Sd.Kfz.222 4.Serie Regenrinne (Rain Gutters)

This apparently incongruous detail on the side and front faces of the le.Pz.Sp.Wg. was a lot more difficult to research than we initially expected. The differences between these fittings and how they are attached on the Sd.Kfz.222 4.Serie, the Sd.Kfz.223 3.Serie and the Sd.Kfz.261 5.Serie were numerous. Our focus was on the Sd.Kfz.222 4.Serie and the usual starting point would be to gather all known information, details, and recorded dimensions from surviving le.Pz.Sp.Wg. We started to generate a mental picture of what these individual fittings looked like. How they were made. The detail in each individual fitting and most importantly the dimensions. We were extremely fortunate in having made many visits over the years to Fort Knox and later Fort Benning. The Sd.Kfz.223 4.Serie displayed at Fort Benning, is quite unique. Our Trustee Hilary Doyle was able to provide his tremendous catalogue of recordings, of both images and dimensions and archive documentation. The mental image now developed into a physical reality. The Regenrinne (rain gutter) now took shape in a bewildering way when we realised just how profound the differences were between each variant and Serie. Not only was the Regenrinne detail of the Sd.Kfz.223 4.Serie quite different to the Sd.Kfz.222 4.Serie but both were different again to either the Sd.Kfz.223 3.Serie and the Sd.Kfz.261 5.Serie. Standardisation had not yet arrived for the assemblers of these le.Pz.Sp.Wg. until the arrival of the 5.Serie. That knowledge will hopefully make our task with the Sd.Kfz.261 5.Serie a little less daunting. Our focus for now is to restore our Sd.Kfz.222 4.Serie as accurately as possible and not just the 4.Serie overall but to concentrate on the examples assembled in the later months of assembly. The main identifiers of these late 4.Serie are low grenade net and low Winkerschutz semaphore guards. A small selection of surviving images provides vital assistance in determining the final layout for the Regenrinne for our Sd.Kfz.222 4.Serie. The front rain gutter for a Sd.Kfz.223 4.Serie is smaller reflecting the fact that only a single visor must be protected. Another major difference is the peaked design of the Regenrinne fitted above the left and right-side visor – a feature found only on the Sd.Kfz.223 4.Serie. By contrast side Regenrinne of the Sd.Kfz.222 4.Serie are straight at the top. (See attached images - Sd.Kfz.223 4.Serie followed by the Sd.Kfz.222 4.Serie.). The middle section of the front face Regenrinne is different to that of the 5.Serie which has a 500mm centre section while the Sd.Kfz.222 4.Serie centre section is only 350mm long. Another intriguing design difference is the hole cut into the bottom of the vertical sections which is in the outside face of the device (see image) and the Sd.Kfz.222 4.Serie equivalent is let into the end of the middle of the rain gutter (see image). Both the Sd.Kfz.222 and Sd.Kfz.223 front face Regenrinne have holes let in at either end. The purpose of the holes is not documented and is as yet unclear, but our working hypothesis is that they were created to allow for a more dispersed water runoff. We look forward to answering this puzzle when we test our Regenrinne to ascertain the purpose of these holes. .

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Sd.Kfz.222 4.Serie Regenrinne (Rain Gutters)

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