WW2 SdKfz 251/1 (Hanomag)

SdKfz 251/1 (Hanomag)

What is your favourite WW2 military vehicle?

The SdKfz 251 series was developed as an offshoot of the German half-tracked artillery tractor series to provide an armoured personnel carrier for infantry accompanying the newly-formed Panzer divisions. The SDKfz 251/1 was one of the most common variants and could carry up to 12 soldiers and was armed with two MG34 machine-guns.

Crew: 12

Weight: 7,810kg (17,218lb)

Dimensions: length 5.80m; width 2.10m; height 1.75m

Range: 300m (186 miles)

Armour 6-14.5mm (0.24-0.57in)

Armament: two 7.92mm machine guns

Powerplant: Maybach 6-cylinder petrol engine developing 100hp (74.6KW)

Performance: maximum road speed 52.5km/h (32.5mph)

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WW2 SdKfz 138 Marder 38

SdKfz 138 Marder 38

What is your favourite WW2 military vehicle?

The Marder 38 was developed alongside the Marder II series of self-propelled artillery. Based on the Czechoslovakian TNHP-S light tank, around 400 of these tank hunters were produced from mid-1943.

Crew: 4

Weight: 11,000 (24,200lb)

Dimensions: length 4.95m; width 2.15m; height 2.48m

Range: 190km (120 miles)

Armour: 8-15mm (0.3-0.59in)

Armament: one 75mm PAK 40 gun

Powerplant: Praga six-cylinder engine developing 140hp (104KW)

Performance: maximum road speed 42km/h (26mph)

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WW2 Opel Blitz Cargo

Opel Blitz Cargo

What is your favourite WW2 military vehicle?

In the medium or 3-ton category the major and most successful German design was the Opel Blitz. The Blitz used a steel cab and wooden body and was used in many roles, from field ambulance to mobile workshop to command vehicle. To improve cross-country performance, the vehicle was given four-wheel drive, these vehicles being designed Allrad.

Crew: 1

Weight: 3,290kg (7,238lb)

Dimensions: length 6.02m; width 2.27m; height 2.18m

Range: 410km (255 miles)

Armour: none

Armament: none

Powerplant: Opel 6-cylinder engine developing 73.5hp (54.8KW)

Performance: maximum road speed 80km/h (50mph)

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WW2 Kfz 1 ( Volkswagen 82 Kubelwagen )

WW2 Kfz 1

What is your favourite WW2 military vehicle?

The Volkswagen Type 82 (officially Leichte Personenkraftwagen - light personnel carrier). Popularly known as the Kubelwagen, it preceded the Jeep and over 52,000 were provided for the Wehrmacht. Today, it is the best known of all wartime derivations of the Kdf-Wagen and rates as one of the most successful military vehicles ever.

Crew: 1

Weight: 635Kg (1,397lb)

Dimensions: length 3.73m; width 1.60m, height 1.35m

Range: 600m (375 miles)

Armour: none

Armament: none

Powerplant: Volkswagen 4-cylinder 1,131cc petrol engine developing 25hp (18.6KW)

Performance: maximum road speed 100km/h (62.5mph)

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WWII Tiger 1 Heavy Tank

Tiger 1 Heavy Tank

What is your favourite WWII tank?

When introduced in late 1942, the Tiger was the most formidable tank in the world, a reputation it retained until the end of the war. The main armament was the powerful 88mm gun, which could defeat 100mm of armour at 1,000m (3,280ft) range, while the Tiger's frontal armour was impervious to any Allied gun except suicidal short ranges. The Tiger guilt up a formidable reputation, one instance is recorded of a single Tiger holding of an entire Allied division, killing 25 tanks before it was finally stalked and defeated. 1,354 were built by August 1944.

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WWII T-34 Medium Tank

T-34 Medium Tank

What is your favourite WWII tank?

