late war Sd. Kfz 231, 232 & 263

[yantaylor]

Hi everyone.

I need some data on German Sd. Kfz 231, 232 & 263 heavy armoured cars in Normandy circa 44 and if they differed much from the versions which served in previous campaigns, for instance, did they have the armoured box at the front of the vehicle and did they all still have the frame aerials.
Finally, would they have the three colour camo which the Germans used on their tanks and halftracks or did they have a different colour scheme.

Thanks and stay well
Ian

[Alanmccoubrey]

Ian, same colours, some had the frame antenna still, in 21 PD for sure at least. I believe that the hull front armour had been increased so we tend not to see the spaced armour in Normandy, you will find cars with a solid front bumper fitted to the nose.

[yantaylor]

Thanks Alan.
I suppose that the Sd.Kfz 263 was still in service in mid 1944.

The division I want to paint up will probably be an SS one, so I have painted all the Pz Gren in camo jackets.
I have nearly completed a full Pz Gren company in Sd.Kfz 251s and a recce platoon in Sd.Kfz 250s.
Vehicle wise, I have a platoon of StuG Gs and six Sd. Kfz 231, 232 & 263 armoured cars.
The problem will be adding decals. Once I have sorted which Division they are from I will need to select which battalion they are from then number the vehicles in order.
I have never done this before and want to get it right before I buy decals.
So you can feel my pain

I also have a standard 1944 Grenadier Company too, which is based and ready for paint.

Ian

[Alanmccoubrey]

Ian, the 263 didn't operate as an armoured car, it was a wheeled command vehicle more likely to be seen in higher HQs and not in a recce battalion by 1944.

[yantaylor]

Thank you Alan, just had to go through another blinking test to log in, can't this be sorted out?

Was the 263 started to be phased out by 44?
Was the 12. SS the first SS unit to be thrown into action after D Day plus 1?
If so then I will be looking for the number and types of armoured car this division had at that time. In fact I will probably try and find most of what the other vehicles and artillery this division had.

Ian

[Alanmccoubrey]

Ian, the 263 was never phased out of service but it was taken out of production in April 1943 so its numbers were dropping.

Yes HJ was the first SS unit in action. You shouldn't have much trouble finding out what equipment it had since its 1st June Report still exists.

[yantaylor]

I may change the 12. SS to another unit as it had no StuG battalion, I have four StuG IIIs so they need a home.
Any ideas Alan on another SS unit I could use, I already have over a dozen 250s and 251s, plus my StuG IIIs, Sd. Kfz 231, 232 & 233s.
I am planning to add some Panthers and Mk IVs and maybe four Marder IIIs.
So the division must have these vehicles to match mine.

I also failed to find a good breakdown for the 12. SS, tried to search for a June Report but failed, so if I choose anther SS division, I really need a breakdown of units and equipment.
I have my Nafziger SS book, but some say it has errors.

Ian

[Alanmccoubrey]

Ian, not "some say" but "everyone say" !

To get the breakdown of HJ you really need a book rather than the internet.

None of the SS divisions in Normandy had any SdKfz 233, while 2, 9 and 10 had a mix of Panzer IV and StuG III in their panzer battalions.