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The Société d’Outillage et d’Usinage d’Artillerie – in short Somua – was founded in Saint Quen (Saine) in 1914 as a daughter company of the arms factory Schneider. Besides lorries with payloads from 3.5 to 10 tons, civilian and military special vehicles were made. At the end of the 1920s, the first half-track vehicles based on the Kégresse-Hinstin system were made for the army and also for civilian users. After the French capitulation, the Wehrmacht took over the utilisable equipment. The Somua half-track vehicles were not only used as towing vehicles. Based on their chassis, a whole series of armoured special vehicles were made which were mainly used by the Schnelle Brigade West – later 21. Panzer Division.
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