Author: Holger Erdmann

In common parlance the word “tanks“ (in German “Panzer”) means an armoured tracked fighting vehicle, but reconnaissance units of the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht used armoured wheeled vehicles, which were also called “Panzerwagen” (armored car). On the well-built streets of mid- and Western Europe they offered the advantage of higher speed, lower noise when driving and greater range; with sufficient armour protection and weaponry. In the course of rearmament of the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht at the beginning of the 1930s, funds were limited, but armoured cars could be produced at a lower price than tracked vehicles. After the first experiences with early developments of 4-wheeled (Kfz.13 & 14) and 6-wheeled armoured cars (Kfz.67 & 67a) their poor cross-country capability was quickly recognized. This led to the development of the 8-wheeled armoured cars with the specially developed GS chassis by the company Büssing-NAG, called Sd.Kfz. 231, 232 (originally called Sd.Kfz. 233, 234) and 263. In the course of the war a fourth variant was introduced, the Sd.Kfz 233 (7,5 cm KwK), and in small numbers a ballistic measuring vehicle was built. The extensive available material brought us to the decision to break this family of vehicles into two volumes. This first volume deals with the Sd.Kfz. 231 and 232 (first called Sd.Kfz. 233 and 234).