Steyr ADGZ M35 Mittlerer Panzerwagen

[zenrat]

Steyr ADGZ M35 Mittlerer Panzerwagen

Steyr ADGZ - 3 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The Steyr ADGZ entered service with the Bundesheer (Austrian Army) in 1935.  It was produced until 1937 by which time 27 vehicles had been built and put into use by both the Army and the Police.  After the 1938 Anschluß Österreichs (the annexation of Austria by nazi Germany) these were all taken and put into Wehrmacht (German Army) service.

Steyr ADGZ - 12 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The ADGZ was a massive (12 tons, 6.26m long, 2.16m wide, 2.56m tall), four axled, twelve-wheeled armoured car with a crew of six.  The front and rear independently sprung steerable axles both carried single wheels, while the central axles carried dual wheels and were conjoined on a common suspension.  All twelve wheels were driven and it was intended for both off-road and urban usage.

Steyr ADGZ - 19 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The welded body, sloped to deflect projectiles, was constructed with 6mm armour and was almost symmetrical fore and aft with the engine mounted at the rear.  The interior layout was also symmetrical with a driver and a machine-gunner sitting side by side at each end.  The circular turret was mounted centrally housing a 20 mm KwK 35 L/45 autocannon and a MG 34 machine-gun.  Four headlights were also fitted, two on each end of the vehicle.

Steyr ADGZ - 6 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Of the 27 ADGZs delivered 12 were used by the Bundesheer and 14 by Gendarmerie.  After the nazi takeover of 1938 all these vehicles were distributed among SS units and military police.  In 1939, a detachment took part in the operations in Danzig, Poland, which led to the British and French declaration of war.  Three SS Heimwehr Danzig armored cars were engaged and one lost in action while taking the post office.  The SS obviously liked the Steyr as in 1941 the ordered 25 additional vehicles which were used in various units in the Balkans, for police operation and fighting partisans.  Unconfirmed sources claim that tests were performed mounting Soviet T-26 turrets on the vehicles after many of these tanks were captured in 1941 during the German attack on the Soviet Union.

Steyr ADGZ - 4 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Following the end of the Second World War in 1946 the USSR gifted a number of captured ADGZs to the People's Democratic Republic of Victoria for use by the State Police.  Soviet engineers had thoroughly overhauled the vehicles and had taken a pointer from the nazi tests by fitting T-26 turrets mounting a 45mm gun and a MG-34 rechambered for Russian ammunition.  The Victorian State Police used the Steyrs for crowd control and for patrolling the more rural parts of the PDRV.  The vehicle shown here was based at Omeo in the Victorian South East.

Steyr ADGZ - 20 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The Model;
Hobby Boss 1/35 Steyr ADGZ.
Turret from 1/35 Soviet BA-3 armoured car (Hobby Boss? Zvezda?) with turned metal barrel.

[PR19_Kit]

A mechanical masterpiece if ever I saw one! 

But if it was the same at both ends, how do you KNOW the engine was at the rear? 

And the backstory is a gem too, I have NO idea how much of it is RW or not.

[Dizzyfugu]

LOL, I already wondered about the "Police" operator - very creative explanation. 

Looks very good, nice dust overall. 

[Wardukw]

Looking great mate 
Those push me pull you armoured cars where a pretty cool bits of engineering.
Yours has the lovely touch of the turret upgrade . A very nice touch 

[Old Wombat]

Some serious police work required in the highlands, by the looks of it!    

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

 

[NARSES2]

That's come out very well mate 

[scooter]

Really needs to have a "polite message", the LAPD M114 from Dragnet (1987)

[su27rules]

  

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

Really needs to have a "polite message", the LAPD M114 from Dragnet (1987)

"Service guarantees citizenship.  Would you like to know more?"

[Captain Canada]

Nice one. Be hard to stop that thing !

I was fueling up on the outskirts of Detroit a few years back. I heard this roar/rumble coming down the road.....it was an M113 of the local police service. They look pretty wimpy beside an MBT, but they look pretty bad passing cars on the freeway !

[scooter]

Thanks folks.

Really needs to have a "polite message", the LAPD M114 from Dragnet (1987)

"Service guarantees citizenship.  Would you like to know more?"

[Wardukw]

Well US police are being given ex US army MRAPS  so this works out rather nicely 

[zenrat]

The Victorian State Police generally use civilian vehicles.  Military equipment being the purview of the Republican Police (Repos) and the Secret State Police (Sestapo).

I have written some words about this whichI will position my blog if anyone is interested.