Guide to Art-SPG of the fourth level Sturmpanzer II WoT from aces.gg

Good day everyone and welcome to aces.gg! Today we have in the spotlight another terrible and very dangerous creation of the Wehrmacht, the German Art-SPG of the fourth level, before you Sturmpanzer II guide

.

Of course, it would be wrong to call this unit absolutely strong, because every car in our favorite game has both strengths and weaknesses. For this reason, to successfully play Sturmpanzer II WoT

, you need to know as much as possible about the self-propelled gun, and now we will look at its characteristics in detail, equip it and decide on tactics.

TTX Sturmpanzer II

First of all, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that our German has a good SPG by Art-SPG standards, but overall a very small margin of safety, as well as poor basic visibility of 255 meters.

In terms of protection, the Sturmpanzer II has the characteristics

reservations are generally weak, but there are classmates who are much more vulnerable. The weakest point in our armor is the 15-mm cardboard cut-out, which can be penetrated by everyone, and land mines “enter” here with full damage.

But if we talk about the hull, in the frontal projection of the German Sturmpanzer II tank

boasts a 31-mm NLD, which is reinforced in places with welded-on 5-mm tracks. Such armor can protect against some machine gun-type weapons and not too serious landmines, but overall it is quite mediocre.

If we talk about the side projection, here our car is more than cardboard, however, as is the case from the stern.

Unfortunately, the armor of the Art SPG Sturmpanzer II World of Tanks

aggravated by very large dimensions. However, our silhouette is still low, so the camouflage is quite decent, but at the same time it won’t be difficult to hit us, because the body is very long and wide.

In terms of performance, the Sturmpanzer II tank

became the owner of a truly high maximum speed, but it is greatly let down by the frankly weak dynamics, and it is also extremely easy to spin us, because maneuverability in our case is also frankly poor.

Scout cats

Discontinued in July 1942, the
Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F became, in fact, the last light tanks produced in Germany in the traditional sense of the term. However, combat vehicles of this type were produced in the Third Reich and later. We are talking about reconnaissance tanks, whose functions are similar to reconnaissance armored vehicles. Even the German term Panzerkampfwagen (“tank”) was not used in relation to such vehicles. This article will focus on the German wartime reconnaissance tanks Gefechtsaufklärer Leopard , Pz.Sp.Wg.II Ausf.MAN Luchs and Aufklärungspanzer 38(t)
, none of which
ever became truly widespread.

With double tower

The developers of German light tanks were largely behind the creators of middle-class vehicles in the matter of dividing the responsibilities of crew members. La.S., aka Pz.Kpfw.I, was created as a two-seater tank. All tanks of this family were like this, including the Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.C and Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.F. The concept of the three-seat La.S.100, or Pz.Kpfw.II, also remained unchanged. Like the French tanks Renault D1 and SOMUA S 35, the increase in crew here was due to the radio operator sitting in the hull. Meanwhile, in the USSR, USA, Great Britain and Czechoslovakia, since the mid-30s, light tanks have been developed and produced with double turrets. The two-seat Soviet T-60 and T-70 stand apart here; these tanks appeared as a result of the emergency development of the T-40 amphibious reconnaissance tank, which the military looked askance at in the spring of 1941.

The first prototype of the VK 13.03 chassis, spring 1942

As for the Germans, a single-man turret for a light tank has long been considered the norm. The situation began to change only after the outbreak of World War II. As a result of the combat operations of the 2nd Light Division (one of two divisions armed with the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.D), the idea arose to develop a light reconnaissance tank. The vehicle was simply called in German - Einheits-Aufklärungsfahrzeug, that is, “single reconnaissance vehicle.” Such reconnaissance tanks were supposed to be included in tank and light divisions.

The official order from In.6 (Inspekteur für Heeresmotorisierung, inspection of motorized troops) for a “single reconnaissance vehicle” appeared on September 15, 1939, that is, even before the end of hostilities in Poland. According to the requirements included in the order, the Wehrmacht needed a tracked reconnaissance vehicle with high speed and good maneuverability. As the fighting in Poland showed, the German light tanks in service did not meet these requirements. The order also indicated the preference for using rubber-metal tracks, which performed quite well in tests. However, further work showed that such tracks, which showed excellent performance on half-track tractors, turned out to be far from the best choice for tanks, even light ones.

