Schwerer Panzerspähwagen The term Schwerer Panzerspähwagen ( German : " heavy armored reconnaissance vehicle ) , covers the 6 and 8 wheeled armoured car s Germany used during the Second World War . In the German Army , armoured cars were intended for the traditional cavalry missions of reconnaissance and screening . They scouted ahead and to the flank of advancing mechanized units to assess enemy location , strength and intention . Their primary role was to observe and access , rather than engage in extended fire fights , but they would engage enemy reconnaissance elements and at times attempt to capture enemy patrols . History . The heavy Panzerspähwagen was a large but very fast addition to the German mobile arsenal of the early war years . The original 6 - Rad ( 6 wheeled ) versions were based on a 6x4 truck with armoured body , but by 1937 they were being replaced by the 8 - Rad versions . During the replacement , the Sd . Kfz - ( " Sonderkraftfahrzeug " , or special purpose vehicle ) numbers were carried directly over ; differentiation is made by the addition of 6 - Rad or 8 - Rad ( Ger : " 6 wheel " or " 8 wheel " ) in the vehicle name . These vehicles first saw combat with the campaign against Poland and in the Battle of France . Later they saw use in both the USSR and North Africa . Extreme climatic conditions in both these areas proved too severe for the vehicle . In the USSR , adverse ground conditions immobilized 150 Sd . Kfz 232s during the first wet season of the campaign . The speed of the eight - wheeled cars made them the best scouting vehicles that Rommel had for long range reconnaissance across the wide desert territory . Armour . The Sd . Kfz . 232 had 15 mm of slightly sloped homogeneous steel armor on the front , 8 mm on the sides , and 10 mm on the back , with 6 mm and 5 mm of armour on the top and bottom respectively . This armour was designed to provide protection from small arms fire and HE fragments ; it was ineffective against heavier weapons . After the French campaign , additional spaced frontal armour plate was added to provide better protection . Armor was increased up to 30 mm in the later Sdkfz . 234 series . However , it was not designed to provide protection from anti - tank weapons . Armament . The Sd . Kfz . 232 was armed with a 2 cm KwK 30 L / 55 autocannon . This cannon was based on the 2 cm FlaK 30 anti - aircraft gun , and was capable of firing at a rate of 280 rounds per minute . The 2 cm cannon was not designed to defeat enemy tanks , and experiments were made towards replacing it with a heavier gun which resulted in the Sd Kfz . 234 Puma . The Puma ' s 5 cm gun could penetrate and knock out Allied armoured cars and light tanks , but this was not the vehicle ' s role . The role intended was for the car ' s armour to protect the crew from small arms fire during reconnaissance missions . Using high explosive ammo the 20 mm autocannon was highly effective against infantry and unarmored vehicles . Great success was also achieved by replacing the regular armour - piercing explosive ammunition with an early version of APDS , but this ammunition was in chronically short supply . Powerplant . Production versions of the SdKfz . 232 were fitted with a 155 hp ( 116 kW ) , eight - cylinder Büssing - NAG L8V - G petrol engine , which gave a top speed of 85 km / h ( 53 mph ) and a range of . Crew . A crew of four was typical . The commander and gunner sat in the turret . The SdKfz232 employed an unusual dual driver arrangement , with one driver seated at each end of the vehicle . This allowed the vehicle to be driven in either direction ( forward or backward ) with equal ease . Six wheelers . All 6 - rad versions were produced from 1932 to 1937 . The designation Sd . Kfz stands for " Sonderkraftfahrzeug " ( special purpose vehicle ) . Sd . Kfz . 231 . The first of the German armored cars , the Sd . Kfz . 231 was based on a modified 6x4 truck chassis . The 231 was armed with a 2 cm KwK 30 L / 55 autocannon , and a Maschinengewehr 13 machine gun . It had a second driver in the rear so that the vehicle could be driven either forwards or backwards with relative ease . The 231 was introduced into service in 1932 and began to be replaced in 1937 when the German Army switched production to 8 - wheeled armoured cars instead of 6 - wheeled . Despite being replaced , they were used by " Aufklärungs " ( " reconnaissance " ) units during the Invasion of Poland , the Battle of France , and the invasion of the USSR . They were withdrawn afterwards for use in internal security and training . The crew consisted of a commander , gunner , driver , and a radio operator / rear driver . Sd . Kfz . 232 . The 232 carried a Fu . Ger . 