Difference between revisions of "Sd.Kfz.234/1"

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(Wrote the pros and cons. Wrote a small summary of the mobility of the Sdkfz.234/1)
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{{About
 +
| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 +
| usage = other versions
 +
| link = Sd.Kfz.234 (Family)
 +
}}
 
{{Specs-Card
 
{{Specs-Card
 
|code=germ_sdkfz_234_1
 
|code=germ_sdkfz_234_1
|market=Sd.Kfz.234/1 (Germany)}}
+
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sd.Kfz.234-1.jpg}}
 +
|market=Sd.Kfz.234/1 (Germany)
 +
}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
<!-- [[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
{{Break}} -->
 
 
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]] as a reward for the [[wt:en/news/6669-special-space-race-en|"Space Race" event]].
 
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]] as a reward for the [[wt:en/news/6669-special-space-race-en|"Space Race" event]].
 +
 +
The {{PAGENAME}} combines the familiar chassis of the [[Sd.Kfz.234/2]], but with the turret of the [[Sd.Kfz. 140/1]]. While not as heavily armoured as the latter, the mobility presented by the former's chassis gives the {{PAGENAME}} excellent map maneuverability to utilise the 20 mm autocannon against unsuspecting opponents.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== 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.''
+
{{Specs-Tank-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:''' <!-- The types of armour present on the vehicle and their general locations -->
 +
<!-- Example: * Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Hull roof)
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area) -->
 +
 
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Vision ports)
 +
* Structural steel (Side skirts)
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 30 mm (40°) ''Front plate'' <br> 15 mm (70°), 30 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 30 mm (35°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (34-35°) ''Top'' <br> 8 (19-35°) + 4 mm || 10 mm (21-46°) || 5 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 30 mm (33-37°) ''Turret front'' <br> 8 mm (0-8°) ''Gun shield'' || 8 mm (26-27°) || 8 mm (34-37°) || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:''' <!-- Any additional notes which the user needs to be aware of -->
 +
<!-- Example: * Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, tracks are 30 mm thick, and torsion bars are 60 mm thick. -->
 +
 
 +
* Wheels provide 10 mm thick protection.
 +
* Vision ports on car body are 10 mm thick.
 +
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''
+
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
 +
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
  
The Sdkfz.234/1 has the same manoeuvrability as the rest of the Puma brethern. It has a maxiumum speed of 100km/h, both forward and reverse in Arcade and 90km/h forward and reverse in Realistic.
+
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=325|rbMinHp=186}}
  
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=325|rbMinHp=186}}
+
The Sd.Kfz.234/1 has the same manoeuvrability as the rest of its Puma brethren. It has a maximum speed of 100 km/h, both forward and reverse in Arcade and 90 km/h forward and reverse in Realistic.
 +
 
 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
 +
{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
 +
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
 
{{main|KwK38 (20 mm)}}
 
{{main|KwK38 (20 mm)}}
 
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
 
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK38]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
+
! colspan="6" | [[KwK38 (20 mm)|20 mm KwK38]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
|-
 
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
+
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
 
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
|-
 
|-
 
! ''Arcade''
 
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 250 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+70° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 14.3 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | 7.8 || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
+
| rowspan="2" | 250 (10) || rowspan="2" | 450 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+70° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 14.3 || 19.8 || 24.0 || 26.5 || 28.2 || rowspan="2" | 7.80 || rowspan="2" | 6.90 || rowspan="2" | 6.36 || rowspan="2" | 6.00
 
|-
 
|-
 
! ''Realistic''
 
! ''Realistic''
| 8.9 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
+
| 8.9 || 10.5 || 12.8 || 14.1 || 15.0
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==== Ammunition ====
 
==== Ammunition ====
 +
 +
* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}
 +
* '''Sprgr.:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}
 +
* '''PzGr:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}
 +
* '''PzGr 40:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}
 +
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
 
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
 
|-
 
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
+
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
 
