SCHUTZENPANZER SDKFZ 250/251D HALF-TRACK VARIANTS IN 1/15 SCALE. The German Wehrmacht developed and fielded some of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of ground warfare. A number of specialized vehicles were developed to provide a reasonable amount of mobility to the non-tank units of the Panzer Divisions. One of the best known specialized vehicles was the armored half-track designated Schutzenpanzerwagen (infantry armored vehicle) Sdkfz 250 & 251. These vehicles made up a substantial portion of the hardware inventory and represented for their time an outstanding technical achievement. The Schutzenpanzerwagen were at once the instrumentality of Germany’s stunning initial successes. The special-purpose designation vehicles (Sdkfz) were able to hold ground once conquered. The combined-armored fighting vehicles of the German Panzertruppe was without doubt, the best finished, best-led, and most battle-worthy force of its kind in the world. Germany’s conception of a revolution in warfare then, was far ahead of his neighbors. The Allies, still with the mentality of 1914-1918, when small countries fought other small countries over bits of real estate, still prevailed in the Europe of 1939. Not so in the case of famed Panzer General Heinz Guderian’s words: “Only movement brings victory, if the tanks succeed, then victory follows… a formation of all arms teamed and trained for mobile warfare”. Germany did not rely on military textbook theories devised 50 years ago as advocated by the allied general staff, instead, Germany had its own plan of swift pincer-like encirclements. So a Revolution in warfare was born, “Blitzkrieg” or lightning war. The campaign in France 1940 was won and over in just 6 weeks, the allied forces were outwitted and outflanked, it threw an entire allied army off balance with the Blitzkrieg-lightning spearhead thrust, and routed the allied forces. There, one would see for the first time, a small motivated army route a large multi-national army. It even spearheaded the Maginot Line breakthrough. Everyone had said the line was impenetrable, they all guessed wrong, for France, the Maginot Line was a high-level military blunder and a cause for shame. Here again, the Panzerwaffe proved itself to be the best fighting force in the world. The war in France was over, the world saw the German units march through Paris. By overrunning the Anglo-French army in a little over a month, the Panzers accomplished what the entire German army had not been able to do in four years of fighting during the First World War. Soon the Flag of the Swastika flew from the North Pole to the Shores of Greece and to the border of Spain. The rapid destruction of the armies of Poland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, and against the large, well armed, but poorly-led and irresolute France in 1939 and 1940, lent German armored power a terrible aspect in the eyes of the world. The methodical shattering of armies and the surrender and occupation of a succession of independent nations that took place not only invested the Panzertruppe with soaring morale, but also surrounded it with an Aura of Invincibility. A succession of independent and ancient states were occupied in a few months. The world had never seen anything like it. With one sweeping triumph crowding in on another with minimum losses, Lightning War “Blitzkrieg” was a brilliant success. The victories were so easy and complete, that Germany did not even deem it necessary to order full mobilization before crushing France! A formative phase in Panzer force history of an army exploiting exceptional mobility, the supreme expression of Panzer force organization of the Panzer Revolution for leading the way to effective battlefield strategy. The tactics of this revolution, which saw men and machines deploy at a pace and with a power unprecedented and unforeseen, and the world just held its breath…..
SCHUTZENPANZER SDKFZ 250/3 COMMAND HALF-TRACK IN 1/15 SCALE
SCHUTZENPANZERWAGEN SDKFZ 251D HALF-TRACK VARIANTS IN 1/15 SCALE
