Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30
Encyclopedia
The Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30 (also Schützenpanzer 12-3) was a German
infantry fighting vehicle
developed during the 1950s. It was a Swiss
Hispano-Suiza
design, with a Rolls-Royce
engine. After some early mechanical problems only some 2000 were built of the 10,000 planned. It was armed with a 20 mm cannon which was an unusually powerful weapon for an armoured personnel carrier of the period but, on the other hand, it had many flaws and drawbacks. Its construction was followed by a great political scandal in West Germany in the 1960s. 2176 SPz 12-3 and variants were built until 1962, for which the German government paid 517 million DM, or about 238,000 DM per vehicle. The SPz 12-3 was first deployed in 1958 and was replaced by the Marder
infantry fighting vehicle from 1971.
, the SPz 12-3 could not float, but as German doctrine envisaged the SPz 12-3 as a component of tank operations, this was not seen as a grave disadvantage since the tanks also lacked such capability.
The SPz 12-3 mounted a small turret with a Hispano-Suiza HS.820
20 mm autocannon
and a 15x15 periscopic sight. The role of the 20 mm autocannon in German doctrine was to engage helicopters, antitank weapons, and light armored vehicles, thus freeing tanks to concentrate their fire against other tanks. Even with the turret, the SPz 12-3 was fully two feet lower in height than the M113 - no small advantage on an armored battlefield. The vehicle had an on-board supply of 2,000 rounds of 20 mm ammunition. Frontal armor provided protection against 20 mm projectiles, which was stronger than comparable vehicles of other nations. The additional armor made the SPz 12-3 four tons heavier than the M113, even though the SPz could only carry half as many troops. For the squad members to fire their personal weapons while mounted, roof hatches had to be opened with the soldiers sticking up out of the hatches. The Germans considered this a significant disadvantage as their likely opponent, the Soviet army
, was expected to use chemical agents in any war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
Despite the German army's insistence on a true infantry fighting vehicle rather than just an armored personnel carrier, the Panzergrenadier
brigades included an infantry battalion that was carried initially on trucks and later with M113 APC's. This force composition likely resulted as much from cost considerations as it did from doctrine that called for one third of the Panzergrenadiere to be a motorized force.
The motor was too small, having been designed to support a nine ton vehicle and not the 14.6 tons of the SPz 12-3. Additionally, the motor could only be accessed from underneath the vehicle which meant the vehicle had to be brought to an area with maintenance pits in order for engine work to take place.
Starting in 1974, the Marder IFV
replaced the SPz 12-3 in German armored infantry units. Peru received around 20 SPz 12-3's during the 1970s. Finally, some SPz 12-3's were used as armored targets on gunnery ranges.
and Deutsches Panorama (a news magazine that was published in Germany during 1966-67). These investigations revealed that key personnel associated with the procurement of the SPz 12-3 had accepted bribes as high as 2.3 million Deutschmarks (DM). Other witnesses asserted the Christian Democratic Union
political party received campaign donations totaling some 50 million DM as a result of its support for SPz 12-3 procurement. The scandal resulted in a parliamentary committee of inquiry into the affair in 1967, with the scandal being known in Germany as the HS-30 Skandal.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
infantry fighting vehicle
Infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...
developed during the 1950s. It was a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza was a Spanish automotive and engineering firm, best known for its luxury cars and aviation engines in the pre-World War II period of the twentieth century. In 1923, its French subsidiary became a semi-autonomous partnership with the parent company and is now part of the French SAFRAN...
design, with a Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
engine. After some early mechanical problems only some 2000 were built of the 10,000 planned. It was armed with a 20 mm cannon which was an unusually powerful weapon for an armoured personnel carrier of the period but, on the other hand, it had many flaws and drawbacks. Its construction was followed by a great political scandal in West Germany in the 1960s. 2176 SPz 12-3 and variants were built until 1962, for which the German government paid 517 million DM, or about 238,000 DM per vehicle. The SPz 12-3 was first deployed in 1958 and was replaced by the Marder
Marder (IFV)
The Marder is a German infantry fighting vehicle operated by the German Army as the main weapon of the Panzergrenadiere from the 1970s through the present day. Developed as part of the rebuilding of Germany's armoured fighting vehicle industry, the Marder has proven to be a successful and solid...
infantry fighting vehicle from 1971.
Design and doctrine
Rejecting American doctrine that an armored personnel carrier should serve as a "battle taxi" and not as an assault vehicle, the Germans developed the SPz 12-3 as a vehicle to fight alongside tanks and from which their armored infantry could fight from under cover. The German military came to this decision as a result of its Second World War experience with Panzergrenadiere (armored infantry). German doctrine saw the SPz 12-3 as part of the squad's equipment and the squad was trained to fight with the vehicle in both the offense and the defense. Unlike the American M113M113 armored personnel carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
, the SPz 12-3 could not float, but as German doctrine envisaged the SPz 12-3 as a component of tank operations, this was not seen as a grave disadvantage since the tanks also lacked such capability.
Hispano-Suiza HS.820
The Hispano-Suiza HS.820 was a 20 mm autocannon developed primarily for aircraft use, but more widely used in a series of ground-based anti-aircraft guns...
