schwere Panzerspähwagen Sd.Kfz.231 (8-rad)

The 8 wheels are without any doubt most impressive and the most significant German armoured cars of 1939-45. Their origin goes back to 1934 when Büssing-NAG started to develop a chassis of 8 driving wheels and all axles direct. It is a chassis identical to the Sd.Kfz.221 series which will be used as a basis. The design of the chassis was very complex. In 1935 came out a prototype of the vehicle called Vs Kfz 623 (Veruschkraftfahrzeug 623 or experimental vehicle 623). The first deliveries of a model of series were delivered in 1937 and since 1940, the 8 wheels will be widespread. The first models are intended to replace the 6 wheels and receive the same series numbers + name 8-rad (8 wheels).

schwere Panzerspähwagen 231 (8-rad).
src: site "Panzer Page von Reitsch"	src: Tamiya

src: Tamiya

The chassis 8 wheels is very solid chassis-beam (two sections) with tubular cross-pieces nevertheless very light and yet rather rigid because the length of the vehicle. It is been driven by a gasoline engine of 8 cylinders out of V Büssing-NAG of 155 hp assembled to the rear of the machine (front of chassis!?!!). Indeed the chassis and the hull are reversed! The gear box (with six Forward-Reverse speeds + an auxiliary high/low speed with clean control stick) is in the center and the wheels (with independent springs) are assembled by four out of two bogie and twinned per pairs with mid-elliptic springs. As above mentioned all the axles are directors and each bogie has a reducer. The commands of direction and drive of the wheels are double to be able to roll in the two directions. A special differential in each reducer compensates for the differences of turning radius between the pairs of interior and external wheels. The wheels are simple wheels with steel disc equipped with

Vue en coupe du schwere Panzerspähwagen (8-rad) de base.

src: Connaissance de l'Histoire (Hachette), n°5 - Août-Septembre 1978, Véhicules blindés allemands 39-45

Steering wheel Accelerator pedal Brake pedal Clutch pedal Shift lever Side brake lever Multi-transmission lever Radiator	Engine Tie rod Differential Drive shaft Radial tyre Leaf spring Brake pipe Transmission
src: Tamiya

The first model was Sd.Kfz.231 (8-rad). It had a turret armed with the automatic gun of 20 mm KwK 30 or 38 twinned with a MG34. The startup of the two weapons was done with the foot using a pedal. The crew of 4 men was composed of a commander, a gunner, a pilot, and co-pilote-radio operator. The interior of the 8 wheels was roomy. The shielding of the welded hull was 15 mm thickness on the front of the turret and 8 to 10 on the vertical panels (or almost) and 5 mm on the tilted walls. By after the maximum shielding will be increased to 30 mm.

Engine	Rear Differential
src: Connaissance de l'Histoire (Hachette), n°5 - Août-Septembre 1978, Véhicules blindés allemands 39-45	src: Tamiya

Suspension 8-rad

src: Tamiya

[Profiles]

schwere Panzerspähwagen (8-rad) Sd.Kfz.232 (Fu)

From 1937-38, this vehicle will constitute the reinforcement of the divisional armoured reconnaissance battalionsand will definitively take the top on Sd.Kfz.231 (6-rad) as from 1940 in the units of first level. It will operate in duet with vehicle-radio of command, Sd.Kfz.232 (Fu) (8-rad) equipped with a large frame-antenna as for the 6-rad. Not to be obstructed by the latter, the turret is equipped with a frontal support swivelling shaped which allows a completely free rotation.

schwere Panzerspähwagen 231 (8-rad).
src: Tamiya

Frame-Antennas remainder nevertheless too cumbersome and vulnerable, it thus will be logically replaced later by a telescopic mast being drawn up with the top of the turret and by an star-antenna to the rear of the vehicle. The armament on this version is identical to the preceding model.

schwere Panzerspähwagen 231 (8-rad).

src: site "Germany's vehicle history"

[Profiles]