"1/144th or 1/150th SdKfz 251/17?" Topic

I'd like to purchase some SdKfz 251D/17s, with the single-barreled 20mm flak gun for a late-war platoon/company unit, and apparently there are several variants – one with the standard 251D hull, and one with the widened, sloped sides that can be left up when moving, and dropped down for firing.

Looks like there was one per platoon, and one in the HQ unit, supplanting the 251D/10s that had the 37mm cannon, from earlier TO&Es.

The "standard hulled" model has a couple of variants too, e.g. one with a narrow, sloped, all-round turret (the one I'd really prefer), and one with the metal shield just to the front of the gun. I suppose you could also add a third variant for this, for one without any gun shield at all.

See here for images of the various vehicles:

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Does anyone make these, in metal preferably in 1/144th scale, though 1/150th scale would be acceptable too?

I'd prefer to have most with their guns leveled, and ideally with a crew member or two at it, as if firing.

I'd also like some with the guns firing upward, as if at aircraft overhead too.

I see Pendraken makes one, but it only has the armored cab, and apparently no side panels at all, based upon the photo on their website.

I suppose I could adapt a SdKfz 10/4 with the 1 x 20mm cannon to this, if needed, but it would be nice to just buy complete units if possible.

There used to be resin garage kits available from Japan like this one and can be had on eBay every once in a while.
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You can get this one on Shapeways, it's the only one that I could find.
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Arrowhead makes a nice 2cm flak that you could use but that style wasn't used on the 251/D so you would need an earlier model and have to fabricate the fold down sides. Maybe modify their /C version? Upper right in this picture for the flak gun.

The 251/17 supposed to be used for various subunit HQs was supposed to be able to carry 8 men as well as the gun. My understanding is the fold down side version was specialist kit for the Luftwaffe, though it's a long time since I looked at PzGren kit. There's an Oct 1944 document outlining the various AFVs and halftracks found in recce units, and that describes the 251/17 with a 2-cm KwK in a Schwebelafette.

Gary

If you plan to do a modification here is something to use as a guide.

If you plan to do a modification here is something to use as a guide.

That's the Luftwaffe version.

Decent summary of /17 types here:
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If you really want to go down the 251/17 rabbit hole, you'll find quite a few threads on the Axis History Forum…

Another good resource… Have a look here for some excellent 3D renders of SdKfz 251/17 Ausf D (click the tiny symbols at the bottom for exploded views and full details of interiors):

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I like those interior images. I always struggled with visualising the layout of the 251/17, as when you search for images you pretty much get the Luftwaffe model, which was just a Flak track. In PzGren usage it was still intended to be a personnel carrier, for a Platoon HQ, or an MG Group (two teams each with an HMG), or briefly for four PzSchreck teams. Obviously no way you can squeeze all that in to a vehicle which is largely turned over to 2-cm Flak mounting.

So in those views the 'turret' is pretty much just a gun shield that goes around the back of the gunner to afford some protection from small arms fire?

Gary

If you plan to do a modification here is something to use as a guide.

Only 12 Sd Kfz 251/17C were built all went to the 1st Fallschirm-Panzer Division Hermann Göring .

Yes, for the flak versions.

However, I wonder how many of the platoon leader and HQ vehicles were produced, officially, and/or unofficially (ersatz versions) made in the field, with either only the frontal shield attached, the wraparound shield, and/or no shield at all?

The latter seem to have replaced the SdKfz 251/10 variants with their 37mm guns.

From memory (always subject to error I know), while deliveries of 250 and 251 halftracks to units were recorded, they did not differentiate between subtypes until circa September 1944. There was an exception in the 251/16 flamethrower version which for some reason got a namecheck.

I can't recall if this was because outfitting to special uses was handled by receiving units/formations and done in the field. There was a researcher, Martin Block, who had posted much on the subject on various forums over the years, I don't know if he had a website or not.

Axis History Forum does indeed have quite a lot on the subject, and I think there are a fair few contemporary pictures included in some threads.

Gary

A couple of threads from Axis History Forum with a bit more detail on the 251 fitted with 2-cm Flak.

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That limited use version with the fold down sides always seemed to draw the camera.

Gary

Thank you, Gary.