A hitching apparatus for temporary connection of a towing vehicle to a towed vehicle in order to constitute a vehicle combination, the hitching apparatus comprising: - a towing vehicle-side hitch component; - a towed vehicle-side hitch component, the towing vehicle-side and towed vehicle-side hitch components (14, 24) being releasably hitchable to one another in order to constitute a temporary hitched connection, the hitched connection being embodied to transfer a towing force on which towing of the towed vehicle in the vehicle combination is based; - a towing vehicle-side insertion connector component, having at least one insertion connector configuration as an interface of a towing vehicle-side supply lead for transferring energy and/or information; - a towed vehicle-side insertion connector component, having at least one insertion connector configuration as an interface of a towed vehicle-side supply lead for transferring energy and/or information, the towing vehicle-side and towed vehicle-side insertion connector components (30, 32) being releasably connectable to one another in order to constitute a temporary energy- and/or informationtransferring insertion connection; - a towing vehicle-side alignment component, embodied separately from the towing vehicle-side hitch component and arranged thereon, which carries the towing vehicle-side insertion connector component; - a towed vehicle-side alignment component, embodied separately from the towed vehicle-side hitch component and arranged thereon, which carries the towed vehicle-side insertion connector component, at least one alignment component (38, 40) from among the towing vehicle-side and the towed vehicle-side alignment component (38, 40) comprising an alignment configuration (42, 44) and being movable relative to the hitch component (14, 24) that carries it, so that the alignment configuration (42 or 44) of the one alignment component (38 or 40) is conveyable, for mutual insertion connection-preparing alignment of the insertion connector components (30, 32), into positive engagement with an alignment configuration (44 or 42) of the respective other alignment component (40 or 38), the towing vehicle-side and towed vehicle-side alignment components (38, 40) being lockable, upon reaching or exceeding a predetermined proximity to one another, to prevent removal from one another, characterized in that one component from among the towing vehicle-side and the towed vehicle-side alignment component (38, 40) comprises a locking shackle or a locking eye, and the respective other component comprises a locking hook that is embodied and arranged to engage positively behind the locking shackle or the locking eye, the locking hook being movable between an introduction position in which the locking shackle or locking eye is introducible in an introduction direction past a hook limb into a hook jaw, and a locked position in which the hook limb engages behind the locking shackle or passes through the locking eye and thereby secures the locking shackle or locking eye against being pulled out oppositely to the introduction direction. - a towing vehicle-side hitch component; - a towed vehicle-side hitch component, the towing vehicle-side and towed vehicle-side hitch components (14, 24) being releasably hitchable to one another in order to constitute a temporary hitched connection, the hitched connection being embodied to transfer a towing force on which towing of the towed vehicle in the vehicle combination is based; - a towing vehicle-side insertion connector component, having at least one insertion connector configuration as an interface of a towing vehicle-side supply lead for transferring energy and/or information; - a towed vehicle-side insertion connector component, having at least one insertion connector configuration as an interface of a towed vehicle-side supply lead for transferring energy and/or information, the towing vehicle-side and towed vehicle-side insertion connector components (30, 32) being releasably connectable to one another in order to constitute a temporary energy- and/or informationtransferring insertion connection; - a towing vehicle-side alignment component, embodied separately from the towing vehicle-side hitch component and arranged thereon, which carries the towing vehicle-side insertion connector component; - a towed vehicle-side alignment component, embodied separately from the towed vehicle-side hitch component and arranged thereon, which carries the towed vehicle-side insertion connector component,