Kfz 13 & 14

Light four-wheeled armored car

 

FAST FACTS:

Development of this light armored car started at the beginning of 1930s. To be as cheap as possible it was based on a chassis of commercial passenger car Adler Standard 6. Engine (2,9 liter, 60 hp) and transmission (4 + 1 gear) were taken over with the chassis. The armored body was designed by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke company. It was top opened, made of just 8 mm thick armor plates.

Kfz 13 was armed with a single 7,92 mm MG 13 machine gun installed on a pivoted base in the middle of the crew compartment. In most cases the machine gun was fitted with a small armored shield to protect the gunner. Kfz 13 had a mass of 2,2 tons and a maximum speed of 60 km/h. It was operated just by two men. Production went on between 1933 and 1934 with total output of 147 cars.

There was also a radio equipped version of this armored car called Kfz 14. It served as communication and command vehicle. The machine gun was omitted to allow installation of the Fu 9 radio set. Large foldable frame antenna was fitted above the open top of the crew compartment. Neither Kfz 13 nor Kfz 14 was expected to see actual combat but they eventually did. Due to lack of more advanced armored cars, they had to be deployed in Polish and French campaigns in 1939 and 1940.