Probably the outstanding tank of the Second World War, its combination of well-sloped armour, a heavy armament, high speed and a superb cross-country performance (due to its wide tracks and high power-to-weight ratio) meant that the German Pzkw Mk3 and IV found themselves completely outclassed. The Germans had tended to underestimate Soviet tank design and production, and received a rude awakening when the Wehrmacht encountered the T-34s and KVs, whose existence had not even been suspected. A major weapon in the defeat of the German Army in 1945.

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WWII M3 Medium Tank ( Lee )

M3 Medium Tank (Lee)

What is your favourite WWII tank?

To equal the firepower of the German tanks, the US Army needed a tank with a 75mm gun but their M2 couldn't carry such a heavy weapon. The answer was to mount a 75mm gun with limited traverse on to the right-hand side of a modified M2 hull. A small cast turret with a 37mm gun was located on the top left. In American service the M3 was used principally as a training tank, 6,258 had been produced when production ceased in December 1942 following the arrival of the M4, Many M3s were converted to other uses.

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WWII Panzerkampfwagen 3 Medium Tank

Panzerkampfwagen 3 Medium

What is your favourite WWII tank?

Specially designed for the new armoured divisions of the Wehrmacht, the Panzerkampfwagen III appeared in 1939 with a not very adequate version of the 37mm anti-tank gun. However, it did have a large turret ring which enabled larger guns to be fitted later. There was a good deal of development during the prototype stage and the version which came into production was the Ausf. E. Subsequent models went to Ausf. N. the alterations being mainly concerned with extra armour, wider tracks and more engine power. Total PzKpfw III production was around 5,700 examples.

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WW2 KV-1 Heavy Tank

What is your favourite WW2 tank?

The KV series arose from the need t have a heavy tank to batter through fixed defences, and in 1939 Soviet Russia was the only country in the world to have such a tank in production. The KV (Klim Voroshilov) was designed in 1938 to replace the T-35 with its many turrets. Gun design had improved to the point where the 76.2mm gun could fire both HE and armour-piercing shell, alleviating the need for more than one turret. The main gun could now do all the tasks need. This allowed a smaller and better protected vehicle to be produced, and the crew was reduced by half.

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WW2 M4 Medium Tank (Sherman Tank)

M4 Sherman Tank

What is your favourite WW2 tank?

The M4 series was the most widely produced, most widely used, and most important of all tanks in service with American, British and Allied forces in WW2. While not the best Allied tank in qualitative terms, and certainly inferior in armour and hitting power to the best German and Soviet tanks, the M4 (popularly known by its British name of Sherman) had the virtues of simplicity of maintenance, reliability, speed, ruggedness and an uncomplicated design. Total M4 production was 49,234.

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Guy Arab G Type Old WW2 Wartime London Bus

Guy Arab G Type Bus

What is your favourite bus of all time?

Only 435 wartime Guy Arab buses were allocated to London Transport and most were of the Arab II type with forward-mounted radiator. All had the Gardner 5LW engine and therefore rather limited performance with their increased weight due to the non-availability of aluminium together with a rather ponderous gearchange.

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WW2 Cromwell Cruiser Tank 1944, 1945

Cromwell Cruiser Tank

What is your favourite military tank of all time?

The Cromwell was the most important British cruiser tank of WWII, forming the main equipment of British armoured divisions in 1944-1945 together with the America-built M4 Sherman. However, even with a 75mm gun it was still, by 1944 standards, inferior to the best German tanks. Fitted with a Meteor engine it was then the fastest and most powerful of British tank designs, but the narrow hull prevented it being up-gunned further and considerable redesign was necessary to turn it into a vehicle capable of carrying the very desirable 17pdr gun armament.

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WW2 AEC Matador 4x4 Artillery Tractor 1938

AEC Matador

What is your favourite military vehicle?

In the medium Artillery class the British had a good vehicle in the AEC Matador, which first entered service in 1938. The Matador was developed from original FWD designs, by way of Hardy Motors 4/4 4x4 chassis which utilised many AEC components. The Matador was also pressed into service as a tank transporter in the Western Desert, towing Rogers trailers, often with the top half of the cab removed. Total production was 8,612, the last ones auctioned off as late as the mid-1970s.

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