SdKfz 251 mittlerer Schutzenpanzerwagen

History

A 1932 directive aimed to provide the German infantry with a multi-purpose vehicle capable of keeping pace with mobile armoured personnel carriers, while also performing other roles in the process. The resulting 1935 Gp MTW design appeared and entered production in 1938.

The SdKfz became one of the most important German vehicles of the war and could be found almost anywhere German infantry was found.

The first production models of the SdKfz 251 came just in time for the invasion of Poland, although overall production did not keep pace with demand early in the war. The SdKfz proved to be a robust and reliable half-track system capable of traversing 20 inches of water and carrying 2 crew members and up to 10 passengers.

The SdKfz 251 has become so versatile that there are no less than 22 official variants that are popular, each with dedicated battlefield characters - excluding all the unofficial variants in specific fields. Notable variants of the SdKfz 251 include the 251/1 Infantry Carrier, 251/2 Mortar Carrier, 251/5 Assault Engineer Carrier and 251/6 Commander Vehicle. The 251/16 "Flammpanzerwagen" appeared with twin 14mm caliber flamethrowers and was fitted with two 154 gallon fuel tanks.

Other variants became artillery platforms such as the 251/9 with a 75mm KwK 37 L/24 gun and the 251/10 with a 37mm PaK 36 gun. The 251/17 and 251/18 consisted of an anti-aircraft gun platform, while the 251/21 was used similarly but with 3 x 1.5 cm/2 cm guns.

The 251/20 Uhu (or "Owl") appeared as an integral part of the night-fighting Panther tank, and these half-tracks were equipped with infrared searchlights and other specialized equipment.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

2,010 x 7.92mm ammo

Changes