5cm PaK auf Pz.Kpfw.II Sonderfahrgestell 901

History

In order to meet their needs for self-propelled tank destroyers, and at the same time the war was in their favor, the German Army again turned to Rheinmetall-Borsig (Dusseldorf) this time to develop a light vehicle that complied with the requirements. The treaty was signed in July 1940, when both northern France and the Netherlands had fallen into the hands of the German war machine.

Rheinmetall started with the chassis of the tried and tested light Panzer II, with the equally tried and tested 5 cm (50 mm) anti-tank gun Kanone I/60 (PaK 36) as its main weapon.

The resulting vehicle is a flat, compact profile that draws heavily on the inherent capabilities of the Panzer II chassis. Four crew members will operate the vehicle's various systems. The gun is located in the superstructure of the fuselage. The driver remains in position at the front of the body, while the engine is mounted at the rear of the vehicle. The track wheel arrangement uses the usual German overlapping wheels and front drive sprockets.

The chain idler is at the rear, no chain idler is used. The combat weight is 10,500 kg, and the armor protection extends to 30 mm along the front fairing. Power comes from a single 188 hp Maybach HL66 engine (upgraded from the originally proposed 150 hp HL45). Road speeds can reach 60 km/h.

The official name of the vehicle is Panzer Selbstfahrlafette 1c 5cm PaK 38 auf Panzerkampwagen II Sonderfahrgestell 901 (abbreviated as "Pz. Sfl. Ic").

Rheinmetall was able to complete two pilot vehicles, which were assigned to active components of the 559th Tank Destroyer Battalion and tested on the Eastern Front. The 2000-car production figure was supposed to emerge from this show, but for some reason the design never made it to production.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes