The Sd.Kfz. 234 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234, Special Purpose Vehicle 234), was a family of armoured cars designed and built in Germany during World War II. The vehicles were lightly armoured, armed with a 20, 50 or 75 mm main gun, and powered by a Tatra V12 diesel engine. The Sd.Kfz. 234 broadly resembles the appearance of Sd.Kfz. 231 (8 rad).

Development 
Armoured wheeled vehicles were developed early in Germany after the end of World War I, since they were not subject to the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty. The Sd.Kfz. 234 belonged to the ARK series (type designation of the chassis) and was the successor to the earlier Sd.Kfz. 231/232/233 (8-Rad), which belonged to the GS series.

The combat experience of fast-moving, hard-hitting wheeled reconnaissance vehicles during the Wehrmacht's early invasions of Poland and France impressed German military officials, but indicated some deficiencies in existing designs. A new armoured car project was thus undertaken in August 1940, incorporating several lessons from the Wehrmacht's own external operations. The latest Büssing-NAG Sd.Kfz. 232 variant, the Sd.Kfz. 234 was designed later that year. It was to have a monocoque chassis with eight wheels, and an air-cooled engine for use in North Africa.

Chassis were built by Büssing-NAG in Leipzig-Wahren, while armoured bodies were provided by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke of Krefeld and turrets by Daimler Benz in Berlin-Marienfelde and Schichau of Elbing, with engines from Ringhoffer-Tatra-Werke AG of Nesselsdorf.

The first trials with the prototype started around July, 1942. Due to problems with the excessive noise of the first engine, a second model was developed, the Tatra 103. The vehicle had eight-wheel steering and was able to quickly change direction thanks to a second, rear-facing, driver's seat; the transmission had six forward and reverse gears, with traction over the eight wheels. Power was provided by an air-cooled Tatra 103 diesel engine. The Sd.Kfz. 234 was the first and only German armoured vehicle to use an air cooled diesel engine. This was originally intended as a temporary solution until the engine could be redesigned to function better in harsher tropical climates, however, this never happened and thus the Tatra 103 was used until the end of production.

The first and possibly best known version was the Sd.Kfz. 234/2; it had a turret armed with a 5 cm L/60 gun, which was originally intended for the VK 1602 Leopard light tank. It was produced from late 1943 to mid 1944. This variant was replaced in production by the second version, the Sd.Kfz. 234/1, which had a simpler open turret (Hängelafette 38) armed with a 2 cm KwK 38 gun; it was manufactured from mid 1944 to early 1945.

The Sd.Kfz. 234/3, produced simultaneously with the 234/1, served as a support vehicle for the reconnaissance vehicles. It had an open-topped superstructure, in which a short-barreled 7.5 cm K51 L/24 gun was installed. This gun was intended for use against "soft" targets; however, when using a hollow charge shell, the penetration power exceeded that of the 5 cm L/60 gun. This variant was produced from mid 1944 to the end of 1944, before switching production to the 234/4.

The final variant produced was the Sd.Kfz. 234/4, which replaced the L/24 gun with the 7.5 cm L/46 PaK 40. This was yet another attempt to increase the mobility of this anti-tank gun; however, the 234 chassis was stretched to its limits. This variant was manufactured from the end of 1944 to the end of hostilities in 1945.

Service history

Protracted engine development meant that the desert campaign was over before the 234 arrived, but it nevertheless proved useful on the Eastern and Western Fronts. It was quite formidable, but not many were built before it was replaced by the simpler 234/1, with a 20mm gun, in 1944. The Sd.Kfz. 234 was commonly used in pairs, one equipped with a long-range radio communications kit while the other possessed only a short-range radio. The long-range unit was identifiable by the large "star" antenna on the left side of the vehicle.

Some sources suggest that the Sd.Kfz. 234/2 was used by the following combat units:
 Panzer Lehr Division - 25 vehicles
 2nd Panzer Division - 25 vehicles
 1st SS Panzer Division - 16 vehicles
 20th Panzer Division - 16 vehicles
 7th Panzer Division - unconfirmed
 13th Panzer Division - unconfirmed
 Brandenburg Panzer Grenadier Division - 2 issued January 1945

Variants

There were four main variants:

 234/1 – 1 x 2 cm KwK 38 L/55 autocannon, 1 x 7.92mm MG 42 machine gun. This design featured an open-topped turret. Around 200 produced.
 234/2  – 1 x 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 gun, 1 x MG 42. Employed a fully enclosed turret originally designed for the VK 1602 Leopard light tank. The turret front was protected by  armor at an angle of 20° from the vertical. The sides and rear had 10 mm armor set at 25°, and the top plate was   armor. The gun mantlet was rounded and was  thick. 101 built between September 1943 and September 1944.
 234/3 – 1 x 7.5 cm K51 L/24 gun in open-topped superstructure replacing the turret. 88 built between June and December 1944.
 234/4  – 1 x 7.5 cm PaK 40 L/46 gun in open-topped superstructure replacing the turret. 89 built between December 1944 and March 1945.

