PANZERFUNKWAGEN 8-RAD SDKFZ 263 IN 1/16 SCALE. This variant of the 8-wheeled vehicle was planned as a calling station for the reconnaissance troops at the front. Thus they were always found with the medium command staffs, generally those of the divisions, and utilized by the armored intelligence units. They were also used as command vehicles by the commanders of the Panzer Divisions. These vehicles also bore the odd-shaped frame aerial antenna and retained them to the end. There was also a crank antenna extendable to nine meters behind the fighting compartment. Since these vehicles were not intended for combat, they did not need a rotating turret, and one MG 34 machine gun was sufficient for self-defense. To house the extensive radio equipment, the turret was lengthened to afford more space to the rear than in the rotating turret of the SdKfz 231 and 232. The Panzerfunkwagen SdKfz 263 8-Rad first went into action on September 1st, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland in a full-scale military assault destined to reclaim and free the German city of Danzig. Polish terrorism against the defenseless German nationals who had been made Polish citizens against their will by the Versailles dictate worsened steadily, and the victims fled gangs of murdering Poles by the hundreds into the territory of the German Reich. The English and French hypocrites, in the interest of world power, and at the expense of other nations, wanted to provoke Germany by any means and start a Second World War. After Germany’s surrender at the end of World War I, the victorious allies met at Versailles to dictate a harsh peace against Germany. English, French and American leaders created new European states, including modern Poland. They gave the Poles parts of Silesia and Prussia, which were inhabited by Germans. In one such territory, known as the Corridor, rested the “free-city” of Danzig. Populated by Germans, it was surrounded by Poland, but controlled by the League of Nations. In March 1939, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler opened direct negotiations with Poland to recover Danzig and the provinces taken from the Reich at Versailles. But Great Britain intervened, with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain promising Poland military intervention against Germany in the event of a war with the Reich (which they never did rush to their rescue)….Backed up by London’s guarantee (supposedly) Polish Premier Edward Rydz-Smigly broke off all talks with Germany. Hitler accused Britain of sabotaging the negotiations, he described Poland as a military state whose purpose was to help England and France encircle Germany with enemies. Danzig’s leader, Albert Forster, poured fuel on the fire with anti-polish demonstrations. Hitler became increasingly frustrated over the brake down of talks with Warsaw and the abuse of Poland’s ethnic-German minority by Polish gangs, and eventually decided on war.
Collection of my Armored cars
4 WHEELED ARMORED CAR SDKFZ 223(Fu)
