Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)

Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)

15cm sIG 33 B Sfl

Panzerjäger I

Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)

15cm sIG 33 B Sfl

Panzerjäger I

Germany

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.0	1.0	1.0

Class:

Light tank

Research:2 000

Purchase:2 100

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Description

The le.Pz.Sp.Wg. Sd.Kfz. 221 (Leichter Panzerspähwagen, Sonderkraftfahrzeug 221), first produced in 1935, was a German armoured car used as a reconnaissance vehicle for the German Panzer Divisions during World War II. At 339 vehicle manufactured between 1935 to 1940, the Sd.Kfz. 221 saw use in Nazi Germany's early campaigns in Europe, North Africa, and the Eastern Front. Some of these vehicles were armed with the 2.8 cm sPzB 41, a squeeze-bore anti-tank weapon that was capable of producing high-velocity projectiles to penetrate armour. The Sd.Kfz. 221 in German service was eventually succeeded by the larger Sd.Kfz. 222 design, or the more off-road capable Sd.Kfz. 250 half-tracks.

Introduced into War Thunder in Update 1.79 "Project X", the le.Pz.Sp.Wg. (s.Pz.B.41) Sd.Kfz.221 is a unique armoured car with its squeeze-bore armament attached to the car's high mobility and relatively thin armour on the body. The squeeze-bore armament, named the 28/20 mm S.Pz.B.41, functions by firing a 28 mm caliber shell down a barrel that narrows it to 20 mm at the muzzle end. This method creates a very high pressure within the barrel that causes the projectile to exit with a high velocity to penetrate more armour relative to the caliber diameter. While providing a bigger punch for the caliber size, the weapon only fires APCR shots as a consequence. Due to this, players using the gun would find some issues such as relatively poor armour-piercing performance against highly sloped armour plating and poor post-penetration damage.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull6 / 8 / 8

Turret4 / 8 / 15

Crew2 people

Visibility107 %

The Sd.Kfz.221 has almost no armour at all: it gets penetrated on every side even by rifle-calibre rounds. The main problem of the Sd.Kfz. 221 is that the gunner is exposed: a single coaxial bullet can knock him out and due to the vehicle only having two crew members, will either take out the vehicle entirely from the game in RB/SB or leave it a sitting duck in AB due to crew replenishment.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Wheel (tires)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	8 mm (18-36°) Driver viewport 6 mm (71°) Upper glacis 8 mm (36°) Lower glacis 8 mm (36°) Bottom glacis	8 mm (35°)	8 mm (66°) Upper glacis 4-8 mm (32°) Lower glacis 4-8 mm (67°) Bottom glacis	10 mm (79°) Front glacis 8 mm Crew compartment 8 mm (24°) Rear glacis 3 mm Engine vents
Turret	8 mm (33°) Turret front 4 + 4 mm (23°) Gun shield	8 mm (35°)	8 mm (35°)

Notes:

• Wheels are 10 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 6 mm thick.
• Mudguards and storage boxes are 4 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB89 / 17 km/h

RB and SB80 / 16 km/h

Number of gears5 forward

1 back

Weight4.0 t

Engine power

AB143 hp

RB and SB75 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB35.8 hp/t

RB and SB18.8 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	89	17	4	116	143	29	35.75
Realistic	80	16		66	75	16.5	18.75

The mobility is great for a wheeled vehicle. The double steering axles allow it to make tight turns even though it is a wheeled vehicle. There is, however, one main flaw with the double steering axles design, it is difficult to drive straight forward after making the slightest turn. The vehicle has a tendency to oversteer by itself and requires adjustments to keep it driving straight. This is extremely problematic if driving at full speed. To counter this problem, it is best to simply slow down before making turns. An alternative is to enable "Driver Assist" in the controls, so slight adjustments of the mouse steer it properly instead.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB170 → 220

RB194 → 251

SB223 → 289

Total cost of modifications4 450

2 670

Talisman cost300

Crew training600

Experts2 100

Aces45

Research Aces110 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

10 / 20 / 20 %

100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tires Research: 300 Cost: 180 60 Suspension Research: 250 Cost: 150 50 Brake System Research: 250 Cost: 150 50 Filters Research: 370 Cost: 220 70 Transmission Research: 480 Cost: 290 95 Engine Research: 480 Cost: 290 95	Improved Parts Research: 300 Cost: 180 60 Improved FPE Research: 250 Cost: 150 50 Crew Replenishment Research: 370 Cost: 220 70	Horizontal Drive Research: 300 Cost: 180 60 Adjustment of Fire Research: 250 Cost: 150 50 Elevation Mechanism Research: 370 Cost: 220 70 Artillery Support Research: 480 Cost: 290 95

Due to this vehicle's extremely limited survivability, the Parts and FPE modifications are not as important as they are on most other tanks. Instead, the most important modifications are the mobility-based modules.

