What is Sdkfz short for?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Sonderkraftfahrzeug (abbreviated Sd.Kfz., German for “special purpose vehicle”) was the ordnance inventory designation used by Nazi Germany during World War II for military vehicles; for example Sd.Kfz. 101 for the Panzer I. Sd.Kfz.
Did sd kfz 251?
The Sd. Kfz. 251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) half-track was a World War II German armored personnel carrier designed by the Hanomag company, based on its earlier, unarmored Sd.
What was the German Halftrack?
half-track, motor vehicle that has wheels in the front and tanklike tracks at the back. Rugged armoured all-terrain half-tracks were widely used by American and German forces in World War II as armoured personnel carriers and for other purposes. They usually had open tops, armoured sides, and engine coverings.
Who made German half-tracks?
Preliminary design of all the German half-tracks of the early part of the war was done by Dipl. Ing. Ernst Kniepkamp of the Military Automotive Department (Wa Prüf 6) before the Nazis took power in 1933. His designs were then turned over to commercial firms for development and testing.
How do Halftracks steer?
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels at the front for steering and continuous tracks at the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling of a wheeled vehicle.
Why are Halftracks obsolete?
Many Second World War half-tracks were sold off to civilian users either as surplus stock or later due to obsolescence when the fully tracked armoured personnel carrier was introduced into service.
What replaced the half-track?
A replacement half-track design introduced later in World War II, the 1943-introduced Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper, was meant to replace the 3-tonne and 5-tonne capacity models – only some 825 examples were built before the war’s end.
What does SdKfz stand for?
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. The Sd.Kfz. 7 was a half-track military vehicle used by the German Wehrmacht Heer, Luftwaffe and Waffen-SS during the Second World War. Sd.Kfz. is an abbreviation of the German word Sonderkraftfahrzeug, “special purpose vehicle”.
What is the SdKfz 234 4?
The SdKfz 234/4 was the final evolution of the SdKfz 234 line. Mounting the formidable 75mm (7.5-cm) PaK 40 anti-tank gun, the vehicle was appropriately armed for the dangers of the modern battlefield – essentially a desperate German attempt to produce a viable tank destroyer in quantity.
What kind of gun is in a Kfz 7 1?
The Sd.Kfz. 7 also became the basis of a number of self-propelled anti-aircraft variants based on 20 mm and 37 mm flak types in use. The Sd.Kfz. 7/1 was armed with a 2 cm Flakvierling 38 quadruple anti-aircraft gun system.