Armored personnel carrier Sd.Kfz. 250

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Sd.Kfz. 250
German Sd.Kfz. 250/2 (radio communication vehicle) in Russia (1943)

German Sd.Kfz. 250/2 (radio communication vehicle) in Russia (1943)
General properties
crew a maximum of 6 soldiers
length 4.56 m
width 1.94 m
height 1.66 m
Dimensions 5 t
Armor and armament
Armor 8 to 12 mm
Main armament 1 × MG
Secondary armament no
agility
drive Maybach HL42 TRKM
100 PS
Top speed 65 km / h
Power / weight 20 hp / t
Range Road 350 km,
terrain 200 km

The light armored personnel carrier Sd.Kfz. 250 (special motor vehicle 250) was a half-track from German production, in World War II by the Wehrmacht was used. As a light armored personnel carrier (SPW) it belonged to the equipment of the armored reconnaissance departments and some motorcyclist departments .

Development and production

In addition to the medium armored personnel carrier Sd.Kfz. 251 , following a tender by the Wehrmacht, a light SPW was developed from 1939 onwards. According to a secret document of the special committee "Panzer V" from 1942, the companies Demag for the chassis and Büssing NAG for the tank body were involved in the development .

From the Sd.Kfz. 250 there were two versions:

  • Version A: complicated structure with many bevels made of a total of 19 armor plates, weight 4.6 t. From May 1943 production switched to type B.
  • Version B: box-shaped, simplified structure, only nine armor plates, weight 5.38 t. The exact start of production is not documented. The first documented vehicle was manufactured by Demag at the end of June 1943.

The production was divided into four construction phases: armored hull, chassis, armored superstructure and final assembly.

The armored hull was manufactured by four different companies:

Of these companies, only the Bismarckhütte was technologically capable of producing welded armored hulls. Since production only began there in April 1943, with a few exceptions all vehicles with welded hulls of the type Sd. Vehicle 250 Ausf. B. The other three companies, on the other hand, produced riveted armored hulls.

The chassis developed by Demag was then installed in the armored hull. The chassis were manufactured by four companies:

Demag developed the chassis on the basis of the 1 tonne light towing vehicle (D7 Sd.Kfz. 10 ). For this, the chain drive was shortened by one roller . The modified chassis was given the designation D7p.

The 6-cylinder Maybach carburetor engine HL 42 TRKM with a displacement of 4170 cm³ developed 100 hp (74 kW) at 3000 revolutions per minute.

The semi-automatic Maybach gear preselection manual gearbox Variorex SRG 102128H with seven forward and three reverse gears was very modern for the time and easy to use.

The tank superstructure was made by four different plants:

There were three different versions of the tank structure:

  • Pilot series, 15 of which were manufactured by DEW in 1940
  • Tank body Sd.Kfz. 250E, the officially approved production version
  • Tank body Sd.Kfz. 250 / Z, a series version (400 pieces) that was only manufactured by Böhler before this company started manufacturing the Sd.Kfz tank body before November 1941. 250E converted

The production version Sd.Kfz. 250E differs from the pilot series in the following details:

  • Standard eye flaps installed 50 mm lower
  • Smaller hinges on the side engine maintenance hatches
  • Headlights were mounted on the wheel fenders instead of in front of the fenders on the armored hull
  • Mudguards reinforced by flanging
  • Combined tool and storage box on the right mudguard (between the wheel and chain guard)

The version Sd.Kfz. 250 / Z was manufactured by Böhler parallel to the officially approved series version. Why this was tolerated by the weapons office is not known. From August 1940 to April 1941, Böhler initially produced 250 armored hulls for the light armored observation vehicle (Sd.Kfz. 253) with a closed body, before starting with the production of armored hulls for the Sd.Kfz. 250 started. The change was only accomplished by omitting the roof armor. The Sd.Kfz. 250 / Z differs from the Sd.Kfz tank body. 250E in the following features:

