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Sd.Kfz. 234

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SdKfz 234/2
Model of an SdKfz 234/2 Puma
TypeArmoured car
Place of origin Nazi Germany
Specifications
Mass10,500 kg (23,148 lb)
Length6.02 m (19 ft 9 in)
Width2.36 m (7 ft 9 in)
Height2.10 m (6 ft 10 in)
Crew4
Armor9-30 mm (.35-1.18 in)
Main
armament
•(Puma) 1x50 mm (2.0 in) L/60 KwK 39/1[1]
•(234/1) 1x20 mm (0.79 in) autocannon
•(234/3) 1x75mm K51
Secondary
armament
1x7.92 mm (0.312 in) machinegun
Engine14,825 cc (905 in3) Tatra 103[2] V12 diesel
157 kW (210 hp)
Suspensionwheeled
Operational
range
1,000 km (625 mi)
Maximum speed 85 km/h (53 mph)

The SdKfz 234 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234, or special purpose vehicle 234) was an eight-wheeled armoured car used by the German Army in the Second World War. It broadly resembles the SdKfz 231 (8 rad).[3]

Design

The combat experience of the existing 8-wheeled armoured cars during the German invasions of Poland and France, indicated some deficiencies in the current design. Therefore, in August 1940 an improvement program was started, based on a new set of requirements learned from these combat experiences. The result was the SdKfz 234.[4]

Developed from the Büssing-NAG SdKfz 232, design of the Sd Kfz 234 began in 1940.[5] It was to have a monocoque chassis with eight wheels, like its predecessors, and an aircooled engine for use in North Africa.[6]

Chassis were built by Büssing-NAG in Leipzig-Wahren, while armoured bodies were provided by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke of Krefeld and turrets by Daimler Benz in Berlin-Marienfelde and Schichau of Elbing, with engines from Ringhoffer-Tatra-Werke AG of Nesseldorf.[7]

Service history

Protracted engine development meant the desert campaign was over before the 234 arrived, but it nevertheless proved useful on the Eastern and Western Fronts.[8] It was quite formidable, but not many were built before it was replaced by the simpler 234/1, with a 20mm gun, in 1944.[9]

Variants

SdKfz 234/3 with 75 mm L/24
234/4 with 75 mm L/46

There were four main variants.

  • 234/1 - 1 x 2 cm KwK 30 L/55 autocannon, 1 x MG34 Machinegun. This design featured an open-topped turret. Around 200 were produced.[4]
  • 234/2 "Puma" - 1 x 5 cm KwK 39 L/60, 1 x MG34. Employed a fully enclosed turret originally designed for the VK1602 Leopard light tank. The turret front was protected by 30 mm armor set at an angle of 20° from the vertical. The sides and rear had 10 mm armor set at 25°, and the top plate was 10 mm armor. The gun mantlet was rounded and was 40 to 100 mm thick. 101 were produced between September 1943 and September 1944.[4]
  • 234/3 - 1 x 7.5 cm K51 L/24 in open-topped superstructure replacing the turret. 88 built between June and December, 1944.[10]
  • 234/4 "Pakwagen" - 1 x 7.5 cm PaK 40 L/48 in open-topped superstructure replacing the turret. 89 built between December 1944 and March 1945.[11]

References

Notes

  1. ^ Hogg, Ian V. Greenhill Armoured Fighting Vehicles Data Book (London: Greenhill Books, 2000), p.221, "SdKfz 234/2".
  2. ^ Hogg, p.221, "Sd Kfz 234/2".
  3. ^ Hogg, p.221, "SdKfz 234/2".
  4. ^ a b c Green, Michael. Anderson, Thomas. Schulz, Frank. German Tanks of World War II. Zenith Imprint, 2000.ISBN 9780760306710
  5. ^ Hogg and Weeks, p.185, "SdKfz 232, 233, and 234 (8 rad) Armoured Cars".
  6. ^ Hogg and Weeks, p.185, "SdKfz 232, 233, and 234 (8 rad) Armoured Cars".
  7. ^ Hogg and Weeks, p.185, "SdKfz 232, 233, and 234 (8 rad) Armoured Cars".
  8. ^ Hogg and Weeks, p.185, "SdKfz 232, 233, and 234 (8 rad) Armoured Cars".
  9. ^ Hogg, p.221, "Sd Kfz 234/2" & "Sd Kfz 234/1".
  10. ^ Hogg, p.221, "Sd Kfz 234/2".
  11. ^ Hogg, p.221, "Sd Kfz 234/2".

Sources

  • Hogg, Ian V. Greenhill Armoured Fighting Vehicles Data Book, p.221, "Sd Kfz 234/1", "Sd Kfz 234/2", "Sd Kfz 234/3", & "Sd Kfz 234/4". London: Greenhill Books, 2000. ISBN 1-85367-391-9.
  • ____, and Weeks, John. Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles, p.185, "SdKfz 232, 233, and 234 (8 rad) Armoured Cars". London: Hamlyn, 1980. ISBN 0-600-33195-4.
  • "s. Pz. Sp. Wg. (5 cm) Sd. Kfz. 234/2: German 8-Wheeled Armored Car", Catalog of Enemy Ordnance, U.S. Office of Chief of Ordnance, 1945.
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