If, when watching military films, you saw a squat, elongated German car with rather powerful armor, then for sure it was the Khanomag armored personnel carrier. It was widely used by the troops of the Third Reich and managed to prove the effectiveness of a completely new type of transport - it was after its appearance on the battlefields that many allies and opponents of Germany also decided on the need to create analogues.
Why was it created
Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, German strategists came to the conclusion that the troops needed a fundamentally new type of military equipment that would become a compromise between an ordinary car and a tank. So there was Sd Kfz 251, nicknamed the troops "Hanomagh" - by the name of the manufacturer.
He had a very unusual appearance - elongated, squat and very stable. This allowed him to successfully fulfill his mission and become almost as famous an example of German weapons as the MP-40 submachine gun and the Tiger heavy tank. It is no coincidence that he is found in many films about the war.
In fact, he became the first in his class, as he joined the troops already in 1939 - shortly before the start of the war. The next armored personnel carrier - the American M3 was developed only two years later, precisely when the US military appreciated the convenience of an armored car, its reliability and efficiency.
It was used both for the transfer of troops and in the transportation of heavy weapons: flamethrowers, mortars, heavy machine guns. Of course, with a sufficient number of armored personnel carriers, the mobility of any detachment increased significantly. In addition, he provided fairly good protection - both from bullets fired from submachine guns, and from fragments of grenades. This was especially important if BTR 251 Khanomag was ambushed, which happened quite often in the occupied territories of the USSR and Yugoslavia, where there was a particularly strong partisan movement.
He proved his effectiveness and therefore was released in really large quantities - more than 15 thousand pieces. According to this indicator, among the armored personnel carriers it was inferior to the already mentioned M3 - they were released twice as much.
Today, preserved specimens can be seen in museums of military equipment, as well as in private collections.
Basic performance characteristics
If we talk about this car, then first of all it is necessary to list the main performance characteristics of the armored personnel carrier. Its length was almost six meters, or rather, 598 centimeters. With a width of 210 and a height of 175 centimeters. Ground clearance was 32 centimeters, so the car confidently moved on the road.
The weight of the refueled armored personnel carrier with weapons and ammunition was 9140 kilograms - significantly less than the lightest tank, although several times more than the trucks of that time used on the fronts.
Armored personnel carrier protection
Armored personnel carriers Hanomag gained considerable popularity precisely thanks to the armor. Of course, she did not save from a landmine laid on a forest road, or dagger fire from a machine gun. But still, the chances of survival of the soldiers significantly increased.
The most powerful armor was installed on the frontal part - it is quite reasonable when you consider that armored personnel carriers were often used when attacking enemy positions. Here, the thickness was 14 mm. The sides and stern had less powerful protection - only 10 cm. But everywhere it was installed at a certain angle - 14.5-15 degrees. It was this arrangement that ensured the maximum likelihood of rebounds, without piercing the body.
The weakest armor, like any armored personnel carrier, was located above and below - only 8 millimeters. It is quite reasonable - it is difficult to imagine a situation in which shooting would be conducted at it from such an angle. And with a high-explosive explosion, the crew and the car would hardly have been saved by much more powerful armor.
A few words about the engine
Of course, so that an armored personnel carrier with a mass of more than 9 tons could move successfully, developing decent speed, a powerful motor was needed.
For this, a six-cylinder carburetor engine with water cooling was selected. Its power was 100 horsepower - very good for its time. It was this indicator that allowed the car to effectively cope with various obstacles (we will return to this later), as well as develop speed on the highway to 53 kilometers per hour.
At the same time, the smell of running along the highway was very impressive - up to 300 kilometers. This gave the transport serious autonomy, allowing you to travel considerable distances both in the convoy and on your own.
Crew
It is important that the crew of the Sd Kfz 251 Hanomag consisted of only two people. The first was a driver. Its place was not separated from the airborne compartment, but between it and the power compartment there was a reliable fire barrier, which increased the chances of survival in case of fire.
The armored personnel carrier was also highly valued because any person who knows how to drive a truck would easily figure out his control. The same steering wheel, three pedals (gas, brake and clutch) and two levers (hand brake and gear shift) located on the right, allowed to retrain the driver very quickly, without spending extra weeks and months on training.
The second crew member was the commander, also taking on the duties of a signalman. When driving, it was in its place to the right of the driver. However, in some later versions, the commander’s position was moved to the stern.
Airborne transportation
At the same time, the Khanomag armored personnel carrier transported up to 10 people (not including the crew). If necessary, he could accommodate more, but in this case, he could not quickly leave the airborne compartment.
On both sides of the compartment were benches for the convenience of soldiers during the ride. The first versions used simple benches covered with dermatin. But in later versions they were replaced by an analog, welded from thick pipes and covered with a tarp. A number of armored personnel carriers with wooden benches were also issued.
To ensure that motorized rifles did not have to keep their weapons with them all the time, special mounts were located on the compartment walls. They were ideally suited for fixing MR-38 and MR-40 submachine guns, as well as Mauser 98K carbines, the main armament of motorized infantry.
