Sonderkraftfahrzeug Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf D 1394th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (1945).

ImportantSimone5 · December 14, 2025, 6:17pm

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Sonderkraftfahrzeug Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf D 1394th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment (1945).

History.

The Sd.Kfz. 251 was a German-built half-track troop carrier employed by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. The vehicle was created with the idea of bringing a small squad of infantrymen onto the battlefield with a modest level of protection provided by the armour and a light machine gun installed on the vehicle.
Production of the vehicle began in 1939, and over time there were various upgrades to the vehicle to improve its effectiveness, as well as some vehicles being used for specialised roles (anti-aircraft, rocket launchers, etc.).
Given the large production of this vehicle (over 10,000 units produced), they were used on all fronts on which the Wehrmacht fought, and several units ended up captured by opposing forces.
One of these vehicles, version Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf D, was captured from the military detachment of a town in Lower Silesia (Laubgrund area, present-day Jasionek) by a unit of the Soviet 3rd Guards Army (fresh from the fighting on the Dnepr two years earlier) more specifically by troops of the 1394th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, in early February '45. This vehicle was restored to running condition by the regiment’s mechanics and was refitted to Russian standards with Soviet armament and new camouflage, although they apparently retained the old Wehrmacht plate.
The ultimate end of the vehicle, or of the Soviet crew, is not known.

Armaments and propulsion.

The vehicle was armed with a DShK-38, the primary version of this weapon and the only one present during the Second World War. The amount of ammunition stowed for the weapon in the vehicle is unknown, as is the degree of turn and elevation of the weapon.
The vehicle was powered by a 6-cylinder Maybach HL42 petrol engine delivering 100 hp, which could propel the vehicle up to a maximum speed of 52 km/h on a straight asphalt road.

Specifications.

Spoiler

Crew: 2-12
Length: 5,8 m
Width: 2.1 m
Height: 1.75 m
Engine: 1x 6-cylinder Maybach HL42 petrol engine (100 hp)
Maximum speed: 52 km/h
Armament: 1x DShK-38
Armour: 6-14.5 mm
Maximum weight: 7.9 tons

Pictures and drawnings.

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