Sonderkraftfahrzeug or Sd.Kfz Numbers

Sonderkraftfahrzeug or Sd.Kfz numbers were ordnance numbers allocated to German military vehicles during the period of German re-armament in the 1930s and throughout the Second World War. The name can be translated as 'special purpose vehicle' or 'special ordnance vehicle'.

In the late 1920s the German army began to give its normal vehicles a Kraftfahrzeug (Kfz) number, which indicated the function of the vehicle. This was extended to include armoured and other military vehicles in about 1935, with the introduction of the Sd.Kfz numbers. At first an effort made to make sure that the systems didn't overlap, so if there was a Kfz 1 then there wouldn't be an Sd.Kfz 1, but this was eventually abandoned.

The system was introduced in order to give vehicles a clear identification number that was related to their specific task and not to the base vehicle. Several different command tanks thus shared the Sd.Kfz 267 number, which indicated the type of radios they carried (Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf D1, Panzerbefehlswagen IV, Panzerbefehlswagen Panther ).

Sd.Kfz numbers were allocated in bands.

1 to 99 were for normal non-armoured vehicles - trucks, cars, motorbikes and others.

100 to 199 was for tanks and armoured vehicles including tracked artillery and assault guns

200 to 299 was for reconnaissance, infantry fighting vehicles and command tanks.

300 onwards was for minesweepers and cargo carriers.

Our index will only include those vehicles that are currently featured on the site.

Sd.Kfz 101 Panzer I Light Tank
Sd.Kfz 121 Panzer II Light Tank
Sd.Kfz 131 7.5cm Pak40/2 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf)/ Marder II
Sd.Kfz 138 Panzerjager 38(t) fur 7.5cm PAK 40 ausf H
Sd.Kfz 138 Panzerjager 38(t) fur 7.5cm PAK 40 ausf M
Sd.Kfz 138/1 15cm sIG33 (Sfl) auf PzKpfw 38(t) Grille (Bison)
Sd.Kfz 139 Panzerjager 38(t) fur 7.62cm PAK 36(r)
Sd.Kfz 140 Flakpanzer 38(t) ausf M
Sd.Kfz 140/1 Aufklarungspanzer 38(t)
Sd.Kfz 141 Panzerkampfwagen III ausf A to ausf H
Sd.Kfz 141/1 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf J, L & M (5cm KwK39 L/60)
Sd.Kfz 141/2 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf N
Sd.Kfz 141/3 Panzerkampfwagen III (Fl)
Sd.Kfz 142 Sturmgeschütz III Ausf A to E (StuG III)
Sd.Kfz 142/1 Sturmgeschütz III Ausf F to G (StuG III)
Sd.Kfz 142/2 Sturmhaubitze (StuH)
Sd.Kfz 143 Artillerie-Panzerbeobachtungswagen (PzKpfw III)
Sd.Kfz 161 Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf A to Ausf F
Sd.Kfz 161/1 Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf G
Sd.Kfz 161/2 Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf G (late) to Ausf J
Sd.Kfz 161/3 Möbelwagen/ 3.7cm FlaK auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen IV (Sf)
Sd.Kfz 162 Jagdpanzer IV, Ausf.F
Sd.Kfz 162/1 Panzer IV/70 (V)
Sd.Kfz 165 Hummel (Bumblebee)/ 15cm Schwere Panzerhaubitze auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen III/IV (Sf)
Sd.Kfz 166 Sturmpanzer IV/ Brummbär
Sd.Kfz 171 Panzerkampfwagen V Panther
Sd.Kfz 173 Jagdpanther
Sd.Kfz 265 Kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen I
Sd.Kfz 267

Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf D1
Panzerbefehlswagen IV
Panzerbefehlswagen Panther

Sd.Kfz 268 Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf D1
Panzerbefehlswagen Panther ‘Flivo’

 

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (26 August 2013), Sonderkraftfahrzeug or Sd.Kfz Numbers, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/list_sd_kfz.html

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