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

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Originally intended as command vehicles for motorcycle-equipped Schnelltruppen and other motorized infantry, the first production run of Sd.Kfz. 247 were built on six-wheeled Krupp Protze chassis. Early field tests revealed limited off-road mobility, however, and production was suspended after completion of a mere 10 units in 1937. With German military expansion during 1941 in preparation for Russian offensives, the Wehrmacht turned instead to Daimler-Benz for a replacement vehicle. Their design for the 247 Ausf. B substituted rugged and highly-regarded 4x4 Horch 108 chassis, seen as a marked improvement. It was produced until 1943, with only 58 total examples produced over two years. The vehicle is open-topped and unarmed, although crews often "appropriate" an MG, fitted to a makeshift pintle-mount at the front of the vehicle, for point defense. On finished roads, it can do 50mph, and has a 250-mile range. In an odd choice for a command car, the 247-b does not come equipped with a radio set from the factory. However, some were retrofitted with them in the field as they were not particularly effective without them. As war progressed, the concept of Schnelltruppen fell out of favor, replaced by Panzergrenadiers. Correspondingly, the Sd.Kfz. 250 half-track increasingly became the command vehicle of choice for mobile infantry formations. Surviving 247-b vehicles are 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.