Schwere geländegängige gepanzerte Personnenkraftwagen Ausf.A/B Sd.Kfz.247

One of the rare models assembled on Einheitsfahrgestell II, was Sd.Kfz.247 (not to confuse with Sd.Kfz.247 with 6 wheels). This chassis was also manufactured by Horch/Auto-Union. The hull of this armoured vehicle was entirely closed. This vehicle will be useful especially like transport for the units of combat of elite (eg: Pz.Division Gross-Deutschland). Two versions of this model were manufactured: Sd.Kfz.247/1 and Sd.Kfz.247/2 with more complete radio equipment and a thicker frontal shielding. This chassis was however difficult to produce and was quickly abandoned with the production of vehicles with 4 wheels since 1942. The following vehicles all will be thus of the 6 wheels and the 8 wheels. Organization point of view: 42 vehicles with 4 wheels of reconnaissance equipped the 3 companies of reconnaissance of first Pz.Divisions + 8 in the company of reconnaissance of the regiment of infantry accompanying each Pz.Division. The companies of reconnaissance of divisions of infantry comprised 3 of these vehicles whereas that of a motorized division comprised 18 of them.

Leichte Panzerspähwagen Sd.Kfz.223.

src: site "Lexikon der Wehrmacht"

[Profiles]

Gepanzerter Mannschaftstransportwagen (MTW) Sd.Kfz.3

Transport of troops not armoured based on Daimler DZVR which entered in service in 1920, in Reichswehr. 105 were produced by Daimler and versed in 7 batallions of motorized carriers (by 15). The MTW transported 12 men and 3 men of crew. This vehicle weighed 11 tons and had rather poor cross-country performances because of solid gum of its 4 wheels. It entered in service in the Thirties in the new Wehrmacht like Sd.Kfz.3. They were quickly relegated to roles of training, and reconnaissance. Some were used as radio vehicles of command.

Gepanzerter Mannschaftstransportwagen (MTW) Sd.Kfz.3.

src: site "Achtung Panzer"

Mittlere Panzerspähwagen Sd.Kfz.231 (4-rad)

Vs.Kfz.231 (4-rad)"Mittlerer Panzerspähwagen" (medium armoured vehicle of reconnaissance) was not without interest but was never produced. Conceived in 1941, it acted in fact of a version 4 wheels of Sd.Kfz.231 supplemented by components of Sd.Kfz.234 and propelled by a diesel 6 cylinders (air cooling) of the Tatra firm. This machine had a shortened chassis of Sd.Kfz.231 (8-rad) with 4 driving wheels and a maximum shielding of 30 mm in front and from 8 to 14.5 mm on all other surfaces. Initially envisaged, the gun of 20 mm KwK 30(38) will be replaced by the 50 mm KwK + a coaxial MG34. The crew envisaged was of 4 men. A total of 1.000 specimens of this vehicles was ordered (beginning of production envisaged in October 1943). Only the best behavior of the half-track vehicles on the Russian front made null and void this order and it was cancelled.

Panzerspähwagen Schildkröte I, II und III/Trippel E3, E3M

Concurrently to this model, a whole series of prototypes will be carried out. Among those, the light amphibian armoured car Schildkröte based on famous Schwimmwagen of Volkswagen. Ordered by the Army in January 1942, this amphibious vehicle was propelled by an engine Opel (2.5 L) and equipped with a machine-gun MG 81 and a projector of turret. The presentation of March 1942 was a failure. The month following Trippel received however ordering of a new prototype. Schildkröte II was propelled in water by propeller actuated by the engine instead of a propulsion by the wheels. The machine was to be armed with a gun of 20 mm or a machine-gun of 7,92 mm. It known hardly more success than its predecessor. A third test, Schildkröte III was tried, it was propelled by a Tatra diesel developped at the point for the preceding model. It was again a failure.

Schildkröte III.

src: site "Achtung Panzer"

Mittlere Gepanzerte Beobachtungskraftwagen Sd.Kfz.254

Under name Sd.Kfz.254 "Mittlerer Gepanzerter Beobachtungskraftwagen" (aid armoured observation vehicle), Germany also brought into service a hybrid Austrian vehicle. It was about a vehicle with wheels and tracks being able to pass from the one to the other following the ground. It was propelled by a diesel engine of 6 cylinders and at the origin was intended for the Austrian army like artillery tractor. Germany will produce some of them by increasing their shielding. The only armament planned for this machine was a MG34.

Mittlere Gepanzerte Beobachtungskraftwagen Sd.Kfz.254.

src: site "Achtung Panzer"