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Sdkfz 252 use

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  • Member since
    February 2018
Posted by RichardC on Sunday, August 19, 2018 7:28 PM

I should have said there were three stug ausf Ds sent to Africa.  I knew about the Tunisian ones, but I'm modeling an earlier one. Well, I guess I'll convert a 250/9 kit I have.

Thanks for the indepth reply.

  • Member since
    December 2012
Posted by Ixion on Thursday, August 9, 2018 9:26 PM

This photo of a SdKfz 252 can be found on pages 250-51 of Restayn's The 10th Panzer Division, a color drawing also exists, (I believe it is from a Trojca book), it is identified as belonging to the 7th Pz Reg / 10th Pz Div, in Tunisia, Dec. 1942.

 

As summarized by Ron Klages; 

There were two units that deployed StuG IIIs to North Africa.

The first was Sonderverband 288 with a platoon of three StuG III in its 5th Company[anti-tank]. In addition to the StuG IIIs the platoon also had 1 SdKfz 250/6. The unit was raised on 1 July 1941 at Potsdam and was originally designed to operate in Iraq but instead was directly assigned to Panzerarmee Akfrika where it served as a regular motorized infantry regiment. On 31 October 1942 288 was redesignated as Panzergrenadier-Regiment Afrika and completely reorganized. The StuG IIIs used by 288 were a tropical modified Ausf. C/D.

The second unit to be sent to North Africa equipped with StuG IIIs was the 1st batterie of StuG Brigade 242. StuG Brigade 242 was formed on 1 November 1942 at Jüterbog in the village of Zinna and it was intended to deploy the brigade to North Africa to support Rommel who had been requesting an assault unit to lead his infantry in attack. However at the end of October 1942 the 2nd and 3rd batteries were diverted to the southeast to Hungary and then on to Russia. However the 1st batterie was sent to fight in North Africa. It was attached to the 10. Panzer-Division as the 13. Batterie to Panzer-Artillery-Regiment 90 of the 10. Panzer-Division. It was under the command of Hauptmann Ernst Benz and it was equipped with six StuG III Ausf F/8s. Transported via rail through the Brenner Pass to Naples in Italy where they were then transferred to Siebel ferries for sea transport across to Sicily. Then marching overland to the west of Sicily they arrived at Trapani where they were losaded abord ships for transport to Tunis. During this sea transport from Sicily to North Africa the ships were attacked by allied aircraft and two of the six StuG IIIs anda SdKfz 9 and SdAnh116 trailer were lost to the sea. the battery was officially renamed to StuG Battery 90 on 30 April 1943. They also supported Fallschirm-Brigade Ramcke and then Fallschirm-Regiment Barenthin while fighting to the end in Tunisia. On 11 May 1943 the remnants of the batterie surrendered to the British at Kap Bon Peninsula.

 

 The Sonderverband 288 Stugs would have used the mentioned SdKfz 250/6 for resupply, not a 252.

  • Member since
    February 2018
Sdkfz 252 use
Posted by RichardC on Thursday, August 9, 2018 7:00 PM

I've seen conflicting information regarding the use of this vehicle in North Africa.  They were used to supply ammo to Stugs and only three Stugs went to africa.  Can anyone verify that any 252s went to africa.?

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