Germany's Kleine Panzerbefehlswagen, SdKfz 265

Photos

Panzerbefehlswagen I, SdKfz 265:

Panzerbefehlswagen I with the 11 Panzer Division in June 1941

PzKpfw Is, and Panzerbefehlswagen I

Panzerbefehlswagen I: Aberdeen Tank Museum

Design

The Germans needed command and control vehicles to work with their tanks and keep the commanders up front with the panzers.² The commanders would need additional radios and places for maps.²

The Panzerbefehlswagen I was a command vehicle that was a box structure on a PzKpfw I chassis.^2,5,7 An early variant had a small turret in the top of the superstructure but was soon discontinued due to it taking up space.²

Radios

The radios had a range of 6 miles for voice and 8 miles for Morse code.

Main Armament

For close support there was a machine gun installed.⁵

The MG used a KgZF2 gun sight.⁴

Prototype

Production

• Panzerbefehlswagen I: 184¹
  • Production: 1935 - 1937¹, 1936³
  • Manufacturers: Daimler-Benz¹; Maschinenfabrk Augsburg - Nurmberg³
• Panzerbefehlswagen I Ausf B: 190 (6 on PzKpfw I Ausf A chassis)⁴
  • Production: 1935 - 1937⁴
  • Manufacturer: Daimler-Benz⁴

Variants

• Panzerbefehlswagen I kl B:
• Panzerbefehlswagen 2 kl B:
• Panzerbefehlswagen 3 kl B:

Usage

These were issued to the headquarters platoons of panzer battalions.⁶

Poland

The Panzerbefehlswagen was first used in Poland.²

France

96 were available for the invasion of France in 1940.

Specifications

	Panzerbefehlswagen I	Kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen I Ausf B
Crew	31,2,3,7 Commander, driver, radio operator2	34
Radio	FuG61,4, FuG21,4
Physical Characteristics
Weight	5.65 tons7, 5.8 tons2,3, 5.9 tons1	5.9 tons4
Length w/gun	14'7, 14' 6"3, 14' 7"2 4.42 m1, 4.445 m2	4.42 m4
Length w/o gun
Height	5' 7.7"2, 6' 5"7, 6' 6"3 1.72 m2, 1.99 m1	1.99 m4
Width	6' 9"3,7, 6' 9.9"2 2.06 m1, 2.08 m2	2 m4
Width over tracks
Ground clearance	11.5"3 0.29 m
Ground contact length	95"3 2.47 m
Ground pressure	0.43 (kg/cm2)
Turret ring diameter
Armament
Main	MG7 7.92 mm MG 131 7.92 mm MG2 7.92 mm MG 343	7.92 mm MG134
OR	7.92 mm MG 341
Secondary
MG
Side arms
Quantity
Main	900 Patr SmK1 9003	900 Patr. Smk.4
Secondary
MG
Side arms
Armor Thickness (mm)	15 + 177	7 - 134 Front: +12 on some models4
Hull Front, Upper	0.6+0.6"@0°3, 14.5+17@23°, 13@23°1
Hull Front, Lower	14.5+17@25°, 13@25°1
Hull Sides, Upper	0.6"@0°3, 14.5@18-23°, 13@23°1
Hull Sides, Lower	13@0°, 13@0°1
Hull Rear	0.6"@0°3, 14.5@30-55°, 13@20°1
Hull Top	7@75°, 8@90°1 & 9@90°1
Hull Bottom	6@90°
Turret Front
Turret Sides
Turret Rear
Turret Top
Engine (Make / Model)	Maybach7 Maybach NL 38TR1,2 Maybach NL38 TRKM3	Maybach NL38TR4
Bore / stroke
Cooling	Water3	Water4
Cylinders	63	64
Capacity
Net HP	1002,3,7	100@3,000 rpm4
Power to weight ratio
Compression ratio
Transmission (Type)	ZF Aphon FG 31 5 forward, 1 reverse1,3	5 forward, 1 reverse4
Steering	Clutch brake3
Starter
Electrical system
Ignition
Fuel (Type)	Gasoline2,3
Octane
Quantity	145 liters	146 liters (in 2 tanks)4
Road consumption	85 liters per 100 km of road
Cross country consumption
Performance
Traverse	360°, hand1
Speed - Road	25 mph2,7, 32 mph3 40 kph1,2	50 kph4
Speed - Cross Country		40 kph4
Range - Road	87 miles3, 95 miles7, 180 miles2 170 km1, 290 km2	180 km4
Range - Cross Country	115 km	130 km4
Turning radius	2.1 m
Elevation limits
Fording depth	2'3 0.58 m
Trench crossing	4' 7"3 1.4 m
Vertical obstacle	1' 2"3 0.36 m
Climbing ability	30° slope3
Suspension (Type)	5 bogie wheels, the rear 4 connected by a girder, semi elliptic springing, front bogie was independent3
Wheels each side	53
Return rollers each side	43
Tracks (Type)	Steel, skeleton, floating dry pin3
Length
Width	11"3 280 mm
Diameter
Number of links	993
Pitch	3 11/16"3
Tire tread	Rubber3
Track centers/tread	65"3 1.67 m