Sd.Kfz 251 was a German, medium, half-track armored transport from the Second World War. The first prototypes of the vehicle were made in 1935, and serial production continued in 1939-1945, ending with the production of about 14,500 units. The Sd.Kfz 251 was powered by a six-cylinder engine Maybach HL 42 TURKM with 100 hp .
Sd.Kfz 251 was developed as a new, basic half-tracked transporter of the German armed forces. Its design was based on the Sd.Kfz.11 heavy tractor, with several elements changed in the adapted chassis: a new fuel tank was added, the location of the steering wheel, and the exhaust system was redesigned. In the course of serial production, four basic versions of the Sd.Kfz 251 (Ausf. A, B, C and D) were created, however, in terms of details related to the production process (especially the C version) and a slightly different arrangement of elements inside the fuselage. During World War II, more than 20 variants and versions of the Sd.Kfz 251 were created. The chronological first was the Sd.Kfz 251/1, which was the basic version, armed with two MG34 or MG42 machine guns and capable of carrying up to 10 landing troops. In 1941, a version of the Sd.Kfz 251/2 was developed, armed with an 80 mm mortar. There was also a version of the Sd.Kfz 251/3, which was a communication and radio communication vehicle with various sets of radio stations and antennas. In 1942, the Sd.Kfz 251/9 Stummel variant was developed, armed with a 75mm StuK 37 short-barrel gun. More interesting versions were the Sd.Kfz 251/16 with two flamethrowers or the Sd.Kfz 251/20 UHU equipped with an infrared radiation emitter and intended for targeting at night. Cars Sd.Kfz 251 of all versions served primarily in armored divisions and armored grenadiers on virtually all fronts of World War II: from the September campaign (1939), through the campaign in France (1940), fighting in the Balkans and North Africa (1941-1943) after fights on the Eastern (1941-1945) and Western (1944-1945) fronts.
The Schweres Wurfgerät 40 (SWG 40 for short) is a German multi-lead unguided missile launcher from the Second World War. Prototypes of this weapon were created in the second half of the 1930s, and entered service at the turn of 1940/1941. The SWG 40 could fire two types of shells with a caliber of 280 mm and 320 mm. The range of their shots was from about 1900 to about 2200 meters, and the weight of the projectile was 79 or 82 kilograms. The Schweres Wurfgerät 40 was developed as a missile artillery system dedicated primarily to destroying surface targets and enemy manpower. It was assumed from the very beginning that the shells would have a greater firepower than the classic 105 or 150 mm artillery shells, which was also largely accomplished. Due to the use of a largely wooden launcher, the production costs of the system were relatively favorable, in view of the effect of using this weapon. It is worth adding that the Schweres Wurfgerät 40 was used not only in a towed version, but also in a mobile version - on the Sd.Kfz.251/1 "Stuka zu Fuss" transporter or on a captured French tracked tractor Chenilette UE.