WWII German Heavy Armoured Cars

The Second World War would see Germany produce many different machines of war. Many of the more famous machines are usually tanks. However, Germany would produce many different versions of armoured cars. These vehicles would play a vital role in many battles across Europe and North Africa. Some would be armed with powerful weapons usually reserved for tanks. In today's video we look at the German Heavy Armoured Cars of WWII.

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[PremierHistory]

Which version of German Heavy Armoured Car do you think was the best?

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[jerryjeromehawkins]

Not only 8 wheeled...
They were also 8 wheel drive and had 8 wheel steering with a front AND rear driving position.
Absolutely cutting edge for the time.

[ulrichkalber]

the 233 was NOT intended as anti-tank. the snubnose gun was intended to use HE against bunkers and was more intended to play the role of an early Pz IV.

[GlamorousTitanic]

The German 8 wheelers are hands down some of the most badass-looking vehicles of WW2.

[dgerdi]

Those Sdkfz were quite flawless in comparison to the heavier tanks. They were very quick and well armed for skirmishes. But the problems came, when fuel shortages limited their speed and range. Those cars were depended on speed alone as they were hitable only with huge luck while in full speed.

[scottfoster]

WWII had the coolest looking armoured cars.

[edi]

Few things to point out:
1) they can support infantry or attack enemies where enemies would not normally expect tanks. They can cross smaller bridges, squeeze past narrow alleys or traverse forests.
2) the 50mm was a high velocity cannon and the armour penetration was further increased by tungsten core ammunition, which was lighter than regular ammunition but featured a tungsten rod which was denser and harder than steel. This increased the muzzle velocity and terminal ballistics, but not so much the regular ballistics. They were the predecessor of discarding sabot and later APFSDS. The ammunition was however expensive and hard to get limiting their usefulness, especially late in the war.
2) the 75mm did not rely on impact to penetrate armour. It was a low pressure low velocity howitzer that would lob explosives onto the enemy. Against steel, HEAT rounds were used. The problem was that the spin of the projectile reduced the effect. Plus, triggering the explosion at the right moment instead of glancing off or crushing the round was still challenging. Thus, they lost probably 50% of their potential performance.
3) 8 wheels are faster than tracks and can keep moving fast even if two wheels are destroyed. They are however more prone to getting stuck and can't climb as steep of a slope as tracked vehicles can.

[walterschumann]

I have told others that only the turreted 50 mm gun version was called the Puma, thank you for confirming this.

[raka]

The SDKFZ 234 was the non plus ultra of scout vehicle development and led to the development of the 'Luchs' scout tank after WWII in Germany.
The SDKFZ 234 was the only armored vehicle of the Wehrmacht that had a diesel engine, and it was also extremely quiet.
After the war a test of this vehicle was carried out in the UK, and it was found that it had exceptional cross-country mobility, which the Allies could not match.

[mareknowy]

Thanks for slow reading, i can understand everything! Best Regards from Papua

[janmale]

I served in the SADF where we had 'Ratel' as an infantry fighting vehicle also 8 wheeled, with different gun layouts from 20mm cannon, to a 75mm cannon and machine guns.

[bobsyoruncle]

If I was a German recon I'd probably pick the Puma - decent anti-armor capability with the 5cm gun and better crew protection than the open tops. One big advantage of these 8-wheeled vehicles was that they featured a driver position at both the front and rear - ideal for shoot-and-scoot because they could immediately accelerate backwards at the same speed as forwards.

[masudashizue]

If I were a German soldier, I would have wanted to serve on a Puma, with its speed and defensive capabilities.

[BlueSkyCountry]

With the rest of the world still retaining a lot of Victorian aesthetics and mannerisms in the 1940s, the Germans were building vehicles that look like they were meant for use on the Moon and Mars, with names that sound like computer chipsets.

[delinquenter]

Es gab eine paar Fehler in dem Video, was die Fähigkeiten angeht, die diese Fahrzeuge besaßen und die Rollen, die sie erfüllten,
die in der Kommentarsektion von gebildeten Fans angemerkt wurden.
Nichts desto Trotz war dies ein gutes Video, welches unsere beeindruckenden Radfahrzeuge des zweiten Weltkriege gut darstellte.

[ThommyofThenn]

Some very nice weapons on these highly mobile systems. In particular I am interested in the autocannons being used in a ground support role.

[ヒロシ-sz]

2:00 Sd. Kfz 232
I think it was more advanced than other countries.
And
The impact of these ideas is great.

[taurus]

That this concept still works today can be seen from their "grandchildren". "Luchs" armored reconnaissance vehicle and "Fuchs" armored personnel carrier.

[roadstarman]

You forgot the sdkfz 263 heavy radio car. It used the same chassis as the 231/232/233. It had a raised superstructure with no turret and a single MG34 mounted on the front of the superstructure. It had a 'bedframe' antenna similar to the sdkfz 232, but also had the ability to deploy a tall pole mounted star antenna for long range communications. There were also 6 x 4 heavy armored cars using the same sdkfz 231/232/263 designation. They were built on truck chassis and the front axle was not powered. They became obsolete pretty quick as cross country wasn't nearly as good as the others.

[wwiiinplastic]

David Doyle just released another of his Legends of Warfare series on the 231, 232, 233, 234, and 263 both 6- and 8-rad versions. Plenty of excellent photos as is true of all of his books. I have a kit of each of these vehicles. The Puma is definitely the crowd favorite.

Re: the 233 that was meant as an artillery support vehicle for the recon battalions to help when they came up against obstacles such as small AT bunkers, once it became harder for the Luftwaffe to provide air support against those types of road blocks. The 231/232 didn't carry a big enough gun to bust concrete so the 233 would come toss a round in to clear out the nest. They were also effective as AT themselves when using AP rounds for the 7.5cm StuK L/24 gun the 233 mounted.