11 SE 100 medium range radio and a Fu . Spr . Ger . " a " short range radio . This model was visually distinctive because of the heavy " bedstead " antenna over the body of the car . At the point where the antenna was connected to the turret a special joint was installed which supported the aerial but still allowed the turret a full 360° traverse . Sd . Kfz . 263 . A radio vehicle " Funkspähwagen " equipped with extra long - range radio equipment and an additional radio operator . To support the additional equipment , the turret was omitted , the superstructure was raised , and only a single ball - mounted machine gun was mounted . Eight wheelers . Sd . Kfz . 231 . Loosely based on the hull of the Sd . Kfz 231 / 6 - Rad vehicle . The hull was modified to swap the main driver & reverse driver / radio operator positions in order to place the engine at the rear and the 3 axle truck chassis replaced with a pair of 2 axle 4 wheel trucks , for an eight - wheeled , all wheel drive , all wheel steering chassis to improve off road capabilities and maneuverability . The turret was also altered to a hexagonal shape for increased internal volume . Armament was unchanged . Sd . Kfz . 232 . The Sd . Kfz . 232 ( 8 - Rad ) was produced from 1938 to 1943 , when it was superseded by the Sd . Kfz . 234 / 2 " Puma " . The 232 were not withdrawn from service ; many of the old vehicles were upgraded with new radio communication equipment , replacing the " bedstead " with more modern and compact wire antennas . These vehicles are often referred to as Sd . Kfz . 232 ( Fu ) ( 8 - Rad ) ( Fu ; " Funkapparat " ; radio , " Rad " ; wheel ) It was armed with a 2 cm KwK 30 L / 55 autocannon that had a muzzle velocity of 899 m / s , the 232 also carried a 7 . 92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 machine gun . Sd . Kfz . 233 . Similar to the 231 / 232 ( 8 - Rad ) but equipped with a short barrelled 7 . 5 cm KwK 37 L / 24 gun in an open fixed superstructure . Due to the short length of the barrel this gun earned the nickname of " Stumpy " . One hundred and nine of these vehicles were built at the Büssing - NAG plant , between December 1942 and October 1943 . A further 10 were converted from 231 / 232 chassis in October 1942 . This variant of the Sd . Kfz . series entered service during 1942 and remained in use throughout the war . They were issued as a platoon of six vehicles in support of reconnaissance battalions . Sd . Kfz . 234 . The Sd . Kfz . 234 series were completely new designs , of a similar size and appearance to the Sd . Kfz . 232 / 3 series which they replaced . They were powered by a Tatra diesel . The most obvious external difference is the single - piece mudguards compared to the two - piece mudguards on the 232 series . Sd . Kfz . 234 / 1 . The Sd . Kfz . 234 / 1 was fitted with a 2 cm KwK 38 L / 55 gun and coaxial 7 . 92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 or MG 42 machine gun in a rotating six - sided open - topped turret . The open top was protected from grenades by a mesh - covered frame . The second version to enter production , built from July 1944 to the end of war . Sd . Kfz . 234 / 2 . This version had a turret adapted from the cancelled VK1602 Leopard , mounting a 5 cm KwK 39 / 1 L / 60 , very similar to the weapon previously used on the later versions of the Panzerkampfwagen III . It weighed nearly 12 tons but was still capable of 85 km / h ( 53 mph ) . It was one of the most heavily armed armored cars available . However , engagement was strictly discouraged due to its thin armor , and also due to its intended role of reconnaissance . The armored car could be driven backwards by the radio operator in an emergency as well . Series production started in December 1943 and ended in July 1944 with production switching to 234 / 1 and 234 / 3 . Many publications use the byname " Puma " for this vehicle but this was neither officially used nor was it a nickname . Sd . Kfz . 234 / 3 . This version , like the Sd . Kfz . 233 , carried the short 7 . 5 cm KwK 37 L / 24 gun , in a raised open superstructure . The gun ' s low velocity made it armour - piercing round ineffective against most Allied tanks , but allowed the high explosive shell casing to be thinner and thus contain more explosive . The HEAT round for this weapon was , however , effective against vehicles . In December 1944 production ended in favor of the 234 / 4 . Sd . Kfz . 234 / 4 . Another variant of the 8 wheeler , but mounting a 7 . 5 cm PaK 40 L / 46 anti - tank gun in an open compartment . This variant was similar to Marder tank destroyer series in that it was a weakly armored , open - topped anti - tank vehicle that could not engage enemy armor head to head , and it was a stop - gap measure . Sd . Kfz . 263 . An eight wheeler with a fixed superstructure and a single 7 . 92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 machine gun . A dedicated radio vehicle with the bedstead frame aerial . This was based on the Sd . Kfz . 232 series .