Sd.Kfz. 251/1 is a German Transport unit. It is a primary transport halftrack widely used by four German divisions: the 12. SS, the 116. Panzer, the Panzer-Lehr and 1. SS. Other divisions mostly make use of Kübels alongside the ubiquitous Opel Blitz truck while the 21. Panzer also relies on the u304(f) halftrack.
The most widely produced German half-track, Sd. Kfz. 251 was introduced in 1939 and remained in production throughout the war, with at least 15,252 units produced. The popular Hanomag, as it was called by both Allied and Axis soldiers, was distinguished by its heavily angled armored hull and a very large track area with no return rollers, providing good traction and performance. The use of Schachtellaufwerk, overlapping and interleaved road wheels, contributed to it, at the cost of increased maintenance and severe vulnerability to Soviet winters and mud seasons, where they could be frozen solid.
Model 251/1 was the standard personnel carrier, intended to transport an entire panzergrenadier squad (10 men) and provide fire support with its two machine guns (MG-34 or MG-42 7.92mm models).
Strategy[ | ]
In general, the Sd.Kfz. 251/1 should be used as infantry support, laying down suppressing fire for advancing units or stopping an advance. It can also be used to re-embark artillery or transport units if needed. Its combat capacities are largely similar to Allied transports, though it outclasses the common British Univ. Carrier.
The 12.SS employs the Sd.Kfz. 251/1 (and the Sd.Kfz. 251/3 for leader units) for most infantry units. The vehicle itself costs 20 points, which drives up the price of infantry units significantly. The player can therefore also opt to utilise the cost-free but one-use Opel blitz trucks for phase A and phase B Pz.grenadier & pionier troops.
The 116. Panzer player relies exclusively on Sd.Kfz. 251/1s (and similar variants) to transport its infantry units in phase A. Phase B largely follows this trend, though cards with 6 x Pz.grenadier are available that can be transported cheaply (35 points total) with the Opel Blitz instead of the halftrack (one card: 4 x Pz.grenadier - 55 points total). s.MG 42 units and sturmpioniers are transported by halftracks. A special phase B variant is available to the Pionier Führer, the Sd.Kfz. 251/7, and is armed with a 8 AP cannon.
Panzer-Lehr, being the most lavishly equipped German division, almost exclusively uses Sd.Kzf. 251/1s (and similar variants) to transport its small core of veteran mechanised infantry units into battle. They can also call on a few Sd.Kfz. 251/9 halftracks, armed with a general-purpose cannon, to transport their pionier Führer units (phase C).
