Tom (2020/09)
ponedjeljak, 21. rujna 2020.
nedjelja, 30. kolovoza 2020.
D-Day British Forces in Normandy, 1944
Umjesto recenzije knjige, evo 2 do 3 liste…
LISTA 1 – prva lista je za zabavu, da ne kažem zajebanciju :)
Osnovni uvjet je da formacija mora biti što jeftinija, da u listu stavim sve što želim.
Ukoliko imate sreće i dobijete naručene komandne kartice, a ne kao što sam ja ostao bez njih… možete iskoristiti karticu „Recce Squadron“ i voditi formaciju malih (sve što puca probija im oklop) vozila i onda ostane dovoljno bodova za savršenu podršku (support).
Ukoliko imate sreće i dobijete naručene komandne kartice, a ne kao što sam ja ostao bez njih… možete iskoristiti karticu „Recce Squadron“ i voditi formaciju malih (sve što puca probija im oklop) vozila i onda ostane dovoljno bodova za savršenu podršku (support).
Formacija je mala i slaba, drugim riječima totalna pušiona. Budući da mi to nije važno…
LISTA 1
Protiv jakih tenkova imam 4x M10 (17 pdr) koji su ranjivi, ali čekaju u zasjedi i rade čuda. Uz njih ide vod sa dva Shermana i obaveznim FireFlyem. Čak sam razmišljao staviti warriora J. Ekinsa za 4 boda. Već sam negdje napisao što radi tako da neću ponavljati. Već ovi vodovi nisu zanemarivi protivniku. Odličan AT protiv tenkova i dosta mitraljeza za ukrotiti pješadiju na otvorenom.
Slijede tenkovi s vatrom, pravi bunkeri… Jedinica koju sam dugo čekao… Churchill Crocodili bi bez problema trebali ubiti svaku bazu pješadije, sve topove koji se usude pokazati. Voze polako i za sobom ostavljaju spaljenu zemlju (doslovno). Za potpuni strah protivnika moraju biti sva trojica, dva su ipak premalo… Podrška krokodilima, tek kada se unište srednji i teški AT topovi su dva AVRE Churchilla. Imaju neke velike mortare, oklop im nije kao kod krokodila, domet je također slabiji… posebna pravila ih pretvaraju u ubojice…
Za drugi vod artiljerije sam uzeo Sextone, britansku verziju odličnih američkih Priestova. Zašto sam se odlučio za britansku artiljeriju ako su Priestovi tako dobri? Prvi razlog su dva boda koja štedim, a drugi je povećani RoF sa 1 na 2 u direktnoj paljbi. Mobilni su i ako baš ne bombardiraju nešto važno, mogu se kretati, čuvati objektiv sa 8 kockica (AT 9). Za dva boda gubim 0,5 calove i FP raste na 4+ prilikom bombardmenta. Da ih ne moram izlagati protivničkoj vatri, za samo 1 bod sam kupio Sherman observera.
Još jedan britanski specijalitet za kraj… skoro savršeni avioni :). Znam da će doći 2-3 puta po partiji… nema veze. Oni protivnika tjeraju da raštrka svoje tenkove u napadu, da razmakne AT topove i artiljeriju pa čak i makne recimo iz šume sve u cilju izlaganja što manjeg broja baza. Avioni su jednostavno strah za sve. Imaju dobar AT, prosječno dobar FP i teško ih je srušiti.
Točka na "i" bi bilo stavljanje OP Austera u listu samo onda bih morao imati dva voda artiljerije što nikako nije jeftino. Možda u nekoj poboljšanoj verziji ubacim dva Priesta ili dva 25 pdr topa.
Za kraj ostaje samo spomenuti formaciju sa 9 vodova sitnih vozila. Da cijela lista ne ode u 3pm, nekoliko ovih malaca moram skrivati cijelu partiju.
