Tanks/Vehicles SdKfz 234 (Puma)

[_Katyusha_ 1,829]

 

After Germany was forbidden usign any kind of tactical vehicles by the Versalles Treaty, the German government reached an agreement with the USSR at the end of the 20s (Rapallo Treaty) for settling a common plant of development and experiment of armored vehicles. Under top secret and with the name of "Gepanzerte Mannschafft Transporwagen", the predeccesors of the 234 series were born. During 1926-1927, Daimler Benz and Magirus developed a vehicle of 8 wheels, while Büssing Nag did the same with an amphibiuos 10 wheels vehicle, fitting the requirements of the government. The German Army only gained experience from these designs, as they still had to train with fake vehicles, commercial chassis with wooden or fabric superstructure. Anyway they were able to set up and improve the units and tactics that were to be succesfully employed later, in the Second World War. The first reconnoissance vehicle was the Kfz 13, in 1934. It had four wheels and was hardly used in combat, but it served as a base for a long series of 4, 6 and 8 wheels vehicles. The most direct ancestor of the 234 were the 8 wheels GS chassis, namely SdKfz 231, 232, 233 and 263, from which it got part of its mechanichal components and general guidelines of design.

 

On 5th August, 1940, the Inspektorat(In) 6 instructed the Wa Pruef 6 to develop a reconnoissance vehicle suitable for underdeveloped regions (Panzerspahwagen fur Colonialzwecke), a concept generally associated with the Afrika Theater but that would be equally useful on the Eastern Front. The vehicle was to use similar components to the Sd Kfz 231, but with an air cooled diesel engine, improved fording capacities, monoblock chassis and strongly armored (30mm). The chassis was ordered to Büssing Nag and the engine to Tatra; the "Achradwagen (ARK)" should weigth 20 Tons with a frontal armor of 30mm and side armor enough to resist 7,92 mm armor piercing rounds. It had to be able to ford 1,20m, have a crew of 4 men and mount a 2cm gun with anti aircraft capacity (KwK.38 mit Flakrohr) and a 7,92mm MG. The prototype would be ready by December, 1941. A change on the armament is first mentioned on a report dated 1st July, 1942, specifying a 5cm Kw.K.39/1 and a MG 34 (without discarding the possibility of mounting the 2 cm Kw.K.38) in a narrow profile turret, common to the Luchs, Leopard and  Achradwagen proyects. The chassis was manufactured by Büssing Nag in Leipzig (Manufacturer's code ARK), the superstructure by Deutschen Edelstahlwerke in Krefeld and the turret by Daimler Benz AG (5cm) and F.Schibau (2cm) in Elbing. The first trials with the prototype started around July, 1942. Due to problems with the noise of the engine, a second model was developed (Tatra 103), and a tropicalized version of it was not finished until the defeat of the German army in Africa. The first 5 vehicles with a turret and 5 cm gun were delivered in December, 1943. As there were problems with the supply of the casted shield of the gun (Topfblende), the 234/2 were delayed and the chassis were diverted to other variants. The production finished on September, 1944, with a total of 101 vehicles built of the s.Pz.Sp.Wg (5 cm 39/1 L/60) Sd.Kfz 234 version. Incidentally, it was not known as 234/2 until March, 1944 and never officially called "Puma"... 

 

Without any doubt, the most powerful armed wheeled reconnoissance vehicle of the time, it mounted a 50mm gun and 60 calibers long Kwk39/1 semi-automatic, with vertical sliding breech block, two hydro-pneumatic cylindrical recuperator on top and had an elevation angle of+20/-10 degrees. The gun used PzGr39 rounds, that can pierce 37mm at 1.500m (enough to destroy light armored and reconnoisance vehicles) and HE rounds SprGr38. This gun was a direct evolution, with muzzle brake, of the one on the Pz III and therefore, of the Pak38. On the same casted mantlet and coaxially was mounted a MG42. The vehicle carried 55 rounds (27 PzGr39 and 28 SprGr38) for the main gun, 2.850 of 7,92mm for the MG42 and 192 of 9mm for the crew's MP38. There were also 3 smoke dischargers on each side of the turret, plus 3 more inside the engine compartment that released the smoke through the engine louvres.

 

The 234/2 was the first and only german armored vehicle during WWII mounting an air cooled diesel engine, the Tatra 103. It was used as a temporal solution until the tropicalized version was ready, but it never was. This engine solved the noise problems of the first engine used and offered a good weight/power relation, fully loaded, of 17 HP/Ton. With the full load of fuel, 360 liters, it had an autonomy of 1.000 km in roads and 600 km cross country.

