The Kfz 13, or Maschinengewehr-Kraftwagen, was a light armored car used by Germany during the early years of World War II.
Description[]
The Kfz 13 was armed with only one 7.92 mm MG 13, which was later replaced by the newer MG 34. The addition of an armored trailer added another one of these machine guns to the armament, but still, the Kfz 13 was ineffective against tanks and other armored cars. It required a crew of only two, a driver and a gunner, but with the armored machine gun trailer another gunner was required. The armor protection of the Kfz 13 was around 8 mm of plating on the front and sides, the top of the vehicle, however, was open and therefor vunerable to grenades and small arms.
The Kfz 13 was built on the chassis of the civilian car, the Adler Standard 6, and therefor the same 51 hp Daimler-Benz engine, giving it a top speed of 70 km/h. The Kfz 13 carried seventy liters of fuel, setting it's maximum operational range at 380 kilometers. The total length of the Kfz 13 was 4.2 meters, and the width 1.7 meters. The total weight was 2.1 tons, and 1,000 rounds of 7.92 mm ammunition was carried for the machine gun, and an additional 1,000 rounds for the one in the armored trailer, should it have been attached.
Variants[]
Only one variant of the Kfz 13 existed, and that was the Kfz 14, which was exactly the same as the original Kfz 13, but had the machine gun removed and replaced by radio communication equipment. An additional crew member, a commander was added, and the place of the gunner was taken by a radio operator.
History[]
The Kfz 13 was the first armored reconnaissance vehicle introduced to the German military after World War I. It was designed by Daimler-Benz, and production commensed in 1932. By 1935, 147 Kfz 13s and forty Kfz 14s had been manufactured, and these vehicles remained in service until 1941. They were deployed during the Invasion of Poland, and were also used during the invasion of the Low Countries, the Battle of France and the invasion of the Balkans. In mid 1941, all Kfz 13s were retired from service, and the remainder were used as training vehicles until the end of the war.
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