What is a SPW 253 Beob?

11Bravo · Post by **11Bravo** » Fri Jul 13, 2001 4:13 am

Playing first battle, no options, in MCNA and found this small halftrack thing with a MG. Couldn't find it in the Encyclopedia.

What is it? Whose is it? What does Beob mean?

Drex · Post by **Drex** » Fri Jul 13, 2001 4:15 am

Isn't the Beobab a forward observer?

Don · Post by **Don** » Fri Jul 13, 2001 4:16 am

Yep, probably a FO.

11Bravo · Post by **11Bravo** » Fri Jul 13, 2001 4:24 am

Thanks! I need one! Time to call it back in.

Now I feel foolish sending it out to find mines!

Warrior · Post by **Warrior** » Fri Jul 13, 2001 5:34 am

Originally posted by 11Bravo:
Thanks! I need one! Time to call it back in. Now I feel foolish sending it out to find mines!

I did the same thing at first! There sure is a lot to learn about this game.

sinner · Post by **sinner** » Fri Jul 13, 2001 7:31 am

I understand that "Beob" is a short for "Beobwatcher", a German word that should mean "Observer at the Front Line".

I recall a german magazine in the 40s named "...whatever... beobwacher". It was a piece of nazi propaganda about the "invincible Whermacht" in their quest for workd domination.

Anyway, I happen to take a look to one of those magazines (or maybe it was "Signal" or "Im Bild" or... I don't remember). The text was in German (I don't read nor speak German, although some friends that understand told me that it was rubbish nazi propaganda), but there were some excellent pictures of German armies on war.

Some of the pictures were really made up, like a "some Pz III assaulting a city"... and the infantry was nowhere to be seen! Yes, tanks **alone** in city combat make for excellent targtets

for defending infantry: its plainly suicidal!

Please, someone correct my faulty German!

Salut

Drex · Post by **Drex** » Fri Jul 13, 2001 7:41 am

And excuse me: the Beobab is a tree in Africa!

SAMWolf · Post by **SAMWolf** » Fri Jul 13, 2001 8:23 am

Originally posted by 11Bravo:
Playing first battle, no options, in MCNA and found this small halftrack thing with a MG. Couldn't find it in the Encyclopedia.

What is it? Whose is it? What does Beob mean?

Beobachtungswagen (Beob.Wg) - Observation Post Vehicle

During the late thirties trials were held of the pre-production series of the Sturmgeschütz and it was concluded that these vehicles would have to be supported by an armoured ammunition carrier and observation vehicle.Thery were to be based on the Demag semi-tracked chassis.Shortly after the Sturmgeschütz had gone into production in 1940 an order for 25 le gep Beob Wg was placed and these were built between March and June 1940.As these were the very first production vehicles using the Demag-developed D7p shortened version of the 1 ton tractor some manufacturing difficlties were experienced.Further series were ordered as the number of Sturmgeschütz was increased , but this specialized model was abandoned in favour of the normal Sd Kfz 250.
Heavier armour and a fully-enclosed crew compartment were features of these Sd Kfz 253.Observation was from a larg circular hatch in the roof.The radio aerial on the right-hand side folded forward into a protective channel when not in use.The Sd Kfz 253 served with Sturmgeschütz Batterien 640 , 659 , 660 and 665 in France in 1940 and later with other assault artillery batteries in Russia.

[ July 13, 2001: Message edited by: SAMWolf ]

Gordon_freeman · Post by **Gordon_freeman** » Fri Jul 13, 2001 1:18 pm

Dear all,

I get pretty mixed up with all ur translations and abriviations you use.
A beob is a Beobachter, an observist.
Why u use so many of the shortend German words and don't explain them, like le. gep. BeobW., which means in German leichter gepanzerter Beobachtungswagen or in english a light armored observation vehicle.
Same for instance with the SdKfz which in German is Sonder Kraftfahrzeug or translated in English Special Motor Vehicle.
I remeber that somewhere there was a posting about SP:WW2 using too many of the German original names and getting lost what they actually mean. Not considering a Japanese oob here...
If u want something translated, ask me or other Germans around, I guess some of us have a pretty strange opinion about the US fighting ability, but never the less are polite enough to translate what ever u might want.

Mai Thai · Post by **Mai Thai** » Fri Jul 13, 2001 1:59 pm

Wow, lot of confusion here, lets place some sunrays:

Beob. = Beobachter = Observer
Beobab = does not exist, it's Baobab, a kind of large african tree
FO = forward observer
Beob.Wg = Beobachtungswagen = Observation Post Vehicle
Sonderkraftfahrzeug (SdKfz) = Special Purpose Motor Vehicle, this include every vehicle with tracks or wheels, from tanks to halftracked vehicles and armoured cars modified for special purpose, the differeces between them was the number that followed.
examples:

SdKfz 250 = leichter Schützenpanzerwagen
SdKfz 250/5-I = leichter Beobachtungspanzerwagen
SdKfz 263 = Panzerfunkwagen (8-Rad)
SdKfz 267 = Panzerbefehlswagen Tiger I

for refences see: http://www.panzerlexikon.de/sdkfz.htm
of course this is in german but if you need help drop me an e-mail

Final note: FO vehicles are better used to call in arty (faster and more accurate)
bye

Sorry i forget this one:

SdKfz 253 = leichter gepanzerter Beobachtungskraftwagen = light armoured Observation Post Vehicle

[ July 13, 2001: Message edited by: Mai Thai ]

Mikser · Post by **Mikser** » Fri Jul 13, 2001 5:00 pm

The references to the "..whatever...Beobwatcher.." magazine probably mean the Völkischer Beobachter, the official nazi party magazine. The Signal was the official Wehrmacht weekly magazine.

Grumble · Post by **Grumble** » Sat Jul 14, 2001 12:52 am

For the pedantic:
"Voelkischer Beobachter" (sorry no umlauts on my keyboard) = "People's Observer".
SdKfz 250 = leichter Schützenpanzerwagen
"Light Infantry armored vehicle"
SdKfz 250/5-I = leichter Beobachtungspanzerwagen
"Light Observation armored vehicle"
SdKfz 263 = Panzerfunkwagen (8-Rad)
"Armored Radio Vehicle"
SdKfz 267 = Panzerbefehlswagen Tiger I
"Armored Command Vehicle"

Belisarius · Post by **Belisarius** » Sat Jul 14, 2001 4:08 pm

OK, since this developed into Explaining abbreviations - what does Stuka stand for?

I always confuse it with "Stuk" = Sturmkanone.

But Stuka? Sturzkampf....?

rcread · Post by **rcread** » Sat Jul 14, 2001 4:11 pm

In the original StuG Bty 6-gun organization, four SdKfz 253s were included; one for the battery commander, and one for each commander of the two-gun troops. By '41, the official organization had changed to a two-troop system, and put the battery and troop commanders in their own StuGs (although not all Btys were actually re-equipped and many went to Russia with 253s. Since the StuGs were capable of indirect fire, the 253s could act as OP vehicles.
After the re-organization, production of 253s ceased. I don't know what happened to those replaced in the StuG Btys, though. They might have been issued as alternatives to SdKfz 250/5, which was a purpose-built observers vehicle.
In any case, they should make good OP vehicles, as they were occupied by artillery officers who wood have had FOO training.

KG Erwin · Post by **KG Erwin** » Sat Jul 14, 2001 8:08 pm

Belisarius asked, "what does Stuka stand for?" It's the abbreviation for "Sturzkampfflugzeug", or dive bomber. It was a generic term that became associated with a specific plane.