The first production Pz.Sp.Wg.II Ausf.MAN, September 1942. The vehicle has not yet received smoke bombs on the sides of the turret

The contract for the development of the reconnaissance tank chassis went to MAN, and the turret and turret box went to Daimler-Benz. The chassis was designated VK 13.01 (“fully tracked, 13-ton weight class, first type”). According to the specifications, the tank, which at that time had a combat weight of 11 tons, was supposed to reach a maximum speed of 70 km/h. The thickness of its armor was 30 mm in the frontal part and 20 mm on the sides. The armament consisted of the usual twin 20-mm automatic cannon and MG 34 machine gun. The difference was that the 2 cm KwK 38 received not a shortened, but a full-fledged barrel from the 2 cm Flak 38. This made it possible to slightly increase penetration. However, even with this weapon the VK 13.01 could not penetrate its own frontal armor.

MAN and the 6th Department of the Armament Department did not look for difficult paths: the VK 9.01 light tank was taken as the basis for the chassis. The power plant, gearbox, turning mechanisms and other components migrated to the VK 13.01 from a lighter car. At first, priority in development was given not to the VK 13.01, but to another machine - the VK 9.03. It appeared in the development program on June 22, 1940. It featured a 180-horsepower Maybach HL 66 engine and increased side armor thickness to 20 mm. The tank was supposed to be used in two versions - Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.H with a single turret from VK 9.01 (Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.G), as well as Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.M with a double turret, which was designed by Daimler- Benz for VK 13.01. The variant with a two-man turret was considered in the spring of 1941 for the role of Gefechtsaufklärungsfahrzeug, that is, a reconnaissance combat vehicle for tank regiments.

The same tank from the side

In July 1941, the first prototype of the VK 13.01 (aka Pz.Kpfw.II nA) entered testing. Unfortunately, no details about this car or images of it survive. We can only say that it did not achieve the expected characteristics. The contract for the production of 15 tanks of the zero series quickly went into oblivion. The development of this machine was supposed to be the VK 13.02, about which practically nothing is known. Perhaps the tank should have received a different engine and transmission.

Since August 1, 1941, another vehicle appears in the correspondence - VK 13.03. This tank received its power plant and transmission elements from the VK 9.03. However, a forced version of the HL 66 P engine with 200 horsepower was also mentioned. The maximum speed requirement was reduced to 60 km/h. The armament and turret were preserved unchanged. It was planned to produce a series of 250 tanks of this type.

The hatch at the rear of the turret is visible from the rear.

Realizing that the development of a reconnaissance tank could be delayed, or even reach a dead end, the Armaments Department decided to play it safe. On July 31, 1940, the specification for the tank was sent to the BMM and Škoda factories. Czech companies were required to create a reconnaissance tank with a combat weight of 10.5 tons and a maximum speed of 60 km/h. Each company had to produce 5 tanks. Škoda was the first to succeed, building a prototype Pz.Kpfw.T-15 in October 1941. In December 1941, BMM presented a prototype of the Pz.Kpfw.38(t)nA. The first prototype of the VK 13.03 appeared in early 1942. The VK 13.03, which was called Pz.Sp.Wg.II Ausf.MAN in March 1942, did not fit into the 10.5 tons weight. The actual combat weight of the tank was 11.8 tons. For comparison, the Pz.Kpfw.38(t) nA (aka Pz.Sp.Wg.II Ausf.BMM) had a combat weight of 11.5 tons, and the Pz.Kpfw.T-15 (aka Pz.Sp.Wg .II Ausf. Škoda) turned out to be even lighter - 10.8 tons.

Inside the fighting compartment

MAN's brainchild turned out to be the longest, had the weakest engine, and in terms of speed characteristics it looked no better than its competitors. However, the results of joint tests, which began on March 16, 1942, were not in favor of the Czech reconnaissance tanks. On June 26, a report was prepared according to which the Pz.Sp.Wg.II Ausf.MAN was recognized as the winner. During this time, the tank covered 2,484 kilometers. It was noted that the car had good handling, but there was a danger of skidding on the slippery road. Despite the weaker armament than its competitors, the Pz.Sp.Wg.II Ausf.MAN was considered the most successful in this regard. The fact is that the internal volumes of its turret turned out to be the largest, which was very important for a reconnaissance tank. Also, the Pz.Sp.Wg.II Ausf.MAN had the highest ground clearance and the longest range. The test results finally opened the way to mass production.

