 Sdkfz 234 Armored Car | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234 with the 50mm cannon | |||
| Army | Wehrmacht | ||
| Role | Medium Scout vehicle | ||
| Unit Cost |
 280 35 4 | ||
| Upkeep per Minute |
−5.376 | ||
| Prereq. | None | ||
| Produced By | Sturm Armory | ||
| Primary armament | 20mm Kwk 38 autocannon | ||
| Secondary armament | 7.92mm Maschinengewehr 42 | ||
| Health |
 310 | ||
| Armor | Light | ||
| Max. Speed | 7 m/s | ||
| |||
The Sdkfz 234 Armored Car, often called the Puma, is a medium Vehicle fielded by the Wehrmacht in Company of Heroes. Armored enough to be largely impervious to small-caliber weapons and equipped with fast-firing 20 mm cannon, this vehicle can patrol Wehrmacht territory and fight enemy infantry and reconnaissance vehicles. It can also be equipped with 50 mm cannon, which is effective against medium vehicles, and also allows the armored car to engage heavier armor by flanking.
Overview[]
Known as Schwerer Panzerspähwagen(Heavy armored reconnaissance vehicle), the SdKfz 234 Armored Car or better known as SdKfz 234 Puma('Puma' for short) is an 8 wheel armored car of the Wehrmacht Armed Forces. This vehicle was intended for reconnaissance, scouting, artillery spotting, light harassment, and infantry support. The SdKfz 234 Armored Car has better armor, better weapons, and more mobility than most of the previous models, and was also designed to have an imposing look, and became a popular vehicle among the German Infantry as well as Officers during World War II.
The SdKfz 234 Armored Car is an 8 x 4 medium vehicle available once a Sturm Armory is constructed. It has 15mm armor on the front that is slightly sloped, 8mm on its side and 10mm at the rear, with 6 to 10mm from top to bottom. Its armor is actually slightly worse than the M8 Armored Car, despite its larger size, but is noticeably better compared to the Armored Car. It provides protection from small arms and machine gun fire. Initially armed with a 20mm KwK 30 L/55 Autocannon and a MG34, though the ingame model mounts the MG42, the SdKfz 234 Armored Car proved to be a lethal vehicle against infantry. Its 20mm KwK 30 L/55 Autocannon can rapidly cut down infantry with its high rate of fire of 200 round per minute and is also effective against lightly armored targets such as the Jeep, Bren Carrier, and M3 Halftrack. It can also be upgraded with a 50mm KwK 39/1 L/60 Light AT Cannon, providing sufficient firepower against Allied armored targets and infantry. Most Axis players will purchase this upgrade to increase its lethality against units such as the M8 and M10 Tank Destroyer in numbers.
The SdKfz 234 Armored Car is an effective heavy reconnaissance vehicle, able to scout and recon an area of the battlefield while still being capable of tackling most enemies. Highly maneuverable, it can travel through enemy territory, identify an enemies position and move back to friendly territory quickly. If upgraded, the 50mm Light AT Cannon can provide excellent harassment against infantry, light and medium vehicles, base structures and fortified strategic points. Some Axis commander prefer to use it as hit and run vehicle while performing reconnaissances thanks to its high speed and good maneuverability.
The SdKfz 234 Armored Car works best when supported by infantry or kept in pairs of 2-4 for hit and run assault or raiding. It can also provide support for panzers, using its cannon to suppress and cut down infantry.
While most Armored Cars become obsolete in the later stages of battle, this is where the Puma shines. With an upgraded 50mm gun, the Puma can now effectively engage heavier vehicles. Of course the Puma can't stand up to enemy tanks directly, they can be used for flanking enemy tanks while supporting friendly tanks. If used correctly, the Puma becomes an effective tank-killer.
Weapons[]
The Sdkfz 234 is initially equipped with 2 weapons. 20 mm automatic cannon, and a secondary weapon, MG42. Both are mounted on the turret. Later, it can be equipped with 50 mm cannon instead of 20 mm. Each of these weapons is effective against other units.
20 mm KwK 38[]
Basic weapon of Sdkfz 234 is the dreaded 20 mm cannon. It is effective against enemy infantry units and light vehicles.
This weapon fires from 4 to 5 shells per burst with 3.5-4.5 interval between each burst. After 2 such bursts weapon must be reloaded, what takes about 6 seconds. Each shell deals 25-30 points of damage, what kills infantry very quickly.
Accuracy is good for this weapon, especially at short and medium ranges, where each bullet has 75% of hitting the target. At long distance, accuracy is roughly 50%. Note that the weapon is only half as accurate when the vehicle is moving.
As mentioned earlier, this armament is not designed to fight against heavier armored units. Penetration values are weak, especially at long range, and the weapon is unlikely to penetrate the armor of any vehicle heavier than a Halftrack.
