The Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK 38 is an early-war German modification of the French AMD.35, replacing its turret and upgrading its firepower. This variant fields the 50mm KwK L/42 cannon which packs a serious punch at its BR, perfectly complimenting the mobility of this vehicle.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| Good top speed and overall acceleration | Vehicle struggles traversing muddy terrain |
| Good reload rate | Low amount of ammunition |
| Powerful APHE and APCR shells | Penetration suffers at longer ranges |
| Turret can withstand HMG fire from the front | Side, rear and top of the turret are exposed |
Main Armament
The main armament of this vehicle is the 50mm KwK L/42 cannon. Despite being the same caliber as the KwK39, the shorter barrel results in a lower muzzle velocity. This means that aiming can be quite tricky in some cases, especially due to the lack of a ballistic cap, which resulting in a higher drop in velocity than expected.
Being a low caliber, high velocity gun, it only has access to two types of ammunition, both having more penetration compared to similar ammunition of low velocity guns with a larger caliber.
- PzGr 39, a powerful APHE shell with a respectable 29 grams of TNT equivalent and 80mm of penetration at point blank, ideal for engaging enemies from the side.
- PzGr 40, an APCR shell featuring 116mm of penetration at point blank, able to go through thick flat armor plates without much effort. The only drawback to this shell is its very poor post penetration effect as well as its performance against angled armor.
Armor and Survivability
Being a very early scout-car, this vehicle only offers marginal protection against rifle fire with the exception of the turret front, being able to withstand HMG fire as well as small caliber cannon fire from long range. The gunner and loader are positioned in the turret and are vulnerable to strafing runs and fragmentation due to the open-top nature of this vehicle. One notable feature of this vehicle is the dual driver setup, allowing for control of the vehicle even if the main driver is lost as long as the commander is still alive.
There is also a significant amount of internal armor plating at the rear of the vehicle, helping limit fragmentation from shells penetrating the rear of the vehicle from reaching the crew compartment.
Mobility
Being a scout, mobility is this vehicle's primary strength. With a top speed of 72kph forward and 42kph in reverse, it is very easy to ambush the enemy but also safely retreat if the situation calls for it. The turning radius of this vehicle is also quite good, allowing for tight maneuvers between buildings and rocks. The main drawback with the mobility of this vehicle however is the engine, only providing 105hp. Traversing through muddy terrain will prove to be a challenging task and can significantly slow down an advance so it is recommended to plan a route around mud.
Usage In Battle
The Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK is best played as an ambusher. While the lack of scouting does hamper the usefulness of this vehicle, the powerful gun can easily take out large groups of enemies in a short period of time as long as they do not return fire. Your ammo choice generally depends on your playstyle, however it is recommended to carry at least one APCR round in order to deal with heavily armored opponents such as the Char B1 Bis.
If an enemy notices you or if an artillery strike is called at your position, do not hesitate to pull back and reposition since your armor cannot reliably protect you from anything while also keeping an eye at your ammo load. Ensure that you always have enough ammunition to deal with any enemies that may be on or near a capture point so you can rearm and get back in the fight.