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
 
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
 
|-
 
|-
Line 58: Line 101:
 
|-
 
|-
 
| PzGr 40 || 64 || 63 || 26 || 8 || 3 || 1
 
| PzGr 40 || 64 || 63 || 26 || 8 || 3 || 1
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="10" | Belt details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
 +
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
 +
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
 +
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
 +
|-
 +
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| Sprgr. || HEFI-T* || 900 || 0.12 || 0 || 0.1 || 10.2 || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr || API-T || 780 || 0.15 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40 || HVAP-T || 1,050 || 0.1 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
<!-- [[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]] -->
+
[[File:Ammoracks_Sd.Kfz.234-1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
|-
 
|-
Line 69: Line 133:
 
! 2nd<br>rack empty
 
! 2nd<br>rack empty
 
! 3rd<br>rack empty
 
! 3rd<br>rack empty
! 4th<br>rack empty
 
! 5th<br>rack empty
 
! 6th<br>rack empty
 
 
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
|-
 
|-
| '''250''' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __
+
| '''25''' || 17&nbsp;''(+8)'' || 9&nbsp;''(+16)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+24)'' || No
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
Notes:
  
==== [[Optics]] ====
+
* Ammunition is modelled as 25 clips of 10 shells
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
* Racks disappear after you've fired all clips in the rack
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} Optics
 
|-
 
!
 
! Default magnification
 
! Maximum magnification
 
|-
 
! Main Gun optics
 
| x1.8 || x3.5
 
|-
 
! Comparable optics
 
| colspan="2" | ___
 
|-
 
|}
 
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
 +
<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
 
{{main|MG42 (7.92 mm)}}
 
{{main|MG42 (7.92 mm)}}
  
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
! colspan="5" | [[MG42 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG42]]
 
! colspan="5" | [[MG42 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG42]]
 
|-
 
|-
! Mount
+
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
! Capacity<br>(Belt capacity)
 
! Rate of fire<br>(shots/minute)
 
! Vertical<br>guidance
 
! Horizontal<br>guidance
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Coaxial || 1,800 (150) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
 
| Coaxial || 1,800 (150) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
Line 114: Line 159:
  
 
== 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).'' -->
 +
 
 +
Even though the armour of the {{PAGENAME}} is lacking, it can still bounce a hit or two from low calibre guns from the front if lucky and when played to its advantages it can become a vital part of achieving victory over the other team. This armoured car has two main things going for it: excellent mobility (with max speeds of 90 km/h RB, 100 km/h AB) and a very effective, fast-firing autocannon with Pzgr 40 rounds that have exceptional armour penetration, where it can decimate enemies at both close and medium ranges.
 +
 
 +
With these advantages in mind, there are several playstyles for this vehicle. The first of these is to play a harasser role. Using the excellent mobility, the {{PAGENAME}} can get to the best positions on the map early and lie in ambush for enemy vehicles. Once you have struck and eliminated an enemy, use the vehicle's mobility to get yourself to a new position and repeat the process.
 +
 
 +
A second option is to play it so as to get to cap zones before the other teams do, and afterwards use your vehicle as a support tank along with your teammates' tanks taking up a position behind them.
 +
 
 +
The third option, if playing in a squad (two or more) you can also use this vehicle for flanking operations.
 +
 
 +
'''Notable opponents''':
  
=== Modules ===
+
* [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]]'s - Very well armoured for its BR and can be very dangerous (avoid if possible)
{| class="wikitable"
+
* [[T-70]] / [[T-80]] - Strong frontal armour that will be hard to penetrate (but thinner side and rear armour), if you find yourself fighting one of these try to flank its position and catch it off guard.
! Tier
+
* [[:Category:USA ground vehicles|USA]] - Most tanks of this tier can be penetrated easily by your autocannon, but be careful as some of these tanks especially BR 3.0 and up will carry .50 cal machine guns which can penetrate your armour so be careful when engaging them. Other nations tanks are relatively similar in their potency, so the same rules should be applied when engaging them.
! colspan="2" | Mobility
+
 
