The Sd.Kfz. 250 ( German: ''Sonderkraftfahrzeug'' 250; 'special motor vehicle') was a light armoured

half-track A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with wheels at the front for steering and continuous tracks at the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. A half-track combines the soft-ground traction of a tank with the Car handl ...

, very similar in appearance to the larger Hanomag-designed Sd.Kfz. 251, and built by the DEMAG firm, for use by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Most variants were open-topped and had a single access door in the rear. The Sd. Kfz 250 was adopted in 1939 to supplement the standard half-track. Production delays meant that the first vehicle did not appear until mid-1941.

Development

In 1939, the Inspectorate for Motorised Troops (AHA/In 6) decided that it would be useful for armoured half-tracks to accompany tanks in the attack. These could meet the requirements for smaller vehicles to be used in the headquarters, artillery observer, radio, and

reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

roles. Demag, the designer of the smallest half-track in service, the Sd.Kfz. 10, was selected to develop the "light armoured troop carrier" (''leichter gepanzerter Mannschafts-Transportwagen'') or Sd.Kfz. 250. To this end, the Sd.Kfz. 10 hull was shortened by one road wheel station, and an armoured hull (''Panzerwanne'') constructed around the truncated running gear. While intended as a derivative of a standard inventory item, eventually virtually every component was redesigned and specific to the Sd.Kfz. 250.

Description

Power for the ''Sd.Kfz. 250'' was provided by a

Maybach Maybach (, ) is a German luxury car brand owned by and a part of Mercedes-Benz AG. The original company was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach, originally as a subsidiary of ''Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH'', and it was ...

6-cylinder, water-cooled, 4.17-litre (254 cu in) ''HL 42 TRKM'' gasoline engine of . It had a semi-automatic pre-selector transmission with seven forward and three reverse gears: Maybach SRG, type ''VG 102 128 H'', (SRG=Schaltreglergetriebe, VG=Variorex-Getriebe, H=Hohlachse). Gears were first selected and then the change pedal depressed to change the ratio, the next gear could then be selected in advance. It could attain , but the driver was cautioned not to exceed .Jentz, p. 3 Both tracks and wheels were used for steering. The steering system was set up so that gentle turns used just the steerable front wheels, but brakes would be applied to the tracks the farther the steering wheel was turned. The Sd.Kfz. 250 also inherited the track-sparing but more complicated rollers in place of the more commonplace toothed sprockets. The track ran on four double roadwheels overlapping and interleaved in the so-called ''Schachtellaufwerk'' design used by nearly all German half-tracked vehicles, mounted on swing arms sprung by torsion bars, track tension being maintained by an idler wheel, mounted at the rear. The front wheels had transversely mounted leaf springs and shock absorbers (the only ones fitted) to dampen impacts.Jentz, p. 3 The ''Sd.Kfz. 250'' (and its parent, the Sd.Kfz. 10) were unique among German half-track designs as they used a hull rather than a frame or chassis.

Armour

Service history

The vehicle was used in a wide variety of roles throughout

. The basic troop carrier version was used as an

armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

for reconnaissance units, carrying scout sections. This basic variant usually mounted one or two

MG34 The MG 34 (shortened from German: ''Maschinengewehr 34'', or "machine gun 34") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun, first tested in 1929, introduced in 1934, and issued to units in 1936. It introduced an entirely n ...

machineguns. Later variants carried 20 mm, 37 mm, and even 75 mm guns to support the more lightly armed versions (see table below). Several special-purpose variants were seen early in the war. The 250/3 and 250/5 were command variants, with fewer seats but equipped with long-range radio equipment. These were used by battalion and higher commanders as personal command vehicles, most famously the 250/3 used by

Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (; 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944), popularly known as The Desert Fox (, ), was a German '' Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) during World War II. He served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of ...

in the

North African campaign The North African campaign of World War II took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943, fought between the Allies and the Axis Powers. It included campaigns in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts (Western Desert campaign, Desert Wa ...

. Early versions had large 'bedframe' antennas, which were easy to spot at long range, making them more vulnerable to

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

fire. Later variants dispensed with this and instead used the far less conspicuous whip antenna. The ''Sd.Kfz''. 253 variant was fully enclosed, and was used by artillery observers to accompany tank and mechanized infantry units. The initial design had a multi-faceted armoured body constructed from multiple plates, which gave good protection against small arms fire but was both slow and costly to manufacture, and resulted in a cramped interior. Production of this early version stopped in October 1943 with some 4,200 built and the complex body-shape dropped in favour of a ''neue art'' (new version) with flattened crew compartment sides made from a single piece of armour. This greatly simplified manufacture but in both variants the level of protection was minimal - rifle-calibre small-arms fire and shell fragments would likely be stopped, but heavy machine guns,

anti-tank rifle An anti-tank rifle is an anti-materiel rifle designed to penetrate the vehicle armor, armor of armored fighting vehicles, most commonly tanks, armored personnel carriers, and infantry fighting vehicles. The term is usually used for weapons that ca ...

s and virtually any form of artillery could perforate the Sd.Kfz. 250 even at long range. In August 1943, Romania acquired a total of 27 armoured half-tracks, of both the ''

251 __NOTOC__ Year 251 (Roman numerals, CCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, in the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Traianus and Etruscus (or, less frequently, year 1004 ''A ...

'' and ''250'' types. Sd.Kfz. 251s were known as ''SPW mijlociu'' ("medium SPW") in Romanian service, while Sd.Kfz. 250s were referred to as ''SPW ușor'' ("light SPW").

