| Pz.Sfl. II | |
|---|---|
 Side view | |
| Type | Tank destroyer |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1942 |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1936—1941 |
| Manufacturer | Rheinmetall-Borsig |
| Produced | 1941 |
| No. built | 2 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 11 t (11 long tons; 12 short tons) |
| Crew | 4 |
| Armor | 5.5–20 mm (0.22–0.79 in) |
Main armament | 1 × 7.5 cm (3 in) Kanone L/41 |
| Engine | 4.7 L (290 cu in) 6-cylinder, water-cooledMaybach HL 45 150 hp (110 kW) |
| Maximum speed | 50 km/h (31 mph) |
ThePanzer-Selbstfahrlafette II, or in full,7.5 cmKanone L/41auf Zugkraftwagen 5t (HKp 902), was a half-track Germantank destroyer used duringWorld War II. Only two prototypes were built and sent toNorth Africa for troop trials. Neither survived the war.
Development began in 1936 whenBüssing-NAG was given a contract to develop an advancedhalf-track chassis with a rear-mounted engine specifically designed for use as a tank destroyer. Four prototypes of the HKp 902 chassis were built, two of which hadRheinmetall-Borsig's 7.5-centimetre (3 in) L/40.8 gun mounted in an open-topped, low-profile turret.[1]
The gun had anelevation range between −8° and +20°. It fired a 6.8 kg (15 lb)K.Gr. rot Pz. (APCBC) shell with amuzzle velocity of 685 m/s (2,250 ft/s) and a 5.85 kg (12.9 lb)Sprenggranate (HE) shell at 485 m/s (1,590 ft/s). It carried 35rounds on board. The armor protection, designed to be proof against armour-piercing 7.92 mm (0.31 in) bullets, was 20 mm (0.79 in) thick on the vehicle's front, 14.5 mm (0.57 in) and 10 mm (0.39 in) on the sides, 10 mm (0.39 in) on the rear, 10.5 mm (0.41 in) on thesuperstructure roof and 5.5 mm (0.22 in) on the belly.[2]
The two prototypes were completed in 1941 and they were organized into a platoon for troop trials withPanzerjäger-Abteilung ("Anti-Tank Battalion") 605 of theAfrika Korps. The first vehicle was reported received on 17 January 1942 byPanzerjäger-Abteilung 605, but the second was not reported as arrived in Tripoli until 23 February 1942. The platoon was transferred to theKampfstaffel des Oberbefehlshaber Panzerarmee Afrika (Rommel's personal battle group) on 8 March 1942. Only one vehicle was reported operational on 25 May at the start ofOperation Venezia during theBattle of Gazala; the other had been captured by the British, shown in undated photographs. Shortly afterwards, on 5 June, the Kampfstaffel reported that the other vehicle had been lost after knocking out three tanks. No further references were made to thePz.Sfl. II.[3]
| Tanks |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Self-propelled artillery | ||
| Assault guns | ||
| Tank destroyers (Panzerjäger, Jagdpanzer) | ||
| Half-tracks | ||
| Armored cars | ||
| Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns | ||
| Demolition vehicles | ||
| Experimental/prototype vehicles | ||
| Proposed designs | ||
| Designations | ||