uncomfortable but absolutely fantastic, real head turner. He does say that the engine isn't easy to maintain.

[@rolfagten857]

This Kettenkrad was a cool vehicle, I saw a lot at the Militracks event in Overloon in 2019! And Johnny , +10 points for having Hardy Kruger in your video! kudos to your top channel!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

He killed that scene so it had to go in.

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq the modern Quad bikes pale by comparison....

[@rolfagten857]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq Sadly, Hardy Kruger just passed away on January 19, 2022! R.I.P Herr Kruger!

[@RandomPerson-sh5uv]

What a timely video. I just got myself a model kit for the Kettenkrad just the other day lol. Another great vid Johnny!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Happy building

[@trappenweisseguy27]

Italieri made an excellent huge kit in 1/9 scale. Very impressive built up.

[@blackegret666]

The kettengrad is definitely a nice trike to have. Great Vid!

[@raseli4066]

I absolutely love this little tracked motorcycle

[@michaelneuwirth3414]

1:44 2:48 The scenes are from the West German film "Waldwinter"(1956, Director Wolfgang Liebeneiner). It is more than amazing that you are familiar with this film, as it is completely forgotten in Germany. Thank you for your meticulous work

[@vitalik38815]

So glad Girls Last Tour got included, it's my favourite anime

[@Sidestrafe-bk9rp]

I do wish it’d stayed with us longer, though.

[@theturdflinger]

@@Sidestrafe-bk9rp its definitely worth it to read through it to see the end too.

[@GonzoBanana]

Simply the best, Johnny!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks GonzoBanana. Also thank you for having a great name.

[@billyponsonby]

In 2017 Bonhams sold a restored 1944 NSU Rad for £51k at Goodwood’s annual race event known as the ‘Festival of Speed’.

[@alonzocalvillo6702]

Kettenkrad, the little tracked vehicle that could.. Great video!

[@canaluludorel5838]

I hope a video on the M3/A1 Grease Gun is coming soon, I'm loving these. Great job JJ!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I was just starting to work on a Winchester but yes, okay, Grease gun next! :)

[@activatekruger446]

I shot a full auto grease gun with a suppressor at a local machine gun shoot. It was amazing.

[@future_guardian5_gaming]

I want one of these just because there cool and could be used for about anything

[@polar199]

anything? Can’t make a sandwich with it.

[@future_guardian5_gaming]

@@polar199 yes with time

[@Kelly-cd3gb]

@@polar199 technically possible

[@ServalShots]

Hmm interesting vehicle. Thank you for the information. I had always wondered what that funny silly little vehicle was in "Saving Private Ryan" LOL.

[@Smitherrrrs]

What doesn't come across on screen is just how loud the tracks rattle when being driven. Definitely not a quiet recon type of vehicle

[@ericboyle8296]

One of my favorite 1/35 scale model builds! Would be fun to have an R/C version. 🤔

[@ArenBerberian]

Liking this purely for the use of Indy clips haha. Great work as always Johnny.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks man. Love classic Indy.

[@shinkoreancookery952]

This is by far one of my best ww2 vehicle ever! 👏

[@BrickLlew]

thank you for sharing the history of the absolute mad lad that is the Kettenkrad

[@joebfnl1079]

Another vehicle that needs to be put back into production!. BTW, NSU is the company that produced them, NSU is still in business today in Germany!. Highly collectable today!, One in good shape and running order will cost about 80-100.000 USD!. But there so cool!!!.

[@Bass_Playa_Two_Point.O]

I'd heard years ago, that a number of them were brought to the U.S. after the War and used by the Department of Interior for the Parks Service to traverse and maintain the trail systems.

[@TheTrueAdept]

Funnily enough, I had the kettenkrad appear earlier in an alternate timeline, and various interior ministries would trial the thing and would love them to death... after some safety issues were fixed.

[@StratfordDanBurrell]

Oh man, all the new great content! Nice!