Lista je za zabavu, za testiranje novih igračaka. Staviti tri jedinice koje mogu bombardirati (AVRE, Sextoni i Typhoon) za 1/3 bodova nije prevelika mudrost. Ostavim li samo avione u listi, za 22 boda mogu imati još jednu slabu formaciju nečega. Možda neku slabu pješadiju koja će čuvati objektive, čistiti minska polja…
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LISTA 2 – ako netko misli da sam u prvoj listi ispucao sve glupe ideje... ima toga još :)
Na tren sam pomislio staviti jednu pješadijsku listu na ovaj popis, ali me to brzo prošlo... Pješadijske liste su naporne za voditi, dosadne za bojati plus ako i protivnik ima pješadijsku listu... nema šanse da se odigra više od 3 ili 4 poteza u igri. Pješadijska lista nisu samo ukopani pješadinci nego ukopani AT topovi, ukopani mortari i hmg timovi... hrpa baza koje se naseru oko objektiva zaštićenog minskim poljima.
Još jedan problem je što te male baze moraju biti po nečemu različite za svaki vod, a protivnici ih naravno zaboravljaju bilo kako drugačije označavati tako da su tri izmiješana voda noćna mora za svakog napadača. Jedna minijaturna točkica ili crtica na zadnjoj strani baze su meni vidljive kao i par sisa od pedeset godina među hrpom sisa koje pripadaju dvadesetogodišnjakinjama. Moje stare Infantry baze imaju vidljivo obojane rubove baza; za prvi vod plavi rub, za drugi crveni, za HMG vod žuti i tako redom.
Da ne duljim, igranje sa pješadijskom listom za mene nije zabavno… Moja druga „Fun“ lista je formacija Čerčila naravno :).
Još jedan problem je što te male baze moraju biti po nečemu različite za svaki vod, a protivnici ih naravno zaboravljaju bilo kako drugačije označavati tako da su tri izmiješana voda noćna mora za svakog napadača. Jedna minijaturna točkica ili crtica na zadnjoj strani baze su meni vidljive kao i par sisa od pedeset godina među hrpom sisa koje pripadaju dvadesetogodišnjakinjama. Moje stare Infantry baze imaju vidljivo obojane rubove baza; za prvi vod plavi rub, za drugi crveni, za HMG vod žuti i tako redom.
Da ne duljim, igranje sa pješadijskom listom za mene nije zabavno… Moja druga „Fun“ lista je formacija Čerčila naravno :).
LISTA 2
Zašto sam izjednačio pojmove formacija i lista? Iz jednostavnog razloga. Ako se uzme formacija Čerčila – to je skoro i sve u listi.
U komandi samo jedan tenk i to Churchill CS koji može bombardirati i bacati dim u direktnoj paljbi. Čerčili su dobro oklopljeni mada imaju i ozbiljne protivnike (AT 13 ili jači na Front Arm nije zajebancija).
U komandi samo jedan tenk i to Churchill CS koji može bombardirati i bacati dim u direktnoj paljbi. Čerčili su dobro oklopljeni mada imaju i ozbiljne protivnike (AT 13 ili jači na Front Arm nije zajebancija).
Prvi i drugi vod su identični, 2x Churchill 75mm i 1x Churchill 6pdr uz pojačanje frontalnog oklopa sa 9 na 11 kod jednog (75mm) tenka. Cijena voda je 20 bodova… komanda i dva voda zanemarivih 46 bodova i evo gdje ode pola liste. Bojim se staviti još jedan vod Churchilla u listu pa idem vidjeti što mi još preostaje… Formaciju pojačavam vodom Stuarta, 4 malca za 8 bodova. Isplati se jer su scouti. Zatim idu 2 AA Crusadera za 3 boda čime se penjem na 57 bodova.
Jebeš ga, očajnički nedostaje dobar AT i nešto za iskopavanje pješadije. M10 (17pdr) za 18 bodova (ukupno 75 pts za sada). Ako uzmem upotrebljivu artiljeriju (4 komada nečega) to me košta minimalno 14 bodova i došao bih do 89 što vodi do zaključenja liste… skoro. Evo ovako, uzmem 2x Centaur (95mm) za 10 bodova (ukupno 85). Brzi su kao i Priestovi, puno boljeg oklopa, u napadu udaraju na 4+.
