Does anybody have any information on what divisions or units had these late model half tracks?
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2nd Panzer Division, 12th Panzer Division, 24th Panzer Division as a starter.
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The first picture shows a vehicle supposed to belong to the Afrikakorps, yet Africa was liberated in 1943, while the Ausf. D was also introduced in 1943. I doubt therefore if that is a period picture, specialy since no licence plate is present.
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I’m pretty sure this particular “late” model came out in 1944 at some point.
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The first photo is definitely erroneous. The second photo is sporting a Grossdeutschland insignia on its nose. I’ll add 20th Panzer division and 2nd SS Panzer to the list.
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The first picture is definitely post war, probably in an American museum. I say this because it has post war American military truck wheel(s) on the front
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I think you are approaching this from the wrong angle. From 1943 on, the Sdkfz251/9 was standard equipment in the armoured Panzergrenadier battalions of all Panzer divisions, Heer, Luftwaffe (Herman Goering) and Waffen SS, as well as the heavy companies of Panzer Aufklarungabteilungen. Kriegstarkennachweisung (KStN - table of organisation) 1125 (gp) dated 21 December 1942, created the kanonezug ( gun platoon) in the heavy companies of armoured (gepanzerte - gp) infantry battalions, usually one battalion out of four in an army unit, or one of six in an SS Panzerdivision ( the only Panzergrenadierregimenten to ever reach the ideal of having all it’s infantry half-track mounted were those of Panzer Lehr - 130 PD). The initial issue was six vehicles. In the reconnaissance (Aufklarung) unit the issue appeared also to be six, but intriguingly, in 1944, the 3rd company of SS PzAA 9 in addition had three 250/8 Stummel in the lighter vehicle, other units may have had the same.
Given this, you could apply any Panzer unit signs and it would arguably be correct. If you decided on a unit and worked back from there it might be easier. Or, pick a later campaign, e.g. the Ardennes and look at units there.
in 1943 450 Kanonewagen were produced and 700 in 1944 (1943 production would have been the early type where the gun projected through the front plate, rather than the higher late version of course). If you divide say 37 Panzerdivisions formed by 1943 (1- 27, 116, 130 Heer, 7 SS and HG) into the 1943 production, you get just over 12 each, no doubt some went to Lehr units. It was an important sub-type of the Sdkfz251. With the attrition rates for equipment, both in Russia and in the West, you could expect the later version, which we are concerned with here to be distributed widely, just as the previous version.
Most of this information is from “Panzergrenadier” by Thomas Anderson, with additional info from “9 SS Panzerdivision” by Herbert Furbringer.
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Thank you for the information. I got a dragon kit waiting to be painted and was thinking 12 SS in the Ardennes.
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The book Im reading Fatal Crossing states there was one with the SS unit at the Malmadey Massacre. They couldn’t depress the gun low enough to fire at close range so they had to go with machine guns and small arms.
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It was taken at the Patton museum many years ago.
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Yes, I think you’d be pretty safe with 12SS in the Ardennes. Virtually all the heavy equipment of the SS Panzer divisions involved in the Ardennes offensive had been recently replaced as the majority was left behind in Normandy.
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