The Sd.Kfz.222 was a German armoured car used during the Second World War. This vehicle had a great deal of history and was deemed very useful during the early years of World War II. With its very high speeds and effective 20 mm cannon, this vehicle was very useful for quick close-combat situations. This article will explain this armoured vehicle’s history, armaments, mobility, and gameplay.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very fast top speed | Thin armour |
| High penetration auto cannon | Slow fire rate cannon |
| High elevation cannon | Open-topped vehicle |
| Good cannon depression | Small ammo storage |
Armaments
Along with the German variant, there is also a less capable version that was sent to China. The next few sections of the article will also discuss the Chinese Sd.Kfz.222. Both the German and Chinese variants have 20 mm cannons, but the German variant of the Sd.Kfz.222 has a 20 mm KwK 38 cannon, while the Chinese variant has a KwK 30. Both variants have a 7.92 mm machine gun, but the German variant has an MG34 and the Chinese has an MG13.
German Sd.Kfz.222
20 mm KwK 38 cannon
The 20 mm KwK 38 cannon has a total of 180 rounds of ammunition, and each belt holds 10 rounds. The main cannon can fire a variety of shells, including HVAP-T, API-T, and HEFI-T. The cannon has a maximum penetration of 48 mm and a fire rate of 450 rounds per minute, or 7.5 shots per second. This speedy SPAA also has a reload time ranging from 7.8 to 6 seconds, with vertical guidance from -7 degrees to 85 degrees. It has a turret rotation speed of 28 to 40 degrees per second.
The cannon has a great variety of belts, which have different penetrations values. Most of the belts have high penetration for a low-tier 20 mm cannon, with a high-explosive HEFI-T shell. The Sd.Kfz.222 is exceptionally effective against aircraft, but it is not the best because it only carries 10 rounds per belt. It can still be used against an aircraft because most aircrafts that it’s against are slow and weak, this is still considering that it has powerful rounds.
The Sd.Kfz.222's cannon is very good compared to other low-tier vehicles. While many vehicles it faces have machine guns, the Sd.Kfz.222 has a powerful 20 mm cannon. Compared to an SPAA like the M15 CGMC, the Sd.Kfz.222 is considered superior, although it has a smaller cannon and the same penetration, the Sd.Kfz.222 possesses an advantage that many SPAAs do not possess. The Sd.Kfz.222 has superior depression and does not angle up while looking forward. While using vehicles like the M15 must turn entirely to use their gun depression, the Sd.Kfz.222 has the same -7 degrees of depression for 360 degrees.
7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun
The 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun has a total of 2,700 rounds with a belt capacity of 150 round. It has a reload time ranging from 10.4 to 8 seconds and a fire rate of 900 rounds per minute, or 15 rounds per second.
Chinese Sd.Kfz.222
20 mm KwK 30 cannon
The Chinese Sd.Kfz.222 has a different cannon from the later German variant. Not only that, it lacks HVAP-T shells because of it. Because of this, the API-T becomes the most capable shell for piercing armour. This gives the vehicle a maximum penetration of 38 mm. Otherwise the Chinese variant has similar characteristics to the German Sd.Kfz.222, but its cannon can only elevate up to 80 degrees vertically.
While anti-tank capabilities are worse than that of a German Sd.Kfz.222, its still just as effective against the weak low-tier planes. With a turret rotation speed reaching 40 degrees, as well as good elevation angles, it can be used as a pretty good SPAA, especially with early Chinese anti-air vehicles lacking cannons. The only downside compared to some other vehicles would be a small belt of just 10 rounds.
7.92 mm MG13 Dreyse machine gun
The Chinese Sd.Kfz.222 has a different type of machine gun than its German counterpart. The 7.92 mm MG13 Dreyse machine gun has a penetration of 9 mm instead of the 13 mm that the German MG34 has. It also has only 75 rounds in each belt and a total of 900 rounds. The machine gun can fire 500 shots per minute, or 8.3 shots per second, while maintaining the same reload speed as the German machine gun.