Za ostatak bodova uzimam „lude“ komandose, puni vod. Oni su Fearless/ Veterani i kada njih pošaljem u napad, to je to. Budući da koštaju 13 bodova, mogu se počastiti Lucky karticom i još mi ostaje 1 bod za nešto…
Da ne zaboravim, komandosi imaju posebno pravilo „Mind and Heart“ koje kaže da na početku movement faze, na uspješno pređeni skill (3+) prolaze kroz Impassable teren za Terrain dash, tj. kreću se 20 cm. Koliko bi ovo moglo biti korisno na terenima koje imamo… tko zna.
Da ne zaboravim, komandosi imaju posebno pravilo „Mind and Heart“ koje kaže da na početku movement faze, na uspješno pređeni skill (3+) prolaze kroz Impassable teren za Terrain dash, tj. kreću se 20 cm. Koliko bi ovo moglo biti korisno na terenima koje imamo… tko zna.
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LISTA 3 - na ovom popisu, ali svakako prva po zanimljivosti - Breaching group. Što oni rade ili ne rade teško je zaključiti. Bilo bi zanimljivo igrati na dva spojena terena (2 vs 2) i tada bi ova lista najbolje došla do izražaja. Obavezno neka mapa u Normandiji...
Šermani koji lancima čiste minska polja (+1 pts). Čerčili koji malim mostom rješavaju problem forsiranja potoka, kanala i rijeka (također +1 pts)... uz to Čerčili sa bacačem plamena (krokodili), pa AVRE (nekoliko vozila u dva voda). Sve ukupno hrpa različitih vozila za puno novaca u igri, a mogu poslužiti kao odlična podrška i nažalost ništa više.
Kako slažem izgledom zanimljive i slabije upotrebljive liste, tako ću i ova "čudovišta" jednog dana isprobati... testirati protiv svega što protivnici mogu skupiti :).
Evo, faking baterija na mobitelu je skroz prazna i moram čekati bar 1 sat za nastavak pisanja, tj. slaganja liste. Treba mi Forces of War jer sam zaboravio što sve ide u ovu formaciju...
LISTA 3
Došla struja, tj. napunila se baterija pa možemo dalje...
Krasne igračke su stale u formaciju pa nastavljam uništavati svaku i najmanju šansu da lista bude igriva :).
Naval Gunfire kartica za velikih 12 bodova. Saveznici su sve što može plutati bacili u vode Normandije tako da se iz svih čamaca pucalo na jadne Nijemce koji su branili obalu.
Ovi topovi otvaraju vatru na 5+. Domet im je... nebitno... mogu zahvatiti sve postavljene terene (stolove) na ETC-u. Evo koliki im je domet. Nelošim ATom (4) i s automatskim FPom traže i uništavaju tenkove ako im se baš posreći. Mana je što na stolu moraju imati observera, a to će biti HQ budući da ne planiram kupiti vod artiljerije. Observer bez artiljerije ne ide u listu :(.
Avione opet stavljam na popis (8 pts). Uz njih ide i kartica Total Air Superiority za 3 pts. Kartica kaže da meni avioni dolaze na 3+, a neprijatelju na 5+. To je vjerojatno za jednokratnu upotrebu pa mi se čini malo preskupom opcijom. Uzimam svejedno - možda se protivnik uplaši.
Tu se našao vod Šermana, točnije 2x Šerman 75mm i 1x FireFly (AT 14). Za 13 bodova rade točno ono što i trebaju... proboj po krilu ili čekaju u zasjedi...
Još je ostalo 6 bodova za spiz..., za potrošiti. Uzimam dva voda lakih vozila (2x Daimler, 1x Dingo). Mali, laki i brzi... ako zatreba mogu proširiti deplojment zonu, mogu maltretirati artiljeriju i pješadiju... za te bodove... super.
Zadnji bod ide za Lucky karticu čime je i ova teško igriva lista složena. Bolje opcije svakako postoje... Ukoliko se izbace kartice "Total Air Superiority", "Naval Gunfire", te assault bridge za AVRE i mineflails za Šermane dobije se skroz upotrebljivih 17 bodova za puno bolje opcije...
