Sd.Kfz. 252 LGM

[Taskforce]

According to this website this ammo carrier was equipped with a MG34 machine gun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sdkfz_252

"Miscellaneous facts
-Used the FuG15 or the FuG16 radio system
-Transmission had 7 forward and 3 in reverse
-Was armed with a 7.92 MG34
-Six-cylinder, water-cooled, 3000 RPM, engine"

However, I don't see any MG34 machine gun in any of the pictures.

If it had a MG34 machine gun, was it a CMG or a AAMG?

Cheers, Taskforce

[DRG]

I've never seen a photo of one with the MG mounted either so *perhaps* it was a standard infantry mg34 with bipod for the crews personal defence.

Lot's of photos HERE

None show an MG


Don

[void1984]

Even the wikipedia's model has non vehicle-mounted one.

[Taskforce]

I keep looking at pictures of this ammo carrier and try to figure out where this machine gun would have been positioned. Also the space inside, since it was mainly carrying ammo for the 7,5 cm KwK 40/L48 gun, seems to be too cramped to also fit a MG34 infantry light machine gun.

It is possible to maybe create an optional Sd.Kfz. 252 LGM with a MG34 light machine gun, but I don't think it ever carried one.

But those are just my thoughts.

Cheers, Taskforce

[Imp]

Its Wikipedia which is just about the most unreliable source on the net so you can assume its wrong. You can correct it if you like though anyone can come along & change it to something different if they want to.

[Pibwl]

Originally Posted by Imp

Its Wikipedia which is just about the most unreliable source on the net so you can assume its wrong.

This "most unreliable source" tells the same, as Jentz/Doyle in Encyclopedia Of German Tanks Of WWII (which is however very general source, and in some places made obsolete by newer research). Naturally, Wikipedia is sometimes wrong, but on the other hand, wrong info might be corrected there (contrary to once printed sources). It's only as good, as sources, upon which peculiar info is based. Unfortunately, I have no access to Panzer Tracts with SdKfz 252.

I assume, that the MG was carried inside, and could have been mounted on some external pivot; which was not practised, as photos show.

Michal

[cbo]

According to Spielbergers book on the StuG, it was part of the requirement for the SdKfz 252 that it carried one MG that could be mounted on an AA-mount.

That could be the origin for the assumption, that the vehicle had an MG.

I've seen one photo showing something which could be a mount for an MG on the front right corner of the top of the superstructure, but whether it is actually the case, I can't say.

If you could find a copy of an original German TOE for an early StuG battalion, you could probably see whether is had and MG.

The SdKfz 253 battery commander and observation vehicle does not seem to have had an MG at any point in its development, but there is a photo of the battery commander vehicle of 1/197 which sports an MG 08/15 mounted on the roof and a photo of an bservation SdKfz 253 from the same unit with an MG 34 mounted on the roof on what appears to be an arm allowing for AA-fire.