SdKfz 254

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SdKfz 254

Type	Tracked/wheeled armoured scout car
Place of origin	Austria
Service history
Used by	Austria, Nazi Germany
Production history
Number built	140
Variants	artillery observation vehicle
Specifications
Weight	6.4 tonnes^[1]
Length	4.56 m^[1]
Width	2.02 m, 2.20 m on wheels^[1]
Height	1.88 m^[1]
Crew	7

Armor	6 - 15 mm ^[1]
Main armament	1 x MG34 7.92 mm machine gun^[1]
Engine	Saurer CRDv 4cyl, diesel^[1] 70 PS^[1]
Operational range	500 km on wheels^[1]
Speed	60 km/h^[1]

The Sdkfz 254 was a fully tracked armoured scout car employed by Wehrmacht during World War II.

From 1936, the vehicle was developed under the designation RR-7 by the Saurer company as an artillery tractor for the Austrian army. Testing was completed and in 1937, an order was placed for the tractors and they were manufactured in 1938. About 12 vehicles were made prior to Anschluss (the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938).

Manufacture of the vehicle continued after the Anschluss. Records indicate that a total of 140 units were built with the new designation RK-7 (Räder-Kettenfahrgestell), although they were named as SdKfz 254 by the Wehrmacht. The vehicle featured a wheel-cum-track layout and a diesel motor. The wheels were lowered when it was used on roads and retracted for tracked movement cross-country. A number saw service with the Afrika Korps, serving as artillery observation vehicles after being fitted with a radio and rail antenna.

The freedom tank

In 1950 the former mechanic Václav Uhlík from Líně in the Czech Republic found the wreck of an RR-7 artillery tractor. He repaired and rebuilt the machine as an armoured carrier. On 25 July 1953 he got through three border zones including wire obstacles, and penetrated thirty kilometres into West German territory. There he applied for asylum and emigrated to the United States, where the machine was exhibited as the "freedom tank" (Czech: tank svobody). Today it is owned by a private collector.^[2]

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Chamberlain and Doyle 2004, p. 179.
↑ Pejčoch, Ivo. "František Uhlík a Tank svobody". Historie a plastikové modelářství (in Czech). Retrieved 2005.

Chamberlain, Peter; Doyle, Hilary (2004). Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two. Technical Editor: Thomas L. Jentz. Wigston, Leicestershire, UK: Silverdale Books. ISBN 1-84509-012-8.

External links

www.panzernet.net
SdKfz 254 wwiivehicles.com

v t e German armoured fighting vehicles of World War II

Tanks	Panzer I Panzer II Panzer III Panzer IV Panther Tiger I Tiger II Panzer 35(t) Panzer 38(t)

Self-propelled artillery	Wespe 10.5cm leFH18(Sf) LrS 15cm sFH13/1 (Sf) LrS Sturmpanzer I Sturmpanzer II Grille Hummel Panzerwerfer 42 Wurfrahmen 40 Karl-Gerät

Assault guns	StuG III StuG IV StuH 42 StuIG 33B Brummbär Sturmtiger

Tank destroyers	Panzerjäger I Marder I II III RSO/PaK 40 Nashorn Elefant Jagdpanzer IV Hetzer Jagdpanther Jagdtiger

Half-tracks	SdKfz 2 4 Maultier 6 7 8 9 10 11 250 251 252 253 254 sWS

Armored cars	Sdkfz 221/22/23 Sdkfz 231/32/33/34/63 SdKfz 234 Sd.Kfz. 247 ADGZ

Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns	Flakpanzer I Flakpanzer IV Möbelwagen Wirbelwind Ostwind Kugelblitz Flakpanzer 38(t)

Demolition vehicles	Leichter Ladungsträger Mittlerer Ladungsträger Schwerer Ladungsträger

Prototypes	Maus Entwicklung series Leichttraktor Panther II Heuschrecke 10 Neubaufahrzeug Sturer Emil 10.5 cm K (gp.Sfl.) Pz.Sfl. II Flakpanzer Coelian Kugelpanzer VK 4501(P)

Proposed designs	Panzer III/IV Löwe Panzer IX Panzer X Ratte Monster VK 1602 Leopard Gep. MTW Kätzchen VK 4502(P)

German armored fighting vehicle production during World War II

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