Sd.Kfz. 251 Papercraft Model by Exclusive Models

18 Jul, 2022

Sd.Kfz. 251 Papercraft Model

In World War 2, the German military applied the concept of the Blitzkrieg war which succeeded in making Germany control Europe. With the combination of a concentrated force of tank divisions, mechanized infantry and air power support, Germany quickly defeated Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and other countries through its tactics and strategy. One of the vehicles that became an icon of the German mechanical army is the half track Sd.Kfz.251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) which is also often known as "Hanomag". This vehicle was used by the Germans as carriers for the panzergrenadiers which were German mechanized infantry in order to keep up with the mobility of their tank divisions.

Tanks and planes are mobile military equipment, and can quickly move from place to place, but infantry is not a machine that can be driven to follow the movement of tanks continuously. In addition to carrying weapons and equipment each weighing dozens of kilograms, they often have to pass through rough terrain in nature which is certainly exhausting. Using ordinary transport vehicles on the front line certainly has risks, apart from not being equipped with armor, this vehicle that is usually wheeled will have difficulty crossing the rough terrain that tanks usually pass.

Therefore the German military decided to equip its mechanized infantry with troop transport vehicles that could not only keep up with the mobility of the armored division but also have armor to protect the infantry it was carrying. These vehicles will follow armored divisions and immediately drop their infantry upon contact with the enemy. Thus, both the strength and condition of the infantry were maintained until the battle took place.

The German manufacturer Hanomag responded to the needs of the German military by manufacturing the Sd.Kfz.251. One of the famous vehicles during World War 2. This vehicle seems to always appear wherever the German soldiers are. With a basic function as a troop carrier, in the future Sd.Kfz.251 can also carry out various other military vehicle functions. Produced up to 15,252 units of various variants.

The Sd.Kfz.251 was designed and manufactured by the German manufacturer Hanomag to meet the need for a mechanized infantry carrier armored vehicle that could protect infantry from small caliber shells or artillery fragments. Sd.Kfz.251 is covered with armor with a thickness varying between 6mm - 14.5mm, this armor is in the form of steel plates arranged using rivets all over its body with beveled angle placement to increase the level of protection. It's just that Hanomag does not equip Sd.Kfz.251 with a roof, so it is still vulnerable to grenade throws from opponents or aircraft attacks. For protection from enemy infantry attacks and fire support functions, the Sd.Kfz.251 is equipped with an MG34 or MG42 machine gun with a 7.92mm bullet caliber. In field applications, a machine gun is often added to the rear which can be used to repel enemy aircraft.

Sd.Kfz.251 uses a half-track system which is a combination of the front tires that function as steering and the chain system as a drive. By using this concept, Sd.Kfz.251 can traverse natural terrain like a tank and be driven like a wheeled vehicle. This concept proved to be superior to ordinary wheeled vehicles of its time.

Production of the Sd.Kfz.251 started with the A model which was produced in 1939 and the B model which was produced in 1940. Both were characterized by the trapezoidal front engine protection armor and had a hatch for the engine cooling. The Model B then eliminated vision slits in the infantry compartment. The C model produced in the mid-1940s used a simpler form of machine armor than the A and B models. The C model was produced more than the previous model, although the C model was still considered too complex to be produced but production lasted until early 1943. In early 1943 Hanomag re-designed a new model, namely the D model which uses a simpler design and reduces the number of small armor plates. The most striking difference seen from the A, B and C models against the D model is the shape of the side and rear steel plates, as well as the rear door design.

The drive track section Sd.Kfz.251 uses slack tracks that do not require return rollers, each track is equipped with rubber pads. The system uses an overlapping system and interleaved wheels which are also used on the Panther, Tiger and King Tiger tanks. This system is proven to be effective in dividing the pressure evenly on the ground surface, so that Sd.Kfz.251 is claimed to have superior cross-terrain capabilities compared to half tracks made in other countries.
However, the disadvantages of this system are the complexity of replacement (because they overlap, so sometimes other parts that are not damaged have to be removed as well) and are weak against muddy or snowy terrain, where mud or snow gets into between the wheels and dries / freezes causing jams. wheel.

In its application in the field, Sd.Kfz.251 turned out to not only function as a vehicle for carrying infantry panzergrenadiers. At least 23 variants were made from the standard base of infantry carriers, flamethrower versions, anti-aircraft flak gun versions, anti-tank gun versions and others.

