SdKfz 251

The SdKfz 251 was a half-track used by Germany during World War II and appears in both Hidden & Dangerous and Hidden & Dangerous 2.

Description
The SdKfz 251 was one of the first half-tracks to be produced and used by Germany during the war. It was powered by a 8-cylinder Daimler-Benz engine and had a top speed of 85 km/h. The 251 was 5.55 meters long, 2.15 meters wide, and 1.96 meters high and weighed 3,300 kilograms. Designed as an armored fighting vehicle, it featured medium plate armor that was slightly sloped in some places to help deflect incoming shells. The 251 had a crew of two, and could carry six to ten passengers in the rear troop compartment. Most of the first 251 half-tracks, designated the Ausf. A models, were unarmed, but later models could mount defensive machine guns on the front and rear of the troop compartment, while others could be fitted with 75 mm infantry support guns and howitzers, 20 mm and 88 mm anti-aircraft guns, mortars and Nebewerfer rocket launchers. Other 251 models were also fitted out as mobile command and communication centers.

History
The SdKfz 251 first entered production in 1939 with the German company Hanomag. From then on, the heavy demand for half-track vehicles, especially since the invasion of the Soviet Union due to the boggy morasses of mud caused by the thaws of rain on the Eastern Front which standard trucks found near to impossible to traverse, saw the 251 enter production with various other companies, including Adlerwerke, Horch, Borgward and Škoda. Between 1939 and 1945, many 251s were produced and widely used by the Wehrmacht in all theaters of the war.

Hidden & Dangerous 2
The SdKfz 251 first appears during Operation Nomad - Caravan, as part of the attacking German forces attempting to retake the Banhira Oasis. The 251 is carrying about five troops. Another 251 can be encountered during Operation Challenger - Babes In The Wood. It can be found at the t-junction in the road heading towards the first machine gun position. While the vehicle is operable, it appears to be damaged and can easily be destroyed. During Operation Overlord - Blade Dancer, a destroyed 251 can be found at the road corner directly ahead of the bank. Another 251 appears during the defense of the bank, emerging from the same direction the German tank came from. The final appearance of the 251 is during Operation Liberator - Gin Send-Off. One can be found parked among the tall grass at the corner park in Broumov.

Hidden & Dangerous 2

 * Operation Nomad - Caravan
 * Operation Challenger - Babes In The Wood
 * Operation Overlord - Blade Dancer
 * Operation Liberator - Gin Send-Off

Hidden & Dangerous

 * Operation Silver Gate - Mission Tree at the End of Garden (not driveable)
 * Operation Fiend's Call - Mission Escape from Hell
 * Operation Fiend's Call - Mission Close Fire
 * Operation Fiend's Call - Mission Crystal Falcon
 * Operation Sign of Cross - Hunt for Golden Fish