 

Combat Use:

 

According to Jentz, the 101 units of the 234/2 produced were distributed as follows:

 

-Panzer Lehr Div. (1 Kompanie/PzAufkAbt 130): 25 units. Painted in dark yellow and without numerals or crosses.

 

- 2 PzDiv (1.Kompanie/PzAufkAbt 2): 25 units. Some of its vehicles seem painted dark yellow without any marking (not even license plates) but a small trident and the Aufklärungs insignia, both on the front of the hull, at the left. Others, like the well knwon 111 carried 3 tone camo, crosses and numerals.

 

- 1 SSPzDiv (SSPzAufkAbt 1): 16 units. painted in dark yellow with camo, probably 3 tone. They also carried crosses and numerals (3 digits)

 

- 20 PzDiv ( PzAufkAbt 20): 16 units. There is a photo of a Puma white washed, in Silesia.

 

- 7 PzDiv (1Kompanie/ PzAufkAbt 7): 6 units

 

- 13 PzDiv: not known.

 

Details:

 

The markings, when present, were the following:

 

Crosses. On turret sides and rear, they can be seen in almost all cases. They were applied by the units, as the vehicles left the factory without crosses. The side ones can be seen on different positions, more or less moved to the rear or the front from the turret center (usual postition).

 

Some vehicles also carried a number on the mudguard, one or two white digits. Most probably, it was the number of pair on the Detachment. There were at least two systems for the numbers:

 

 - Detachment - Pair - Vehicle, like the 1111 o el 111, corresponding to the first vehicle of the eleventh pair, and first vehicle of the first pair, both from the first Detachment (1-11-1 and 1-1-1).

 

 - Detachment - Platoon - Vehicle, like probably was the 415.

 

Divisional insignia. Not always present, it can be seen sometimes on the left front hull.

 

License plate. Painted on the frontal and rear of the hull, a white rectangle with black outline and numbers. It was painted before delivering to the units.

 

Other markings. Like the tires pressure, painted on the mudguard over every wheel (4 atü); weight and class, in a rectangle on the left side of the hull; speed limit, on both sides of the hull to the front (35 Km). These markings were stenciled also in the factory.

 

 - Large box on the rear left mudguard, replacing the cans. It can be seen on the famous  1111. The box occupied all the width of the mudguard and was placed all along of it from the antenna base to the exhaust. The cover was divided in two longitudinal parts, the outer one was was secured to the front with 2 clasps and was liftable with hinges attached to the other.

 - Ammunition support on the right front mudguard, it can be seen on several vehicles and consisted in 2 U shape holders that held in place a box of ammunition for the main gun.

 

 - Hooks, usually for attaching wires to hold foliage to conceal the vehicle. There were on turret sides and rear engine hatch.

 

 - A hand hold on the frontal access hatch.

 

 

[Smin1080p_WT 60,444]

Open for discussion :salute: 

 

Very interesting machine that id like to see in game :yes:  

[Spitfire_ 7,306]

This needs to be ingame.

[Guest]

If this gets added I'll Puma pants

 

 

I'll escort myself out thank you

[ComradeSalzy 738]

Love the Puma.... Though I was surprised that it came so late in the war. 

[wulfhound 1,244]

I'd like to see more Puma variants added in-game, especially the ones with the 7.5cm guns. Aww yiss.

[Radom 4,245]

At least WT would have something that the other game is missing

[Helezhelm 10,626]

What about that Puma with long 7.5cm gun, I think it is called as sdkfz 234/4. They made like 60 of them at end of '44 to '45. 

 

 

Some sdkfz 234/4 in combat such as:

 

 

More pics:

 

Edited August 6, 2014 by Helezhelm

[BlitzkriegWulf 4,265]

If this gets added I'll Puma pants

 

 

I'll escort myself out thank you

 

You made me chuckle so u can have a +1 ;)

[PeterLuk 731]

I hope they will add it since CBT! I am for!  :good: 

[pandasaber117 417]

Looks cool we need more armored vehicles.

[Renamed99495 3,247]

I assume there should be 2 different pumas, the one with 5 cm (234/2) which has turret and turretless version 234/4 Pakwagen

[_Katyusha_ 1,829]

Love the Puma.... Though I was surprised that it came so late in the war. 

 

 

The Puma is an odd vehicle, when you look at its history.  Originally, the SdKfz 234 was the first variant.  That one used panzer I and panzer II turrets, and carried at most a 20mm gun.   They actually did quite well as scout vehicles then.  It's only when the Leopard scout  (VK something) project was cancelled that the 5cm came into being.  In fact, the first Pumas carried the built Leopard turrets. Their 5cm gun, though by no means large, was still enough to allow the Puma to take on Medium tanks.  Sure, the armor was crap, but the Puma could punch through their sides and rear, as well as hitting weak points. They went from being pure scout vehicles, to doubling for hit and run tactics, or sweeping behind enemy lines and wreaking havoc. 

