Sd.Kfz. 251/22: The PaK 40 Half-Track

Florian Fendt – 2026-08-11 17:49:00

Sd.Kfz. 251/22 with a 7.5 cm PaK 40 in a US photograph from 1945 — Sd.Kfz. 251/22. Office of the Chief Ordnance Officer, ETO Report 308, 11 June 1945, public domain.

The 7.5 cm PaK 40 was designed as a towed anti-tank gun. What changed when it was fitted inside the open body of a half-track? Why was the Sd.Kfz. 251/22 built this way, and what did its crew sacrifice for greater mobility?

Key facts

The designation 251/22 identifies the version armed with a 7.5 cm PaK 40.
It used the medium armoured personnel carrier Sd.Kfz. 251 Ausf. D as its base.
The gun, mounting and shield occupied much of the open compartment.
A US report dated 11 June 1945 documents a captured vehicle in a photograph.

What was the Sd.Kfz. 251/22?

The Sd.Kfz. 251/22 was a medium armoured half-track fitted with a 7.5 cm PaK 40. It used the Ausf. D body from the 251 family but no longer served as a personnel carrier. The open compartment now held the anti-tank gun, its mounting, shield and crew positions.

US Report 308 described the captured machine as a “7.5 cm Pak 40 Anti-Tank Gun Mounted on Medium Armored Semi-Tracked Vehicle Sd. Kfz. 251”. The wording is terse but exact: the chassis and gun had been joined to create a mobile anti-tank weapon.

Front view of the captured Sd.Kfz. 251/22 with its mounted PaK 40 — The photograph formed part of US Report 308 dated 11 June 1945. Office of the Chief Ordnance Officer, public domain.

Why was the PaK 40 mounted on a half-track?

Mounting the PaK 40 on the Sd.Kfz. 251 removed the need for a separate towing vehicle and allowed the same crew to change position with the gun. That was the practical gain. The compromise was space, because the barrel, breech, mounting and ammunition all had to fit inside the existing open body.

The photograph of the captured vehicle shows how far the gun and shield projected over the front. The driver remained behind the armoured nose while the gun crew worked behind the shield. The design offered mobility and frontal splinter protection, but it did not provide an enclosed fighting compartment.

A German 7.5 cm PaK 40 on display at the Musée des Blindés in Saumur — 7.5 cm PaK 40 at the Musée des Blindés. Photo: Matthias Holländer, CC0 1.0.

How did the Sd.Kfz. 251/22 differ from the 251/1?

The 251/1 carried armoured infantry and provided seats inside its open body. In the 251/22, that space became a gun platform. Both vehicles shared the basic Ausf. D shape but performed different jobs. On a model, the gun, shield and rearranged interior are therefore the decisive recognition points.

Feature	Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. D	Sd.Kfz. 251/22
Primary role	Transporting armoured infantry	Mobile anti-tank defence
Main weapon	Machine gun	7.5 cm PaK 40
Open compartment	Seating for infantry	Gun platform with mounting and shield
Base vehicle	Sd.Kfz. 251 Ausf. D	Sd.Kfz. 251 Ausf. D
Historical image evidence	Numerous family photographs	US Report 308 dated 11 June 1945

Although the two versions shared the Ausf. D body, the 251/22 could no longer be used like a personnel carrier. The PaK 40 fundamentally changed its interior.

What were the limits of the open compartment?

The open body gave the crew room to operate the gun, but it offered no overhead protection. Side protection remained limited to the low armoured walls and the gun shield. The vehicle was more mobile than a towed PaK 40, yet mobility could not replace cover or a fully enclosed fighting compartment.

The large gun dominated the vehicle from the front. From the side, the familiar combination of steering wheels and tracked running gear remained visible. This mixture explains the term half-track: the Sd.Kfz. 251 was neither a wheeled armoured car nor a fully tracked vehicle.

A vehicle from the Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track family in a Polish museum — Vehicle from the Sd.Kfz. 251 family at the Polish Army Museum. Photo: Аимаина хикари, CC0 1.0.

Where can an Sd.Kfz. 251/22 be seen today?

The Australian Armour and Artillery Museum in Cairns lists an Sd.Kfz. 251/22 among its armoured personnel carriers. The entry confirms that this rare version can still be encountered as a museum exhibit. US Report 308 remains valuable because it records an example immediately after the war.

Model builders need to keep the variants separate. Torro has a dedicated category for the Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. D. It shows the personnel carrier, not the 251/22 Pakwagen.

Frequently asked questions about the Sd.Kfz. 251/22

What was the Sd.Kfz. 251/22?

The Sd.Kfz. 251/22 was a version of the medium armoured personnel carrier Ausf. D. It carried a 7.5 cm PaK 40 in an open fighting compartment.

Which gun did the Sd.Kfz. 251/22 carry?

Its main weapon was the 7.5 cm PaK 40. A US report dated 11 June 1945 explicitly identifies it as an anti-tank gun mounted on the Sd.Kfz. 251.

How did the 251/22 differ from the 251/1?

The 251/1 was primarily an armoured personnel carrier. In the 251/22, the gun, mounting and shield occupied much of the open compartment.

Was the Sd.Kfz. 251/22 a tank destroyer?

It performed an anti-tank role but remained a converted half-track. Its open compartment and limited protection distinguished it from a fully enclosed tank.

Where can an Sd.Kfz. 251/22 be seen today?

The Australian Armour and Artillery Museum in Cairns lists an Sd.Kfz. 251/22 among its exhibits.

Sources

Your expert

Florian Fendt

Scale models • Historical vehicles • RC tanks

Florian discovered his passion for modelling as a teenager and quickly developed a talent for precise work and attention to detail. Today, he is an experienced model maker at Torro, specialising in historic vehicles. He shares his knowledge and experience to inspire and support modelling enthusiasts worldwide.

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