The Sdkfz 254 Mittlere Gepanzerte Beobachtungskraftwagen, it was based on the Halftrack chassis and was in use from 1938 to 1945. General Details (Artillery OP) Specifications Operational Date(s) 1938 - 1945 Ordnance classification Sdkfz 254 Quantity Produced 128 Weight unknown Crew 7 M.G's small 1 M.G's large(>10mm) n/a Length 4.56 mtr Width 2.20 mtr Height 1.88 mtr Engine Details/Performance Max Road Speed 38 mph Max Cross Country Speed 10 mph Range Road 313 miles Range Cross Country unknown Fuel Type Diesel Fuel Capacity unknown Horse Power 70 hp Power/Weight unknown General Information The Sdkfz 254 Mittlere Gepanzerte Beobachtungskraftwagen, it was based on the Halftrack chassis and was in use from 1938 to 1945. It was armed with 1 light machine gun. Its main armament consisted The SdKfz 254 was originally designed in Austria as an artillery tractor RK-7 by the Saurer company for the Austrian army. The Germans on taking over Austria in 1938 designated the vehicle as the SdKfz 245 and produced it as an artillery observation vehicle. The vehicle was unusual as it would normally run on wheels when on the road, but the tracks could be lowered to provide a much enhanced performance across country. Armour Details Turret Front n/a Side n/a Rear n/a Top n/a Superstructure Front 15mm @ 40° (20mm) Side 8mm @ 35° (10mm) Rear 8mm @ 15° (8mm) Top 6mm @ 90° (6mm) Hull Front 15mm @ 20° (16mm) Side 8mm @ 0° (8mm) Rear 8mm @ 15° (8mm) Top 6mm @ 90° (6mm) Armour (x)mm @ (y)° (Effective mm @ 0°) Effective Armour - Maximum 20 mm - Minimum 6 mm About Penetration Figures All penetration figures in this database are calculated to a common standard based on German WWII testing criteria (complete penetration with functioning fuze). This allows direct comparison between all nations' guns. Original national test figures would be higher for some nations due to different criteria: German: 1.00? (baseline - strictest) British: 1.02? (slightly looser) American: 1.05? (50% mass through plate) Soviet: 1.10? (75% mass through plate) For example, a Soviet gun showing 159mm here would be published as ~175mm in Soviet documents, and a German gun showing 120mm would be published as 120mm in German documents. The 159mm figure is directly comparable to the German 120mm - the Soviet gun really was more powerful. National Testing Standards German: 1.00? - Complete penetration, fuze functions (strictest) British: 1.02? - Complete penetration American: 1.05? - 50% of shell mass through plate Soviet: 1.10? - 75% of shell mass through plate All database figures are normalized to German standard for direct comparison. Multiply by the factor above to see original national test figures.

Hit probability is based on a static 2 x 2.4 metre panel at 0 degrees(vertical) at the range specified.

The data that has been used to create these records has come from Wikipedia, The Lone Sentry, The Bundes Archive and numerous books and websites that have provided the detailed information that has not been available anywhere else. The information we use to calculate the penetration tables, flight times and the hit probability comes from the Gun Calibre, the Shell Mass(Kg) and the muzzle velocity, plus range reductions to allow for gravity and wind resistance. This calculation originally came from a pre-war Krupp calculation which has been modified, and seems to fit the actual test results.

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