References

Sources
 Hogg, Ian V. Greenhill Armoured Fighting Vehicles Data Book, p. 221, "Sd.Kfz. 234/1", "Sd.Kfz. 234/2", "Sd.Kfz. 234/3", & "Sd.Kfz. 234/4". London: Greenhill Books, 2000. .
 Hogg, Ian V., and Weeks, John. Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles, p. 185, "Sd.Kfz. 232, 233, and 234 (8 rad) Armoured Cars". London: Hamlyn, 1980. .
 "s. Pz. Sp. Wg. (5 cm) Sd. Kfz. 234/2: German 8-Wheeled Armored Car ", Catalog of Enemy Ordnance, U.S. Office of Chief of Ordnance, 1945.

Further reading 
 
 
 
 
 

Fire support vehicles
World War II armoured cars
World War II armoured fighting vehicles of Germany
Wheeled armoured fighting vehicles
Wheeled reconnaissance vehicles
Eight-wheeled vehicles
Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944
234번 특수목적차량()은 제2차 세계 대전 동안 나치 독일에서 설계하고 생산한 장갑차의 한 종류다. 경장갑 차량에 20mm/50mm 혹은 75mm 주포를 탑재했고, 타트라 V12엔진을 사용했다. Sd.Kfz.234는 Sd.Kfz.231과 유사한 외형을 지녔다.

개발 
1차 세계 대전 종전 후, 베르사유 조약에 영향을 받지 않았기 때문에 독일에는 일찍이 차륜형 장갑차가 개발되었다. Sd.Kfz. 234는 아크(ARK) 차체에 GS 시리즈에 속하는 초기형 특수목적차량 (231/232/233) 중 성공작에 속한다.

빠른 기동성, 중장갑 차륜형 수색장갑차는 독일 국방군의 이른 폴란드와 프랑스 침공 기간동안 독일 장교들에게 깊은 인상을 주었으나, 설계안에 몇몇 결함이 나타났다. 따라서 국방군의 작전경험을 참고하여 새 장갑차 프로젝트가 1940년 8월 착수되었다. 최신의 뷔싱-나크(Büssing-NAG) Sd.Kfz. 232의 개량형인 Sd.Kfz. 234는 다음 해에 설계 되었다.이는 모노코크 8륜 차체를 개발하여, 북아프리카에서 공랭식 엔진을 사용하기 위한 것이다.

차체는 라이프치히-바렌(Leipzig-Wahren)에서 뷔싱-나크(Büssing-NAG)가 설계했으며, 장갑화된 차체는 크레펠트에 독일특수강제작소(Deutsche Edelstahlwerke)에서 제작되었다. 포탑은 베를린-마린펠데(Marienfelde)의 다임러 벤츠와 엘빙에 시하우(Schichau)가, 엔진은 네셀도르프에 링오퍼-타트라공업(Ringhoffer-tatra-werke)이 맡았다.

1942 7월, 첫 프로토타입 평가가 시작되었다. 첫 장착된 엔진의 소음으로 새 엔진을 개발했다. 엔진은 공랭식 테트라104 디젤 엔진이다. Sd.Kfz. 234는 독일에서 최초이자 마지막으로 개발된 공랭식 장갑차량이다. 공랭식 엔진 채용은 개선된 엔진이 개발되기 전까지 임시방편으로 사용된 것이다. 하지만 후기 엔진이 개발되지 않아 테트라 103엔진은 차량 생산이 끝날 때까지 사용되었다.

잘 알려진 차량은 Sd.Kfz. 234/2이다. 회전식 포탑과 5cm L/60 포를 장착했으며, '푸마'라는 별명으로 불렸다고 문헌들에 언급되어 있지만 확실한 출처는 없다. 이는 초기형에서 변경된 것으로, 초기형인 Sd.Kfz. 234/1은 개방형포탑, (Hängelafette 38)  2cm KwK 38 포를 장착했다.

