Büssing's schwere Pz.Spähwagen, Part 1: Sd.Kfz. 231 & 232 Nuts & Bolts Volume 35

In everyday language, 'tanks' (or 'Panzer' in German) typically refers to armored, tracked combat vehicles. However, reconnaissance units in the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht employed armored wheeled vehicles, also known as 'Panzerwagen' (armored cars). These vehicles offered advantages like higher speed, reduced noise, and greater range on the well-paved roads of mid- and Western Europe, while still providing adequate armor protection and weaponry. During the early 1930s' rearmament of the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht, when funds were scarce, armored cars could be produced more cost-effectively than tracked vehicles. Initial experiments with 4-wheeled (Kfz.13 & 14) and 6-wheeled (Kfz.67 & 67a) armored cars revealed their poor cross-country performance, leading to the development of 8-wheeled armored cars using the specially designed GS chassis by Bssing-NAG, designated as Sd.Kfz. 231, 232 (initially Sd.Kfz. 233, 234), and 263. Later in the war, a fourth variant, the Sd.Kfz 233 (7,5 cm KwK), was introduced, and a small number of ballistic measuring vehicles were produced. Due to the vast amount of available material, we decided to split this vehicle family into two volumes. This first volume focuses on the Sd.Kfz. 231 and 232 (initially known as Sd.Kfz. 233 and 234).