OA vz.27
Encyclopedia
The OA vz. 27 was a Czechoslovak
-designed armored car used by Nazi Germany
, Slovakia, and Romania
during World War II
. Fifteen were built, of which the Germans seized nine when they occupied Bohemia-Moravia
in March 1939 and the Slovaks captured three when they declared independence from Czechoslovakia at the same time. Romania acquired three when Czech troops sought refuge in Romania after the Hungarian invasion of Carpatho-Ukraine
that same month. All were used for training or internal security duties during the war.
water-cooled machine gun was mounted in the center of the rear hull with 72° of traverse. The crew accessed the fighting compartment from doors in both sides of the vehicle and a hatch in the turret. The gunner sat in a small, conical turret with 360° of traverse. It had an observation port in the front, vision slits on both sides and an armored searchlight on a swing arm in the rear. The turret had a Schwarzlose MG vz. 07/24 machine gun in a forward-facing ball mount and two other ball mounts were fitted on the sides of the turret. A ZB vz. 26 light machine gun was carried inside the vehicle. 5750 rounds were stored for the machine guns. The body had an internal frame of steel "angle iron" beams to which 5.5 mm (0.216535433070866 in) armor plates were riveted.
The 5.7 litres (347.6 cu in), water-cooled, 60 hp, 4-cylinder Škoda gasoline engine was mounted in the front of the vehicle. It gave a top speed of 35 kilometres per hour (21.7 mph). It could cross a ditch 0.4 metres (1.3 ft) wide, climb an obstacle 0.2 metre (0.656167979002625 ft) high and ford a stream 0.3 metre (0.984251968503937 ft) deep.
The PA-III was intended to be smaller, more mobile and less expensive than its predecessors. Flat armor plates replaced the curved armor of the PA-II and a turret was reintroduced. One prototype was bought in 1925 with an iron body and evaluated for two years before it was accepted in July 1927. Twelve chassis had already been delivered in 1925 while the Army tried to decide the best layout of the body, but it took almost another two years before the last OA vz. 27, as the Army designated the P-III, was delivered in October 1929.
and the remaining nine to the cavalry, but this changed during the reorganization of the armored units in the mid-Thirties. The 1st Armored Regiment received an additional three for a total of nine while the 2nd Armored Regiment in Olomouc
got three as did the 3rd Armored Regiment in Turčiansky Svätý Martin
. The OA vz. 27s were heavily used suppressing the protests and violence instigated by Konrad Henlein
's Sudeten German Party (Sudetendeutsche Partei - SdP) and the Sudetendeutsche Freikorps (paramilitary groups trained in Germany by SS
-instructors) between May and October 1938. After the Munich Agreement
one platoon of OA vz. 27s were sent to reinforce Slovakia and Ruthenia where they were used to repel Hungarian and Polish border-crossers, sometimes up to a battalion in strength. One platoon of three vehicles defended Carpatho-Ukraine
in March 1939 from Hungarian attacks, but were forced to seek refuge in Romania and Slovakia acquired three when it declared independence in March 1939.
, but nothing is known of their service (if any).
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
-designed armored car used by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, Slovakia, and Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Fifteen were built, of which the Germans seized nine when they occupied Bohemia-Moravia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
in March 1939 and the Slovaks captured three when they declared independence from Czechoslovakia at the same time. Romania acquired three when Czech troops sought refuge in Romania after the Hungarian invasion of Carpatho-Ukraine
Carpatho-Ukraine
Carpatho-Ukraine was an autonomous region within Czechoslovakia from late 1938 to March 15, 1939. It declared itself an independent republic on March 15, 1939, but was occupied by Hungary between March 15 and March 18, 1939, remaining under Hungarian control until the Nazi occupation of Hungary in...
that same month. All were used for training or internal security duties during the war.