! Protection
+
To conclude, this armoured car is very useful when used in a harasser role, and in the other roles stated above. To make it even more useful, check the specs of other tanks & vehicles of the same BR to get a better idea on what vehicles you can pen and what you can't.
! colspan="2" | Firepower
 
|-
 
| I
 
| Tires
 
|
 
| Parts
 
| Horizontal Drive
 
| Sprgr.
 
|-
 
| II
 
| Suspension
 
| Brake System
 
| FPE
 
| Adjustment of Fire
 
| PzGr
 
|-
 
| III
 
| Filters
 
|
 
| Crew Replenishment
 
| Elevation Mechanism
 
|
 
|-
 
| IV
 
| Transmission
 
| Engine
 
|
 
| Artillery Support
 
| PzGr 40
 
|-
 
|}
 
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''
+
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
* HVAP Belts are full HVAP rounds unlike the Flak 38 HVAP belts.
+
* HVAP belts has a full composition of HVAP, able to penetrate most light tanks (eg. [[T-26]], [[M3A1 Stuart|M3A1]], [[BT-5|BT-5,]] [[A13 (Family)|A13]]) and side armour of heavier targets (eg. [[B1 bis|B1]]) easily
* The HVAP belts can penetrate a Sherman's side armour and so will have no difficulties at its Battle Rating.
+
* Relatively fast reload at around 7 seconds
* Relatively fast reload at around 7 seconds.
+
* The KwK38 is coupled with an MG42 with a blistering fire rate which allows quite effective suppressive fire capability on light-skinned vehicles
* It has the ability to scout, which is unique for a vehicle at such a low Battle Rating.
+
* The 20 mm cannon can shoot down aircraft due to a very high elevation angle which means it can, in a pinch, act as a pseudo-SPAA
* The quick speed, (100km/h in AB, 90km/h in RB) allows the Puma to be one of, if not the first vehicles to both make contact with the enemy team and capture zones.
+
* The quick speed (100 km/h in AB, 90 km/h in RB) allows the {{PAGENAME}} to be one of, if not the first vehicle, to both, make contact with the enemy team and capture zones
* The scouting feature allows it to repair allies, making the Sdkfz.234/1 an even more useful asset to the team.
+
* Very fast acceleration both forward and reverse, getting out of a sticky situation is very easily if your driver is alive
* The KwK 38 is coupled with an MG42 with a blistering fire rate which allows quite effective suppressive fire capability.
+
* It can average around 40 km/h off-road, which is quite fast for a wheeled vehicle
* The 20mm cannon can shoot down aircraft due to a very high elevation angle. This means it can, in a pinch, act as a pseudo SPAA.
+
* The front hull and turret have 30 mm of armour which is sloped to increase the thickness
* It, despite having wheels, can average around 40km/h off road which, for a wheeled vehicle, is quite fast.
+
* The thin armour on the sides and rear mean that most solid shot rounds will go right through without causing much damage, which is useful against tanks with only solid shells, like all the [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3]]/[[M5 Stuart (Family)|M5]] Stuarts.
* The thin armour on the sides and rear mean that most solid shot rounds will go right through without causing much damage.
 
* Very fast acceleration both forward and reverse, getting out of a sticky situation is very easily if your driver is alive.
 
* The front hull and turret have 30mm of armour which is sloped to increase the thickness.
 
