Schwerer Panzerspähwagen Sd.Kfz 233
The term Schwerer Panzerspähwagen German heavy armored reconnaissance vehicle, covers 6 and 8 wheeled armored cars Germany used during World War II.
In the German Army, armored cars were to the traditional cavalry reconnaissance and testing They spotted before and the flank of the advancing mechanized units to assess the location of the enemy, strength and intention their main role was reconnaissance, but they commit the same or light units and sometimes try to capture enemy patrols.
Heavy Panzerspähwagen was a great, but very fast and very versatile addition to the German army's 6 6 Rad original wheel versions were based on a 6x4 truck with an armored body, but in 1937 they were replaced by 8 versions Rad When changing the number of special vehicles Sonderkraftfahrzeug were made directly above; differentiation is effected by the addition of 6-Rad or 8-Rad on behalf of the vehicle.
These vehicles were used throughout the war in various forms and first saw combat in the campaign against Poland and the Battle of France later, they saw use in both extreme weather USSR and Africa North in both areas proved too severe for the vehicle in the USSR, adverse soil conditions immobilizes 150 232S during the first wet season the citation of the campaign needed the speed of eight-wheel cars are the best vehicles scouts that Rommel had long range reconnaissance across the vast desert territory 1.
232 was 15 mm slightly inclined homogenous steel armor on the front, 8 mm on the sides, and 10 mm at the rear, with 6 mm and 5 mm of shielding on the top and bottom respectively This armor was designed to provide protection against small arms fire and fragments ET; it was ineffective against heavier weapons After the French countryside, spaced additional frontal armor plate was added for better armor protection was increased to 30 mm in the last series Sdkfz 234 However, it does not designed to provide protection against anti-tank weapons.
The 20 mm gun was not designed to defeat enemy tanks; experiments have been made to replace it with a heavier gun, which led the SdKfz 234 Puma gun 50mm could penetrate and hit Allied armored cars and light tanks, but it was not the role the vehicle was intended role of the armor of the car to protect the crew from small arms fire during reconnaissance missions.
By using high explosive ammunition, 20 mm autocannon's was very effective against infantry and unarmored vehicles Great success has also been achieved by replacing the regular piercing explosive ammunition with a first version of APDS but the ammunition was in the chronic short supply citation needed period.
The SdKfz 232 production versions were equipped with a 155 hp 116 kW Büssing-NAG gasoline engine L8V-G eight cylinders, giving a top speed of 85 km h 53 mph and a range of 300 km 190 mi citation needed.
A team of four was typical The commander and gunner seated in the turret SdKfz232 The arrangement uses a dual unusual driver with a driver seated at each end of the vehicle allowing the vehicle to be driven in both directions to forward or backward with equal ease.
All versions 6 rad were produced from 1932 to 1937.
German Note 232 independent management of each wheel.
As the cross-country performance of the armored car 6 wheels was considered inadequate, Heer Ordnance Departmant WaPrw 6 signed a contract with Büssing-NAG to develop a bulletproof car with eight wheels with all-wheel drive, all wheel and two positions conductor front and rear Kiel Deutsche Werke was retained to design the armored corps armored body seemed somewhat similar to the predecessors 6-wheel turret in the 231 232 series was changed to a hexagonal shape for increased internal volume, it was equipped with 2 cm KwK 30 L 55 autocannon and a coaxial 7 92 mm MG 34 MG.
The Sd Kfz 231, 232 and 263 were originally built on a slightly modified chassis to their needs In July 1942, they were built on the same chassis and Einheitsfahrgestell had their armor increased to 30 mm in September 1941, a more powerful engine was installed, providing 180 PS instead of 155 PS from end 1940 stand-off angle shield plates were mounted about 50 cm in front of the vehicle This additional shielding was older vehicles retrofitted and dropped with the introduction of armor before reinforced in July 1942 2.
This was the standard reconnaissance variant built 1937-1941 Starting in July 1941, 231 need was filled by producing a 232 without the additional radio equipment The official name was Schwerer Panzerspähwagen Sd Kfz 231 8-rad.
The Sd Kfz 232 8-Rad, which was produced from 1938 to 1943, was a 231 with average radio sets additional scope and a large air frame Since 1942, a small Sternantenne Air star has replaced the air frame, a change retrofitted to older models The official name was schwerer Panzerspähwagen Fu Sd Kfz 232 8-rad.
It was equipped with a gun runs July 5 cm KWK 37 L 24 rifle and based on open superstructure atop the Sd Kfz 263 vehicles Radio 8-Rad hundred and nine of these vehicles were built at the Büssing-NAG plant between December 1942 and October 1943, another 10 were converted 263 chassis October 1942 This version of the series entered service in 1942 and remained in service throughout the war, they were issued as a squad of six vehicles in support of reconnaissance battalions official name was schwerer PANZERSPAHWAGEN 7.5cm Sd Kfz 233.
8 Rad 232 radio Vehicle Division Wiking SS in Russia in 1941.
This was an eight wheels with a fixed superstructure open top provided with a single 7 mg 34 92 mm machine gun He was a dedicated radio vehicle antenna with the bed frame The official name is Panzerfunkwagen Sd Kfz 263 8-rad.
The 234 series were completely new models, similar in size and appearance to the 231 families that have replaced They were powered by a diesel engine Tatra The most obvious external difference is the only fender part with respect to both parts mudguard on the 232 series.
The 234 1 was equipped with 2 cm KwK 38 L 55 and coaxial gun 7 mg 34 or 92 mm machine gun MG 42 in a six turret sides open at the top to rotate the open top is protected against grenades of a lattice frame covered the second version to enter production, built from July 1944 to the end of the war.
This version had a turret adapted from the VK1602 Leopard cancellation up a 5 cm KwK 39 L 60 1 very similar to the weapon already used on later versions of Panzer III He weighed nearly 12 tons, but was still capable of 85 km h 53 mph it was one of the most heavily armored military cars available, however, the commitment was strictly not recommended due to its weak armor, and also because of its intended role of the armored car could be driven in recognition back by the radio operator in a production series of emergency began in December 1943 and ended in July 1944, with a switching output 234 1234 3 and many publications use the Puma name for this vehicle, but it was neither formally nor used was a nickname.
This version, like the 233, made short May 7 cm K 51 gun L 24, an open superstructure raised at low speed of the weapon made its armor-piercing round ineffective against most Allied tanks, but allowed the explosive socket be thinner and thus contain the most explosive heat cycle of this weapon, however, was effective against vehicles in December 1944, the production ended in favor of the 234 4.
Another variant of the wheel 8, but the mounting of a 7-5 cm PaK 40 L anti-tank gun 46 in an open compartment This variant is similar to the Marder tank destroyer standard in that it is an anti-vehicle char, open-topped lightly armored who could not engage the head of enemy armor at the head; it was a stopgap measure.
Bishop, Chris 2002 Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II in New York Sterling Publishing ISBN 1-58663-762-2.
Von Luck, Hans Panzer commander Colonel Hans von Luck Memories of New York, Dell Publishing Random House 1989 ISBN 0-440-20802-5.
Schwerer Panzerspähwagen, schwerer, Panzerspähwagen designed to provide protection, small arms fire.