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WW2 German 3-digit number system identified vehicle unit: 1st numeral is COMPANY, 2nd is PLATOON (Zug), 3rd is VEHICLE within the Platoon. Different letter & number schemes were used to show REGIMENTAL levels such as "R", "0", "10", etc. In this model's 3-digit numerals: "0" is REGIMENTAL level, "2" is 2nd Platoon, and last "2" is the 2nd Vehicle within the platoon.
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Model airbrushed Polly-S African-Yellow and Dark-Earth, dry brushed TESTOR Tan. Front head lights covered with silts for night driving, which projected light into a thin horizontal line to prevent illumination diffusion and enemy detection. Two outer white-tipped rods located at bumper edge are steering markers ) to assist driver maneuver from his constraint view. Although these plastic rods come with model kit, they are also notorious for breakage during handling, thus it could be replaced with either aftermarket metal parts ( which can be expensive proposition ), or use clothing pins with circular heads as price optimal alternative. For this model, used the plastic rods that came with the kit.
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Rollover : ( Rollover JPG link ) | Rear engine deck view... water cans, tools, crew personal items stowed externally since internal compartments reserved for ammunition. WW2 German armored cars had angled hull design for ballistic deflection, concept was eventually extended to tank design such as the Panther tank. Panther Tank - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panther_tank
- Early German Panzer Divisions officially had Kradschützen Bataillon ( motorcycle battalion ) for armor recon duties. However, personnel suffered high casualty rates being completely exposed to enemy fire. By March 1943, Germans replaced Kradschützen with Panzeraufklarung Bataillon ( armored recon battalion ) manned by armored vehicles ( wheeled and half-tracked ).
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Rare color clip of factory-fresh Puma on its field proving grounds. Armor car has standard African Yellow base color, but front white license plate blank ( probably blanked out by German military censor since it denoted specific military branch by which this Puma was assigned ).
Schwerer Panzerspähwagen Puma | AGT
WW2 German license plates format was 2-letter service branch + integer. Standard letter allocations were WH for Heer ( Army ), SS for ( Waffen SS, Allgemeine SS ), WK for Kriegsmarine ( Navy ), OT for Organization Todt ( infrastructure / logistics building ), etc.
German Civilian Car in Wehrmacht Service | LSC
SS license plate forum | FGN
Vehicle registration plates of Germany ( modern ) | Wiki
Organisation Todt | Wiki |
Puma #111 in 1944 Normandy-France, missing one of its wheels to mine or enemy fire. Its layout ( ex. stowage box, shovel, water canisters ) used as standard scaled modeling template for 1.35th Italeri scale model Sdkfz 234 model kit. Vehicle #111 has been asserted by some to 1. Kompanie, Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2 ( 1st Company, 2nd Armor Recon Battalion ) of LAH division.
Tactical numbering of 1./PzAA2. ("Pumas" etc) | N54
Tactical numbering of 1./PzAA2. ("Pumas" etc) | PDF
SdKfz 234/2 #1111 | N54
LAH was acronym for Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler ( German for 1st Standard Adolf Hitler ), in reference to 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. In Normandy, LAH fought a series of battles against British/Commonwealth forces on Normandy's eastern flank ( ex. Allied Operation Charnwood, Jupiter, Spring, Goodwood ), anchored on Caen city with nearby Carpiquet aerodrome and Hill 112 defensive points.
1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler | Wiki
LAH in Normandy Front | Wiki
Operation Spring | Wiki
Operation Goodwood | Wiki
Foliage placed on rear engine deck and front gun mantle for aerial concealment against Allied ground-attack aircrafts. By 1944, German Luftwaffe frontline fighter bases on western European front were dispersed into smaller units to prevent single Allied air attack from wiping out majority of fighter inventory. However, dispersal also prevented unified squadron action against Allied ground assaults since squadron planes were now geographically distributed.
THE UNITED STATES STRATEGIC BOMBING SURVEY September 30, 1945 | ANE
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Sdkfz 234 armor car derived from 1920-1930s-era German mechanized warfare doctrines and evolved through series of upgraded and up-gunned types.
( A ) At war's beginning, Adler Kfz 13 was civilian vehicle adopted for military use armed with sole MG34 machine gun. German Kfz ( Kraftfahrzeug or automotive transport ) nomenclature meant vehicles not specially design for military use. BTW, Adler in German means Eagle, but can also mean Vulture.
kfz 13 '"Adler" Maschinegewehrkraftwagen | WWN
MG-34 (Germany) | WGR
( B ) SdKfz 222 armored car with 2cm gun turret. From 1939 - 1943, armor car used in large numbers as recon and HQ protection units for all combat theaters. Note German SdKfz ( Sonder Kraftfahrzeug or special automotive transport ) nomenclature meant vehicles specially designed for military use.
Leichter Panzerspahwagen Sd.Kfz.222 photos | SD222
( C ) SdKfz 231 6-rad armored car mounted 2cm gun turret ( shortened German word Rad referred to Radial or Wheel ). 6-rad had good performance on paved roads, but lacked versatile cross-country operations since gaps in front-rear axles often impeded vehicle crossing of ditches, tree trunks, or large rocks. By 1940, they were withdrawn from frontline, and redeployed as rear echelon, convoy protection, anti-partisan sweeps.
schwerer Panzerspähwagen SdKfz 231 6 RAD | ALS
2 cm FlaK 30/38/Flakvierling | Wiki
( D ) SdKfz 231 8-rad armored car with 2cm gun turret. 8-rads significantly improved cross-country performance. Front armor shield deflected light enemy ballistics and served as shatter shield ( defacto ablative armor ) for heavier ordnances. 231 used in recon duties until 1943 when SdKfz 234-2 took over frontline role. By 1944, 234-2 recon role replaced by full-tracked Panzer II Ausf-L Luchs light tank since it offered superior cross-country mobility. The 8-Rad armor car design is still used by today's German Bundeswehr Army.
Schwere Panzerspähwagen (SdKfz 231) 8 rad armored cars | WW2V
Panzer II Ausf. L Luchs | FKR
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In addition to Sdkfz 234-2 Puma armor series, 3 other variants were also produced.
( X ) 234-1 mounted 2cm gun turret ( same gun type mounted on Sdkfz 222 & 231 versions ), turret wire mesh screen prevented falling foliage/debris or enemy objects ( ex. grenades, molotov cocktails, rocks ) from being thrown into compartment.
Panzerspähwagen SdKfz 234 (8 rad) armored cars | WW2V
( Y ) 234-3 armed with short-barrel 7.5cm KwK 37 L/24 assault gun in limited transverse mount. Guns originally armed Panzer IV Ausf F1 tanks during WW2 commencement. By 1942, Panzer IV tanks were up-gunned to long barrel 7.5cm guns, thus spare short-barrel 7.5cm guns were transferred to half-tracks and armored cars for infantry close support actions.
SDKFZ 234/3 Armored Car | WWN
Panzer IV Ausf F1 model | UweM
( Z ) 234-4 was late-war design mounting 7.5cm PAK40 anti-tank gun, German PAK means Panzerabwehrkanone ( anti-tank canon ). Desperate by 1945, Germans armed also any vehicle with anti-tank capability to counter American and Soviet tanks numerical superiority. Although versatile and powerful, thinly armored 234s were no match in gunnery slugging duels with enemy tanks.
SDKFZ 234/4 Armored Car | WWN
RSO with 7.5cm PAK40 anti-tank gun | UweM
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