The first mention of a proposal to mount a 7.5 cm long cannon on a medium armored personnel carrier platform Sd.Kfz.251 was found in the minutes of the Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen at a meeting with Adolf Hitler on 28.10.1944. It was a mount of a modified tank cannon 7.5 cm Kw.K. L/48 from the tank Pz.Kpfw.IV. It was a proposal mittlere Schützenpanzerwagen (7,5cm) (Sd.Kfz.251/22) (AK 7 B 84). Independently of this design, a design of a standard anti-tank cannon 7.5 cm PaK 40 L/46 on the same platform was created Sd.Kfz .251. The cannon was to be mounted in a converted superstructure without significant modifications Sd.Kfz.251/9. In fact, the original construction was preserved, the carriage was mounted without a chassis, the only significant change was the cutting of part of the cannon shield. Due to the measurement, the lower corners of the shield had to be adjusted so that the shield did not interfere with the sides of the superstructure of the armored personnel carrier. Adolf Hitler enthusiastically accepted this idea at the Speer Conference on November 27, 1944, and decided that the produced support vehicles for armored grenadiers armed with a 7.5 cm cannon (Sd.Kfz.251/9) will be converted and produced in this form with a cannon from 11/1944 7.5 cm PaK 40 L/46. Adolf Hitler ordered, independently of the new production, 72 conversion kits for the modification of existing vehicles Sd.Kfz.251/9 . In field repair shops, the original 7.5 cm L/24 cannons were to be replaced by new 7.5 cm PaK 40 L/46. At a demonstration of new weapons Adolf Hitler described this conversion as one of the best technical solutions to the war. This version appeared in the data list of the Waffenamt of 15.11.1944. The production of the new vehicles was provided by Wumag from Görlitz. Production took place from 12/1944 to 2/1945. The numbers of vehicles produced are given in the table. The number of produced Sd.Kfz.251/22 in 2/1945 is unknown. The total number of produced Sd.Kfz.251 is known, but the number of produced vehicles of individual versions is not known. Due to the fact that Görlitz was threatened in 3/1945 by the advancing Soviet army, production at the Wumag factory was terminated.
Production Sd.Kfz.251/22:
Date
Number of produced pieces
Wa J Rue downloads
12/1944
40
40
1/1945
41
2
2/1945
?
53
Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen at a meeting with Adolf Hitler on December 4, 1944 reported the status of ongoing reconstructions Sd.Kfz.251/9 to standard Sd.Kfz.251/22. Of the 72 sets ordered, six were sent to the Ersatz-Brigade-Grossdeutschland (conversions were intended for the Führer-Grenadier-Brigade). 32 sets were found ready at the Ardelt factory in Eberswalde for transport to Bergisch-Gladbach. They were to be delivered on December 4, 1944. The remaining 34 sets were to be completed according to plans as of December 7, 1944.
13.1.1945 Panzer-Korps Grossdeutschland ordered the reconstruction of all available Sd.Kfz.251/9. 2.2.1945 requested 12.Panzer-Division delivery of installation sets for the reconstruction of six Sd.Kfz.251/9 . 17.Panzer-Division as of 17.2.1945 had in its state Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 27 a total of twelve vehicles Sd.Kfz.251/22. Panzer-Division-Schlesien had as of 25.2.1945 in the state of six vehicles Sd.Kfz.251/22. Panzer-Division-Jüterbog 26.2.1945 in the state of six vehicles Sd.Kfz.251/22. Panzer-Lehr-Division reported that the unit had arrived by train with six vehicles Sd.kfz.251/22 (Fgst.Nr.545037, 54146, 815244, 815246 and 815256 and a vehicle with the army registration number WH-1810168). Feldherrnhalle reported in 4/1945 delivery of eight vehicles. Führer-Grenadier-Brigade reported in 4/1945 delivery of two vehicles. There is a photographically documented vehicle belonging to 11th Panzer Division (Army Registration Number WH-1810156).
In the list prepared by Martin Block, which deals with the search for information on the status of individual combat vehicles, there are other units that had or are presumed to have the original Sd.Kfz.251/22 or converted Sd.kfz.251/9 to the standard Sd.Kfz.251/22. A link to his work is attached in the resources.
According to the new simplified (re) organization Panzer Division 45 introduced in 3/1945, Sd.Kfz.251/22 were to be classified in individual units in the following numbers: Six vehicles were to be in the state schwere Kanone Zug in Panzer-Grenadier-Batallion (K.St.N.1125a k 1.4.1945) . Nine vehicles were to be in the state Panzer-Jäger-Kompanie (SPW) (fG) (K.St.N.1142 to 1.4.1945). Three vehicles were to be in the state gem.Panzerspäh-Kompanie (f.G.)[/I:aaaaaa] (K.St.N.1162f k 1.4.1945).
Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary L. Doyle - Panzer Tracts No.15-3, Middle Schützenpanzerwagen (Sd.Kfz.251) Ausf.C & D, year of publication 2006, ISBN: 0-9771643-5- 7 Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary L. Doyle - Panzer Tracts No.20-2 Paper panzers (Aufkaerungs-, Beobachtuns-, and Flak-Panzers, year of publication 2002, ISBN: 0-9708407-7-2 www.tapatalk.com
