Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK

Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK

Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK

Germany

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.0	2.0	2.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Light tank

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

Description

The capitulation of France in 1940 saw a number of equipment captured by the Germans, including the AMD.35 armoured car and their production facilities. The German Wehrmacht pressed the Panhard armoured car into service, issuing them to their reconnaissance units and they would see prominent use during Operation Barbarossa. However, as the years passed, the AMD.35 were seen as becoming obsolete in frontline service and saw more use behind the lines such as occupational and policing duties. In 1944, it was decided to take 34 AMD.35 and modify them to accommodate the 50 mm L/42 tank gun used in the Panzer III. Transformed into open-top vehicles and designated as Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK, they were utilized in occupation duties until the Allied invasion of Normandy, where the vehicles were then committed to combat the invading Allies.

Introduced as part of a reward for the 2023 Summer Extreme event during Update "La Royale", the Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK is a fairly unique armoured car in the early German tech tree line-up. The AMD.35 armoured car chassis provides decent mobility on hard surfaces, but the star of the show is the 50 mm cannon, which is powerful enough to penetrate tanks it will encounter. However, limitations in the turret traverse and the open-top nature of the turret limit the full potential of this cannon at the rank it is in. The Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK can help players strike true with power, but only in the right situations that the player can put the armoured car into against an incoming enemy.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull26 / 15 / 15

Turret20 / 15 / 15

Crew4 people

Visibility77 %

Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.

Armour type:

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	26 mm	15 mm Top 15 mm Bottom	15 mm	___ - ___ mm
Turret	20 - ___ mm Turret front ___ mm Gun mantlet	___ - ___ mm	___ - ___ mm	___ - ___ mm
Cupola	___ mm	___ mm	___ mm	___ mm

Notes:

Mobility

Reverse gearbox

Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed

Speedforward / back

AB80 / 47 km/h

RB and SB72 / 43 km/h

Number of gears4 forward

4 back

Weight8.2 t

Engine power

AB200 hp

RB and SB105 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB24.4 hp/t

RB and SB12.8 hp/t

As a wheeled vehicle, the Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK is fast and has a good mobility on hard surfaces. However, it bleeds energy and loses a lot of mobility when offroad.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	80	47	8.2	163	200	19.88	24.39
Realistic	72	43		93	105	11.34	12.8

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB121

RB130

SB146

Crew training450

Experts3 000

Aces45

Research Aces220 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 10 / 20 / 20 %

2 × 100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tires Suspension Brake System Filters Transmission Engine	Improved Parts Improved FPE Crew Replenishment	Horizontal Drive 50mm_kwk_38_39_APCR2_ammo_pack Adjustment of Fire Elevation Mechanism Artillery Support

Armaments

Main armament

50 mm KwK L/42 cannon

Ammunition26 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

5.2 → 4.0 s

Vertical guidance-12° / 14°

50 mm KwK L/42					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	26	-12°/+14°	±180°	N/A	14.9	20.7	25.1	27.8	29.6	5.20	4.60	4.24	4.00
Realistic					9.3	11.0	13.3	14.8	15.7

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
PzGr 39	APC	80	76	62	48	38	29
PzGr 40	APCR	116	107	74	47	30	19

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
PzGr 39	APC	685	2.05	1.2	9	28.9	48°	63°	71°
PzGr 40	APCR	1,050	0.9	-	-	-	66°	70°	72°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
26	23 (+3)	19 (+7)	1 (+25)	No

Notes:

• Shells are modelled individually and disappear from the rack after having been loaded into the breech.
• If you pack 19 (+7) shells, it will keep the turret empty of ammo.

Usage in battles

With a lack of a coaxial machine gun and poor armor, players may find head on attacks against enemies difficult. Instead utilization of their speed and powerful cannon will be their main objective. Flank attacks and supporting fire for teammates are highly recommended. The high agility of the vehicle also allows for the capture of objectives quickly and efficiently while being able to avoid enemies. However a lack of ammunition does force the player to select their shots carefully as one too many missed or wasted shots can result in a quick return to the hanger. With the lack of a roof and armor in the rear it's highly recommended to always be facing the enemy. Despite being weak, the armor of the turret prevents mostly machine gun fire from harming the loader and gunner. The protection of these two members can be the factor between losing the vehicle or being able to limp back to a control point.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Wheeled vehicle, faster than conventional tanks on roads
• Powerful 50 mm KwK L/42 cannon can penetrate most vehicles at its BR
• Special transmission allows for top speed to be reached in both forward and reverse, making engine-first tactics viable and increasing survivability

Cons:

• Poor braking
• Large turning radius
• Lack of coaxial machine gun
• Relies on player's ability to hit shots on key crew members (drivers and gunners)
• Open-topped layout makes it prone to air attack and flanking machine gun attacks
• Weak armour stops only rifle-calibre machine gun rounds
• Poor manoeuvrability off road, confines the vehicle to surfaces like roads and gravel for utilization of speed advantage

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #369 - Metal Beasts section at 00:25 discusses the Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK.

See also

Related development

• AMD.35 (Family)

External links

• [Devblog] Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK tank destroyer