 
 
*
 
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
* The 20mm cannon has a 7 second reload and in an urban environment, that could be the difference between life and death.
+
* The 20 mm cannon's belt consists of only 10 rounds and it gets exhausted very quickly, so reloads are very frequent
* The 20mm cannon's belt consists of only 10 rounds and it gets exhausted very quickly, this means that reloads are very frequent.
+
* Weak armour from the sides and rear can be penetrated by lighter weapons like autocannons and machine guns (eg. [[M13 MGMC]], [[GAZ-AAA (DShK)]])
* Weak armour from the sides and rear. Can be penetrated by machine guns. Autocannons, aircraft and machine guns will shred the Puma.
+
* Can be hull broken by HEAT-shooting tanks like the [[M8 General Scott (Family)|M8]] Scott
* Can be hull broken by the 57mm Chi-Ha. (And anything bigger.)
+
* Poor damage of 20 mm shells means that it can be difficult effectively destroy spacious tanks like the [[LVT(A)(1)]]
* The wheeled suspension makes controlling the vehicle in turns very hard as it has a tendency to drift.
+
* Tall wire mesh fencing on the turret sides can give it away if attempting to hide or play stealthily while providing no armour benefits
* It has a wire mesh 'skirt' above either side of the turret which gives away its position in Realistic. You need to hide all of it to be stealthy and there aren't many places other than buildings which are tall enough to do so. The wire mesh doesn't count as armour either.
+
* The wheeled suspension makes controlling the vehicle in turns very hard as it has a tendency to drift
* It is a wheeled vehicle so, while being race car-like on hard surfaces, mud, water, snow and sand really slow it down. (To around 20-30km/h)
+
* It is a wheeled vehicle so, while being racecar-like on hard surfaces, mud, water, snow and sand really slow it down (to around 20-30 km/h)
* It is open topped so artillery is deadly and aircraft ramming the vehicle can knock it out.
+
* It is open-topped so artillery is deadly and aircraft ramming the vehicle can knock it out
* Turret traverse speed is average, this, coupled with its tendency to drift in turns makes taking out a target after turning quite the chore.
+
* Turret traverse speed is average, this, coupled with its tendency to drift in turns makes taking out a target after turning quite the chore
* Unlike the Sdkfz.234/2, the Sdkfz.234/1 does not have access to smoke grenades.
+
* Unlike the [[Sd.Kfz.234/2]], the {{PAGENAME}} does not have access to smoke grenades, thus cannot safely retreat from danger
* While basically having the exact same cannon as the Flakpanzer I, 38 and Wirbelwind, unlike them, ammunition dentonations are very frequent.
+
* Ammunition detonations are very frequent
 
 
*
 
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
Line 193: Line 210:
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 +
 
 +
;Skins
 +
 
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=light_tank&vehicle=germ_sdkfz_234_1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 
 +
;Videos
 +
{{Youtube-gallery|RGeu2yLGeTU|'''Best armored cars''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:03 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}
  
 
== 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;''
 +
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
 +
 
 +
;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
 +
* [[Sd.Kfz.234/2]], equipped with a turreted [[KwK 39 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK 39]] gun.
 +
* [[Sd.Kfz.234/3]], tank destroyer version of the Sd.Kfz.234, with a [[K51 L/24 (75 mm)|75 mm K51]] howitzer.
 +
* [[Sd.Kfz.234/4]], tank destroyer version equipped with the longer [[PaK 40/3 (75 mm)|75 mm PaK 40/3]] gun.
  
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
+
;Vehicles equipped with the same gun
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
+
* [[Pz.II F]]
 +
* [[Sd.Kfz. 140/1]]
  
 
== 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;''
 
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
  
 
{{Germany light tanks}}
 
{{Germany light tanks}}
 
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}
 
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}
 +
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]

Revision as of 14:55, 13 April 2021

This page is about the German light tank Sd.Kfz.234/1. For other versions, see Sd.Kfz.234 (Family).
Sd.Kfz.234/1
germ_sdkfz_234_1.png
GarageImage Sd.Kfz.234-1.jpg
Sd.Kfz.234/1
AB RB SB
2.0 2.0 2.0
Show in game
MARKET

Description

The s.Pz.Sp.Wg. (2 cm KwK 30 L/55) Sd.Kfz. 234/1 is a premium gift rank I German light tank with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update 1.97 "Viking Fury" as a reward for the "Space Race" event.

