8 WHEELED ARMORED CAR SDKFZ 232(Fu) IN 1/15 SCALE. These were the main armored cars in service when the great German campaigns of 1939-41 took place. A curved "bedstead" frame aerial antenna on the same axis as the body and attached by poles to the rear superstructure was the characteristic feature of this vehicle. An ingenious front support in the shape of a shallow "U" was pivoted on the turret top, thus allowing the turret to traverse without hindrance from the top hamper of the aerial for the 100-watt communications radio that was fitted to this vehicle. The wheels were all independently sprung. The entire design was well thought out and extremely advanced for its time. It had an hexagonal structure turret mounting the 20mm KwK 38 automatic cannon with a coaxial MG 34, both fired by foot pedal. It was quite a roomy vehicle with good storage arrangements. The welded hull was faced-hardened armor, and also featured a shatter plate in the front. For the commander there was a folding periscope which had provision for a camera attachment to photograph the terrain on reconnaissance work. The Panzer Reconnaissance were unique arms and that they had a definite edge over their enemies during the early phases of World War Two, and thus made decisive contributions to the early crushing "Blitzkrieg" victories of the Wehrmacht. The Panzer Reconnaissance units were new arms of service first introduced into military history by the Germans, and truly formed the spearhead of an efficient and well-trained military machine. The popular myth of Germany's great wealth of first-class equipment is a legacy. Within an incredible short period of only ten years, the German war industry had developed almost 100 different versions of armored fighting vehicles to serve the ever increasing demands of the front. Today it takes the industry some ten years to develop one single type of tank, from the first prototype to the final production stage. German armored fighting vehicles will always be welcomed by the many thousands for whom it is a perennially fascinating subject. As one might expect, German armored fighting vehicles were normally first-class, carefully made and beautifully finished, as it took far longer to build a German tank using highly skilled workers, whereas the Sherman and the T-34 were far more suited to mass production by relatively unskilled workers. It was the superior tactical handling of the fast-thinking, fast-moving German armored fighting vehicles that sliced through allied armor with laughable ease. With the possible exception of the fighter pilot, the Panzer commander, in his dashing black uniform, death's head badges and floppy black beret was the nation's new superhero.
Pictures of my 8-Rad SdKfz 232
8 wheeled armored car SdKfz 232