[@Hans-pt7qf]

3:24 aw man, I miss Heroes & Generals :( nice vid btw, freaking love the box bike

[@jakubkopecky9878]

I guess Johnny Johnson is an anime fan. 🙂 Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is amazing and scene where the two girls are hidding from the rain a droplets pouring trough the roof, hiting all sorts of things and make noise which in the end, if you listen carefully, create a song is one of the best scenes i´ve ever seen.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I do like my anime 🤓

[@jakubkopecky9878]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq Anime and war machines. What a combination of hobbies! Actually it's the same for me. 😀

[@code066funkinbird3]

Nice ​@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq

[@tunasandwich8049]

You made me watch and read "girl's last tour" and now I want my soul back

[@christophersnyder1532]

A great new video, for a brand new year. There are many films about the HMMWV, I am sure you could make a video about the iconic Humvee, only if you have the time, that is. Take care, and all the best.

[@JacobSmith-rh2sr]

You been pumping out a lot of good videos/content! New subscriber

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Right on. Welcome to the channel!

[@darren8608]

2 potatoes in a kettenkrad is a legendary combination

[@SenkaBandit]

man, girls last tour is soooo good

[@osagiegenesis2399]

Johnny Johnson please do dp 27 and bazooka and piat in the movies

[@treysmith8917]

I talked to an owner of one at a museum a few years ago. Like anything German they are over engineered. Each track has like a grease port and some type of elaborate system for each track link. He explained it better than I and I was like why? This seems over the top

[@TheTrueAdept]

Lack of rubber, oddly enough.

[@treysmith8917]

@@TheTrueAdept he was a machinist and fabricator, so obtaining (making) parts wasn’t an issue

[@TheTrueAdept]

@@treysmith8917 No, the overdesigned design was because of a lack of rubber.

[@treysmith8917]

@@TheTrueAdept but the over design required rubber seals for the pins in the connecting rods

[@scotty9086]

Always enjoy these videos, would like to see one about the spitfire

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

That's a big project so saving it for awhile yet :)

[@westernunionmotors4401]

Have a nice day, Mr. Johnson! Thanks for Superior video. As always films list the Great. Sincerely Yours, Sir!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks so much 🙏

[@iowa_lot_to_travel9471]

👋👋🔥🔥👍👍💪💪 strong work sir. Keep it up. Intriguing and interesting

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thank you kindly!

[@agentm10]

Finally, the beloved ketten from COH shows up!

[@BHuang92]

Fun Fact: The kettenkrad was used as a basis for the Mittlerer Ladungsträger Springer or Sd.Kfz. 304. It was a remote controlled armored demolition vehicle with 330 kg (728 lbs) of explosives. It was not entirely remote as the driver needed to drive it up until dismounting it near a target. It shared similar problems with its smaller cousin, the Leichter Ladungsträger Goliath, that it was expensive to produce and suffered some reliability issues.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Awesome additional information thanks so much for sharing

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq thank goodness they were unreliable, on the other hand The Troubles in Northern Ireland were a good testing ground for motorised bomb disposal...and of course later in Iraq..

[@eamonnclabby7067]

This was really interesting....shows up how modern Quad bikes have their limitations..well done again for sharing this with us all, cheers / slainte.....E

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks as always E

[@elultimo102]

There was a company producing replica Kettenkrads for about $25K. They look virtually identical and had a diesel as an option. A video of a mud hill climb, pitted a jeep, Kubelwagen & Kettenrad. The Kettenrad zipped right up the hill, as the other two struggled for control & traction. (The last original WW2 I saw went for $135K USD).

[@Elephantine999]

Interesting. I wasn't sure if these were real or something Steven Spielberg dreamed up cuz it's cool looking. I have watched a lot of WW II war movies and can't recall ever seeing one before Saving Private Ryan.

[@paulus_1233]

I'd love to see the me-262

[@Victor-pt1rl]

The steering was not operated hydraulically, exclusively mechanically. At a rotation of more than five degrees of the handlebar some levers were actuated that braked the track on the inside of the turn, the differential sending the power to the other track.

[@thergmtk]

At 3:14, I couldn't find the movie by the name of "You know this one". Perhaps I'm missing something?

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Lol

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

The "Kettenkrad" can be seen in action in the Ar-234 episode of "WINGS" and "Great Planes" pulling Eric Sommers Blitz thru the snow...