Overgrown Scout

By the end of 1941, the VK 13.03 was not the only reconnaissance tank being developed by MAN. In mid-1941, the company received the task of developing a larger reconnaissance tank, which received the designation VK 16.02(M). This was already the second tank with a similar designation: previously, the “paper” variation of the light assault tank, better known as the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.J, was designated VK 16.02. The basis for its creation was to take the VK 20.02 (M) medium tank. The new vehicle also evolved simultaneously with the VK 20.02 (M): after familiarizing itself with the T-34 in the fall of 1941, it was decided to give its hull armor plates rational angles of inclination.

A preliminary design and a wooden model of the redesigned VK 16.02 chassis were demonstrated at the end of November 1941. The vehicle was distinguished by a very high level of armor protection: the thickness of the front plate was 80 mm, and the sides were 60 mm, that is, in this parameter it was equivalent to the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.J, VK 36.01 and VK 30.01(P). The difference is that these sheets were at rational angles of inclination. The 400-horsepower Maybach HL 100 engine was supposed to be used as a power plant. Since the development of the VK 20.02 (M) in the same direction was a higher priority, the 6th Department of the Armaments Department decided to transfer the development of the VK 16.02 (M) to MIAG Mühlenbau und Industrie Aktiengesellschaft .

A slightly modified turret for the VK 16.02 later appeared on the Sd.Kfz.234/2 armored vehicle, better known as the Puma

The contract for the manufacture of the turret for the VK 16.02(M) was awarded to Daimler-Benz. The turret development work was led by Herbert Kunze, the leading turret design engineer at Daimler-Benz Werk 40. Structurally, the turret strongly overlapped with the developments for the turret of the VK 30.01(D) medium tank, which, in turn, was strongly influenced by the design of the turret of the Soviet T-34 tank. The turret had to be radically changed compared to previous developments, among other things, because it had to accommodate not only two people, but also a 50-mm KwK 39 L/60 cannon. To do this, it was necessary to significantly increase the diameter of the shoulder strap, and this also affected the shape of the tower. Like the hull, it received rational angles of inclination of the armor plates. The gun mount received movable armor, which, due to its characteristic shape, received the nickname Topfblende, that is, “potty mask.”

This is what VK 16.02 was at the end of November 1941

At MIAG, the work was led by senior design engineer Wolf. By the spring of 1942, VK ​​16.02(M) received a different designation. Like some other developments, the car was given an “animal” name. Now it was called Gefechtsaufklärer Leopard, that is, “combat reconnaissance Leopard.” According to documentation provided by MIAG on June 4, 1942, the Leopard's combat weight was 26 tons. There was also a lightweight version of the design, but Hitler rejected it, believing that thick armor was needed for a tank of this class.

For those who see here yet another proof of Hitler’s madness, it is worth recalling the American Light Tank T7, which, as a result of constant strengthening of armor and armament, “recovered” from the design 12.7 tons to almost 25. And a year later the same applies to light tanks They also began to study at the Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army (GBTU KA). In the USSR, it came to the project of a light tank with a combat weight of 25 tons and an 85 mm caliber gun. True, it is worth noting that the Soviet and American military demanded from their designers a light tank, and not a reconnaissance vehicle.

On July 27, 1942, MIAG demonstrated a modified version of the tank. In general, its appearance remained the same as that of the VK 16.02 (M) of the November 1941 model. But there were also differences. The diameter of the road wheels increased to 960 mm, and it was planned to use larger sloths. The protrusions characteristic of the VK 20.02(M) in the frontal part of the hull have been preserved, which were removed on the VK 30.02(M).

Reconstruction of the appearance of the Gefechtsaufklärer Leopard

MIAG continued to work on a lighter version of the Leopard, which had 60 mm thick front plates and 40 mm thick sides. However, in September 1942, Hitler finally rejected this option. It was assumed that the first tanks would go into production in April 1943, and by October 20 vehicles would be produced per month.

Meanwhile, tankers demanded not so much a well-armored, but a fast reconnaissance tank. On October 13, 1942, at a meeting with Hitler’s participation, it was decided to put a lighter version of the machine into production. According to the first calculations, it was supposed to have a combat weight of about 18 tons, but later it “heavier” to 21.9 tons. The Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.L, which had the same armament, weighed almost the same. The Gefechtsaufklärer Leopard was to be powered by a 550-horsepower Maybach HL 157 engine. The transmission included a Maybach OG 55 11 77 semi-automatic gearbox and a multi-stage turning mechanism. It was expected that the tank would reach a maximum speed of 60 km/h on the highway and 30 km/h on the country road. The power reserve looked impressive - 500 kilometers on the highway and 300 on the country road. The design of the chassis as a whole remained unchanged, but later, instead of 650 mm wide tracks, it was decided to use 660x150 mm tracks, the same as on the Pz.Kpfw. Panther. In the final version, the thickness of the frontal plates of the hull and turret was reduced to 50 mm, and the sides to 30 mm.