  • Non-reinforced mudguards (as in the pilot series)
  • Driver's front armor tilted 21 degrees instead of 30 degrees
  • Viewing flaps in the driver's front armor with two viewing slits
  • Flatter angle of the rear armor (26 degrees instead of 10 degrees), which means that the rear is a little wider
  • Eye flap in the tailgate
  • Eight lifting hooks on the top of the armor
  • Headlights mounted over the wheel fenders on the armor
  • Separate tool box, mounted on the right chain guard
  • License plate under the front armor - on the Sd.Kfz tank body. 250E the license plate was only painted on the bow armor
  • A closed opening in the upper right of the side armor (the Sd. Kfz. 253 had a radio antenna there)

The final assembly of the vehicle took place at six different companies:

There were a number of sub-versions of the vehicle for a wide variety of purposes.

Overall, based on the purchase figures from the weapons office, the assembly plants built 6,628 light SPWs of all variants from June 1941 to April 1945:

  • 1941: 389
  • 1942: 1374
  • 1943: 2895
  • 1944: 1701
  • 1945: 269

variants

  • Sd.Kfz. 250/1 - light armored personnel carrier for six soldiers, including one driver. Two MG 34s with 2010 rounds.
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/2 - light armored telephone car. A MG 34 with 2010 rounds.
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/3 - light radio armored car for four soldiers, weight: 5.75 t. Five versions with different equipment of two-way radio devices:
    • Sd.Kfz. 250/3-I - light radio armored car (Fu 7, Fu 18)
    • Sd.Kfz. 250/3-II - light radio armored car (Fu 5, Fu.Spr. F)
    • Sd.Kfz. 250/3-III - light radio armored car (Fu 8, Fu 4, Fu.Spr. F)
    • Sd.Kfz. 250/3-IV - light radio armored car (Fu 8, Fu.Spr. F)
    • Sd.Kfz. 250/3-V - light radio armored car (Fu 12, Fu.Spr. F)
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/4 - Air-raid armored personnel carrier , with two MG 34s in twin base mounts (not introduced)
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/5-I - light armored observation vehicle for assault gun detachments with two MG 34s and a telescopic sight
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/5-II - light armored reconnaissance vehicle
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/6 - light ammunition armored car for assault guns:
    • Sd.Kfz. 250/6, Ausf. A - for the transport of 70 rounds for the "short" 7.5 cm assault cannon 37 L / 24
    • Sd.Kfz. 250/6, Ausf. B - for transporting 60 rounds for the "long" 7.5 cm assault cannon 40 L / 48 , weight: 6.29 t.
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/7 - light armored personnel carrier (heavy grenade launcher):
    • Sd.Kfz. 250/7, version a as launcher carrier with 8 cm grenade launcher 34 and twelve throwing grenades. A MG 34 with 2010 rounds
    • Sd.Kfz. 250/7, Ausf. B as ammunition carrier with 66 grenades. Weight: 6.11 t
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/8 - light armored personnel carrier ("Kanonenwagen") with a 7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 37 or 7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 51 with 20 shells and a MG 42 with 2010 rounds. Crew: three soldiers. Weight: 6.3 t, height: 2070 mm. From autumn 1943 69 pieces were made. Use from 1943 in the three platoon troops (one vehicle each) of the light tank reconnaissance companies (armored) , from 1944 two vehicles each in the cannon group of these companies.
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/9 - lighter armored cars with 2-cm-tank gun 38 L / 55 automatic cannon with 100 rounds in the open-top turret. From autumn 1943 796 pieces were made.
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/10 - light armored personnel carrier with a 3.7 cm PaK 36 L / 45 and 216 rounds. Weight: 5.67 t, height with protective shield: 1975 mm. No machine gun, close defense with two machine guns. In autumn 1943 151 pieces were made.
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/11 - light armored personnel carrier with a 2.8 cm heavy armored rifle 41 with 168 rounds and a machine gun with 1100 rounds. Crew: six soldiers, weight: 5.53 t, height with protective shield: 2135 mm.
  • Sd.Kfz. 250/12 - light measuring troop car for tank observation batteries , e.g. B. as a light measuring point.
  • Sd.Kfz. 252 - light armored ammunition vehicle for assault gun units. A MG 34. Crew: two soldiers. Weight: 5.73 t. Construction closed at the top. Set up to pull the 330 kg heavy ammunition trailer Sd.Ah. 32 for 450 kg of ammunition. In 1941/42 414 units were built until it was recognized that no special structure was needed. Replaced by Sd.Kfz. 250 // 6 .
  • Sd.Kfz. 253 - light armored observation vehicle for assault gun units. A MG 34. Crew: four soldiers. Construction closed at the top, with telescopic sight and radio equipment. In 1941/42 285 units were built until it was recognized that no special structure was required. Replaced by Sd.Kfz. 250 // 5 .

