SdKfz 7
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SdKfz 7 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 7) |
|
| SdKfz 7 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 7) | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 1 - 12 |
| Length | 6.85 m |
| Width | 2.35 m |
| Height | 2.62 m |
| Weight | 11.53 tonnes |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | 8 mm |
| Main armament | |
| Secondary armament | |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | Maybach HL 62 6-cylinder petrol 140 hp ( kW) |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
| Road speed | 50 km/h |
| Power/weight | hp/tonne |
| Range | 250 km (road) 120 km (off-road) |
The SdKfz 7 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 7) was a half-track military vehicle used by the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War.
Development of the SdKfz 7 can be traced back to a 1934 requirement for an eight-tonne (7.87 tons) half-track. The vehicle first appeared in 1938 and was destined to be used mainly as the tractor for the 8.8 cm FlaK gun. The vehicle could carry up to 12 men and a considerable quantity of supplies, as well as pulling up to 8,000 kg (17,600 lb) of weight. Most were fitted with a winch, and the vehicle was widely admired as very useful. It was also outifitted as as a weapons carrier, to particularly good effect with anti-aircraft weapons (SdKfz 7/1 and SdKfz 7/2). They also saw service as observation and command posts for V-2 (Vergeltungswaffe 2) batteries (Feuerleitpanzer auf Zugkraftwagen 8t). They were admired even by their enemies, with the British trying to make exact copies of captured vehicles and some vehicles being pressed into service by the Allies after the Second World War
[edit] Variants
- SdKfz 7
Basic SdKfz 7 half-track vehicle.
- SdKfz 7/1
SdkFz 7 armed with a 2 cm Flakvierling 38 L/112.5 gun.
- SdKfz 7/2
SdkFz 7 armed with a 3.7 cm FlaK 37 L/98 gun.
- Feurleitpanzer auf Zugkraftwagen 8t
Observation and Command post for V-2 (Vergeltungswaffe 2) rocket launches.
| German armored fighting vehicles of World War II | |
|---|---|
| Tanks | |
| Panzer I | Panzer II | Panzer III | Panzer IV | Panther | Tiger I, II | Panzer 35(t) | Panzer 38(t) | |
| Self-propelled artillery | |
| Wespe | Hummel | Grille | Panzerwerfer | sIG 33 | Wurfrahmen 40 | |
| Assault guns | |
| StuG III | StuG IV | StuH 42 | Brummbär | Sturmtiger | |
| Tank destroyers | |
| Panzerjäger I | Marder I , II , III | Hetzer | Jagdpanzer IV | Jagdpanther | Nashorn | Jagdtiger | Elefant | |
| Half-tracks | Armored cars |
| SdKfz 4 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 250 | 251 | 252 | 253 | 254 | Sdkfz 221/22/23 | Sdkfz 231/32/34/63 | ADGZ |
| Self propelled anti-aircraft | |
| Flakpanzer IV: Möbelwagen, Wirbelwind, Ostwind, Kugelblitz | Flakpanzer 38(t) | |
| Prototypes | |
| Maus | E- series | Panther II | Waffenträger | Neubaufahrzeug | |
| Proposed designs | |
| Panzer VII 'Löwe' | Panzer IX | Panzer X | Ratte | Monster | |
| German armored fighting vehicle production during World War II | |
