The leichter gepanzerter Munitionstransportwagen (Sd. Kfz. 252) was a light armoured ammunition carrier used by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as early as the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

in June 1940.

History

The Sd. Kfz. 252 was based on the

Sd.Kfz. 250 The Sd.Kfz. 250 (German: ''Sonderkraftfahrzeug'' 250; 'special motor vehicle') was a light armoured half-track, very similar in appearance to the larger Hanomag-designed Sd.Kfz. 251, and built by the DEMAG firm, for use by Nazi Germany in Worl ...

half-track 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 cro ...

and used the same chassis. Initially built by the

Demag Demag Cranes AG is a German heavy equipment manufacturer now controlled by Japan-based Tadano via a $215 million deal. The roots of Demag date back prior to its formation, but became Märkische Maschinenbau-Anstalt, Ludwig A.-G in 1906 as the ...

and Wegmann firms from June through to December 1940, production shifted to

Deutsche Werke Deutsche Werke was a German shipbuilding company that was founded in 1925 when Kaiserliche Werft Kiel and other shipyards were merged. It came as a result of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I that forced the German defense industry to shri ...

from January to September 1941. 413 vehicles were manufactured, all of which were issued as ammunition resupply vehicles to Sturmartillerie batteries and saw operation on both European fronts. As additional load capacity was required, the Sonder-Anhänger (Sd. Ah.) für Munition (7,5 cm) (Sd. Ah. 32/1) was developed as an ammunition transport trailer for towing behind the Sd. Kfz. 252. This trailer carried an additional 36 rounds of 75mm ammunition. During the Battle of France, Sd.Kfz. 252s were used by Sturmartillerie Batteries 640 and 659. Due to production delays with the new Sd. Kfz. 252, Sturmartillerie Batteries 660 and 665 went into battle using “turretless” Panzerkampfwagen I munitions carriers. On the Eastern front, units using the Sd. Kfz. 252 included the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 184, 190, 191, and 210. The Sd.Kfz.252 was eventually replaced by the Sd.Kfz.250/6.

Armour breakdown

Miscellaneous facts

* Used the FuG15 or the FuG16 radio system * Transmission had 7 forward and 3 reverse gears * Was armed with a 7.92 MG34 * Six-cylinder, water-cooled, 3000

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

, engine

Gallery

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-004-3617-30A, Russland, Schützenpanzer Sd.Kfz. 250.jpg, Rear view, Russia, January 1942. File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-154-1968-16,_Russland,_Schützenpanzer_im_Gelände.jpg, Side view, rear, Russia, August 1943. File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-154-1968-17,_Russland,_Schützenpanzer_im_Gelände.jpg, On the ground, in Russia, August 1943. File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-230-0688-03A,_Krim,_Beladen_eines_Munitionstransporters.jpg, German soldiers loading ammunition from a Sd.Kfz 252, Crimea, June 1942.

References

Sources

World War 2 VehiclesAxis History Forum
{{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