 

The TD variant was a natural extension of the Puma, well, the SdKfz 234 rather.  The Pak gun fit well on the chassis, and made for a royal terror/nuisance for the allies.  Here you had a TD that was VERY fast.  What's more, since the 234 had two drivers, one facing forward and one facing aft, it meant that the 234 could position itself along a road, Fire, and then quickly scuttle away before the enemy knew where the 234 was. 

[Renamed99495 3,247]

Needs more support, ~83 km/h Tank destroyer is gonna be awesome :Ps

[BlitzkriegWulf 4,265]

Needs more support, ~83 km/h Tank destroyer is gonna be awesome :Ps

 

Meanwhile M38 wolfhound was 100km/h TD & had been experimented with a chaffee turret ;)

 

But it would be a rather.... useless tank destroyer. It had a 37mm M6 w/ 93 rds, and the chaffee turret would have given it something around 48 rounds for the 75mm M6. Basically the only thing you could use the vehicle for is artillery strikes, and killing artillery/AAA. 

[_Katyusha_ 1,829]

I think the difference between the Puma, and Wolfhound, is the fact that the Wolfhound never saw combat.

[IsaakRiv94 5,260]

You know about 1 week ago i was about to suggest the Sdkfz-234 vehicle family,but yes we need this ingame. +1

[_Katyusha_ 1,829]

If it tells you anything, I've taken to building one in 3ds Max just...well because.

[BlitzkriegWulf 4,265]

I think the difference between the Puma, and Wolfhound, is the fact that the Wolfhound never saw combat.

 

The last nation to pull the "Oh but it didn't see combat" or "Wasnt built" card should be germany OR japan, -especially- when the vehicle in question is pretty much rubbish anyways. What weapon in this game cannot penetrate 6mm of armor at 2-300m? Even AP .30 cal would be able to pen that so long as it wasn't angled too much. A .50 cal would laugh at that much armor, even using ball ammo. 

 

All things considered, the M38 is VERY game breaking. It has a whopping 12mm maximum of armor, a hefty & overpowered 37mm cannon of doom, and six big rubber wheels. And we all know, the more wheels you got, the more OP it must be, right? We would see it wrecking that IS-3 from the front and it could just sneeze on Jagdtigers.... 

 

My next point being that there were tank recovery trucks that had better armor & armament then the M38. They just didn't happen to be nearly as fast. 

 

Last but not least.... it only had something like a 14.X HP/Ton (it might have been even a bit lower...) weight ratio with the Chaffee turret. That's borderline heavy tank power-to-weight. & it did influence the Alvis Saladin armored car...  

 

 

 

Least all of what I ask for is actually built. (Tiger II mit 105, half the new AA mounts, Panther II, etc.)

[_Katyusha_ 1,829]

The last nation to pull the "Oh but it didn't see combat" or "Wasnt built" card should be germany OR japan, -especially- when the vehicle in question is pretty much rubbish anyways. What weapon in this game cannot penetrate 6mm of armor at 2-300m? Even AP .30 cal would be able to pen that so long as it wasn't angled too much. A .50 cal would laugh at that much armor, even using ball ammo. 

 

All things considered, the M38 is VERY game breaking. It has a whopping 12mm maximum of armor, a hefty & overpowered 37mm cannon of doom, and six big rubber wheels. And we all know, the more wheels you got, the more OP it must be, right? We would see it wrecking that IS-3 from the front and it could just sneeze on Jagdtigers.... 

 

My next point being that there were tank recovery trucks that had better armor & armament then the M38. They just didn't happen to be nearly as fast. 

 

Last but not least.... it only had something like a 14.X HP/Ton (it might have been even a bit lower...) weight ratio with the Chaffee turret. That's borderline heavy tank power-to-weight. & it did influence the Alvis Saladin armored car...  

 

 

 

Least all of what I ask for is actually built. (Tiger II mit 105, half the new AA mounts, Panther II, etc.)

 

Before you get defensive, I was noting that the only real difference between the two, was one saw combat, and one did not.  

[Pezeshkia 52]

I would really like to see the Puma but with the current tank map sizes there is not much it can do, since it's main advantage is it's speed

[MrMakWASP 1,412]

I would really like to see the Puma but with the current tank map sizes there is not much it can do, since it's main advantage is it's speed

 

Yes...speed is useless.......thats why the T 50 and T 54 are so terrible....oh wait.

[SuperFoch 78]

I want to see it in game, Puma is really beautiful !

[Blastmaster1972 1,235]

+1. WANT! :salute:

[Hadur4 2,108]

I also support this vehicle to be in game!