‘Sankas’
WWII Wehrmacht Ambulance Trucks
All tasks related to the medical support needs of the Wehrmacht were carried out by the Army Medical Service (Sanitaetskorps der Armee in German). Various transport vehicles were used for the transportation of the wounded, including horse-drawn carts, armored personnel carriers, or ambulance trucks. Ambulance trucks for evacuating the wounded were mostly converted versions of military and civilian vehicles, including both standard wheeled vehicles and half-tracked “Maultiers.” These vehicles had enclosed bodies equipped with stretchers for transporting the wounded. They also had markings and camouflage corresponding to the military unit to which the vehicle belonged. The Red Cross was painted in a white circle or square without a strictly defined size. Often, the only marking on the trucks was a white flag with a red cross. In Wehrmacht soldier folklore, medical transport vehicles were nicknamed ‘Sanka.’