MG42[]
The MG42 is the secondary weapon of the Sdkfz 234. Its range is 25 meters and fires 20 to 24 rounds per burst. Each burst lasts between 3 to 4 seconds and each bullet inflicts 3 points of damage.
Like most coaxial machine guns, accuracy is poor. Accuracy is only 5% at long range, 10% at medium range, and 35% at short range.
50 mm Gun[]
The Sdkfz 234 can be equipped with this weapon if the proper upgrade has been purchased. This armament replaces the 20 mm cannon, changing the role of the vehicle from anti-infantry to anti-vehicle. Although it will still be able to hit enemy soldiers, this weapon is less effective against infantry than the basic weapon of this vehicle.
Each shot from this cannon delivers 67.5 points of damage and reloads for 5 to 6 seconds. This allows the Sdkfz 234 to win engagements with other medium vehicles. It will take only 4 or 5 shots to destroy an M3 Halftrack or M8 Armored Car. The weapon is ineffective against heavier units, like the M10 Tank Destroyer or M4 Sherman, and is nearly useless against Churchill Tanks or M26 Pershings. When fighting against these, flanking will be necessary.
At short and medium range, the gun is very accurate against vehicles. Even at long range each shot has a 75% chance to hit. Against infantry, accuracy is significantly worse. Like the 20mm gun, it is only half as accurate while moving.
Upgrades[]
50 mm Gun[]
- Requires escalation to Battle Phase
- Equips the Sdkfz 234 with a 50 mm Gun
- Removes the 20 mm cannon
- The MG42 is moved to the right of the main gun
- Costs 75
- Takes 30 seconds to install
The only upgrade available for the Sdkfz 234 is the 50 mm Gun. This is a weapon designed to fight with enemy armored units. Needless to say, the Sdkfz 234 won't be able to fight as effectively with infantry units as it would without this weapon. It may not be necessary to install this upgrade unless the enemy has a large amount of vehicles at their disposal.
Oddly, the MG42 does not actually fire from its new position, and bullets will continue to come from its old location on the turret.
Veterancy[]
The Sdkfz 234 Armored Car is classified as a medium vehicle, and gains veterancy through Vehicle Veterancy Upgrades available at the Kampfkraft Center. Every vehicle already on the battlefield or that will be built receives the proper upgrades. These bonuses are cumulative to each other.
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No Veterancy:
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Level 1 Veterancy:
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 |
Level 2 Veterancy:
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 |
Level 3 Veterancy:
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Description[]
With eight wheels to carry it, the SdKfz 234/1 Armored Car is a valuable Axis vehicle that should be used to engage infantry with its 20mm rapid firing gun. Its strong engine lends the vehicle for reconnaissance roles, but with the Puma 50mm gun upgrade, the unit can prove to be a threat against heavier Allied armor and other vehicles.
Tips[]
- The armored car is very effective at taking out enemy infantry.
- The upgraded gun will lower its effectiveness versus US infantry severely, although it seems to have an easier time versus British infantry. It is effective against Stuart Light Tanks though, and can sometimes do a number on M10 Tank Destroyers. Against M8 Armored Cars though, it serves in a mostly defensive capacity. It may not always be necessary to upgrade the gun until heavier Allied vehicles begin to appear on the field.
- They are good escort units for your onmap artillery especially for your walking stukas.
Weaknesses[]
Although very effective against infantry, the Puma is a lightly armored vehicle. It is vulnerable to all anti-tank weapons, and machine guns equipped with armor piercing rounds can penetrate its armor and destroy it easily. Although the 50mm cannon gives this vehicle a bit of anti-vehicle power, it is still unable to win fights against tanks on its own and it can act only as support unit against such targets. Mortar Teams – which aren’t designed to be anti-tank weapons – can damage its engine with random hits, which can deprive Sdkfz 234 of one of its biggest advantages - mobility. Keep the vehicle in motion to avoid these situations.
As mentioned earlier, the Puma is an anti-infantry vehicle and to some degree you may effectively engage infantry equipped with anti-tank weapons. However, while you can underestimate slow-flying PIAT grenades and Recoilless Rifles (which often seem to fly through the Puma’s armor without doing any harm), watchout for Ranger Squads. Although Bazookas are well known from their poor accuracy and penetration, rockets from those weapons will never fly through like Recoilless Rifles do. Rangers can also rapidly close the distance to the point where accuracy problems don’t matter. Take additional care when enemies have large amount of these elite infantrymen at their disposal and even more in city-fighting, where infantry has plenty of places to hide.
Gallery[]
Quotes[]
When told to move:
After destroying enemy unit:
When issued with attack-move order:
When damaged, in battle:
Trivia[]
- The Sdkfz 234/1 (20mm Autocannon) and Sdkfz 234/2 (50mm Cannon) were two different vehicles and could not simply be field modified to change the turret like in Company of Heroes.
| Wehrmacht Arsenal | |||||||
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