Sd.Kfz.234/3

Sd.Kfz.234/3

Sd.Kfz.234/3

Germany

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.0	2.0	2.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Tank destroyer

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Description

The s.Pz.Sp.Wg. (7,5 cm) Sd.Kfz.234/3 is a premium rank I German tank destroyer with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update 1.79 "Project X" in the "Good Old S.U.M.M.E.R" event of 2018.

General info

Survivability and armour

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	10 mm	5 mm
Turret	14.5 mm (34°)	14.5 mm	10 mm	0 mm

When dealing with the Sd.Kfz.234/3, the best way to deal with this tank is to catch it out of position and/or from behind. Because of its low armour values, it can be easily destroyed with 12.7 mm MG fire or HE shells to the open roof. Most AP and APHE shots will simply over-penetrate the vehicle's front armour and will not do much to the crew compartment unless aimed at specific crew locations or it hull-breaks the Sd.Kfz.234/3. As such, explosive ammunition or machine gun fire are the more preferred methods of elimination.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons)	Add-on Armor weight (tons)	Max speed (km/h)
11.5	N/A	98 (AB)
		90 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	298	367
Realistic/Simulator	186	210
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	25.91	31.91
Realistic/Simulator	16.17	18.26

Armaments

Main armament

The "Stumpwagen" is armed with the KwK 37 and features four useful ammunition types. 52 mm penetration APCBC, 80 mm penetration HEAT, 100 mm penetration HEAT, and smoke. The sighting optics has a great zoom capability and the cannon has a very fast fire rate.

Usage in battles

This armoured car is as much fun to play as the Sd.Kfz.234/4. The short 75 mm gun and the 234 chassis work amazingly well within its battle rating. The best way to play this Rank I Goliath is to use your speed and to try to get the side and rear shots on the enemy but since you have HEAT at your disposal, you are almost guaranteed to obliterate anything frontally at your battle rating and vice versa. The 234/3 has the same weaknesses as the 234/2 which means it can be and will be torn up by 12.7 mm machine gun fire, assume the position has been spotted after firing and move out via reverse. Engaging in a head-on is unadvised but you can come out kicking should you find yourself against any higher tanks as you should be able to reload fast enough, though this is not a go-to option.

The 75 mm gun is the same as early Panzer IV and can destroy any other vehicles at and above its battle rating with one hit, meanwhile, the 234/3 has a great speed of 50-60 km/h forwards and backwards to relocate. Because of this, it is possible (though not necessarily needed) to use the 75 mm and return fire while making haste. Terrain foliage such as bushes are great assets for concealment, shadows as well so use them and stay hidden.

Like it's older brother, it is recommended to follow the exact same tactics, those being:

1. Get behind great cover, either hardcover or visual cover (so rocks and or bushes are great)
2. Use your cover for great visibility (for you to view the enemy)
3. The ability to get deadly hits into the enemies

In its Battle Rating of 1.7, the 234/3 will face anything and everything between 1.0 and 2.7, It can and will be destroyed by anything and everything here. But keep in mind that tanks can use Artillery and Air-Spawns to take you down if they can't directly see you, so get under a roof and/or likewise cover where they can't see you nor hit you.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Adequate ammo supply for prolonged combat
• Can move forward and backwards with equal speed
• Eight-wheel drive gives it good surface traction and handling, much better manoeuvrability
• Shorter Gun than Sd.Kfz.234/2, making it harder to identify behind bushes
• HEAT Shells are available for usage
• Premium bonus

Cons:

• Very weak armour, can be penetrated by aircraft weapons and heavy machine guns
• Open-topped, making it very vulnerable to attacks from the air or artillery
• Can be disabled by aircraft simply by ramming it
• Limited gun traverse
• Crew compartment is littered with ammo
• Vehicle will be immobilized if one driver is knocked out despite having two drivers in its layout, due to game mechanic limitations of having only one driver at a time
• Less penetration than the 234/2

History

The blitzkrieg tactics in Poland and France gave the Germans a new appreciation of mobile and lethal reconnaissance vehicles. The Germans especially valued the armoured cars due to their speed, firepower, and their pre-war build-up as they were not restricted by the Versailles Treaty. The Germans started with armoured cars like the Sd.Kfz.231 family, each with different armaments. However, these vehicles had its flaws and in August 1940, Germany sought a replacement following the conclusion of the Battle of France.

The new vehicle was built off an improved Sd.Kfz.232 chassis made in monocoque construction by Büssing-NAG, its armoured body was made by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke, the turret by Daimler-Benz and Schichau, and air-cooled diesel engines by Ringhoffer-Tatra-Werke AG. The monocoque chassis design was built with an eight-wheel steering system, six forward and reverse gears, as well as having an additional driver seat in the rear for quick reversal get-aways. This construction led to Sd.Kfz.234 family. Vehicle construction first started in 1943 as the Sd.Kfz.234/2, which had a turret originally intended for the VK 1602 Leopard mounting a 5 cm L/60 gun, construction continued on this vehicle until mid-1944. The Sd.Kfz.234/2 earned the nickname "Puma" from the soldiers using it.

Production for Sd.Kfz.234/2 shifted towards other armaments in 1944 that replaced the original. This produced variants such as the Sd.Kfz. 234/1 which replaced the turret with an open-top one carrying a 2 cm KwK 38, this was produced between mid-1944 to early 1945. Right beside that, the Sd.Kfz.234/3 was produced with an open-top structure to mount a 75 mm howitzer, this was produced from mid-1944 until the end of 1944. At the Sd.Kfz.234/3's production end, it was replaced by the Sd.Kfz.234/4, also known as the "Pakwagen", that had the armament replaced by a 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. This last variant was produced from the end of 1944 to the capitulation of Germany in World War II. A total of 478 Sd.Kfz.234 armoured cars were produced, 200 of the 234/1, 101 of the 234/2, 88 of the 234/3, and 89 of the 234/4.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• Sd.Kfz.234/2 - Standard version of the chassis, with a turreted 50 mm KwK 39 gun.
• Sd.Kfz.234/4 - Alternative tank destroyer version with the longer 75 mm PaK 40/3 gun.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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