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ZAKLJUČAK - više od 3 ovakve liste bilo bi previše. Svima koji su do kraja pročitali prilog slijedi jedno veliko olakšanje i prestanak boli koju uzrokuje živciranje radi pročitanoga. Sada znate da postoji netko tko može složiti lošiju listu nego vi i sigurno ste radi toga sretniji :).
Uživajte u ljetu!
Tom 2020-08
Igranje bojama i kontrastima u mjerilu 1/100
Učinak nakon igre bojama i kontrastima u vruće subotnje popodne.
Jako sam zadovoljan rezultatom jer nisam izgubio puno vremena... Izostavio sam crni kontrast koji stavljam na kraju i koji ističe detalje...
Još jedan dry brush samo po rubovima.
Stavljen prvi kontrast, tj. kombinacija dva kontrasta i malo vode. Želim vidjeti učinak kontrasta, a ne izgubiti originalnu boju.
Iza kontrasta obavezan je još jedan dry brush.
Sređene gusjenice, obojan alat, stavljene oznake...
Dry brushe s bojom ili dvije, ovaj put različiti kontrasti, opet dry brush... oznake i prljanje, bojanje čovca u kupoli...
Za kraj još jednom zajedno... Dva kanadska Shermana i britanski AVREovi.
Tom 2020-08
ponedjeljak, 17. kolovoza 2020.
Saxon Ceorls (28mm)
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Saxons
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Saxons (Latin: Saxones, German: Sachsen, Old English: Seaxan, Old Saxon: Sahson, Low German: Sassen, Dutch: Saksen) were a group of early Germanic peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, Latin: Saxonia) near the North Sea coast of what is now Germany. In the late Roman Empire, the name was used to refer to Germanic coastal raiders, and also as a word something like the later "Viking". Their origins appear to be mainly somewhere in or near the above-mentioned German North Sea coast where they are found later, in Carolingian times. In Merovingian times, continental Saxons had also been associated with the activity and settlements on the coast of what later became Normandy. Their precise origins are uncertain, and they are sometimes described as fighting inland, coming into conflict with the Franks and Thuringians. There is possibly a single classical reference to a smaller homeland of an early Saxon tribe, but its interpretation is disputed. According to this proposal, the Saxons' earliest area of settlement is believed to have been Northern Albingia. This general area is close to the probable homeland of the Angles.
In contrast, the British "Saxons", today referred to in English as Anglo-Saxons, became a single nation bringing together Germanic peoples (Frisian, Jutish, Angle) with the Romanized Britons, establishing long-lasting post-Roman kingdoms equivalent to those formed by the Franks on the continent. Their earliest weapons and clothing south of the Thames were based on late Roman military fashions, but later immigrants north of the Thames showed a stronger North German influence. The term "Anglo-Saxon", combining the names of the Angles and the Saxons, came into use by the 8th century (for example Paul the Deacon) to distinguish the Germanic inhabitants of Britain from continental Saxons (referred to in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as Ealdseaxe, 'old Saxons'), but both the Saxons of Britain and those of Old Saxony (Northern Germany) continued to be referred to as 'Saxons' in an indiscriminate manner, especially in the languages of Britain and Ireland.
While the English Saxons were no longer raiders, the political history of the continental Saxons is unclear until the time of the conflict between their semi-legendary hero Widukind and the Frankish emperor Charlemagne. While the continental Saxons are no longer a distinctive ethnic group or country, their name lives on in the names of several regions and states of Germany, including Lower Saxony (which includes central parts of the original Saxon homeland known as Old Saxony), Saxony in Upper Saxony, as well as Saxony-Anhalt (which includes Old, Lower and Upper Saxon regions). The current state of Saxony has its name from dynastic history, and not ethnic history.
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Štitove sam zalijepio na drške ofucanih kistova, stavio sam neljepnice i malo sve zaprljao.
Vojnici su u ovoj fazi obojani, ali i dalje zalijepljeni na čepove. Štitovi postavljeni...
Pojedinci izdvojeni radi slikavanja; nisu se bunili.
Modeli napokon bazirani... zemljani teren, pokoji kamen i malo mahovine...
Za kraj još koja (mutna) fotka. Što se može kada Samsung slikavalo ne voli noć...
