Zvezda Military 1/100 WWII SdKfz 251/1 Ausf B Personnel Carrier Kit

The Sonderkraftfahrzeug (German for “special purpose vehicle”) 251, known as the Sd.Kfz. 251 for short, was built by the Hanomag company specifically for the German Wehrmacht during World War II. This heavy half-track vehicle was intended to transport panzer grenadiers—Germany’s mechanized infantry soldiers—into battle. At least 15,000 of these armored personnel carriers were built, including variant designs.

The “Hanomag”, as it was commonly known, could transport a full squad of soldiers, protecting them from enemy small arms fire and provide limited protection from light artillery thanks to its 8mm to 14.5mm of armor plate. Once the infantry have disembarked, the vehicle can continue to provide mobile fire support with the roof-mounted machine gun.

Despite weighing nine tons, the Sd.Kfz. 251 offered excellent cross-country mobility thanks to its wide tracks and powerful 4-liter 100-horsepower engine. It could manage more than 50 kilometers per hour on the road or 20 kilometers per hour cross-country. In addition to carrying troops, it could tow up to 2.7 tons, and would often pull either a Pak-36 anti-tank gun or 20mm anti-aircraft gun into battle.