The Sd.Kfz.251 half-track armored personnel carrier was the primary armored transport vehicle of the German Wehrmacht. It was developed by the company Hanomag in 1938, based on the artillery tractor Sd.Kfz.11, with serial production starting in the summer of the following year. The Sd.Kfz.251 armored personnel carriers were produced in four main variants—Ausf.A, B, C, and D—and there were 23 different versions for various army needs, differentiated by their armament and equipment. The 251/1 variant was the standard transport vehicle for the German motorized infantry, capable of carrying one squad of soldiers. These combat vehicles were in service with the German Army throughout World War II and were used on all theaters of combat, with a total of 15,252 units produced in various series and modifications. Among other armored personnel carriers produced during World War II, they were second only to the American M3 in terms of quantity.
The Sd.Kfz.251 Ausf.B was the second variant in the line of these armored personnel carriers, with production beginning in the second half of 1939. Several changes were made to the vehicle’s design, mostly related to technological improvements, with the primary modification being the removal of observation slits on the side walls. Production of the Sd.Kfz.251 Ausf.B continued until the end of 1940. Notable operations in which they participated include the occupation of the Balkans, Operation Barbarossa, and combat operations in North Africa.
