Warszawa II (29 page)

A variant constructed on PzKpfw II tanks. Custom built to accommodate 7.62 cm anti-tank guns captured from the Soviet army. Approximately 200 vehicles were converted in this way in 1942 and were designated as Marder I's. Marder were a family of hybrid-vehicles created by “rebuilding” dated, unusable German, or captured, tanks – specifically, a family of has-been tanks adapted to accommodate 7.5 cm anti-tank guns.

One of Germany's most common armoured vehicles during WWII. It was built upon a lorry chassis (8×8) and was designed in 1937. It was steered by the four forward wheels and could be driven in both directions just as easily, as it had both rear and forward steering. It could even be driven on railway tracks of normal gauge. It was merely a matter of removing the rubber tyres from the wheel rims. Four different variations were produced; the 231, a standard wagon with a 20mm automatic gun in one turret; the 232, a communications vehicle with standard armament (its radio antenna in the form of a rectangular frame antenna above the entire vehicle); the 233 which was an assault gun, with a 7.5cm L/24, sans turret; and the model 263 which was an unarmed communications vehicle. All variations taken into account, 1,235 were produced.

One of Germany's many attempts to create a mobile anti-aircraft system to its armoured forces. from its inception The Sd Kfz 7 was an artillery half-tracked vehicle with an 8 tonne drawing power, most known for being the tow-vehicle for the much respected 88mm gun. The German Army began to use the vehicle as a platform for either the Flak-Vierling 38, four-barrelled 20mm anti-aircraft (Sd Kfz 7/1) or the 3.7 cm Flak 36 (Sd Kfz 7/2). A relatively inexpensive and effective solution to a constantly occurring problem, its biggest drawback was the lack of armoured protection for the crew – virtually none at all. In total, 12,000 vehicles came off the production line between 1937 and 1945.

Another example of one of Germany's many attempts to produce a mobile anti-aircraft artillery for its panzer forces. From its inception the Sd Kfz 10 was a half-tracked tow-vehicle with a one-ton pulling capacity. The original model was designed in 1926 and stands as the most produced example of half-track vehicles in Germany up until 1945. Practically speaking, the vehicle was not a satisfactory tow-vehicle with only a one ton drawing capacity. On the other hand, it was excellent as mobile platform for lighter weapon systems, as for example, the 20mm Flak 30 or 38. It was also used as the base-model for a whole series of 250-half-tracked vehicles – armoured troop carriers. In total, some 25,000 models were built between 1932 and 1944.

Germany's first true assault-gun. Primarily intended as an infantry support vehicle, hence its classifications as an assault-gun, in contrast to the later Panzer-hunter which was developed to hunt down and destroy an enemy's tanks, a task that the StuG increasingly came to be used for. The first versions saw field service as early as 1939, albeit equipped with the shorter 7.5cm gun. From 1942 onwards, the G version became the most common and was produced in greater number than the majority of turreted tanks! Traditionally, the crews of StuG's were regarded as elite troops within armoured weapon contingents as they were manned by artillery personnel, rather than by tank troops. In total, 8,000 F/G versions were produced.