Tom (2020-08)
nedjelja, 16. kolovoza 2020.
SdKfz 251 (1/56)
Na fotki su 4 verzije SdKfz 251 polu-gusjeničara
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Sd.Kfz. 251
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sd.Kfz. 251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) half-track was a World War II German armored fighting vehicle designed by the Hanomag company, based on its earlier, unarmored Sd.Kfz. 11 vehicle. The Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the Panzergrenadier (German mechanized infantry) into battle. Sd.Kfz. 251s were the most widely produced German half-tracks of the war, with at least 15.252 vehicles and variants produced by seven manufacturers. Some sources state that the Sd.Kfz. 251 was commonly referred to simply as "Hanomags" by both German and Allied soldiers after the manufacturer of the vehicle; this has been questioned, and may have been only a postwar label. German officers referred to them as SPW (Schützenpanzerwagen, or armored infantry vehicle) in their daily orders and memoirs.
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Design
There were four main model modifications (Ausführung A through D), which formed the basis for at least 22 variants. The initial idea was for a vehicle that could be used to transport a single squad of 10 panzergrenadiers to the battlefield protected from enemy small arms fire, and with some protection from artillery fire. In addition, the standard mounting of at least one MG 34 or MG 42 machine gun allowed the vehicle to provide suppressive fire for the rifle squad both while they dismounted and in combat.
The armour plates were designed to provide protection against standard rifle/ machine gun bullets (like the 7.92×57mm Mauser bullet). The front-facing plates were 14.5mm thick; the sides were steeply angled, V-shape 8mm thick plates. This level of armour provided protection against normal (non-tungsten) rifle AP round, which could pierce about 8mm of vertical armour.
Positive aspects of the open top included greater situational awareness and faster egress by the infantry, as well as the ability to throw grenades and fire over the top of the fighting compartment as necessary while remaining under good horizontal cover. The downside, as with all armored personnel carriers of the era, was a major vulnerability to all types of plunging fire; this included indirect fire from mortars and field artillery, as well as small arms fire from higher elevated positions, lobbed hand grenades, Molotov cocktails, and strafing by enemy aircraft.
The first two models (ausf A and B) were produced in small numbers from 1939. Ausf A and B models can be identified by the structure of the nose armor, which comprised two trapezoidal armor panels - the lower of which had an engine cooling vent. The B model, which began production in 1940, eliminated the fighting compartment's side vision slits. The C model, which started production in mid-1942, featured a simplified hexagonal-shaped forward armored plate for the engine. Models A through C had rear doors that bulged out. The C model had a large production run, but was quite complex to build, involving many angled plates. From early 1943, the D model was developed with the purpose of halving the number of angled body plates, simplifying the design and thus speeding up the production. D models can be easily recognized by their single piece sloping rear, with flat doors.
The standard personnel carrier version was equipped with a 7.92 mm MG 34 or MG 42 machine gun mounted at the front of the open compartment, above and behind the driver. A second machine gun could be mounted at the rear on an anti-aircraft mount.
Variants were produced for specialized purposes, including with anti-aircraft guns, light howitzers, anti-tank guns and mortars or even large unguided artillery rockets, as well as a version with an infrared search light used to spot potential targets for associated Panther tanks equipped with infrared detectors.
A strong design feature of the Sd.Kfz. 251 was the large track area, with the characteristic "slack track" design with no return rollers for the upper run of track. The Sd.Kfz. 251 also had the Schachtellaufwerk system of overlapping and interleaved main road wheels common to virtually all German halftracks of the period. This lowered the ground pressure and provided better traction, at the cost of much greater complexity in maintenance. The Sd.Kfz. 251 also had tank steering, whereby the normal steering wheel moved the front wheels, but after more turning of the steering wheel, the tracks are braked to cause turning, like on a tank. However, the interleaved and overlapping main road wheels shared a major problem with the Tiger I and Panther tanks that also used such roadwheel configurations - in muddy or winter weather conditions, such as those during a mud season (rasputitsa) or the winter conditions, accumulated mud and snow could freeze solid between the road wheels, immobilizing the vehicle.
