SdKfz 247 (6-Rad / 4-Rad)

History

The battlefields of World War II (1939-1945) were vast and complex, eventually requiring specialized vehicles to perform specific missions. So did the Bundeswehr, which commissioned Krupp to develop a new heavy command vehicle for reconnaissance operations.

The SdKfz 247 entered service in 1937 and withstood the conflict, even as Germany's war fortunes took a turn for the worse. Only 68 examples of this type were eventually completed, but these were used until 1945.

The SdKfz 247 comes in two main production forms - the first is manufactured under the Krupp brand label (Ausf.A model) and the second is produced by Daimler-Benz (Ausf.B model) made. Krupp developed the Panzerwagen around a custom L2H143 chassis powered by a Krupp M305 4-cylinder 65-horsepower powerplant that powers a six-wheel ("6-wheel") unit. The engine is housed in a traditional car-style front compartment. Although the vehicle is armored, it is fully protected from small arms fire and shells only from the front and sides (protection is 6mm to 8mm thick) - it has an open design for 6 occupants (including a driver)).

In addition, no self-defense weapons are installed in the vehicle, so the occupants can only carry personal weapons to the battlefield to deal with potential threats. Production began in 1937 and continued until 1938, of which only 10 x SdKfz 247 Ausf. A vehicles were completed to specification.

In 1938, the Wehrmacht ordered another 58 cars. The same name SdKfz 247 was used, but the vehicles came from Daimler-Benz as a four-wheel design based on the Horch unified chassis - and were called "SdKfz 247 Ausf. B". Even though the car is four-wheeled, the steering force is only transmitted to the front wheel set.

Power comes from an 81-horsepower Horch 801 liquid-cooled V8. Production of this four-wheel form (or "quad") began in July 1941 and ended in 1942.

When the number of vehicles became available, their original use in war was gone. Also note that despite having three axles, the off-road performance of the 6-wheeler is poor. 4-round performance is slightly better, but the lack of weapons severely limits its ability to repel attackers. Without a steerable rear axle, the quad's maneuverability and escape ability are limited.

Interestingly, none of the production models were equipped with any kind of communications equipment, further reducing its tactical and strategic value on the mobile battlefields of WWII. Finally, the line was mainly used as a transport vehicle and was attached to the German Army Field Headquarters.

The 6-wheeler is 5.2 meters long, 1.96 meters wide and 1.7 meters high. The weight is 5.2 tons. It has a top speed of 43.4 mph and a range of 217 miles (220 miles off-road).

The total length of the 4 wheels is 5 meters, the width is 2 meters, and the height is 1.8 meters. The weight is 4.46 tons. Top highway speed is 49.6 mph, and range is up to 249 miles on-road (167 miles off-road).

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

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Armor

Not applicable.

Changes