Armaments

Main armament

28/20 mm s.Pz.B.41 cannon

Shoulder stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in one plane while moving

Ammunition60 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

3.9 → 3.0 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 20°

Horizontal guidance-20° / 2°

The 28/20 mm s.Pz.B.41 squeeze-bore cannon fires only one ammo type, the 2.8/2 cm PzGr.41. The round has an extremely high muzzle velocity of 1,400 m/s and penetrates 95 mm at 10 m distance against flat armour. Against 30-degree armour, it penetrates an acceptable 73 mm, but at steep angles, it penetrates just 22 mm. Rate of fire is excellent like most low-rank guns, but currently, like all APCR, the post-penetration damage is poor.

28/20 mm s.Pz.B.41					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	60	-10°/+20°	-20°/+2°	Vertical	33.32	46.12	56.0	61.92	65.88	3.90	3.45	3.18	3.00
Realistic					20.83	24.50	29.75	32.90	35.00

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
2.8/2cm Pzgr.41	APCR	90	84	63	44	31	21

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
2.8/2cm Pzgr.41	APCR	1,400	0.12	-	-	-	66°	70°	72°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty
60	55 (+5)	49 (+11)	43 (+17)	37 (+23)	31 (+29)
6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	10th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
25 (+35)	19 (+41)	13 (+47)	7 (+53)	1 (+59)	No

Note:

• Racks only disappear after all shells in the rack have been fired.
• Rearmost ammo racks empty: 37 (+23) shells.

Usage in battles

This vehicle has a powerful cannon and very weak survivability and therefore is effectively played as a sniper at medium to far ranges. However, the positioning will be very important if the player decides to pursue this play-style, as opportunities to engage at long range are rare at this battle rating. Most fights occur at short to medium ranges.

Unfortunately, it is in these close combat scenarios that this vehicle suffers. Gun traverse is limited, so the vehicle is easily flanked, and when up close, enemies will be able to dispatch the crew with a short machine-gun burst. So, brawling is often an ineffective strategy. More useful is an ambush-based play-style, where the vehicle can use its incredible speed (on paved surfaces, at least) to reach a favourable position early in the game, and destroy enemies passing by.

Again, this vehicle has virtually no armour protection, and what it does have will not protect it against anything but the lightest shrapnel blasts. Again, one of the two crew members is completely exposed, and if they are knocked unconscious, then the vehicle is destroyed. This means that the player should avoid taking damage at all costs. If an enemy plane is in the air, it is advisable to find cover immediately. If there is an artillery strike inbound, it is similarly advised to leave the area as soon as possible.

If sniping and ambushing are both not working, it is also possible to use this vehicle as a highly-mobile strike attacker. By constantly moving around, this vehicle can quickly find the best firing positions throughout the map, and its high penetration allow it to destroy enemies from almost any angle. Combined with this vehicle's high speed, a small profile means that enemies will have a difficult time aiming and achieving a hit. Still, the most important thing is to stay out of sight, using speed as an advantage to destroy vehicles without the enemy knowing.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Very fast in a straight line, comparable to the infamous BT-5 on road
• Excellent power/weight ratio allows for great acceleration
• Small profile
• Good rate of fire, follow-up shots are easy
• Good penetration and muzzle velocity
• -10° gun depression is great for mountainous terrain

Cons:

• Limited and unsymmetrical gun traverse
• Limited post-penetration damage
• Low survivability: only 2 crew members who can be easily taken out by all vehicles and aircraft
• Poor mobility on soft surfaces
• Can easily tip over in a sharp turn at high speed
• Can't ram over tiny obstacles like wooden fences and parked cars, limiting mobility

History

The Sd.Kfz. 221, also known as the PSW 221, along with its sister Sd.Kfz. 222 was the standard German light armoured car in 1939. A total of 339 Sd.Kfz. 221 and 989 Sd.Kfz. 222 vehicles were built. The Sd.Kfz. 221 carried a machine gun in an open-top turret, while the Sd.Kfz. 222 carried a 20 mm cannon, sometimes with or without a shield.

The 2.8 cm sPzB 41 taper-bore heavy anti-tank rifle had a 28 mm breech calibre, but due to malleable skirts around the projectile, the projectile emerged from the barrel with a 20 mm calibre. This greatly increased the possible muzzle velocity (4,600 ft/sec at the muzzle) but required rounds with tungsten carbide cores to prevent shattering on impact, and rapidly wore out the gun bore. In 1942 the other requirements for and scarcity of tungsten forced its discontinuation in anti-tank round production, and the weapons that could only use tungsten ammunition were no longer usable after existing ammo supplies ran out. During its short service life, it was sometimes mounted on light armoured cars like the 221 and armoured half-tracks in place of their usual machine gun.

The Sd.Kfz.221 served mainly in the Aufklärungsabteilung (reconnaissance battalion) attached to the Panzer divisions. It was deployed in various fronts, but was ineffective in battlefields in the Eastern and the North African fronts due to its poor offroad mobility. Hence, the Sd.Kfz.221/222 was taken out of service by the end of 1942, and replaced with the famous Sd.Kfz. 250 half-track.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41) - TheEuropeanCanadian

See also

Related development

• Sd.Kfz.222

Vehicles of a similar configuration or role

• Csaba
• L3/33 CC

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

Eisenwerk Weserhütte
Sd.Kfz.221	Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)
Sd.Kfz.222	Sd.Kfz.222 · ␗Sd.Kfz.222