The Sd.Kfz.234/1 combines the familiar chassis of the Sd.Kfz.234/2, but with the turret of the Sd.Kfz. 140/1. While not as heavily armoured as the latter, the mobility presented by the former's chassis gives the Sd.Kfz.234/1 excellent map maneuverability to utilise the 20 mm autocannon against unsuspecting opponents.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull30 / 8 / 10
Turret30 / 8 / 8
Crew4 people
Visibility84 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Vision ports)
  • Structural steel (Side skirts)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 30 mm (40°) Front plate
15 mm (70°), 30 mm (55°) Front glacis
30 mm (35°) Lower glacis
8 mm (34-35°) Top
8 (19-35°) + 4 mm
10 mm (21-46°) 5 mm
Turret 30 mm (33-37°) Turret front
8 mm (0-8°) Gun shield
8 mm (26-27°) 8 mm (34-37°) N/A

Notes:

  • Wheels provide 10 mm thick protection.
  • Vision ports on car body are 10 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.

Mobility

Reverse gearbox
Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed
Speedforward / back
AB100 / 100 km/h
RB and SB90 / 90 km/h
Number of gears7 forward
7 back
Weight11.5 t
Engine power
AB401 hp
RB and SB210 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB34.9 hp/t
RB and SB18.3 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 100 100 11.5 325 401 28.26 34.87
Realistic 90 90 186 210 16.17 18.26

The Sd.Kfz.234/1 has the same manoeuvrability as the rest of its Puma brethren. It has a maximum speed of 100 km/h, both forward and reverse in Arcade and 90 km/h forward and reverse in Realistic.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB438 Sl icon.png
RB300 Sl icon.png
SB299 Sl icon.png
Crew training450 Sl icon.png
Experts3 000 Sl icon.png
Aces45 Ge icon.png
Research Aces220 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 20 / 20 / 20 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 100 / 100 / 100 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new wheels.png
Tires
Mods new car suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement ger.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Mods tank ammo.png
20mm_kwk_30_HE_ammo_pack
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods tank ammo.png
20mm_kwk_30_AP_ammo_pack
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Mods tank ammo.png
20mm_kwk_30_APCR_ammo_pack

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition250 rounds
Belt capacity10 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
7.8 → 6.0 s
Fire rate450 shots/min
Vertical guidance-4° / 70°
Main article: KwK38 (20 mm)
20 mm KwK38 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 250 (10) 450 -4°/+70° ±180° N/A 14.3 19.8 24.0 26.5 28.2 7.80 6.90 6.36 6.00
Realistic 8.9 10.5 12.8 14.1 15.0

Ammunition

  • Default: API-T · HEFI-T*
  • Sprgr.: HEFI-T*
  • PzGr: API-T
  • PzGr 40: HVAP-T
Penetration statistics
Belt Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Default 36 34 26 19 14 10
Sprgr. 2 2 2 2 2 2
PzGr 36 34 26 19 14 10
PzGr 40 64 63 26 8 3 1
Belt details
Belt Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
Mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Sprgr. HEFI-T* 900 0.12 0 0.1 10.2 79° 80° 81°
PzGr API-T 780 0.15 N/A N/A N/A 47° 60° 65°
PzGr 40 HVAP-T 1,050 0.1 N/A N/A N/A 66° 70° 72°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Sd.Kfz.234/1
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
25 17 (+8) (+16) (+24) No

Notes:

  • Ammunition is modelled as 25 clips of 10 shells
  • Racks disappear after you've fired all clips in the rack

Machine guns

Ammunition1 800 rounds
Belt capacity150 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate1 200 shots/min
Main article: MG42 (7.92 mm)
7.92 mm MG42
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 1,800 (150) 1,200 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

Even though the armour of the Sd.Kfz.234/1 is lacking, it can still bounce a hit or two from low calibre guns from the front if lucky and when played to its advantages it can become a vital part of achieving victory over the other team. This armoured car has two main things going for it: excellent mobility (with max speeds of 90 km/h RB, 100 km/h AB) and a very effective, fast-firing autocannon with Pzgr 40 rounds that have exceptional armour penetration, where it can decimate enemies at both close and medium ranges.