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Variants
There were 23 official variants, and sundry unofficial variants. Each variant is identified by a suffix to the model number; however, there was some overlap in the variant numbers.
Sd.Kfz. 251/1 - Schützenpanzerwagen. Standard personnel carrier.
Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. A Ungepanzerte. Made with plain steel 5mm plates instead of armour, to make up numbers due to slow initial 251 production. Around 350 made up to mid 1940.
251/1 I - with intercom facilities
251/1 II - Rocket launcher (called "Stuka zu Fuß" (Walking Stuka) or Wurfrahmen 40) equipped with six side-mounted frames for launching 280 mm or 320 mm Wurfkoerper rockets.
Sd.Kfz. 251/1 - Falke Infrared imaging equipment for driver and mg42, to be used in combination with Sd.Kfz. 251/20 Uhu. Mostly Ausf. D variants.
Sd.Kfz. 251/2 - Schützenpanzerwagen (Granatwerfer). 81 mm Mortar carrier. Carried 66 rounds for the GrW34. A base plate was also stored so that the mortar could be offloaded and used.
Sd.Kfz. 251/3 - mittlerer Kommandopanzerwagen (Funkpanzerwagen). Communications vehicle, fitted with extra radio equipment for command use in Ausf. C and Ausf. D versions.
251/3 I - FuG8 and FuG5 Radios
251/3 II - FuG8 and FuG5 Radios
251/3 III - FuG7 and FuG1 Radios (for ground to air coordination)
251/3 IV - FuG11 and FuG12 Radios (with 9 m telescopic mast); Command vehicle variant (Kommandowagen)
251/3 V - FuG11 Radio
Sd.Kfz. 251/4 - Schützenpanzerwagen für Munition und Zubehör des leIG18. Gun-towing tractor, initially for use with the 7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18. Later used to tow the 50 mm Pak 38, 75 mm PaK 40 and 10.5 cm leFH 18 light field howitzer.
Sd.Kfz. 251/5 - Schützenpanzerwagen für Pionierzug. Assault Engineer vehicle with inflatable boats stored in the side storage lockers, and light dismantleable assault bridges stored inside through loss of a seat for more storage space. Early command vehicles for Pioneer platoons (Pionierzug) were equipped with a 37 mm Pak 36 anti-tank gun mount.
Sd.Kfz. 251/6 - mittlere Funkpanzerwagen (Kommandopanzerwagen). Command version equipped with map boards, cipher and encoding machines, and Enigma equipment. Probably only made in versions Ausf. A and Ausf. B. Replaced by the 251/3 IV command SPW.
Sd.Kfz. 251/7 I - Pionierpanzerwagen. Another assault engineer vehicle; this had fittings to carry assault bridge ramps on the sides.
251/7 II - As above but with different radio.
Sd.Kfz 251/7C Pionierwagen with panzerbuchse 41
Sd.Kfz. 251/8 I - Krankenpanzerwagen. Armored ambulance capable of carrying up to 8 seated casualties or 4 seated casualties and 2 stretcher cases.
251/8 II - As above but fitted with FuG5 radio and 2m rod antenna. Assigned to HQ and Panzer units.
Sd.Kfz. 251/9 - Schützenpanzerwagen (7.5 cm KwK37). Equipped with a 75 mm L/24 low velocity gun, using the same pedestal gun mount employed on the StuG III. Nicknamed "Stummel" ("stump"). In 1944, a revised modular gun mount was introduced to facilitate production that also incorporated a coaxial MG42. This universal gun mount was also used to create the Sd.Kfz. 250/8 variant and the Sd.Kfz.234/3.
Sd.Kfz 251/9 Ausf D (Stummel)
Sd.Kfz. 251/10 - Schützenpanzerwagen (3.7 cm PaK). Equipped with a 37 mm Pak 36 anti-tank gun mount. Issued to platoon leaders as a fire support vehicle. Early versions used the whole top half of a Pak 36 with full gunshield, but later ausf. C & D used a much smaller half-size gunshield so that the vehicle didn't advertise its firepower, so it looked more like a regular 251/1.
Sd.Kfz 251/10 half-track (3.7cm PaK)
Sd.Kfz. 251/11 - Fernsprechpanzerwagen. Telephone line layer.