Armour and Survivability
Armoured cars are not known to have good armour, so it may not be surprising that both the Chinese and German Sd.Kfz.222s do not have very good armour. This is also considering the fact that the Chinese variant has less armour than the German variant. The two tanks are both open-top vehicles with nothing to protect the top of the tank.
German Sd.Kfz.222
When the Sd.Kfz.222 was made, the Germans added extra armour to give it higher protection than the Sd.Kfz.221. The tank has 30 mm of armour on the front hull, with the upper hull being sloped. The sides and back of the tank all have 8 mm of armour. On the other hand, the front of the turret only has 14 mm of armour with no slope, and the sides have 8 mm of armour. This armour was not made to protect against tanks in battle, but to protect against enemy rifles and machine guns.
The tank has 3 crew members: a driver, commander, and gunner. The tank also possesses smoke grenades, which can be used to cover the tank and confuse the enemy team.
Chinese Sd.Kfz.222
The Chinese Sd.Kfz.222 has less armour than the German variant due to it being shipped to China in its earlier variant. The tank has 8 mm of armour on all sides, but still has a sloped front upper plate. It also does not have smoke grenades like the German Sd.Kfz.222, but it has dual controls, allowing the commander to fire the cannon while the gunner is unconscious.
Mobility
The German Sd.Kfz.222 has great mobility for its battle rating and higher. With a speed of 90 km/h, almost nothing can catch up to your tank at this BR. You can outmaneuver any tank and capture zones very quickly. The reverse speed of the tank is 15 km/h, which is good for a low-tier tank that does not usually reach high reverse speeds. This armoured car weighs 5 tons and has an engine that has 90 horsepower. Its engine-to-weight ratio is 18 hp/t, enabling it to be light and quick.
This great mobility can be very helpful while flanking the enemy team. Even though the acceleration is not the greatest, it can still smoothly reach 60 km/h on rough terrain. The Sd.Kfz.222 also has very reliable transmission and wheels, which can withstand many crashes before needing to be repaired. All this can help you easily flank the enemy team while not needing to repair your mobile parts often.
When comparing mobility, the Sd.Kfz.222 is virtually undefeated. It is one of the fastest low tier vehicles in the game, and even at higher tiers, it is still considered fast, and while comparing to a truck like the GAZ-AAA, the Sd.Kfz.222 still reaches way higher speeds. This makes the Sd.Kfz.222 a very formidable SPAA and overall vehicle when measuring mobility.
Chinese Sd.Kfz.222
The Chinese Sd.Kfz.222 is not as fast as the German version, and that is due to the version sent to China being older and built on the older Sd.Kfz.221, which had less horsepower but was lighter than the Sd.Kfz.222. The Chinese armoured car has a maximum speed of 80 km/h, which, even though it is slower than its German counterpart, is still very fast compared to other vehicles. The reverse speed is the same as the German variant at 15 km/h. The tank also had 75 hp and a weight of 3.9 tons. This gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 19.2 hp/t.
The Chinese Sd.Kfz.222 is the same, and has reliable transmission and wheels, while it can go only up to 80 km/h, it has almost the same acceleration which gives it the same overall speed. It can also be effective at flanking the enemy, without sacrificing transmission while trying to escape.
Gameplay
The Sd.Kfz.222 excels at mobility and firepower. This vehicle can be used to surprise enemies and withdraw quickly. While it may have good penetration for an SPAA, its main drawback is its magazine, which only carries 10 rounds. This section explains how to use the vehicle effectively in-game.
Many other vehicles suffer from limited speed and slow turret rotation. Even most SPAAs at this battle rating are slower than the Sd.Kfz.222. Although it can be easily penetrated, it can still outmaneuver most vehicles at this rank.
