A report on WWII German 8-wheeled armored cars, from Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 32, August 26, 1943. [DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department publication Tactical and Technical Trends. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

GERMAN EIGHT-WHEELED ARMORED VEHICLES The three main types of German eight-wheeled armored vehicles are shown in the accompanying sketches. These are all of pre-war design. The principal differences between the three types are outlined in the following report from British sources: a. Eight-Wheeled Heavy-Armored Car Sd. Kfz. 231 (8 Rad) This armored car called in German Schwerer Panzerspähwagen Sd. Kfz. 231 (8 Rad) has a 20-mm gun Kw.K 30* or Kw.K 38 and a 7.92-mm MG 34 mounted coaxially in the turret. The latter is capable of a 360° traverse. It is equipped with a radio, the aerial being of the rod type. The crew consists of four men - a commander, a gunner and two drivers. There has been no confirmation recently of reports that the 37-mm Kw.K was to be mounted in this armored car instead of the 20-mm gun. Details of this car follow. (Except where otherwise stated, the particulars given below on the three models are based on the results of examination of a captured vehicle). (1) Weight Unloaded    16,588 lbs (German document) In action 17,920 lbs (approx) Axle loading      1st axle  4,340 lbs    2nd axle  4,396 lbs    3rd axle  4,536 lbs    4th axle  4,368 lbs    17,640 lbs NOTE: A report on a captured vehicle estimates the weight loaded of this vehicle as 17,640 pounds, whereas a German document gives the weight in action as 18,256 pounds. It will be noted that the figures given here for axle loading, power/weight ratio, etc., are based on the estimate in the report. (2) Armor Welded construction. Brinell** hardness of plates 450 to 500. An extra V-shield .39 inch thick is mounted about two feet in front of the nose of the vehicle. (a) Turret Plate    Thickness    Angle to Vertical Front (except gun mantlet)  8 mm (.31 in) 25° Front (gun mantlet) 15 mm (.59 in) 25° Sides  8 mm (.31 in) 28° Rear  8 mm (.31 in) 30° Top (front)  5 mm (.19 in) 78° Top (rear)  5 mm (.19 in) 88° (b) Hull Plate    Thickness    Angle to Vertical Front (upper) 8 mm + 10 mm (2 feet space) = 18 mm (.709 in) 45° (on front shield) Front (lower) 8 mm + 10 mm (2 feet space) = 18 mm 30° (on front shield) Sides (except engine compartment--upper) 8 mm (.31 in) 40° Sides (except engine compartment--lower) 8 mm (.31 in) 37° Sides (engine compartment) 10 mm (.39 in) (see sides above) Rear 10 mm (.39 in) 20° Drivers plates (front and rear) 8 mm (.31 in) 28° Top (glacis plate) 5 mm (.19 in) 71° Top (rear deck and engine cover) 5 mm (.19 in) 83° (3) Armament One 20-mm Kw.K 30 or Kw.K 38; one 7.92-mm MG 34. Both are mounted coaxially in flat mantlet and both fired by pedals on gunner's foot rest. Maximum elevation    11° 35' Maximum arc of elevation 33° One 9-mm sub-machine gun M.P (Maschinenpistole-machine pistol) 38 or M.P 40 is also carried as part of the equipment. (4) Ammunition 20 mm    180 rounds (10 round magazines) 7.92 mm 2,100 rounds (150 round belts) 9 mm 192 rounds (32 round magazines) (5) Sighting Coaxial sighting telescope T.Z.F. 6 (Turmzielfernrohr) (6) Turret Traverse Manually operated 360° (7) Dimensions Length    19 ft 1/2 in (21 feet including spaced shield in front) Width 7 ft 3 in Height 7 ft 10 in Wheel track 5 ft 4 1/2 in (axle shafts horizontal) Wheelbase (overall) 13 ft 5 1/2 in Wheelbase (bogie) 4 ft 5 1/8 in Bogie centers 9 ft 1/4 in Belly clearance 12 in (to front differential casing) Ground clearance 9 in (to front axle shield) (8) Performance Speed:    Maximum    50 mph    Cruising 33 mph    Cross-country 19 mph Acceleration (standing to 1/4 mile) 26.4 mph Braking (dry, level concrete) at above speed 11.70 fss*** (hand) 18.90 fss (foot) Trench crossing 5 ft (estimated) at least Step 1 ft 7 in (German document) Fording 2 ft (limited by starter solenoid box) Gradient (restarted successfully) 23° Radius of action:    Roads 165 miles    Cross-country 110 miles Angle of overturn 30° Tilting 11° 30 (9) Engine Maker    Bussing-NAG Type 8-cylinder, 900 V-type, OHV, gasoline Bore 107 mm Stroke 110 mm Capacity 2 gals BHP**** 155 at 3,000 rpm (makers rating) Maximum torque 361 lb-ft at 1,500 rpm (estimated) Firing order 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 Compression ratio 5.5:1 Weight (dry) 1,344 lb Weight per BHP 8.67 lb (10) Power/Weight Ratio BHP per ton      19.7 (see Note at 1, above) (11) Fuel Capacity Main tank        24 gals Auxiliary    6.5 gals (12) Consumption Roads    5.43 mpg