Full size mockup of Gerät 5–1028. This is the only car from the VK 16.02 family of which at least some photographs have survived

Simultaneously with the work on the Gefechtsaufklärer Leopard, work began on the development of self-propelled guns on the same base. The first of these was the tank destroyer Sturmgeschütz auf Leopard (L/70). Alas, apart from the mention, no other materials on it have survived. But photographs of a full-size mock-up of the Gerät 5-1028 self-propelled gun have been preserved. It, like the Sturmgeschütz auf Leopard (L/70), was designed by Rheinmetall-Borsig employees. On a slightly modified Leopard chassis, a turret with bulletproof armor was installed, which housed a 105 mm leFH 43 howitzer. The rear part of the turret could be partially folded out, which made the crew's work easier. In addition, the designers abandoned rational angles of inclination of the hull sides. Moreover, the sides here could be folded to the side, forming a large platform. The result was a self-propelled light howitzer, which had a circular firing sector and had high maneuverability.

Yuri Bakhurin

/

German "lynx" in a British "zoo"

Light reconnaissance tank Luchs on display at the Bovington Tank Museum

• WWII
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But on January 3, 1943, Hitler personally deleted the Leopard from the tank program. It became clear that the Wehrmacht did not need a scout with such dimensions. This, however, did not stop the Germans from trying to design reconnaissance tanks based on the Pz.Kpfw.Panther.

Contrary to the speculations of some authors, work on Leopard and machines based on them has not progressed beyond mock-ups. The information about the VK 16.02 from Daimler-Benz is complete nonsense. This is probably how someone interpreted the information that Daimler-Benz was designing a turret for a reconnaissance tank.

Changed specification for Pz.Sp.Wg.II Ausf.MAN, which includes a Daimler-Benz turret for VK 16.02

The development of the Gefechtsaufklärer Leopard also influenced the Pz.Sp.Wg.II Ausf.MAN project, which also received the designation Luchs (“lynx”) in the spring of 1942. On July 1, a contract was signed for the production of 800 such tanks, including 100 with a 2 cm KwK 38 (Luchs 2 cm) cannon. Starting in April 1943, the Luchs 5 cm, which had the same turret as the Leopard, was to go into production.

Reconstruction of the appearance of the Pz.Sp.Wg.II Ausf.MAN with the VK 16.02 turret

It never even got to the point of manufacturing a prototype Luchs 5 cm. Firstly, a heavier turret would add a couple of extra tons of combat mass. Secondly, it blocked the hatches of the control compartment and partly access to the engine compartment. Finally, there was simply no point in such a turret, since the 50-mm gun was not powerful enough. Nevertheless, this “splinter” of the Leopard program still went into production. A slightly reduced turret was installed on Sd.Kfz.234/2 armored cars.

The most interesting thing is that Herbert Kunze, who created this turret, still waited for the appearance of the production Leopard tank with “his own” turret. He is one of the developers of the Leopard 2 main tank turret.

Serial production without much success

The reconnaissance tank adopted by the German army received the end-to-end designation Sd.Kfz.123. They were also given the designation Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.L, which, however, was only used on plates with registration numbers. In correspondence these vehicles were designated as Pz.Sp.Wg.II, or Panzerspähwagen II. The designation Luchs was also used, but less frequently.

This was the Luchs 2 cm from October 1942 to May 1943. A vehicle from the 2nd company of the 4th reconnaissance battalion of the 4th tank division. This can be easily determined by the screen on the front plate of the body

According to contract No. 210/1901/41 concluded on July 1, 1942, MAN manufactured 100 Luchs 2 cm reconnaissance tanks. Further, as mentioned above, it was planned to build 700 Luchs 5 cm, but it was decided to abandon this idea in early February 1943. In theory, 100 Luchs 2 cm should have been produced by April 1943, but in practice their production was much slower. In September 1942, MAN delivered only 1 tank, in October 7, in November and December - 4 each. From January to April 1943, only 25 tanks were assembled, and in May they were not produced at all.