Variants

;Sd.Kfz. 250/1 ''leichter Schützenpanzerwagen'' : The standard troop carrier. ;Sd.Kfz. 250/2 ''leichter Fernsprechpanzerwagen'' : Equipped with cable-laying gear. ;Sd.Kfz. 250/3 ''leichter Funkpanzerwagen'' : Command variant, equipped with radio equipment and a "bedstead" aerial frame. ::Sd.Kfz. 250/3-I (Fu 7, Fu 8, Fu.Spr. f) (Luftwaffe) ::Sd.Kfz. 250/3-II (Fu 5, Fu.Spr. f) ::Sd.Kfz. 250/3-III (Fu 8, Fu 4, Fu.Spr. f) ::Sd.Kfz. 250/3-IV (Fu 8, Fu.Spr. f) ::Sd.Kfz. 250/3-V (Fu 12, Fu.Spr. f) ;Sd.Kfz. 250/4 * Sd.Kfz. 250/4 ''leichter Truppenluftschutzpanzerwagen'' : Antiaircraft variant armed with a dual MG 34 machine gun; never reached production. * Sd.Kfz. 250/4 ''leichter Beobachtungspanzerwagen'' : Observation vehicle for detachments. ;Sd.Kfz. 250/5 ''leichter Beobachtungspanzerwagen'' : Command variant with additional radio equipment. ;Sd.Kfz. 250/6 ''leichter Munitionspanzerwagen'' : Ammunition carrier for assault guns. * Sd.Kfz. 250/6 ''Ausf A'' : carried 70 rounds for 7,5 cm StuK 37 L/24 gun. * Sd.Kfz. 250/6 ''Ausf B'' : carried 60 rounds for 7,5 cm StuK 40 L/48 gun. ;Sd.Kfz. 250/7: * Sd.Kfz. 250/7 ''leichter Schützenpanzerwagen (schwerer Granatwerfer)'' : mounted an 81 mm mortar. * Sd.Kfz. 250/7 ''leichter Schützenpanzerwagen (Munitionsfahrzeug)'' : Ammunition transporter - carried 66 rounds for 81 mm mortar. ;Sd.Kfz. 250/8 ''leichter Schützenpanzerwagen (7.5 cm)'' : Support variant armed with a 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 gun and an MG 34. ;Sd.Kfz. 250/9 ''leichter Schützenpanzerwagen (2 cm)'' : Reconnaissance variant with a 2 cm KwK 38

autocannon An autocannon, automatic cannon or machine cannon is a automatic firearm, fully automatic gun that is capable of rapid-firing large-caliber ( or more) armour-piercing, explosive or incendiary ammunition, incendiary shell (projectile), shells, ...

and a coaxial MG (MG 34 or MG 42) in a low, open-topped turret identical to that of the Sd.Kfz. 222 armoured car. ;Sd.Kfz. 250/10 ''leichter Schützenpanzerwagen (3.7 cm PaK)'' : Reconnaissance platoon leader's variant with 3.7 cm PaK 35/36. This was the same as the antitank gun used in a towed mode early in the war. Occasionally, the gun was fitted with a small shield to protect the gunners. ;Sd.Kfz. 250/11 ''leichter Schützenpanzerwagen (schwere Panzerbüchse 41)'' : With a 2.8 cm sPzB 41 heavy anti-tank rifle and an MG 34. ;Sd.Kfz. 250/12 ''leichter Messtruppanzerwagen'' : Survey and artillery range spotting vehicle. ; Sd.Kfz. 252 ''leichter gepanzerter Munitionskraftwagen'' : Ammunition carrier for Sturmgeschütz. ; Sd.Kfz. 253 ''leichter gepanzerter Beobachtungskraftwagen'' : Artillery observer vehicle, with fully enclosed armoured body and artillery radios. Sonderkraftfahrzeug 250 Belgrade Military Museum

Sonderkraftfahrzeug 250 Belgrade Military Museum

Plus numerous field modifications : Such as adding light artillery pieces such as the 3.7 cm Pak 36 or 5 cm Pak 38 to the basic version.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Chamberlain, Peter, and Hilary L. Doyle. Thomas L. Jentz (Technical Editor). ''Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two: A Complete Illustrated Directory of German Battle Tanks, Armoured Cars, Self-propelled Guns, and Semi-tracked Vehicles, 1933–1945''. London: Arms and Armour Press, 1978 (revised edition 1993). * Hogg, Ian V. ''Greenhill Armoured Fighting Vehicles Data Book'', p. 274, "Sd.Kfz. 250 (''alte'') APC". London: Greenhill Books, 2000. . * Hogg, Ian V. and Weeks, John. ''Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles'', p. 251, "Sd.Kfz. 10 Light (One-ton) Military Tractor)". London: Hamlyn, 1980. . * Jentz, Thomas L. ''Leichter Schutzenpanzerwagen: (Sd.Kfz. 250) Ausf.A and B: History of Production, Variants, Organization and Employment from 1941 to 1945 (Panzer Tracts No. 15-1)'' Boyds, MD: Panzer Tracts, 2008. * Niehorster, Leo W. G. ''German World War II Organizational Series, Vol. 4/II: Mechanized GHQ units and Waffen-SS Formations (28 June 1942)'' Milton Keyes, Buckinghamshire: Military Press, 2004 * Spielberger, Walter J. ''Halftracked Vehicles of the German Army 1909–1945''. Atlgen, PA: Schiffer, 2008 *

External links

Sd.Kfz. 250 at The Campaign Battlefront

Sd.Kfz. 250 at WWIIvehicles
* {{Authority control World War II armoured fighting vehicles of Germany World War II half-tracks Half-tracks of Germany Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944 SPGs. SPAs. Armored cars and trucks of 1939 Armoured personnel carriers of WWII