Cross-country    3.80 mpg (13) Clutch Type    2 plate, dry Outside diameter    10.945 in (14) Brakes Type    Wedge-operated, two-shoe Control    Rods and cables, no booster (15) Steering Type    Worm and nut Maximum lock angle (wheel)    26 degrees Turning circle diameter    37 ft 5 in Number of turns of wheel, lock to lock    4 (front) 3 1/2 (rear) (16) Gearbox Type    Constant mesh, helical gear Ratios    6 forward, 6 reverse Control    2 levers and 1 pedal at each end Weight    390 lb (dry) (17) Final Drives Primary reduction    Helical spur gears, ratio 1.632:1 Secondary reduction    Spiral bevel gears, ratio 3.2:1 Overall ratio    5.222:1 Differentials (inter-axle)    De Lavaud roller free-wheel type               (inter-wheel)    Z. F. cam type (18) Overall Ratios and Speeds Speed    Gear Ratios    Road speed (approx) mph at 3,000 rpm of engine  6th   6.06:1 50  5th   8.93:1 33  4th  15.97:1 19  3rd  21.05:1 14  2nd  31.02:1  9  1st  55.46:1  5 (19) Suspension Type    Semiindependent Springs    Leaf, inverted, semielliptic Ratio (sprung to unsprung weight)    5.743:1 (20) Tires Type    Low-pressure, cord-reinforced Size    8.26 x 18 in (21) Intercommunication Radio telephone, rod-type, aerial (22) Vision Commander's periscope    Vision openings with laminated glasses and armor flaps. b. Eight-Wheeled Heavy-Armored Car (radio) Sd. Kfz. 232 (8 Rad) This is the same as the Sd. Kfz. 231 as regards armament and traversing turret. The German name for it is Schwerer Panzerspähwagen (fu) Sd. Kfz. 232. The radio set, however, is provided with a large, horizontal, overhead aerial frame, which extends approximately the whole length of the vehicle and is curved down at each end. The aerial is mounted on a pivot above the turret at the front, and on two supports at the rear of the vehicle. The pivot mounting at the front permits the turret to traverse, but when the turret is traversed to the rear, there would appear to be a danger of shooting away the supports at low elevation, and the rear of the aerial at high elevation. The crew is four as in the Sd. Kfz. 231. Specifications are the same as for the Sd. Kfz. 231, except in the following particulars: (1) Weight Unloaded    16,912 lbs In action    18,704 lbs (2) Ammunition Carried 20 mm and 9 mm    As for Sd. Kfz. 231 (8 Rad) 7.92 mm    1,500 rounds (150 round belts) (3) Height 9 ft 6 in c. Eight-Wheeled Armored Command Vehicle Sd. Kfz. 263 (8 Rad) This vehicle, called in German Panzerfunkwagen Sd. Kfz. 263 (8 Rad), has a fixed turret slightly larger than the turrets of the armored cars, and carries a large overhead aerial frame of the same general type as that of the Sd. Kfz. 232. However, the aerial in this case is supported by stays at the front and on top of the turret, and two at the rear of the vehicle. Two additional supports are sometimes fitted in the center. One MG 34 may be fitted, though no armament was fitted in one of these vehicles examined in the Middle East. The crew is five including two drivers. Specifications are the same as for Sd. Kfz. 231 (8 Rad), except in the following particulars: (1) Weight Unloaded    16,576 lbs In action    17,808 lbs (2) Crew Five (3) Armament One 7.92-mm MG 34 may be fitted One 9-mm sub-machine gun, M.P 38 or M.P 40 (4) Ammunition 7.92 mm    1,000 rounds (100 round belts) 9 mm    192 rounds (32 round magazines) (5) Height 9 ft 6 in (6) Turret Traverse Nil (7) Radio aerial Horizontal, overhead frame type. d. Conclusion In all three vehicles, the chassis is basically the same. The engines and chassis are usually, if not always, made by Büssing-NAG and the hulls and turrets by Deutsche-Werke of Kiel. An extra V-shield .39 in thick is fitted about two feet in front of the hull to increase protection. The sides and bottom of the space between the shield and the front of the hull are closed by perforated plates so it can be used for stowage. In addition to the above three main types, there has recently been introduced a new turretless type carrying a 75-mm (2.95 in) gun. These vehicles are designed to travel in either direction at approximately the same speed. An interesting characteristic is that all eight wheels are used in steering. Comment: Because of lack of axle rigidity, due to the semiindependent suspension system, the mobility of this vehicle is adversely affected when applying the power in mud, sand, snow or dust. Under these conditions the vehicle has a tendency to deflect. *Kraftwagenkanone - tank gun or vehicle gun. **See Tactical and Technical Trends No. 18, p. 34. ***Feet per second per second. ****Brake Horse-Power.

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