The Sd.Kfz. 251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) half-track was a World War II German armored personnel carrier designed by the Hanomag company, based on its earlier, unarmored Sd.Kfz. 11 vehicle. The Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the Panzergrenadier (German mechanized infantry) into battle. Sd.Kfz. 251s were the most widely produced German half-tracks of the war, with at least 15,252 vehicles and variants produced by seven manufacturers. Some sources state that the Sd.Kfz. 251 was commonly referred to simply as "Hanomags" by both German and Allied soldiers after the manufacturer of the vehicle; this has been questioned, and may have been only a postwar label. German officers referred to them as SPW (Schutzenpanzerwagen, or armored infantry vehicle) in their daily orders and memoirs.

There were four main model modifications (Ausfuhrung A through D), which formed the basis for at least 22 variants. The initial idea was for a vehicle that could be used to transport a single squad of 10 panzergrenadiers to the battlefield protected from enemy small arms fire, and with some protection from artillery fire. In addition, the standard mounting of at least one MG 34 or MG 42 machine gun allowed the vehicle to provide suppressive fire for the rifle squad both while they dismounted and in combat.

The Sd.Kfz. 251/7 Pionierpanzerwagen was an assault engineer vehicle variant that had fittings to carry assault bridge ramps on the sides of the vehicle.

Shown here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German Sd.Kfz. 251/7 Ausf. D Pionierpanzerwagen with bridging equipment painted in a camouflage pattern. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Length: 3-inches
Width: 1-inch

Release Date: December 2023

Historical Account: "Panzergrenadier Overrun" - Panzergrenadier, abbreviated as PzG (WWII) or PzGren (modern), meaning "Armor"-ed fighting vehicle "Grenadier", is the German term for the military doctrine of mechanized infantry units in armored forces who specialize in fighting from and in conjunction with infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) - that is, armored troop carriers designed to carry a mechanized squad of six to eight soldiers into, during and out of combat while providing direct fire support for those troops.

The doctrine originated primarily in Nazi Germany during World War II and is today used by name in the countries of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.

The Panzergrenadier doctrine was introduced by the German Army during the second half of the 1930s, initially being simple infantry (German: Schutzen) belonging to the armored force (so-called "armor infantry"), serving either as mechanized or motorized infantry depending on their mode of transportation (infantry fighting vehicle vs unarmored vehicle). IFVs (German: Schutzenpanzerwagen) were the preferred vehicle of transportation for the armor infantry, but due to shortages, most units had to be transported in trucks as motorized infantry. The role of the armor infantry was to escort and protect the armored force from enemy infantry, allowing allied armor to deal with heavier threats. Mounted combat in IFVs could also be used in advancing assaults on to the enemy flanks. The success of this tactic during the first years of World War II led to the introduction of a new troop type specializing in IFV combat, called "Panzergrenadier". All mechanized and motorized infantry in the armored force were reclassified as such in 1942, changing their classification from infantry to armored unit.