The Sd.Kfz. 4 was developed after the 1941 invasion of the USSR to deal with the ice and mud, which bogged down the wheels-only road-bound commercial vehicles that were used to supply German forces. It was modified Standard Mercedes-Benz L4500S (4x2) with Horstmann suspension instead of a back axle. Another manufacturer of 4.5-t truck, Büssing, planned a similar conversion of its Büssing-NAG L4500S, but did not proceed.