Guys, I have searched but can find very little of the areas of operation for this vehichle. Do any of you have any info on this “last” of the scout 8 rads?
Thanks, doc
The 234 was a very rare vehicle (all marks)…not many pics of them…only a few units received them late in the war…I’ll re-check refs and try to get back on specifics—they did fight on both fronts, however…
Here’s a site I came across when I was building my /3 not too long ago. May have somethig useful.Ditto what manny siad. barely 500 built with production starting late.
Manny, Marc, I appreciate you willingness to help.[tup] It would appear that the /4 had the least amount of historic documentation. But please keep hunting. I am working on a dio that I need to know the theatre of operations for the /4.
Thanks again, doc
Panzerwrecks 4 has a sequence of photos of a Sd.Kfz 234/4 “Pakwagon”, surrendering on May 9th, 1945, near the town of Susice or Vimperk, Czechoslovakia. The vehicle belongs to Stabskp./Korps-Pz.Aufkl.Abt. “Feldherrnhalle”. The paint scheme is virtually the same as the Dragon box art, with the addition of a Balkenkreuz just behind the drivers side vision ports.
I’ve got other photos…somewhere, but they are hard to find.
According to Panzer-Tracts 13, approximately 90 Sdkfz 234/4s were completed between December '44 to April '45. It goes on to say that they were issued piecemeal as replacements or to partially fill the establishment of new or refurbished units. So in terms of possible theaters of operation, I would say anywhere there was combat within the '45 timeframe is plausible. Most pics available of the /4 show it to have a hard-edged three-tone scheme.
Thnx for that update Bill. That earlier citation of 500 seemed off to me when I first read it.
500 is probably a closer estimate for all types of the 234, not just the /4. Per PT #13, the counts were 230 /1, 100 /2, ~90 /3 and ~90 /4. Jentz is strangely vague about the exact counts on the /3 and /4 while precise on the /1 and /2…I’m guessing it has to do with the fact that the production order of the /3 was halted prematurely and switched over to the /4, so exact figures may not be possible. Add those numbers up though and you get ~510 of the 234 family.
My Bad. Sorry about the confusion. My “barely 500” comment was for over all production. But over all the “production starting late” comment still applies to all the 234’s.
I just picked up the Dragon 234/1, and I’d like any pictures of it… If anyone can…
I found a couple of color plates that show the 234/4 in three-tone gard-edge camo with heer markings but no unit insignia; however, the plates indicate that they served in Germany and Czech…I also have plates that indicate that some 234/1’s were assigned to the 4th Panzer Division, in their recon batt.
I’d love to see them, Manny… I’d love to see anything abot any 234, really… [:)]
I’ve seen a couple pics of them being used during the Ardennes. One video I saw had two or three of them running together with what looked like 50mm PAK cannon (somekinda long barrel anyway)
gary