back to Land Transportation

 

Kfz 1 - Kubelwagen

open staff car; driver + 3 passengers. 42 HP straight-4 gasoline engine, all wheels powered and steer, top speed 45 mph, range 200 miles highway, 150 miles off-road, from 16.5 gallon fuel tank. Weight 0.7 tons. Produced from 1936, this vehicle is also the basis for the Kfz 2 (radio car). Don't confuse the Kfz 1 and the Kfz 15 with the later Volkswagen vehicles.

 

Kfz 15 - Kubelwagen

2 x 4 open staff car; driver + 4 passengers. 90 HP straight-6 gasoline engine, top speed 70 mph, range 500 miles highway, from 39 gallon fuel tank. Weight 1.9 tons. This represents Mercedes-Benz 260, 320 and 340 varieties, intended for more senior officers than the Kfz 1; produced from 1932. The doors can be easily removed.

 

Kfz 13 - Maschinengewehrkraftwagen

2 x 4 light armored car; driver + gunner, and two passenger seats. Armament is a pintle-mounted 7.92mm MG. Armor 8mm on front and sides; open top; weight 2 tons. 60 HP V-6 gasoline engine, top speed 42 mph roads, 20 mph offroad; 200 mile range on roads. In service from 1932, used until 1941; the otherwise identical Kfz 14 is equipped with a radio. Derived from the Adler Diplomat civilian sedan, these rear-wheel drive cars have poor off-road performance; less than 200 were built.

 

Kfz 60 - Mannschaftstransportwagen (Krupp Protze)

4 x 6 open troop carrier; driver + 10 passengers. 55 HP 4-cylinder aircooled gasoline engine, 4x6, top speed 45 mph, range 260 miles highway, 180 miles offroad on 30 gallon fuel tank. Weight 2.9 tons. In service from 1933, with many body variations:  Kfz 19 radio truck (closed body); Kfz 21 staff car; Kfz 69 light artillery tow vehicle.

 

Kfz 305 - Lastkraftwagen (Opel Blitz 3)

2 x 4 closed cab truck; driver, 1 or 2 passengers in cab, and various rear bodies. 68 HP, 221 cid 6 cylinder engine; top speed 53 mph, gets 9 miles per gallon of gasoline or kerosene, fitted with 22 gallon fuel tank. Available with van body (Kfz 68) for radio or workshop, 2100 liter tank body (TLF 15), bus body, ambulance body (Kfz 31), standard "lorry" bed, many others. Maximum gross weight 5.8 tons, including 1.75 tons of cargo. Tough, cheap and reliable, a later (1938) redesign becomes the standard WW2 German truck; there are also medium 2.5 ton and light 1 ton versions.

 

Mercedes G3a Paradewagen

4 x 6 open limousine; driver + 10 passengers. 68 HP V-6 gasoline engine, top speed 45 mph. Weight about 3.6 tons. About 17 produced from 1933 for field marshals, Nazi officials (such as der Fuhrer), and important foreign dignitaries. The earlier G1 (1926), G2 (1928) and G3 (1930) models are very similar; all models might have different coachwork -- enclosed body, etc.; some have duals on the 4 rear wheel stations; and some military versions have one or two pedestal-mounted 7.92mm machineguns. Pictures can be seen here.

 

Land-Wasser-Schlepper

amphibious tugboat; driver, commander, engineer, at least 20 passengers. 265 HP V-12 gasoline engine driving tracks and two propellors, top speed 25 mph on land, 7.5 mph in water, range on roads 100 miles. Weight 13 tons. Can tow amphibious wheeled barges, which can each carry about 20 tons of cargo; the LWS itself can carry at least 4 tons of cargo. Designed in 1936, but in real life only prototypes existed until 1942. Lots of pictures here.

 

SdKfz 2 - Kettenkraftrad

half-track motorcycle; driver + 2 passengers; inline 4-cyl gasoline engine of 36 HP, top speed 44 mph, with three forward and one reverse gear (plus high-low range selector), and able to climb slopes of up to 45 degrees; about $1000 or so; in use by German parachute troops and other light forces (in RL not produced until about 1940)

 

SdKfz 5 - Spähmaschine I Ausf. B

two-legged walker; driver only, with 20mm autocannon and 7.92mm MG; 14mm armor on body sides, 7mm armor on underside, open top. Weight about 3 tons, height about 14'. Most successfully powered by a de-rated 600 HP V-12 Jumo 211 supercharged water-cooled engine, top speed 30 mph, range only about 60 miles on 150 gallons of gasoline; very expensive prototypes only so far. Variations:  a training version without armor or weapons; with single MG only (Ausf. A); with a flamethrower instead of the MG (Ausf. C); with a flamethrower instead of the 20mm cannon (Ausf. D); with radio equipment (Ausf. E); and less-common versions with different 20mm gun arrangements, specialized engineer or signals equipment, different engines, fording or amphibious arrangements, etc.

