Sd.Kfz. 247 Ausf. B [1:100 Scale]

Originally intended as command vehicles for motorcycle-equipped Schnelltruppen and other motorized infantry, the first production run of Sd.Kfz. 247 were built on the six-wheeled Krupp Protze chassis. Early field tests revealed limited off-road mobility, however, and production was suspended after the completion of a mere 10 units in 1937.

With the expansion of the German military during 1941 in preparation for the Russian offensives, and still unhappy with the lackluster performance of the Krupp-based 247, the Wehrmacht turned instead to Daimler-Benz for a replacement vehicle. Their design for the 247 Ausf. B, which substituted the rugged and highly-regarded 4x4 Horch 108 chassis, was seen as a marked improvement, and was produced until 1943. Even so, only 58 total examples were produced over those two years, and the 247-b was an uncommon sight in the field, at best.

It was open topped and unarmed, although its crews would often 'appropriate' an MG, fit to a makeshift pintle-mount at the front of the vehicle, for point defense. On finished roads, it could do 50mph, and had a 250 mile range.

In an odd choice for a command car, the 247-b did not come equipped with a radio set from the factory. A number were retrofitted with them in the field, however, as they were not particularly effective in a command role without them.

As the war progressed, the concept of Schnelltruppen fell out of favor, replaced by the Panzergrenadiers. Correspondingly, the Sd.Kfz. 250 half-track increasingly became the command vehicle of choice for mobile infantry formations. Surviving 247-b were relegated to forward observation or reconnaissance roles for Panzer divisions on the Eastern front, and possibly Normandy.

This model is scaled to Flames of War standard 1:100. Test printed on an Ender 3 Pro.