Kfz 13

The Kfz 13 (also in German: Maschinengewehr-Kraftwagen) was the first armoured reconnaissance vehicle introduced by the Reichswehr after the First World War and, by 1935, 147 units of this lightly armoured vehicle had been delivered to the fleet. The Kfz 13 was based on a civilian car, the Adler Standard 6. Although the Kfz 13 was equipped with all-wheel drive, the vehicle had poor cross-country capability. The unarmed version, the Kfz 14 communications vehicle, was equipped with a radio set instead of the machine gun.

Kfz 13
The Kfz 13 during a re-enactment of the Battle of Mława, 2012
Type	Armoured car
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	1933–1941
Used by	Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Manufacturer	Daimler-Benz
Produced	1932–35
No. built	187
Variants	Kfz 14
Specifications
Mass	2,1 t
Length	4.2 m
Width	1.7 m
Crew	2 (Kfz 13) 3 (Kfz 14)
Armor	8 mm
Main armament	MG 13, later MG 34 with 1,000 rounds of ammunition
Engine	Water-cooled six cylinder inline engine from the Adler "Standard 6" with a capacity of 2,916 cm³ 51 hp
Fuel capacity	70 litres (15 imp gal)
Operational range	380 km
Maximum speed	70 km/h (road)

Kfz 13 (left)

Left: a Kfz 13; right: an armoured Sd.Kfz. 232 with large loop antenna (6-wheeled radio and command vehicle)

The Kfz 13 was deployed in the Invasion of Poland and the Battle of France. It was retired from active service in 1941 and only used thereafter for training purposes.