The “Hanomag” or Sd.Kfz 251 series of vehicles was a half tracked armored fighting vehicle of Nazi Germany. Over 15,000 were built during the war, there were 22 variants of the base vehicle.
These particular half tracks were knocked out by Allied air power between Carrouges and Rânes – an area below Caen and roughly a 12 km stretch of road. There were two other attacks around the same time which eliminated the entire group.
M3A1 half-track with 500 pound speaker, capable of projecting sounds as far as 15 miles. Used by the US 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, aka the Ghost Army, for sonic deception, 1944
Scheunentor translates to barn door, this was not due to the size of the gun shield but instead a reference to the guns manoeuvrability!
Untersturmführer Gerhard Mahn, commander of 11th company, 9th regiment “Germania” of the 5th SS Panzer Division “Wiking” directs the actions of the division of armored personnel carriers Sd.Kfz.251. They are about to mount an attack against the Red Army during the battles east of Warsaw in the summer of 1944
