Full Name | Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251/9 Schützenpanzerwagen (7.5 cm KwK37) |
Class | Light Vehicle |
Movement | 6 |
Armor Value | 1 |
Vs Infantry (RNG / FPR) | 5/6 |
Vs Vehicle (RNG / FPR) | 6/6 |
Traits | |
Period | Mid 1942-1945 |
Theaters of Service |
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The Sd.Kfz. 251 family of light armored half track vehicles was the most-produced type of German half-track of the war, with manufacturers Hanomag, Adlerwerke, Horch, Škoda, and Borgward producing about 15,252 units. Initially designed to transport Panzergrenadier mechanized infantry into battle, there were many other variants armed with rocket launchers, flamethrowers, anti-aircraft guns, or cannons; designed for engineering or ambulance units; equipped to carry bridgelaying equipment; and others. They featured thin--but sloped--armor, open tops, and a single access door in the rear. The 251/9 variant was equipped with a 7.5 cm KwK37 L/24 low-velocity gun in a forward-facing mount and nicknamed 'Stummel' ('stump'). This was the same main armament of early-model Pz IV and StuG III vehicles, and while effective against early-war tanks, it was primarily intended as a close-support infantry gun firing a high-explosive shell. It also carried a pintle-mounted 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun. This type saw extensive use on the Eastern Front beginning in mid 1942. It could attain a top speed of 32 mph.