12 pages of full color illustrations depicting over 20 different
vehicles and their markings, detailing the histories of the formation
that operated the Sdkfz 251/ and Sdkfz 251/22 in the last months of the
war on the Western and Eastern Fronts.
The Sdkfz 251 halftrack was one of the most versatile armored vehicles
produced by either side in the Second World War. Designed by the firm of
Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG, or Hanomag, production ran to over 15,000
vehicles and it was eventually built as twenty-three separate variants
serving as not only a personnel carrier, but also a command vehicle,
mobile rocket launcher, armored ambulance and bridge-layer.
In his first book in the LandCraft series Dennis Oliver examines the
Sdkfz 251 variants armed with the 7.5cm gun, initially used as an
infantry support and reconnaissance halftrack and later as a tank killer
as the result of Hitler's desperation to arm as many vehicles as
possible with antitank weapons. Drawing on official documentation and
unit histories Dennis investigates the formations that operated these
deservedly famous vehicles and uses archive photos and extensively
researched color illustrations to examine the markings, camouflage and
technical aspects of the Sdkfz 251/9 and 251/22 halftracks that served
on the Western and Eastern Fronts in the last months of the war.
A key section of his book displays available model kits and aftermarket
products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and
painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as
modifications introduced during production and in the field are also
examined, providing everything the modeler needs to recreate an accurate
representation of these historic tanks.