20 mm autocannon
Autocannon
An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...
and a 15x15 periscopic sight. The role of the 20 mm autocannon in German doctrine was to engage helicopters, antitank weapons, and light armored vehicles, thus freeing tanks to concentrate their fire against other tanks. Even with the turret, the SPz 12-3 was fully two feet lower in height than the M113 - no small advantage on an armored battlefield. The vehicle had an on-board supply of 2,000 rounds of 20 mm ammunition. Frontal armor provided protection against 20 mm projectiles, which was stronger than comparable vehicles of other nations. The additional armor made the SPz 12-3 four tons heavier than the M113, even though the SPz could only carry half as many troops. For the squad members to fire their personal weapons while mounted, roof hatches had to be opened with the soldiers sticking up out of the hatches. The Germans considered this a significant disadvantage as their likely opponent, the Soviet army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
, was expected to use chemical agents in any war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
Despite the German army's insistence on a true infantry fighting vehicle rather than just an armored personnel carrier, the Panzergrenadier
Panzergrenadier
is a German term for motorised or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austria, Chile, Germany and Switzerland.-Forerunners:...
brigades included an infantry battalion that was carried initially on trucks and later with M113 APC's. This force composition likely resulted as much from cost considerations as it did from doctrine that called for one third of the Panzergrenadiere to be a motorized force.
The SPz 12-3 and its contemporaries
| Vehicle | Main Weapon | Frontal Armor | Height | Infantry carried |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPz 12-3 | 20 mm HS-820 Hispano-Suiza HS.820 The Hispano-Suiza HS.820 was a 20 mm autocannon developed primarily for aircraft use, but more widely used in a series of ground-based anti-aircraft guns... |
30 mm at 45° | 1.85 m | 5 |
| AMX VCI AMX-VCI The AMX-VCI is one of the many variants of the French AMX-13 light tank. It was the front line APC of the French Army until replaced by the AMX-10P.- History :... |
12.7 mm M2 HMG | 15 mm at 45° | 2.1 m | 10 |
| M113 M113 Armored Personnel Carrier The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S... |
12.7 mm M2 HMG | 38 mm aluminium Aluminium Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances.... at 45° |
2.5 m | 11 |
| BTR-50P BTR-50 The BTR-50 The BTR-50 The BTR-50 (BTR stands for Bronetransporter (БТР, Бронетранспортер, literally "armored transporter") is a Soviet amphibious armored personnel carrier (APC) based on the PT-76 light tank. The BTR-50 is tracked, unlike most in the BTR series, which are wheeled. The BTR-50... |
7.62 mm SGMB MG | 11 mm steel at 60° | 1.97 m | 20 |
| FV432 FV432 The FV432 is the armoured personnel carrier variant of the British Army's FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles. Since its introduction in the 1960s it has been the most common variant, being used for transporting infantry on the battlefield... |
7.62 mm FN MAG FN MAG The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the... |
12.7 mm steel | 2.28 m | 10 |
Reliability issues and service period
Because of a short development period, teething issues dominated the reputation of the SPz 12-3 in its early years. Problems were found with the motor, cooling system, transmission, and suspension. These problems were corrected by the mid-1960s and the SPz 12-3 remained in German service until the early 1980s, with its last duty being with reserve units.The motor was too small, having been designed to support a nine ton vehicle and not the 14.6 tons of the SPz 12-3. Additionally, the motor could only be accessed from underneath the vehicle which meant the vehicle had to be brought to an area with maintenance pits in order for engine work to take place.
Starting in 1974, the Marder IFV
Marder (IFV)
The Marder is a German infantry fighting vehicle operated by the German Army as the main weapon of the Panzergrenadiere from the 1970s through the present day. Developed as part of the rebuilding of Germany's armoured fighting vehicle industry, the Marder has proven to be a successful and solid...
replaced the SPz 12-3 in German armored infantry units. Peru received around 20 SPz 12-3's during the 1970s. Finally, some SPz 12-3's were used as armored targets on gunnery ranges.
Scandal
The reliability issues and the initial order for 10,000 vehicles (far above the needs of the Bundeswehr) led to investigative reporting by the Frankfurter RundschauFrankfurter Rundschau
The Frankfurter Rundschau is a German daily newspaper, based in Frankfurt am Main. It is published every day but Sunday as a city, two regional and one nationwide issues and offers an online edition as well as an e-paper...
and Deutsches Panorama (a news magazine that was published in Germany during 1966-67). These investigations revealed that key personnel associated with the procurement of the SPz 12-3 had accepted bribes as high as 2.3 million Deutschmarks (DM). Other witnesses asserted the Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
political party received campaign donations totaling some 50 million DM as a result of its support for SPz 12-3 procurement. The scandal resulted in a parliamentary committee of inquiry into the affair in 1967, with the scandal being known in Germany as the HS-30 Skandal.
Variants
- Schützenpanzer lang, Gruppe. The standard IFV.
- Schützenpanzer lang, FüFu. Command and control version.
- Schützenpanzer lang, LGS M40A1. Antitank version with 106 mm M40A1 recoilless rifleM40 recoilless rifleThe M40 recoilless rifle was a lightweight, portable, crew-served 105 mm weapon intended primarily as an anti-tank weapon made in the United States...
. - Schützenpanzer lang, Panzermörser. Self propelled mortar version. Initially fitted with an 81 mm mortar and later with a 120mm mortar.
- Schützenpanzer lang, Feuerleitpanzer. Artillery forward observer version.
- Raketenjagdpanzer 1Raketenjagdpanzer 1The Raketenjagdpanzer 1 was an anti-tank guided missile-armed tank destroyer and was the first such vehicle in service with the West German Armed Forces and began service with them in 1961. It was built on the chassis of the Hispano-Suiza HS-30 which was also used on the Schützenpanzer SPz 12-3,...
. Version with SS-11 antitank guided missiles.
Sources
- Haworth, W. Blair. The Bradley and How It Got That Way, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999. ISBN 0313309744.
- Foss, Christopher (ed.) Jane's Armour and Artillery 1981-82, Jane's Publishing Company Limited, 1981. ISBN 071060727X.