Notice: This section applies only to the German Sd.Kfz.222, as the Chinese variant lacks high-penetration HVAP-T shells.
Close Combat
This armoured car is one of the fastest low-tier vehicles, reaching up to 90 km/h, allowing it to evade enemies even when spotted due to their slow turret rotation.
Using that speed, you can sneak behind enemy lines and destroy their vehicles as they pass by. It is recommended to retreat to a hidden position while reloading. While hiding, make sure you are not spotted, or you will be swiftly destroyed.
The Sd.Kfz.222’s small size improves its ability to hide from enemy vehicles. Even if an enemy vehicle cannot be penetrated, it can still be marked on the map. This is because the armoured car is highly capable of approaching enemy positions without being spotted.
Smoke grenades can also be used to distract enemies, allowing you to reposition to another angle or a safer place. Although it cannot penetrate every vehicle at its rank, it can still outmaneuver enemies and assist the team by disabling targets.
Flanking
As mentioned, this vehicle is great for sneaking behind enemy lines and flanking. It can swiftly reach the enemy’s side of the map, where opponents will be unaware of its location.
With that, the Sd.Kfz.222 can easily move through dense maps and destroy enemy tanks while they capture zones. You can also lure enemies to your location by uncapturing zones so they return to capture them.
Due to the Sd.Kfz.222's small size, it can move through tight spaces that other vehicles cannot. This can be used as an advantage to take faster routes and reach enemy weak spots more efficiently. Using all these tactics can make this vehicle great for getting kills.
You can also use this tank at higher BRs because, due to its high penetration for a low-rank SPAA, it can earn you God Mode easily if played correctly. It may have poor armour and may not penetrate all vehicles, but it does not need armour due to its speed, and its penetration is even higher than tanks like the M163.
History
The Sd.Kfz.222 was designed in 1935 to replace the Sd.Kfz.221, which was viewed as too small and required better armament. After recognizing the need for major modifications, development began under Eisenwerk Weserhütte. The design of the Sd.Kfz.222 was based on the chassis of the Horch 108, made by Auto Union.
Info: Sd.Kfz stands for Sonderkraftfahrzeug, or Special Purpose Vehicle, and the Sd.Kfz series of tanks' special purpose was reconnaissance.
The Sd.Kfz.222 had 2 versions, with the first being produced from 1938 to 1940 and the other from 1941 to 1942. The first version featured a 20 mm KwK 30 cannon and was built on the Horch 801/EG 1 chassis and had a 3.5 l V-8 engine producing 90 hp.
A later version was produced in 1941 and 1942, which had improved armour, increasing it to 30 mm instead of the 8 mm of the previous version. The 20 mm KwK 30 was replaced by the newer and more powerful KwK 38. The mobility of the tank was also improved, giving it a 3.8 l V-8 with 90 hp. The new vehicle was designed based on the newer and faster Horch 801/V chassis.
The Sd.Kfz.222 was used from 1936 until the German defeat and was considered very effective during the early years of the war, such as during the invasion of Poland and on the Western Front. It performed well on Europe’s easy terrain and roads, but in other battle zones like North Africa, the terrain was more difficult for the Sd.Kfz.222.
This low performance in North Africa was also seen on the Eastern Front. This was due to the difficulty of using this scout vehicle on sand, mud, and snow. This made it less effective in these areas than on the roads and cities in Europe or the flat fields on the Western Front.
Most of the Sd.Kfz.222 vehicles remained under the control of the German Armed Forces, but a number were exported to Bulgaria, and 12 of the older version were exported to China.
As the war dragged on, this vehicle began losing its place in the German Armed Forces, as shown by its failures on the Eastern Front. Even though it was used during most of the war, it was beginning to become outdated and less useful. This was also due to better vehicles like the Sd.Kfz.234 becoming available. By the end of the war, a total of 2,394 of these armoured cars had been produced (1,405 of the 1938 version and 989 of the 1941 version).