Sd.Kfz. 234/3는 234/1과 동시에 생산 되었다. 개방형 포탑 구조로 단포신 7.5 cm K51 L/24 포를 장착했다. 대인용으로 사용되었으나, 성형작약탄 사용시 5cm L/60 포의 관통력을 돌파했다. 1944년 중반부터 1944년 말 234/4로 이전되기 전까지 생산됐다.

최후기형인 Sd.Kfz. 234/4는 L/24 포를 대체하여 7.5cm L/46 PaK 40을 장착했다. 이는 대전차포의 기동성을 높이기 위한 시도였다. 1944년 말부터 종전인 1945년까지 생산 되었다.

배치 
길어진 엔진 개발로 인해 서부 사막 전역이 종결된 후에 배치되었지만, 서부 및 동부 전선에서 유용하다고 인정되었다. 1944년 234는 강력한 위력에도 많이 생산되지 않고 20mm 포를 장착한 복잡하지 않은 234/1로 대체됐다.  Sd.Kfz. 234 2대가 조를 이뤘는데, 하나는 장거리 수신 라디오 라디오를 사용하며 다른 하나는 단거리 수신 라디오를 사용했다. 장거리 라디오 차량은 차체 왼쪽에 큰 "별" 모양 안테나로 식별할 수 있었다.

Sd.Kfz. 234/2가 배치된 사단.

 기갑교도사단 -25대
 제 2 기갑사단 -25대
 제 1 SS 기갑사단 -16대
 제 20 기갑사단 -16대
 제 7 기갑사단 -확인되지 않음
 제 13 기갑사단 -확인되지 않음
 브란덴부르크 기갑척탄병 -1945 년 1월 2일

파생형 

네 가지 파생형이 있다.

 234/1 – 1 x 2cm KwK 38 L/55 기관포, 1 x 7.92mm MG 42 기관총. 개방형포탑.  200 대 생산 되었다.
 234/2  – 1 x 5cm KwK 39 L/60 gun, 1 x MG 42. VK 1602 레오파르트 경전차의 포탑 사용. 포탑 정면은 20º 경사에  장갑으로 보호 되었으며, 측면과 후면은 25° 10mm였고 포탑의 상단은   였다. 포방패는  두께였다. 1943년 9월부터 1944년 9월까지 101대가 생산 되었다.
 234/3 – 1 x 7.5cm K51 L/24 개방형 포탑.  1944년 6월부터 12월까지 88대가 생산 되었다.
 234/4  – 1 x 7.5cm PaK 40 L/46 개방형 포탑.  1944년 12월부터 1945년 3월까지 89대가 생산 되었다.

참조

출처 

 Hogg, Ian V. Greenhill Armoured Fighting Vehicles Data Book, p. 221, "Sd.Kfz. 234/1", "Sd.Kfz. 234/2", "Sd.Kfz. 234/3", & "Sd.Kfz. 234/4". London: Greenhill Books, 2000. ISBN 1-85367-391-9.
 Hogg, Ian V., and Weeks, John. Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles, p. 185, "Sd.Kfz. 232, 233, and 234 (8 rad) Armoured Cars". London: Hamlyn, 1980. ISBN 0-600-33195-4.
 "s.  Pz. Sp. Wg. (5 cm) Sd. Kfz. 234/2: German 8-Wheeled Armored Car ", Catalog of Enemy Ordnance, U.S. Office of Chief of Ordnance, 1945.

참고자료 

 Hogg, Ian V. Greenhill Armoured Fighting Vehicles Data Book, p. 221, "Sd.Kfz. 234/1", "Sd.Kfz. 234/2", "Sd.Kfz. 234/3", & "Sd.Kfz. 234/4". London: Greenhill Books, 2000. ISBN 1-85367-391-9.
 Hogg, Ian V., and Weeks, John. Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles, p. 185, "Sd.Kfz. 232, 233, and 234 (8 rad) Armoured Cars". London: Hamlyn, 1980. ISBN 0-600-33195-4.
 "s.  Pz. Sp. Wg. (5 cm) Sd. Kfz. 234/2: German 8-Wheeled Armored Car ", Catalog of Enemy Ordnance, U.S. Office of Chief of Ordnance, 1945.

제2차 세계 대전의 독일 기갑 전투 차량
제2차 세계 대전의 장갑차