SdKfz 251 Ausf D with 7.5cm Pak 40 – WWII German Halftrack

About the SdKfz 251 Ausf D with 7.5cm Pak 40 – WWII German Halftrack:

About the SdKfz 251 Ausf D with 7.5cm Pak 40 – WWII German HalftrackThe Sd Kfz 251 was the most produced German halftrack of the Second World War. Designed to transport infantry into battle, the Sd Kfz 251 carried MG42 or MG34 machineguns and featured steeply sloped armor to protect the troops from small arms fire. The open top allowed the infantry to fight from the compartment and deploy quickly into battle, and the large, slack tracks and overlapping road wheels provided excellent traction. The halftracks had an impressive range of almost 200 miles and could reach speeds of 32 mph.

The Ausf. D variant, introduced in 1943, featured simplified armor, such as a single slope in the rear, to speed up production. The Sd Kfz 251 was versatile and rugged, serving on all major European fronts throughout the war.The 7.5cm Pak 40 was Germany’s standard anti-tank gun of the second half of the war, with almost 25,000 produced from 1942 until the end of the war. Made of steel, the Pak 40 proved significantly heavier than earlier anti-tank guns, requiring it to be pulled into battle by vehicles such as the Sd Kfz 251. What it lacked in mobility, it made up for in effectiveness, however. The Pak 40 remained deadly to almost all Allied tanks to the final days of the war.