Tank from the 1st company of the 9th reconnaissance battalion of the 9th tank division. Late-release reconnaissance tanks looked similar

The reasons for such slow production should be sought, first of all, in the core activities of MAN. As already mentioned, the company worked on the VK 20.02(M) medium tank, which evolved into the VK 30.02(M), aka Pz.Kpfw.Panther. The priority of work on this vehicle was much higher, because here we were no longer talking about a reconnaissance tank, but about a new medium tank, which was to replace the Pz.Kpfw.III. Preparations for the production of the Pz.Kpfw.Panther Asus.D, as well as the release of this vehicle, were very difficult. It is not surprising that attention was paid to the production of Pz.Sp.Wg.II on a residual basis. Understanding the situation perfectly, the German Armaments Directorate decided not to burden MAN with unnecessary work.

The same car in front

And in the future, the production rate of Pz.Sp.Wg.II turned out to be extremely low. Only once, in July 1943, did the monthly production volume exceed 10 reconnaissance tanks. It is not surprising that the release of all 100 tanks took more than a year. Throughout 1943, 77 tanks of this type were delivered, and the last 7 vehicles left MAN in January 1944. At the same time, no attempts were even made to somehow speed up the production of the machine, which had been developed for almost 3 years and was born in terrible pain. There was simply nowhere to produce it. MIAG was already busy with work on the Pz.Kpfw.III program, and from February 1943 the plant switched to assembling the StuG 40 Ausf.G. In addition, the assembly of Jagdpanther tank destroyers began there in January 1944. Other factories also turned out to be busy producing products more important for wartime than the reconnaissance tank.

The canister mount on the side of the turret is clearly visible, a characteristic feature of the tanks of the 1st company of the 9th reconnaissance battalion of the 9th tank division

Despite the fact that the Pz.Sp.Wg.II series turned out to be scanty, the vehicle repeatedly underwent various changes during production. From October 1942, smoke grenade launchers appeared on the turret; they continued to be installed until the end of May 1943. Also in October, the tank received an engine heating system, important in the conditions of the Soviet-German front. Since December 1942, the aft hatch in the turret has become wider. In February 1943, KFF2 combat driving periscopes were no longer installed on tanks, although there were still holes for them. The last major alterations dated back to the summer of 1943, when the turning mechanisms were changed and the number of headlights was reduced to one.

The same tank from above

Luchs were supposed to go into service with special units - tank reconnaissance companies (Panzerspähkompanie b). The organizational structure of K.St.N.1162b was approved on January 10, 1943. According to it, one Luchs was listed in the company's control, another 28 pieces were distributed among 4 platoons. Also on staff were the Sd.Kfz.9 tow truck, 7 Sd.Kfz.2 half-track tractors and 4 Sd.Kfz.250/1 light half-track armored personnel carriers.

The extremely slow production of the Pz.Sp.Wg.II resulted in the first tank reconnaissance company assigned to the 9th Panzer Division reaching a state of partial combat readiness by March 21, 1943. The Luchs special company reached its full strength in May 1943, and then it went to the front. However, with all the desire, it was impossible to organize more than three such companies. In practice, things turned out to be even worse. Only two companies of the K.St.N.1162b staff were equipped to full strength. The second unit was the 2nd company of the 4th reconnaissance battalion, which was part of the 4th tank division. The remaining assembled vehicles either later went to the specified units for completion, or were distributed individually to other units. For example, 5 tanks ended up in the 4th Cavalry Brigade, 1 by December 30, 1944 ended up in the Hermann Goering division.

Another car from the same part

One of the few operations in which Pz.Sp.Wg.II participated in truly large numbers was Operation Citadel. During its course, by August 17, 1943, only 5 tanks remained in combat-ready condition in the 2nd tank reconnaissance company. By September 1, out of 29 vehicles in the company, 10 remained in one form or another. These tanks suffered losses not only from the fire of the Red Army: there were frequent complaints about the failure of the turning mechanisms. Similar problems were observed even before tanks began participating in hostilities, which is why the turning mechanisms were replaced in July 1943.

On September 26, 1943, the company was disbanded, and the remaining equipment was sent to the factory for overhaul. Not all tanks returned from it; some were written off. Later, the “Luchs company” was created again, and it reached a state of combat readiness by March 1944. This time it consisted of 25 tanks - 1 headquarters and 6 in each of the 4 platoons. These vehicles never reached the Eastern Front: the 1st company of the 9th reconnaissance battalion had been fighting in France since June 1944. Two tanks from its composition have survived to this day. One is kept in the Tank Museum Bovington, England, the second in the Musée des blindés de Saumur, France. The tank, preserved in France, is in running condition.

