The Sd.Kfz 251 was a German medium half-track armored personnel carrier of World War II. The first prototypes of the car were produced in 1935, and serial production continued from 1939 to 1945, ending with the release of about 14,500 units. Sd.Kfz 251 was equipped with a Maybach HL 42 TURKM six-cylinder engine with a capacity of 100 hp. The Sd.Kfz 251 was developed as the new basic semi-tracked transport vehicle of the German armed forces. Its design was based on the Sd.Kfz.11 heavy tractor, several elements were changed in the adapted chassis: a new fuel tank was added, the location of the steering wheel was changed, and the exhaust system was redesigned. During serial production, four basic versions of the Sd.Kfz 251 (Ausf. A, B, C and D) were created, but in terms of details related to the production process (especially version C) and slightly different arrangement of elements inside the fuselage . More than 20 variants and modifications of the Sd.Kfz 251 were created during World War II. Chronologically, the first was the Sd.Kfz 251/1, which was the basic version, armed with two MG34 or MG42 machine guns and capable of carrying up to 10 troops. In 1941, the Sd version. The Kfz 251/2 was developed, armed with an 80 mm mortar. There was also a version of the Sd.Kfz 251/3, which was a communication and radio communication machine with various sets of radio stations and antennas. In 1942, a variant of the Sd.Kfz 251/9 Stummel was developed, armed with a 75 mm StuK 37 short-barreled gun. More interesting variants were the Sd.Kfz 251/16 with two flamethrowers or the Sd.Kfz 251/20 UHU, equipped with an infrared emitter and intended for defeating at night. Sd.Kfz 251 machines of all modifications served mainly in armored divisions and armored grenadier divisions on almost all fronts of the Second World War: from the September campaign (1939), through the campaign in France (1940), combat operations in the Balkans and in North Africa (1941-1943) after fighting on the Eastern (1941-1945) and Western (1944-1945) fronts.
