ADGZ
Steyr ADGZ | |
---|---|
Type | Armored car |
Place of origin | Austria |
Service history | |
Used by | Austria Nazi Germany Free City of Danzig Independent State of Croatia |
Wars | World War II |
Production history | |
Designer | Steyr |
Designed | 1934-1935 |
Manufacturer | Steyr |
Produced | 1935-1941 |
No. built | 52 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 12 tons |
Length | 6.26 m (20 ft 6 in) |
Width | 2.16 m (7 ft 1 in) |
Height | 2.56 m (8 ft 5 in) |
Crew | 6 |
Armor | 11 mm (0.43 in) |
Main armament | 20mm KwK 35 L/45 (with 100 rounds) or 45 mm wz. 1932 (19-K) (T-26 model 1933 turret) |
Secondary armament | 3 x 7.92mm MG34 or 2 x 7.92mm MG34 and 1 x DT machine gun |
Engine | Austro-Daimler M612, 6-cylinder, 12 litre 150 hp (110 kW) |
Suspension | wheel |
Operational range | 450 km (280 mi) |
Maximum speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) |
The Steyr ADGZ was an Austrian-German heavy armored car used during World War II. It was originally designed for the Austrian Army (its designation was "M35 Mittlerer Panzerwagen") from 1934, and delivered in 1935–1937.
History[]
The Austrian army was using the ADGZ armored car at the time of Anschluss. 12 were used by the army and 15 were used by the police. The Germans used them for police work and some were taken on by the Waffen-SS and used on the Eastern Front and in the Balkans for anti-partisan activity and other usages.
The SS ordered an additional 25 ADGZ which were delivered in 1942. An interesting feature of this vehicle was that there was no "rear:" either end was capable of driving the unit.
As part of the initial operations of the Invasion of Poland, the SS Heimwehr Danzig used three ADGZ armored cars during the attack on the Polish Post Office in Danzig, but one was lost during the battle. Some ADGZ were also supplied to the Army of the Independent State of Croatia.[1]
References[]
- World War II armoured cars
- Combat vehicles of Austria
- Armoured cars of the interwar period
- Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s
- Military vehicle stubs