Officially recorded variation :

Sd.Kfz. 251/1 - "Schützenpanzerwagen". Standard personnel carrier - basic version of infantry carrier
251/1 I - Schutzenpanzerwagen version with additional radio communications.
251/1 II - "Stuka zu Fuß"/Stuka zu fuss (Stuka walks). 280 mm / 320 mm caliber version of the Wurfkörper rocket launcher.
Sd.Kfz. 251/1 - "Falke". Carrier version of infrared detection equipment, used in pairs with Sd.Kfz. 251/20 "Uhu".
Sd.Kfz. 251/2 - Schützenpanzerwagen Granatwerfer. 81mm caliber GrW 34 mortar bearing version.
Sd.Kfz. 251/3 - "Funkpanzerwagen" / mittlere Kommando Panzerwagen. Command version with radio communication equipment. (Model C & Model D)
Sd.Kfz. 251/4 - Schützenpanzerwagen für Munition und Zubehör des leIG18. Towing versions of PaK 38, PaK 40 and leFH 18.
Sd.Kfz. 251/5 - Schützenpanzerwagen für Pionierzug. Assault Engineer vehicle version.
Sd.Kfz. 251/6 - mittlere Funkpanzerwagen (Kommandopanzerwagen). Command version with complete map, cipher and coding engine.
Sd.Kfz. 251/7 - Pionierpanzerwagen. Version of the Assault Engineer vehicle which is equipped with an attack bridge on the right and left sides.
Sd.Kfz. 251/8 - Krankenpanzerwagen. Ambulance version that can accommodate 8 patients with a seat or 4 patients with a seat and 2 with a recline.
Sd.Kfz. 251/9 - "Stummel" Schützenpanzerwagen (7.5 cm KwK37). Armed version of the 75mm L/24 low pressure gun which is the StuG III tank gun.
Sd.Kfz. 251/10 - Schützenpanzerwagen (3.7 cm PaK). Armed version of the 37mm PaK 36 anti-tank gun, intended for fire support.
Sd.Kfz. 251/11 - Fernsprech Panzerwagen. Phone cord carrier and installer version.
Sd.Kfz. 251/12 - Messtrupp und Geräte Panzerwagen. Reconnaissance version for artillery units.
Sd.Kfz. 251/13 - Schallaufnahme Panzerwagen. Voice recorder version for artillery units.
Sd.Kfz. 251/14 - Schallaufnahme Panzerwagen. Same with Sd.Kfz.251/13.
Sd.Kfz. 251/15 - Lichtauswertepanzerwagen. Flash spotting carrier version for artillery units.
Sd.Kfz. 251/16 - Flammpanzerwagen. Flamethrower version equipped with two flamethrowers.
Sd.Kfz. 251/17 - Schützenpanzerwagen (2 cm). 2 cm kaliber KwK 38 anti-aircraft gun-carrying version.
Sd.Kfz. 251/18 - Beobachtungspanzerwagen. Artillery observation version, to see the results of artillery fire.
Sd.Kfz. 251/19 - Fernsprech Betriebs Panzerwagen. Telephone exchange vehicles.
Sd.Kfz. 251/20 - Schützenpanzerwagen (Infrarot Scheinwerfer). Infrared floodlight carrier version 60cm in diameter. First used in 1944 and nicknamed "Uhu" or Owl. Used to assist Panther tanks that have infrared equipment, because Pather's infrared searchlight has a limited range.
Sd.Kfz. 251/21 - Schützenpanzerwagen (Drilling MG151s). Carrier version of three MG151 anti-aircraft guns assembled into one. The initial version used a 15mm caliber and was replaced with a 20mm caliber.
Sd.Kfz. 251/22 - 7.5 cm PaK 40 L46 auf Mittlerer Schützenpanzerwagen. Tank hunter version equipped with a 75mm PaK 40 anti-tank gun.
Sd.Kfz. 251/23 - 2 cm Hängelafette 38 auf Mittlerer Schützenpanzerwagen. A reconnaissance version equipped with the same turret as the Sd.Kfz.234/1 dome.

Specifications

Type : Half-track armored personnel carrier
Country of origin : Germany
Year of Operation : 1939-1945.
Operator : Nazi Germany, Romania, Hungary
Period : World War II
Weight : 7.81 tonnes
Length : 5.80 m
Width : 2.10 m
Height : 1.75 m
Crew : 2 + 10
Armored : 6-14.5 mm
Main Weapon : MG 34 / MG 42 ( base variant)
Secondary weapon : MG 34 / MG 42 (base variant)
Engine : Maybach HL 42 6-cylinder petrol engine 100 PS (99 hp, 74 kW)
Power/weight : 12.8 hp/ton
Suspension : Half track
Maximum mileage : 300 km
Speed: 52.5 km / h

Note

Sd.Kfz.251 is often nicknamed Hanomag by German and Allied troops. Hanomag is actually the name of the manufacturer.
Originally the Sd.Kfz.251 AC model was painted dark gray by the manufacturer as the standard military color. Then later models C and D were painted dark yellow. The application of camouflage is usually carried out by field units with their respective camouflages, so that many kinds of Sd.Kfz.251 camouflage can be found.