A characteristic feature of the tanks from the 9th Panzer Division, by which they can be easily identified, were the canister mounts on the sides of the turrets.

Tank from the 2nd company of the 4th reconnaissance battalion of the 4th tank division on the Eastern Front, early 1944

Tanks from the 2nd company of the 4th reconnaissance battalion of the 4th tank division served much longer. The company arrived on the Soviet-German front in September 1943. Soon, 4 tanks were blown up in minefields; later, some of them were restored. Unlike the scouts from the 9th Panzer Division, their colleagues from the 4th Panzer Division lasted much longer at the front. As of January 1, 1944, 22 Luchs were still operational. Retiring vehicles were gradually replaced by newly arrived tanks.

Tanks from the 4th Panzer Division are quite easy to distinguish by their characteristic details. A screen appeared on the front plate of the hull, which at the same time served as something like a spare parts box. Also, spare tracks appeared on the front plate. Despite the fact that the 4th Panzer Division fought quite actively, many reconnaissance tanks remained in its composition until the end of the war. As of July 1, 1944, there were 24 of them, 19 in October, 24 by the end of December and 16 in March 1945. Surprisingly, but true: despite the fact that more than half of the Luchs were “seen” on the Eastern Front, almost no information on these tanks was received by the GABTU.

Experimental tank based on VK 13.01 V 29

In conclusion, it is worth mentioning one rather mysterious machine. In addition to the first prototype VK 13.01, three more prototype tanks were built - V29, V30 and V31. One of them, V29, became a participant in experiments with new types of power plants. The hull design of this machine was quite different. Its armor plates were given rational angles of inclination, which is why the vehicle looked like a pocket Panther. The tower from VK 9.01 completed the picture. There was no talk of organizing mass production of this tank; it was a purely experimental vehicle.

The car received an enlarged engine compartment for the Tatra diesel engine

The main highlight of the redesigned VK 13.03 was the power plant. A V-shaped 12-cylinder air-cooled engine developed by Tatra was installed on the tank. Tatra V910 with a volume of 14.8 liters developed a power of 210 horsepower. This engine, developed for the Tatra 111 truck, was decided to be used for tanks and armored cars. During testing, which began in March 1944, the redesigned VK 13.03 had to travel 3,000 kilometers. But in May, when the suspension was broken, the run was interrupted.

The V910 engine was installed on armored cars of the Sd.Kfz.234 family. As for reconnaissance tanks, the latest activity of the Germans in this direction was recorded on the territory of the Czech Republic.

Forced measure from Bohemia

The keen desire of German companies to grab all the pieces of military orders at once backfired on them. It would have been wiser to use Czech enterprises to develop reconnaissance tanks, but in the summer of 1942 they did not think about it. For some time, the development program for the Pz.Kpfw.T-15 and Pz.Kpfw.38(t)nA continued by inertia, although there was no talk of mass production of these vehicles.

Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) prototype

The German leadership only began to realize that something was wrong with the reconnaissance tank program in the summer of 1943. In July, BMM received the task of developing a reconnaissance tank, and in September full-size mock-ups were presented. The reconnaissance vehicle, designated Aufklärungspanzer 38(t), was a converted chassis of the Marder III self-propelled gun. The highlight of the design was that the tanks were not built from scratch, but were converted from repair vehicles. Thanks to the installation of a Praga AE engine with 160 hp. the maximum speed of the vehicle, which had a combat weight of 9.5 tons, increased to 58 km/h. The power reserve was 250 kilometers. In a word, the result was the same Luchs, but simpler and cheaper.

The second version of the car, it did not go into production

The Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) was developed in two versions. The main version was supposed to be a reconnaissance tank, on which a 2 cm Hängelafette 38 turret mount was installed. It represented a special development of the turret mount from the Sd.Kfz.222 armored car. The 2 cm Hängelafette 38 was universal: it was installed on half-track armored reconnaissance vehicles Sd.Kfz.250/9 Ausf.B, as well as on heavy reconnaissance armored cars Sd.Kfz.234/1. Thanks to this unification, the construction of tanks was simplified. Of course, the protection of the 2 cm Hängelafette 38 was lower than that of the Luchs turret, but the main protection of the reconnaissance tank was its speed and dimensions. In terms of dimensions, by the way, the Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) turned out to be better than its counterpart: its height was 2120 mm, which was 10 cm lower than the Luchs. In addition, the car turned out to be more than 2 tons lighter.

