Sd.Kfz. 251/3 is a German Transport unit. It is exclusively used to transport leader units, but does not differ in any way from normal Sd.Kfz. 251/1 halftracks. Command vehicles tend to possess more veterancy as leader units usually are veteran or elite troops themselves.
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 251/3 was the mittlere Kommandopanzerwagen (medium command armored vehicle), fitted with additional radios and masts to allow an officer to stay in touch with subordinated units. It mounted the standard MG-34 for self-defense.
Strategy[ | ]
Sd.Kfz. 251/3 halftracks are used as one would use a regular Sd.Kfz. 251/1 halftrack. Mostly employed as fire support or as a baiting unit to probe enemy defences, they are slightly more useful since they normally have some degree of veterancy, allowing them to inflict more damage than unexperienced vehicles.