With these advantages in mind, there are several playstyles for this vehicle. The first of these is to play a harasser role. Using the excellent mobility, the Sd.Kfz.234/1 can get to the best positions on the map early and lie in ambush for enemy vehicles. Once you have struck and eliminated an enemy, use the vehicle's mobility to get yourself to a new position and repeat the process.

A second option is to play it so as to get to cap zones before the other teams do, and afterwards use your vehicle as a support tank along with your teammates' tanks taking up a position behind them.

The third option, if playing in a squad (two or more) you can also use this vehicle for flanking operations.

Notable opponents:

  • KV-1's - Very well armoured for its BR and can be very dangerous (avoid if possible)
  • T-70 / T-80 - Strong frontal armour that will be hard to penetrate (but thinner side and rear armour), if you find yourself fighting one of these try to flank its position and catch it off guard.
  • USA - Most tanks of this tier can be penetrated easily by your autocannon, but be careful as some of these tanks especially BR 3.0 and up will carry .50 cal machine guns which can penetrate your armour so be careful when engaging them. Other nations tanks are relatively similar in their potency, so the same rules should be applied when engaging them.

To conclude, this armoured car is very useful when used in a harasser role, and in the other roles stated above. To make it even more useful, check the specs of other tanks & vehicles of the same BR to get a better idea on what vehicles you can pen and what you can't.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • HVAP belts has a full composition of HVAP, able to penetrate most light tanks (eg. T-26, M3A1, BT-5, A13) and side armour of heavier targets (eg. B1) easily
  • Relatively fast reload at around 7 seconds
  • The KwK38 is coupled with an MG42 with a blistering fire rate which allows quite effective suppressive fire capability on light-skinned vehicles
  • The 20 mm cannon can shoot down aircraft due to a very high elevation angle which means it can, in a pinch, act as a pseudo-SPAA
  • The quick speed (100 km/h in AB, 90 km/h in RB) allows the Sd.Kfz.234/1 to be one of, if not the first vehicle, to both, make contact with the enemy team and capture zones
  • Very fast acceleration both forward and reverse, getting out of a sticky situation is very easily if your driver is alive
  • It can average around 40 km/h off-road, which is quite fast for a wheeled vehicle
  • The front hull and turret have 30 mm of armour which is sloped to increase the thickness
  • The thin armour on the sides and rear mean that most solid shot rounds will go right through without causing much damage, which is useful against tanks with only solid shells, like all the M3/M5 Stuarts.

Cons:

  • The 20 mm cannon's belt consists of only 10 rounds and it gets exhausted very quickly, so reloads are very frequent
  • Weak armour from the sides and rear can be penetrated by lighter weapons like autocannons and machine guns (eg. M13 MGMC, GAZ-AAA (DShK))
  • Can be hull broken by HEAT-shooting tanks like the M8 Scott
  • Poor damage of 20 mm shells means that it can be difficult effectively destroy spacious tanks like the LVT(A)(1)
  • Tall wire mesh fencing on the turret sides can give it away if attempting to hide or play stealthily while providing no armour benefits
  • The wheeled suspension makes controlling the vehicle in turns very hard as it has a tendency to drift
  • It is a wheeled vehicle so, while being racecar-like on hard surfaces, mud, water, snow and sand really slow it down (to around 20-30 km/h)
  • It is open-topped so artillery is deadly and aircraft ramming the vehicle can knock it out
  • Turret traverse speed is average, this, coupled with its tendency to drift in turns makes taking out a target after turning quite the chore
  • Unlike the Sd.Kfz.234/2, the Sd.Kfz.234/1 does not have access to smoke grenades, thus cannot safely retreat from danger
  • Ammunition detonations are very frequent

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

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
Vehicles equipped with the same gun

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • 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

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)
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