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The Funkkraftwagen (Kfz 14) was an armoured communication car produced for the increasingly motorised German army from 1932, but that had been relegated to service with non-motorised divisions by the outbreak of the Second World War.
The Maschinengewehrkraftwagn (Kfz 13) and Funkkraftwagen (Kfz 14) shared the same basic layout. They were built on the chassis of a Standard 4x4 passenger car produced by Adlerwerke, and powered by an Adler Standard 6 2.9lt engine. An armoured body was mounted on top of this chassis, with the engine at the front and the crew of two or three in the open topped armoured fighting compartment at the rear. All of the armour was 8mm thick, with the top part of the armour sloped in rather more than the lower part.
The Funkkraftwagen (Kfz 14) (Armoured Reconnaissance Car) was built in smaller numbers, with 40 produced by Daimler-Benz in 1932-34. They carried a crew of three, but unlike the Kfz 13 didn’t carry a machine gun. Instead they carried a long range radio, and a frame antenna, with a rectangular frame carried above the fighting compartment on four vertical struts. These could fold backwards to lower the frame, or rise to the vertical positoon to give the best radio reception.
The Kfz 13 and Kfz 14 were issued to the motorised Aufklarungs detachments (reconnaissance detachments) of motorized units from 1932. In 1935 they began to be joined by the Sd Kfz 221 and Sd Kfz 223, and as more of the modern vehicles became available they were moved to the reconnaissance units of non-motorized divisions.
Both types saw extensive use in Poland in 1939. A smaller number were still in service during the campaign in the Low Countries and France in 1940, but they had all been withdrawn from service by 1941.
Names
Funkkraftwagen (Kfz 14)
Stats
Production: 40 (1932-1934)
Hull Length: 4.2m
Hull Width: 1.7m
Height: 1.46m
Crew: 2 (driver, commander/ gunner)
Weight: 2.1 tons
Engine: Adler Standard 6 2.9lt 60PS at 3,200rpm
Max Speed: 70 km/hr
Max Range: 300 km
Armament: None
Armour
| Armour | Front |
Side |
Rear |
Top/ Bottom |
Turret |
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Hull (Upper) |
8mm at 40 degrees |
8mm at 15 degrees |
8mm at 22 degrees |
Open |
Hull (Lower) |
8mm at 22 degrees |
8mm at 5 degrees |
8mm at 22 degrees |
None |
Machine Gun Shield |
8mm at 35 degrees |
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