Alkett VsKfz 617 NK-101 Minenräumer

The Alkett VsKfz 617 NK-101 Minenräumer was a vehicle designed by the German firms Alkett, Krupp, and Daimler-Benz during World War II as a mine clearance vehicle to clear a path for men and machines to follow. The three-wheele dvehicle was heavily armored and designed to detonate mines by simply rolling over them. The sole prototype carried the Alkett chassis number of 9537 and was registered as NK-101.

The VsKfz 617 had two large main power wheels at its front. A smaller, caster-style rear wheel was used for turning.

It was quickly found that the VsKfz 617’s method for steering was unsatisfactory and that the vehicle was slow and hard to handle. To make matters worse, its immense weight caused the vehicle to easily get bogged down. The VsKfz 617 and plans for its manufacture were abandoned after the tests.