[@MrFeastablesChocolate]

When you want a motorcycle and a tank but you can only get one

[@Larry-xf3qt]

Hey man love ur vids

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks man!

[@eamonnclabby7067]

Seconded..

[@Schulzffw]

I tried watching "Girls last Tour", but the first episode made me so depressed. I couldn´t watch it complete. I want to stress, its not BAD but really atmospheric.

[@veterayt6800]

I read the manga, yes it's depression incarnate But suffering is what builds us so I went and read the damn thing

[@PoshingtonSpark]

Cool, where can i buy one

[@ryszakowy]

germany - ok gentlemen we have limited resources we can only produce important things! also germany - half bike half tank, a goddamn bike on tracks.... backs.. no,no.. TRIKE! i NEED it!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

You half track you didn't know you needed

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq as mentioned earlier we on the wirral can only produce half half Biscuit....

[@eamonnclabby7067]

Apologies for the typo ...half man half Biscuit

[@TraustiGeir]

Fascinating! I always found it to be an ingenious design despite looking a bit silly.

[@Rossebma]

"You can't put tracks on everything!" - Germany:

[@robertogonzalez1622]

Love your vids johhny! Could ypu analize the movie "che" i just find its setting really interesting.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I think that's an excellent movie. It's a big complicated movie but I'll get around to it one day for sure.

[@pipikr]

Hi, The Kettenkrad didnt have an hydraulic steeringsupport. All goes mechanicaly from the fork to the steeringbrakes. Greetings

[@lordseelenfresserdemonking1168]

This would be useful for modern day farm usage For real this time

[@joeyphaahla]

Bit like the Bren Carrier

[@kartoffel5067]

the scene at 0:24 with the german cemetry - is that a scene of private james ryan?

[@MGB-learning]

I would love to have one!

[@SonsOfLorgar]

The few I've seen for sale online has been around €120k asking price

[@timothyvegh7386]

Thanks for the informative video. I've been interested in this vehicle, but didn't know what to call it.

[@AFV85]

Seen it townig the Me 262s before pretty powerful wee thing!

[@flitsertheo]

4:51 the small open truck in front of the Kettenkrad is a postwar Unimog 401. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unimog_401

[@nolotrippen2970]

Love your videos Johnny. One nit-pick: you never seem to use the word "unique" correctly. You're better than that. Happy New Year.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks so much! Where are you from? Maybe it's just a weird Canadian way of saying it for me lol. I don't mind a few mistakes here and there I suppose it gives youtube a little personality over polished documentaries 🙂

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq Mrs C is always correcting my grammar and punctuation, I guess I,m from the James Joyce / Seumas Heaney flow of consciousness , school of ungrammatical language....with the merest hint of Oscar Wilde....and a nod to the FAB 4...Frankie goes to Hollywood and Declan McManus aka Elvis Costello, a fellow Birkonian..

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Also do forgive any captions those are auto-generated and I don't always have a chance to write my own 🙏

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq Mrs C has asked me to pass on her best wishes on the auto gen stuff, and on the grounds we both had a Fab break in Toronto and Niagara Falls back in 2012, and like me think a lot of the well deserved reputation of the Canadian people for being well....nice..an overworked word but thoroughly deserved...cheers / slainte...E

[@fredlandry6170]

It would be so fun to ride around in that thing out in the country.

[@GrumpyGremlin.]

Is it a tank? Is it a bike? Nein, it's more mobile tracktor.

[@RealLifeHimmler]

If i offered 1 Billion dollar and Big Mansion, i preferred kettenkrad

[@tabletopgeneralsde310]

Hi Johnny, very nice one on this cute vehicle. There is a German frase which goes, "besser schlecht gefahren als gut gelaufen". In English it is something like this, better a bad drive than a good walk. This sums up the whole thing about this vehicle very well. Thanks for your work mate, really appreciate the love and work you put into WWII.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Well thanks for always adding some German insight for me 🙏

[@natejones902]