 

SdKfz 6 - MittlererZugkraftwagen 5t

open half-track; driver + 8 passengers. 90 HP straight-6 gasoline engine, top speed 30 mph, range 100 miles offroad, 200 miles on highways on 44 gallons fuel total in two tanks. Weighs 7.5 tons, can carry 1.5 tons and tow 5 ton loads. In production from 1935.

 

SDKfz 7 - MittlererZugkraftwagen 8t

open half-track; driver + 10 passengers. Maybach straight-six gasoline engine of 115 HP, top speed 30 mph; range 100 miles on roads, 50 miles off-road; weight about 11 tons fully loaded, towing capacity 8 tons. This will become the most numerous of the Zugmaschinen of the Wehrmacht. Historically, designed in 1934, regular production begins in 1938.

 

SdKfz 10 - LeichterZugkraftwagen 1t

open half-track; driver plus 7 passengers. Straight-six gasoline engine of 100 HP, top speed 40 mph; about $3000. Many variants eventually produced -- artillery towing, self-propelled AA gun, etc.

 

SdKfz 101 - Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf. A

light tank; driver + commander/gunner, with two 7.92mm MG; 13mm front armor, 7mm sides. 59 HP 4-cylinder gasoline engine, top speed 30 mph on roads, 22 mph off-road. Weight 5.4 tons. In production from 1934, designed as a training tank; it has some mechanical deficiencies, aside from its weak armament and thin armor. In use by the Spanish Nationalists the turret was sometimes upgraded to mount a Breda 20mm autocannon.

 

SdKfz 121 - Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf. A

light tank; driver, commander, loader; armed with 20mm autocannon and coax 7.92mm MG. 14.5mm armor on front, sides, and back, 12mm armor on top, 5mm on bottom. Powerplant is 140 HP 6-cylinder gasoline engine; top speed 25 mph, 22 mph off-road. Weight 8.9 tons, range about 120 miles on roads with a full 45 gallon tank of gasoline. First deliveries in May of 1936, but the stats given are for the first real combat versions delivered in 1937. Equipped with a radio.

 

SdKfz 222 - Leichter Panzerspähwagen

light armored car; 3 man crew (driver, gunner/commander, loader), armed with 20mm autocannon and coax 7.92mm MG. Front and side armor 8mm; deck, rear and underside armor 5mm; open top on turret. 90 HP V-8 gasoline engine, 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel steering, top speed 56 mph on roads, 25 mph cross-country; range 175 miles from a 29 gallon tank. Weight 4 tons. Fitted with a simple radio. The SdKfz 221 is very similar, but has only 2 crew and no autocannon -- more typically a unit commander's vehicle, carrying the commander as a third crew member. All developed in 1934. China received 30 of the SdKfz 221 and 222 during the Thirties. 

 

SdKfz 231 6 rad - Schwere Panzerspähwagen

armored car; 4-man crew, with 20mm autocannon and 7.92mm coax MG; 14.5mm front armor, 8mm side; 4x6, straight-6 cyl gasoline engine of 68 HP, top speed 40 mph; about $5000; in use by German army, fitted with radio. Basically an armored body mounted on an ordinary truck chassis and running gear.

 

SdKfz 231 8 rad - Schwere Panzerspähwagen

heavy armored car; crew: driver, gunner, loader, commander; armed with 20mm autocannon and coax 7.92mm MG. Front armor 14.5mm, side armor 8mm, bottom and deck armor 5mm. 150 HP V-8 gasoline engine, all eight wheels driven and steer, top speed 53 mph on roads, 30 mph offroad; range 186 miles on 40 gallon tank. Weight 9.6 tons. Fitted with a radio. A driving position facing to the rear can be used by the crew; the vehicle has 6 forward speeds and six reverse. The SdKfz 232 (Fu) is almost identical, but equipped with multiple radios and a large frame antenna. Produced from 1936. Despite the same index number "231", this is a fresh design, far more capable than the older 6-wheeled vehicle.

 

SdKfz 247 Ausf. A - Schwere Gelandegangige Gepanzerte Personenkraftwagen

armored command car; crew driver, 5 others. Front armor 8mm, side armor 6mm, bottom and deck armor 5mm, open top. 55 HP 4-cylinder aircooled gasoline engine, 4x6, top speed 40 mph on roads, 25 mph offroad; range 210 miles. Weight 4.5 tons. Fitted with several radios, periscopic rangefinder. Produced from 1937, this is based on the Krupp Protze chassis, engine and running gear.