Difference between revisions of "Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)"

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<!-- ''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.'' -->
 
<!-- ''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.'' -->
  
The Sd.Kfz.221 has very weak armour. It gets penetrated on every side, so you should think of it as if you have no armour at all.
+
The Sd.Kfz.221 has almost no armour at all. It gets penetrated on every side even by rifle-calibre rounds.  
  
The problem of the Sd.Kfz. 221 isn't really the armour. It's 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.
+
The problem of the Sd.Kfz. 221 isn't really the armour. It's 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.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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! Full<br>ammo
 
! Full<br>ammo
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! 3rd rack<br>empty
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! 4th rack<br>empty
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! 5th rack<br>empty
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! 5th<br>rack empty
! 6th rack<br>empty
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! 6th<br>rack empty
! 7th rack<br>empty
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! 8th rack<br>empty
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! 9th rack<br>empty
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! 10th rack<br>empty
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! 10th<br>rack empty
 
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
|-
 
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== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
This vehicle has a powerful cannon and very weak survivability, and therefore is effectively played as a sniper at medium to far ranges. However, 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.
+
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.
 
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.
  
This vehicle has virtually no armour protection, and what it does have will not protect against anything but the weakest small-calibre guns and the lightest shrapnel blasts. Even worse, 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.
+
Again, this vehicle has virtually no armour protection, and what it does have will not protect against but 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 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.
 
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 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.
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* Limited gun traverse
 
* Limited gun traverse
 
* Limited post-penetration damage
 
* Limited post-penetration damage
* The thin armour is easily penetrable by most all vehicles and aircraft
+
* The thin armour is easily penetrable by all vehicles and aircraft
 
* Only two crew members
 
* Only two crew members
 
* Incapable of neutral steering
 
* Incapable of neutral steering
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== See also ==
 
== See also ==
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 +
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
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== External links ==
 
== External links ==
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 +
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''

Revision as of 17:43, 5 June 2020

VTOL | Rank 5 USA
AV-8A Harrier Pack
Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)
germ_sdkfz_221_s_pz_b_41.png
Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41)
AB RB SB
1.0 1.0 1.0
Class:
Research:2 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:2 100 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

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


The le.Pz.Sp.Wg. (s.Pz.B.41) Sd.Kfz.221 is a rank I German light tank with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X".

The le.Pz.Sp.Wg. (s.Pz.B.41) Sd.Kfz.221 is a unique vehicle in its own right. This vehicle is a lightly armoured, highly mobile car, with a 20 mm squeeze bore cannon. What that means is that a 28 mm wide shell is inserted into a 28 mm wide breech, and subsequently fired down a barrel that narrows down to 20 mm at the end. This gives you a projectile that was 28 mm, now squeezed down to 20 mm. In effect, this gives you a heavier, longer 20 mm shell. This allows old and outdated anti-tank weapon calibres to be re-designed and revitalized so that they could be effective again.

General info

Survivability and armour

The Sd.Kfz.221 has almost no armour at all. It gets penetrated on every side even by rifle-calibre rounds.

The problem of the Sd.Kfz. 221 isn't really the armour. It's 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.

Mobility

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.

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: s.Pz.B.41 (28/20 mm)

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° 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 95 94 66 38 15 8
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%
2.8/2cm Pzgr.41 APCR 1,400 0.14 N/A N/A N/A 66° 70° 72°

Ammo racks

Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
7th
rack empty
8th
rack empty
9th
rack empty
10th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
60 55 (+5) 49 (+11) 43 (+17) 37 (+23) 31 (+29) 25 (+35) 19 (+41) 13 (+47) 7 (+53) 1 (+59) No
Ammo racks of the Sd.Kfz.221 (s.Pz.B.41), located behind the driver and at the feet of the commander/gunner.

Notes:

  • Recommended ammo load is 37 to remove rear ammo racks.

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 against but 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 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.

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tires Parts Horizontal Drive
II Suspension Brake System FPE Adjustment of Fire
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism
IV Transmission Engine Artillery Support

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.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Very fast in a straight line (80 km/h)
  • Excellent power/weight ratio allows for great acceleration
  • Small profile
  • Good rate of fire
  • Good penetration and muzzle velocity

Cons:

  • Limited gun traverse
  • Limited post-penetration damage
  • The thin armour is easily penetrable by all vehicles and aircraft
  • Only two crew members
  • Incapable of neutral steering
  • Poor mobility on soft surfaces
  • Can easily tip over in a sharp turn

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. 221s and 989 Sd.Kfz. 222's 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 221 was taken out of service by the end of 1942.

The 2.8 cm sPzB 41 taper-bore heavy anti-tank rifle had a 28mm 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.

Media

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • encyclopedia page on the tank;
  • other literature.


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
  PUMA
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