Armament
The main armament, which was equipped with the Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251, was a Reinmetall-Borsig MG 34 machine gun of 7.92 mm caliber. Located in front of the fighting compartment, he could conduct an overwhelming fire, making the movement of the armored personnel carrier safer. In addition, it was equipped with armored shields, which significantly complicated the task of the enemy to destroy the machine gunner. And powerful bullets of 7.92 mm caliber could cut through bushes and young trees, crumble bricks and any other obstacles, leaving the enemy a little chance. The standard ammunition for the machine gun was 2010 rounds.
In addition, if necessary, another MG-34 machine gun could be installed in the rear. It was intended for firing both on ground targets and on air targets.
Chassis
However, the German soldiers who fought in different countries of the world, most of all appreciated the armored personnel carrier "Khanomag" not for firepower and not even for armor, but for high passability. It was provided by a half-track chassis. A pair of wheels located in front, allowed to direct transport in the right direction, while thanks to the tracks provided excellent cross-country ability. Sand, swamps, chernozem soaked after rain - the armored brainchild of the Khanomaga felt equally comfortable in any conditions.
In addition, an unusual engineering solution provided the opportunity for a sharp turn. In the usual (up to 15 degrees) rotation was carried out only thanks to the wheels. If the rotation angle was large, then with the help of a special mechanism the internal track was released, and power was transferred from it to the external one. Thanks to this, the Khanomag could easily turn around on the spot - when driving along city streets or attacking from an ambush on a narrow forest road, this gave additional chances for survival.
Overcoming obstacles
A powerful engine in combination with a well-thought-out chassis allowed the armored personnel carrier to effectively overcome any obstacles.
For example, to force water barriers with a depth of up to 0.5 meters almost regardless of the type of bottom.
Ditches up to 2 meters deep also did not cause problems - the caterpillars showed excellent results even on complex clay soils.
Finally, sharp rises (up to 24 degrees) were also overcome without much difficulty. In the conduct of hostilities on the territory of the USSR, such patency was especially important.
Modifications
All of the above applies specifically to the basic model Sd Kfz 251. However, over the following years a large number of modifications were released - the armament, purpose, and even the main performance characteristics were different - weight, dimensions. In total, twenty-two modifications were released - some proved to be effective and produced in hundreds, while the release of others was limited to several dozens of tests.
We’ll tell you about the most interesting of them, who added to the list of armored personnel carriers of the Second World War. After all, each of them deserves special attention:
- For example, the Sd Kfz 251/2 was a full-fledged self-propelled mortar. In addition to the standard MG-34 machine gun, it was also equipped with an 81 mm millimeter sGrWr 34 mortar with 66 rounds of ammunition
- And Sd Kfz 251/3 was used as a communications machine - this armored personnel carrier was equipped with various models of radio stations and different types of antennas. Of course, as a result, coordination of operations improved significantly, which allowed the troops to operate more smoothly and efficiently.
- The main purpose of the Sd Kfz 251/6 was the transportation of division commanders, corps and armies. She was necessarily equipped with walkie-talkies, so the commander could receive reports directly from the battlefield, stipulate further actions with other commanders.
- Sd Kfz 251/8 was used as an armored ambulance. It contained eight seated wounded or four sedentary and two recumbent.
- Sd Kfz 251/9 was a powerful fire unit, as it was equipped with not only the usual machine gun, but also a real gun! The short-barreled 75-mm Kwk-37 with 52 rounds of ammunition did not pose a threat to enemy tanks, but it proved to be excellent at destroying enemy manpower and fortified firing points.
- BTR Sd Kfz 251/11 was a real gift for signalmen. A coil with a telephone cable was installed on the right wing, which made it possible to lay it without leaving the comparatively safe landing compartment.
- Sd Kfz 251/16 became a really scary weapon. In addition to two MG-34 machine guns, it was equipped with two 14-mm flamethrowers. The total supply of fire mixtures was 700 liters - this was enough to make up to 80 shots. Moreover, the distance of destruction was quite large - up to 35 meters (the direction and strength of the wind strongly influenced). However, for the destruction of manpower, especially the soldiers who settled in the trenches, this modification was perfect.
Where was the APC used?
To begin with, the German armored personnel carrier Khanomag was effectively used throughout the Second World War - from the capture of Poland in 1939 to the defense of Berlin in April 1945.
During the occupation of European countries, it allowed to significantly increase mobility, transferring large forces to the right places in the shortest possible time.
But only the commanders-in-chief on the Eastern Front and in Africa could fully appreciate it. Off-road, dirt, sand - all this made the use of conventional trucks almost impossible. And the caterpillar drive allowed the armored personnel carrier to effectively overcome any obstacles, brilliantly performing the tasks.
Conclusion
This concludes the article. Now you know more about the Khanomag armored personnel carrier, which almost any museum of military equipment in Europe can boast of. And at the same time you have an idea about its performance characteristics, armor, weapons, and even various modifications.