Sd.Kfz. 251/12 - Messtrupp und Gerätpanzerwagen. Survey and instrument carrier for artillery units. Never built.
Sd.Kfz. 251/13 - Schallaufnahmepanzerwagen. Sound recording carrier for artillery units. Never built.
Sd.Kfz. 251/14 - Schallaufnahmepanzerwagen. Sound ranging carrier for artillery units. Never built.
Sd.Kfz. 251/15 - Lichtauswertepanzerwagen. Flash spotting carrier for artillery units. Never built.
Sd.Kfz. 251/16 - Flammpanzerwagen. Fitted with two flame projectors and initially a rear-mounted flamethrower, detachable but still connected to the vehicle, to be operated by dismounted infantry. This was in addition to the standard forward machine gun mount. Six Sd.Kfz. 251/16 Flammpanzerwagens were authorised for issue to each Panzergrenadier regiment or in the Pioneer battalion. Though vulnerable, they were used very successfully at night to quickly attack enemy infantry who had just captured German trenches, hitting the enemy before they could consolidate and bring up the heavy weapons that would make them much costlier to defeat later. Late ausf. D versions had larger gunshields.
Sd.Kfz 251/16 Flammpanzerwagen
Sd.Kfz. 251/17 - Schützenpanzerwagen (2 cm). Anti-aircraft vehicle armed with a 2 cm KwK38 on a pedestal mounting with a small armored turret to protect the gunner. Late war, it was issued as a platoon commander's vehicle to replace the Sd.Kfz. 251/10.
Sd.Kfz. 251/18 I - Beobachtungspanzerwagen. Artillery observation vehicle.
251/18 Ia - Differences unknown, likely different radio fit.
251/18 II - Armored observation vehicle.
251/18 IIa - Different radio.
Sd.Kfz. 251/19 - Fernsprechbetriebspanzerwagen. Telephone exchange vehicle.
Sd.Kfz. 251/20 - Schützenpanzerwagen (Infrarotscheinwerfer) Introduced in late 1944, it mounted a 60 cm infrared searchlight with a range of 1.5 km for illuminating targets at night. Known as "Uhu" (Eagle Owl), they guided IR sight-equipped Panther tanks to targets that were out of range of their own smaller infrared searchlights.
Sd.Kfz. 251/21 - Schützenpanzerwagen (Drilling MG151s). Anti-aircraft and ground support variant equipped with a triple-mount ("Drilling" in German means "triple") of MG151 autocannon; early version being MG151/15 mm cannon, later being MG151/20 mm Luftwaffe cannon, on a Kriegsmarine triple mount. Strong firepower, especially when organised into platoons of 6 SPW. However, with a combined rate of fire of 2000 RPM, it could fire off its full load of 3000 rounds in just 90 seconds.
Sd.Kfz. 251/22 - 7.5 cm PaK40 L/46 auf mittlerem Schützenpanzerwagen. Fitted with a 75 mm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. Probably too big a gun for the carriage, overloaded but effective, and the Yugoslav military was still using captured examples into the 1950s.
Sd.Kfz. 251/23 - 2 cm Hängelafette 38 auf mittlerem Schützenpanzerwagen. Reconnaissance variant intended to replace the Sd.Kfz. 250/9 and fitted with the same turret mounting as the Sd.Kfz. 234/1 armoured car. Probably never built.
OT-810 - Czechoslovakian produced version, made by Praga and Tatra, about 1,500 vehicles built during 1958–62. This version had an air-cooled diesel engine, and an armored roof over the troop compartment. The vehicle was not liked by those who used it and was nicknamed "Hitler's revenge". Last vehicles were removed from Czech Army magazines in 1995.
Field modified variants - Various field modified variants also existed during World War II. There was a kit for installing an armoured map table in place of the forward MG34 mount in use in 1941. One interesting variant was made at the closing stages of the war, when German forces removed the armored bodies of damaged Sd.Kfz. 251s and installed them on light truck chassis, resulting in a wheeled variant of the Sd.Kfz. 251. At least two were made in this way judging by their number plates.
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Tom (2020-08)
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