  • Sd.Kfz. 250/1

  • Sd.Kfz. 250/3

  • Sd.Kfz. 253

  • Sd.Kfz. 250/11

commitment

The cooperation with the tanks - here Panzerkampfwagen III  - was the main task of the light SPW (here the 24th Panzer Division )

The light SPW was initially used with two vehicles each in the company teams of the rifle companies. It was also used as a staff vehicle in communications units and artillery units. In 1940 the light armored ammunition vehicle Sd.Kfz. 252 and the light armored observation vehicle Sd.Kfz. 253 (each with a closed body) based on the Sd.Kfz. 250 developed. Both were no longer produced from 1941 and were replaced by the corresponding variants of the Sd.Kfz. 250 replaced. Since it was relatively rare in the first years of the war, there were always only a few light SPW in the sub-units.

Only when production increased significantly in 1942 could larger units be equipped. In contrast to the medium SPW, which was the main equipment in the armored tank grenadier companies, the Wehrmacht used the light SPW in the armored reconnaissance companies of the armored reconnaissance departments. Each division had two to three companies with up to 30 light SPW of various designs. It was divided into three platoons, each with three groups of two light SPWs, one grenade launcher group and one cannon group on SPW. The armored reconnaissance company was rarely used for its actual task in practice. Often they formed combat groups with tank units and tank artillery units, with the fight being carried out as long as possible by the moving or standing SPW.

Technical specifications

Maybach engine HL 42 TRKM
light armored personnel carrier Sd.Kfz. 250/1
General properties
Weight 5 t
payload 0.7 t
length 4.56 m
width 1.95 m
height 1.66 m
Armament
Main armament 1 × MG 34
Mileage
Engine type Maybach HL 42 TRKM (petrol engine)
Engine type Six cylinder in - line engine
cooling Water pump
Displacement 4.2 l
Bore × stroke 90 × 110 mm
compression 1: 6.6
rated capacity 100 hp at 2800 min -1
Weight related performance 20 hp / t
Front wheels 6.00-20 terrain
Chain length 6.08 m
Chain width 240 mm
drive wheel first sprocket
Rollers 4 ( box drive )
Speed ​​limit road 65 km / h
Fuel supply 140 l
Range road 350 km
Range terrain 200 km
Ground clearance 285 mm
Fording depth 700 mm
Armor
front 12 mm
Side and stern 8 mm

See also

literature

  • Walter J. Spielberger: The half-track vehicles of the German army, 1909-1945. Volume 6, Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, ISBN 3-87943-403-4 .
  • Horst Scheibert: Armored personnel carrier . Volume 64, Podzun-Pallas Verlag, ISBN 3-7909-0137-7 .
  • Regulation D 672/6, light armored towing vehicle (Sd.Kfz.250). 1941
  • Wolfgang Fleischer, Richard Eiermann: The German tank reconnaissance 1935-1945. Podzun-Pallas Verlag, ISBN 3-7909-0797-9 .
  • Thomas L. Jentz , Hillary Doyle: Panzer Tracts No. 15-1 light armored personnel carrier (Sd. Kfz. 250) Ausf. A & B. Panzer Tracts, ISBN 0-9815382-0-7 .

Web links

Commons : Sonderkraftfahrzeug 250  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files