ADGZ Model is here

The Steyr ADGZ was an Austrian heavy armored car originally designed from 1934 by Austro-Daimler-Puchwerke AG in Wiener-Neustadt and delivered by Steyr-Daimler Puch AG in 1935–1937.

At the request of the Austrian Ministry of Defence, the work entrusted to the engineer Franz-xaver Reimspieb began in the greatest secrecy. Colleagues in the latter’s design office were not even aware of his activities. However, in these troubled times (there was a putsch in july 1934), suspicion reigned and the slightest questionable initiative aroused mistrust. However, to draw these plans, Reinspieb needed a machine gun which the staff of the Bundesheer had packed in a crate and delivered to his workshop, but when the crate arrived at the entrance of the Austro-Daimler factory , its weight aroused the attention of the guards who proceeded to its opening. Fearing that this weapon concealed an attempted putsch, the alert was immediately given, Reimspieb was questioned by the works council, but things gradually returned to normal when light was shed on this affair and the involvement of the Bundesheer established. On April 7, 1934, the latter reduced its order to 12 further 27 armored cars instead of the 30 initially planned. The year 1934 also saw the merger of Austro-Daimler with the Steyr company, a grouping that did not put an end to the project, so much so that it continued in the premises of the new firm called Steyr-Daimler Puch AG. The final designation of the vehicle was « M35 Mittlerer Panzerwagen ».

The Steyr was built in 27 copies: 1 prototype, 12 for the army (they were officialy categorized as Strassenpanzer and were all in the Schnelle Division/panzerwagen btl in Brückneudorf) and 15 for the police forces (6 for the Wien security guard and 8 for the Bundesgendarmerie).

After the Anschluss, the Wehrmacht was not interested in taking over these vehicles, they were then transferred to the SS and used for police work with the Orpo (Ordnungs Polizei). In 1941, The SS ordered an additional 25 ADGZ which were delivered in 1942 and used by the Waffen SS on the eastern front and in the Balkans mainly for anti-partisan activity. On September 1, 1939, the SS Heimwehr Danzig used three ADGZ armored cars («Sudetenland», «Ostmark», «Saar») during the attack on the Polish post Office, but one was lost during the battle.

Based on a chassis derived from that of the Austro-Daimler ADAZ 6 x 6 3-ton truck, the ADGZ however had an additional axle, making it an 12 x 8 vehicle. The four center wheels were twin, which carried the number of tires to twelve. The two external axles with their independent leaf spring suspension, and the central twin axle, with double wheels (eight in all), mated on a common suspension. It should be noted that the four central inner wheels are placed in line with the front and rear wheels, implying that the four outer wheels are offset and overflow, which increases the lift of the machine. Common practice at the end of the 1930s, the central wheel assemblies can receive small tracks in order to improve the vehicle’s capabilities on snowy ground.

This vehicle was originally armed with two MG 34 machine guns (one in the front of the chassis, the other in the rear), a semi-automatic Waffenfabrik Solothurn S-18/300 20 mm cannon in the turret , and a coaxial machine gun MG 07/12 recalibrated in 7.92. The latter will later be replaced by an MG 34.

The cabin of the Steyr, very spacious, accommodates seven crew members (later, the germans reduced to six members): a captain, and two gunner in the turret, as well as two machine gunners and two drivers distributed between the two driving positions. At the ends of the combat compartment there are two two-seater cockpits, strictly identical, where a pilot and a gunner operate. each driver, seated on the right, has a three-speed manual gearbox coupled to the Austro-Voith hydraulic transmission, a hydraulic pedal brake acting on all eight wheels, and a handbrake neutralizing the transmission shaft. there are therefore three forward and three reverse speeds doubled to six in each direction via a two-speed transfer case. On the front glacis, drivers have a panel with a bullet-resistant glass viewing slot. each driving position has two side doors, separated into two leaves, through which the crew accesses or evacuates the vehicle. the top leaf can be folded back, along the body of the vehicle, which allows it to be opened on the move. the crews seem to appreciate this arrangement for the ventilation and brightness it brings inside the machine, but obviously to the detriment of the protection. As for the lower leaf, it folds forward. the crew members embark with their gas mask, for protection against chemical weapons, and their personal weapon.

The engine was the Austro-Daimler M612, a 12-litre six-cylinder providing 150 hp at 1,800 rpm, capable of propelling the armored car at a speed of 70 km/h on the road, a remarkable performance, especially given the of its weight which amounts to 12 tons in order of combat. the capacity of the petrol tank is 200 litres, which gives the ADGZ a range of 450 kilometers on the road. the circulation of air and gasoline in the engine is regulated by two Pallas SAG 6 carburettors, while the electrical components of the vehicle are powered by a 12-volt battery. Curiously, the water radiator is located on the side opposite the engine. The engine cowling and that of the radiator, are provided with shutters whose opening allows the ventilation of the thruster. In combat, these pivoting shutters are very often open, less to ensure the ventilation of the mechanical elements of the vehicle, than to place them vertically, so as to improve their protection. this step is justified by the weak breastplate of the ADGZ, a homogeneous welded armor of 11mm tilted under an angle going from 5 to 75 degrees. This is very weak protection for a combat vehicle, but sufficient for a law enforcement vehicle. The power/weight ratio of 12.5 hp/t of the machine attests to its poor off-road mobility, well below the standards of the time, however its long-travel suspension, made up of leaf springs, gives it mobility satisfactory on the road. In fact, Steyr developed a vehicle tailored for urban operations, with symmetric body helping the vehicle to maneuver quickly and retreat without having to turn around.

Numers built: 52

Length: 6,26 m

Width: 2,16 m

Height: 2,56 m

Weight: 12 tons

Crew: 7 later 6

Armor: 11 mm

Turret armament: 1x20mm Solothurn S-18/300 later 20mm KwK 35 L/45 (with 100 rounds) – 1x7.9 mm Schwarzlose MG 07/12 later 1×7,92mm MG34

Body armament: 2x8mm Solthurm MG30 later 2×7.92mm MG34

Engine: Austro-Daimler M612, 6-cylinder, 12 litre
150 hp (110 kW)

Range : 450 km

Maximum speed : 70 km/h