German SD.kfz 234

The SDkfz 234 was designed from the start to be a reconnaissance vehicle with the capability to defend itself against enemy armor. The groundbreaking design would influence 8-wheeled military vehicles up to present time. Known as 'the Puma', it was built by the Bussing NAG Company and entered service in April of 1944. The V-12 engine was air cooled and manufactured by the Tatra Company of Czechoslovakia, which was under German occupation at the time. The Puma had a 75- millimeter main gun and also a MG42 machine gun for its four-man crew. It was 22 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 7 1/2 feet tall. The Puma had a top speed of 50mph and a range of 620 miles. It fit in perfectly with the German idea of fast, hard hitting weapons of the time. Over 2300 of the Puma's would be built by the end of World War II.