Sd.Kfz. 251
| SdKfz 251 | |
|---|---|
SdKfz 251 Ausf.D | |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 7.81 tonnes (8.61 short tons) |
| Length | 5.80 m (19 ft 0.3 in) |
| Width | 2.10 m (6 ft 10.7 in) |
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 8.9 in) |
| Crew | 12 (including passengers) |
| Armor | 6-12.5 mm (0.24-0.57 in) |
Main armament | varies (see test) |
Secondary armament | varies (see text) |
| Engine | one Maybach HL 42 6-cylinder petrol engine 100 hp (74.6 kW) |
| Power/weight | 12.8 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | Half track |
Operational range | 300 km (186 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 52.5 km/h (32.5 mph) |
The Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251 (SdKfz 251) half-track was an armored fighting vehicle built by Germany during World War II. They were produced throughout the war.
The early production models of this vehicle were issued to the 1st Panzer Division in 1939. There were four main models (A - D), with many variants. The initial idea was for a vehicle that could be used to transport a squad of infantry to the battlefield protected from enemy small arms fire, and with some protection from artillery fire. The open top meant that the crew was still vulnerable, especially to high explosive rounds and shell fragments.
The first two models were produced in small numbers. The C variant had a larger production run, but was a quite complex vehicle to build, involving many angled plates that gave reasonable protection from small arms fire. The D version utilized a much simpler design, and can be easily recognised by its single piece sloping rear (with flat doors).
Although designed for cross country work, it had some limitations as the front wheels were not powered.
The standard personnel carrier version was equipped with a 7.92 mm MG34 or MG42 machine gun mounted at the front of the open compartment, above and behind the driver. A second machine gun was usually mounted at the rear on an anti-aircraft mount.
Variants were produced for specialized purposes, including with anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank rockets (tripple Panzerschrecks fitted on either side of the vehicle) as well as a version with an infra-red search light used to spot potential targets for associated Panther tanks equipped with infrared detectors.
Variants
There were 23 official variants, and sundry unofficial variants. Each variant is identified by a suffix to the model number. There was however some overlap in the variant numbers.
- Sdkfz 251/1 - Standard personnel carrier.
- Sdkfz 251/1 - Rocket launcher (called Wurfrahmen 40) equipped with six side mounted frames for launching 280 mm or 320 mm Wurfkoerper rockets.
- SdKfz 251/1 - Falke Infrared detection equipment, to be used in combination with SdKfz 251/20 Uhu.
- Sdkfz 251/2 - 81 mm Mortar carrier
- Sdkfz 251/3 - Communications vehicle, fitted with extra radio equipment for command use.
- Sdkfz 251/4 - Gun-towing tractor. Used with the 50 mm Pak 38, 75 mm PaK 40 and 105 mm Light Field Howitzer.
- Sdkfz 251/5 - Assault Engineer vehicle with inflatable boats, assault bridges.
- Sdkfz 251/6 - Command version (known as Kommandopanzerwagen) equipped with map boards, cipher and encoding machines.
- Sdkfz 251/7 - Pionierpanzerwagen. Another assault engineer vehicle with fittings to carry assault bridge ramps on the sides.
- Sdkfz 251/8 - Armoured ambulance.
- Sdkfz 251/9 - Equipped with a 75 mm L/24 low velocity gun, nicknamed "Stummel" ("stump").
- Sdkfz 251/10 - Equipped with a 37 mm Pak 36 anti-tank gun mount.
- Sdkfz 251/11 - Telephone line layer.
- Sdkfz 251/12, 13, 14, 15 - Specialist artillery vehicles.
- Sdkfz 251/16 - Flammpanzerwagen Fitted with a with two flame projectors and initially a rear mounted flamethrower, detachable but still connected to the vehicle, to be operated by dismounted infantry. This was in addition to the standard MG34 machine gun and mount.
- Sdkfz 251/17 - Anti-aircraft use with either a 20 mm Flak 30 or Flak 38.
- Sdkfz 251/18 - Armoured artillery observation vehicle.
- Sdkfz 251/19 - Telephone exchange vehicle.
- Sdkfz 251/20 - Uhu Mounted an Infrared searchlight for night fighting.
- Sdkfz 251/21 - Flakpanzerwagen. Equipped with a triple-mount ("drilling") of MG151 machine guns; early version being MG151/15mm naval guns, later being MG151/20mm Luftwaffe guns.
- Sdkfz 251/22 - Fitted with a 75 mm PaK 40 anti-tank gun.
- OT-810 - Czechoslovakian produced version, made by Praga and Tatra. This version had an air cooled diesel engine, and an armored roof over the troop compartment. The vehicle was not liked by those who used it and was nicknamed "Hitler's revenge".
See also
External links
| Tanks |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Self-propelled artillery | ||
| Assault guns | ||
| Tank destroyers (Panzerjäger, Jagdpanzer) | ||
| Half-tracks | ||
| Armored cars | ||
| Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns |
| |
| Demolition vehicles | ||
| Experimental/prototype vehicles | ||
| Proposed designs | ||
| Designations | ||