The SdKfz 251/1 was a medium armoured personnel carrier which played a large role in German armoured formations. Despite images of hordes of blond-haired Teutonic Panzer Grenadiers leaping from numerous Hanomags in popular culture, the reality was rather different, the German military was not as mechanised as the British or US Army. The German military of the Second World War was an organisation that was heavily dependent on horses and many Panzer Grenadiers were transported on lorries.
With the SdKfz 251/1, a combined arms doctrine was evolved. The infantry could finally keep up with the tanks. Thus, the SdKfz 251 soon became the mount of the Panzer Grenadiers.
Throughout the war, many variants of the SdKfz 251 were then built for a variety of requirements including flamethrower, rocket launching, anti-tank variants.
Tank Museum, Bovington: July 2006
2 comments:
The U.S. Army was the only army of WWII that did not rely upon horses for transportation (except in the jungles of Asia were roads were lacking).
Man, I love that Kraut hardware. I want one of those to drive to the deer blind to shoot bambi with! Maybe the flame thrower attachment would be just the thing for Bar B Q!
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