Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK
Contents
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
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
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
Armaments
Main armament
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
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
- Videos
See also
- Related development
External links
Germany light tanks | |
---|---|
Pz.II | Pz.II C · Pz.II C (DAK) · Pz.II C TD · Pz.II F · Pz.Sfl.Ic |
Sd.Kfz.234 | Sd.Kfz.234/1 · Sd.Kfz.234/2 · Sd.Kfz.234/2 TD |
Marder | Marder A1- · Marder 1A3 · Begleitpanzer 57 · DF105 |
SPz PUMA | PUMA · PUMA VJTF |
Wheeled | Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41) · Class 3 (P) · Radkampfwagen 90 |
Other | Ru 251 · SPz 12-3 LGS |
Argentina | TAM · TAM 2C · TAM 2IP · JaPz.K A2 |
Czechoslovakia | Pz.35(t) · Pz.38(t) A · Pz.38(t) F · Pz.38(t) n.A. · Sd.Kfz. 140/1 |
France | Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK |
Lithuania | Vilkas |
USA | leKPz M41 |
USSR | SPz BMP-1 |
Germany premium ground vehicles | |
---|---|
Light tanks | Pz.II C (DAK) · Pz.Sfl.Ic · Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK · Sd.Kfz. 140/1 · Sd.Kfz.234/1 · Ru 251 · SPz 12-3 LGS · TAM 2IP |
Medium tanks | Nb.Fz. · Pz.III N · Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J · ▀M4 748 (a) · ▀T 34 747 (r) · Ersatz M10 |
mKPz M47 G · Turm III · Leopard A1A1 (L/44) · Leopard 2 (PzBtl 123) · Leopard 2A4M | |
Heavy tanks | ▀Pz.Kpfw. Churchill · ▀KV-IB · ▀KW I C 756 (r) · ▀KW II 754 (r) |
VK 45.01 (P) · ␠Tiger · Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P · Tiger II (H) Sla.16 | |
Tank destroyers | Sd.Kfz.234/3 · Sd.Kfz.234/4 · Sd.Kfz.251/10 · Sd.Kfz.251/22 · 15 cm Pz.W.42 |
Brummbär · Panzer IV/70(A) · VFW · Bfw. Jagdpanther G1 · Elefant · 38 cm Sturmmörser |