It's a neat vehicle to see in person. When you see it in person your like how is this thing gonna work but it works. I've talked to quite a few wwii american vets that's love to use them when captured. Tbh if you had land with rough patches, it's a perfect little vehicle.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Anyway things go, it's one of the few arguably adorable vehicles the otherwise warlike and loathsome Nahtzees ever made, alongside the Goliath remote controlled mini-bombtank. Still a darn shame the Girls' Last Tour anime adaptation never got towards the fifth and sixth manga volumes. What we got is great, but reaching the true ending would have made things all the more worthwhile... oh, well, let's just hope some animation studio wises up and creates an OVA follow-up for it. Besides, the likes of Mushi-Shi and Inuyasha have already succeeded in finishing up their full anime runs even after some years have passed since original release.

[@lordbarristertimsh8050]

I know this doesn't have much to do with price of toast and Bovril, but a Kettenkrad { albeit heavily modified } was the basis for the chainsaw-tank vehichle that was used in one particularly memorable boss fight in the video game, Resident Evil : Village.

[@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras]

I'd like to have one yes , also the Kubelwagen is nice

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Take the misses out for a drive in style

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq Mrs C has suggested APC ,s she reckoned they were easier to handle than our cars ,interesting the British army are struggling to replace the Warrior....

[@yoboikamil525]

I see GLT, I click

[@geordiedog1749]

The most funnest of all German vehicles.

[@GaryAa56]

I love see it in Saving Private Ryan. An interesting piece of Machinery.

[@TheMagaiver40]

Gostei, parabéns

[@heartland96a]

There were a number of odd purpose built vehicles from WW2 that deserve to be remembered , some on track or wheels wings or on the water or it under . For some there are only a few or a single example , sadly some only exist in books or photos or movies .

[@edi9892]

I thought that they started out as civilian vehicles and ended as such. AFAIK, they were speciality vehicles similar to the snow mobile, but a bit broader application, especially for the alpine region. It should be pretty obvious that they excell at driving through unpaved, steep, narrow, paths in forests and mountains and were often besides mules the only way to supply remote cabins... They were used by forrestry workers, some peasants and hunters, people visiting remote stations (radio, weather...) and they were used to lay cables for power and communication.

[@dragonstormdipro1013]

Johnny's last tour

[@CaseNumber00]

Came back from watching the cartoon. Very interesting story telling and somehow peaceful.

[@K0nstantinopolis_1]

Hi

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

We have a winner!

[@leaflet1686]

I watched Girls Last Tour and kno wthe little guy from this show. I fell in love imediately! I want one~

[@Duck-hc1md]

I love how it only says you know this one 3:14

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

;)

[@JaredKaiser24]

"You know this one"

[@masterbuilderproductions]

Obvious, but you should do the M1 Garand. There’s even a couple in the Muppets Most Wanted believe it or not!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Frick okay I'll look that scene up now

[@pressedsteel7463]

Sir, You have sold me..... I'll take one in a blue/gray

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I'll ship one out to you tomorrow

[@cesargonzalez4146]

Is "Girls Last Tour" related to "Girls und Panzer"? Is it any good, like good enough for a bing watch this weekend?

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Completely different vibe I'd say but give an episode a try.

[@terjeaasheim3651]

3:24 what game is this?

[@Hans-pt7qf]

*was, Heroes & Generals, it was shutdown earlier this year sadly :(

[@terjeaasheim3651]

@@Hans-pt7qf now thats a shame :(

[@themetalgearotaconfoxhound5432]

Two girls, one bike

[@theboahe3812]

Wow earliest I’ve made it to a Video

[@AbsoluteDark]

Oh they actually brought up girls last tour!

[@kiryu2659]

Eyy ze baby halftrack

[@89RASMUS]

My Norwegian relatives used one of these, left by the Germans, to haul lumber in the forest. Apparently worked pretty well, but very thirsty.

[@jamesbodnarchuk3322]

Cool

[@paulroberts3639]

A tank mixed with a motorcycle. My two favourite things in one vehicle. I so want one.

[@icy3-1]

I don't need any luck, Sarge! I was born lucky!

[@kentogo9747]

What a cute Sd.Kfz. !

[@ulrichkalber9039]

look mommy! a tank puppy!