Description
The OA vz. 27's armored body was mounted on a purpose-built ladder frame chassis. The chassis design was unusual as it could be driven in both directions as it had both forward and rear drivers. Both axles could be driven and steered, but not at the same time as the reverser lever controlled the direction of travel and which axle was being used so it was not a true four-wheel drive design. . The forward driver sat on the right side using a observation port protected by an armored shutter with a vision slit. The assistant driver sat on the left and had his own vision port. The rear driver sat on the vehicle's left side. A heavy Schwarzlose MG vz. 07/24Schwarzlose MG M.07/12
The Maschinengewehr Patent Schwarzlose M.07/12 was a medium machine-gun, and was used as a standard issue firearm in the Austro-Hungarian Army throughout World War I. It was also used by the Dutch, Greek and Hungarian armies during World War II...
water-cooled machine gun was mounted in the center of the rear hull with 72° of traverse. The crew accessed the fighting compartment from doors in both sides of the vehicle and a hatch in the turret. The gunner sat in a small, conical turret with 360° of traverse. It had an observation port in the front, vision slits on both sides and an armored searchlight on a swing arm in the rear. The turret had a Schwarzlose MG vz. 07/24 machine gun in a forward-facing ball mount and two other ball mounts were fitted on the sides of the turret. A ZB vz. 26 light machine gun was carried inside the vehicle. 5750 rounds were stored for the machine guns. The body had an internal frame of steel "angle iron" beams to which 5.5 mm (0.216535433070866 in) armor plates were riveted.
The 5.7 litres (347.6 cu in), water-cooled, 60 hp, 4-cylinder Škoda gasoline engine was mounted in the front of the vehicle. It gave a top speed of 35 kilometres per hour (21.7 mph). It could cross a ditch 0.4 metres (1.3 ft) wide, climb an obstacle 0.2 metre (0.656167979002625 ft) high and ford a stream 0.3 metre (0.984251968503937 ft) deep.
Development
The OA vz. 27 was the third in a line of Škoda armored cars that used the same revolutionary chassis design. The PA-I introduced the two driver concept, but it had four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering and a turret with two machine guns. Only two prototypes were built before the army asked for further improvements. The PA-II kept the same chassis, but dropped the turret in a completely new body design with curved plates that mounted a machine gun in each corner of the vehicle. The curved armor was very good ballistically, but was quite expensive to manufacture. Twelve were ordered, but the cramped fighting compartment and lack of space for both gunners to man their weapons simultaneously meant that the army was still not satisfied.The PA-III was intended to be smaller, more mobile and less expensive than its predecessors. Flat armor plates replaced the curved armor of the PA-II and a turret was reintroduced. One prototype was bought in 1925 with an iron body and evaluated for two years before it was accepted in July 1927. Twelve chassis had already been delivered in 1925 while the Army tried to decide the best layout of the body, but it took almost another two years before the last OA vz. 27, as the Army designated the P-III, was delivered in October 1929.
Czechoslovakia
In service they proved to be robust, easy to maintain and easy to shoot as optical sights had been added for the machine guns. The main drawback was their excessive weight and very high cost. Six were initially assigned to the Armored Regiment in MiloviceMilovice
Milovice may refer to several Czech villages:* Milovice * Milovice u Hořic* Milovice * Milovice...
and the remaining nine to the cavalry, but this changed during the reorganization of the armored units in the mid-Thirties. The 1st Armored Regiment received an additional three for a total of nine while the 2nd Armored Regiment in Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
got three as did the 3rd Armored Regiment in Turčiansky Svätý Martin
Martin, Slovakia
Martin is a city in northern Slovakia, situated on the Turiec river, between the Malá Fatra and Veľká Fatra mountains, near the city of Žilina. The population numbers approximately 58,000, which makes it the eighth largest city in Slovakia...
. The OA vz. 27s were heavily used suppressing the protests and violence instigated by Konrad Henlein
Konrad Henlein
Konrad Ernst Eduard Henlein was a leading pro-Nazi ethnic German politician in Czechoslovakia and leader of Sudeten German separatists...
's Sudeten German Party (Sudetendeutsche Partei - SdP) and the Sudetendeutsche Freikorps (paramilitary groups trained in Germany by SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
-instructors) between May and October 1938. After the Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
one platoon of OA vz. 27s were sent to reinforce Slovakia and Ruthenia where they were used to repel Hungarian and Polish border-crossers, sometimes up to a battalion in strength. One platoon of three vehicles defended Carpatho-Ukraine
Carpatho-Ukraine
Carpatho-Ukraine was an autonomous region within Czechoslovakia from late 1938 to March 15, 1939. It declared itself an independent republic on March 15, 1939, but was occupied by Hungary between March 15 and March 18, 1939, remaining under Hungarian control until the Nazi occupation of Hungary in...
in March 1939 from Hungarian attacks, but were forced to seek refuge in Romania and Slovakia acquired three when it declared independence in March 1939.
Germany
The Germans seized nine in March 1939 when they occupied Bohemia-MoraviaGerman occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
, but nothing is known of their service (if any).