ACE 72277 RSO type 01 with flotation kit

RSO (short for: Raupenschlepper Ost) is a German tracked transport vehicle from the Second World War. The first copies of this car appeared in 1942, and mass production started shortly after. Approximately 23,000 vehicles of this type were built in its course. RSO - depending on the version - was powered by a single engine: Steyr with 85 HP (RSO / 01) or Deutz with 66 HP (RSO / 03).

The RSO was constructed for the needs of the German troops fighting on the Eastern Front, which in the first year of the war with the Soviet Union realized the shortcomings of their wheeled means of transport in the country's wilderness. In order to shorten the research and development time, the RSO structure was based on proven Steyr 1500 truck components and many elements of German half-tracked transporters. Ultimately, the RSO had good off-road characteristics, good payload, but a speed of only 30 km / h. On its basis - in 1943 - a self-propelled gun was also created using the PaK 40 anti-tank gun, designated RSO / PAK40.