Production sample of the Aufklärungspanzer 38(t)

The second version of the Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) turned out to be very exotic. Instead of a rotating turret, the vehicle received a semi-open wheelhouse, in which a 75-mm Kanone 51 L/24 short-barreled gun was installed. It was a 75-mm StuK L/24 cannon modified for installation on reconnaissance vehicles, used on StuG III self-propelled assault guns. A similar weapon was installed on the Sd.Kfz.234/3 armored vehicles, Sd.Kfz.250/8 Ausf.B reconnaissance armored personnel carriers, as well as later Sd.Kfz.251/9 infantry support armored personnel carriers. It is worth noting that BMM developed two variants of the Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) (7.5 cm), which differed in the shape of the frontal part of the hull, wheelhouse and gun mantlet.

The same car from above

After examining the mock-ups, it was decided to manufacture prototypes of the Aufklärungspanzer 38(t). Three vehicles were produced with serial numbers 3105, 3106 and 3107. The version with the 2 cm Hängelafette 38 was accepted into service, assigned the through index Sd.Kfz.140/1. In February 1944, 34 reconnaissance tanks were built (more precisely, converted from repair vehicles), and another 33 in March. The vehicles received serial numbers in the range 3105–3416. Then production ceased, as BMM began production of Jagdpanzer 38(t) tank destroyers. There was nowhere to produce a reconnaissance tank.

Aufklärungspanzer 38(t), captured by American forces

The built Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) were sent to two tank reconnaissance companies, formed according to the changed staff K.St.N.1162b. In April 1944, 25 tanks became part of the 2nd company of the reconnaissance battalion of the Grossdeutschland division. Another 25 tanks in September 1944 ended up as part of the 1st reconnaissance company of the 3rd tank reconnaissance battalion of the 3rd tank division. Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) served with this composition until the end of the war. At least one car turned out to be an American trophy, but has not survived to this day. These vehicles were also seen during the battles near Lake Balaton in Hungary.

The German program to provide troops with specialized reconnaissance tanks ended in complete failure. Just four full reconnaissance companies of two types of tanks is a drop in the ocean.

The author thanks Hilary L. Doyle for
providing illustrations for the article and assistance in preparing the publication
. Sources:

1. NARA Materials
2. BAMA materials
3. Panzer Tracts No. 2–2 — Panzerkampwagen II Ausf.G, H, J, L, and M development and production from 1938 to 1943, Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary Louis Doyle, 2007, ISBN 0–9771643–8–1
4. Panzer Tracts No. 20–2 Paper Panzers Aufklaerungs, Beobachtungs, and Flak-Panzer (Reconnaissance, Observation, and Anti-Aircraft), Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary Louis Doyle, 2002, ISBN 0–09708407–7–2
5. Marder III & Grille, Vladimir Francev, Charles K. Kliment, MBI, 2001, ISBN 80–902238–8–5
6. https://forum.valka.cz
7. Photo archive of the author
8. Hilary L. Doyle Archive

gun

Without further ado, it is clear that in terms of general characteristics this device is weak, but as it should be, the pride of artillery is its weapons, however, here, too, everything is not as good as we would like.

For starters, the Sturmpanzer II has a gun

, by the standards of other self-propelled guns-4, has a standard powerful one-time damage, but the rate of fire is unenviable, so in theory, you can deal about 1380 damage per minute.

Sturmpanzer II WoT penetration rates

received low ones, but thanks to the projectile’s hinged flight path, our land mines “enter” the enemy from above and in most cases the land mines cause very noticeable damage, and with the right amount of luck, classmates can be sent to the hangar with one shot.

It is also worth understanding that our land mines have a good radius of scattering fragments, and thanks to the large caliber of the gun, the Sturmpanzer II tank

can stun vehicles caught by our splash, temporarily reducing its characteristics.

From the point of view of accuracy, the news is disappointing, because the spread in our case is large, the convergence is long, and there is practically no stabilization at all, which is quite typical for artillery.

In terms of elevation and elevation angles, we have both good and bad news. The positive factor is that the Sturmpanzer II World of Tanks

became the owner of decent explosive weapons, the gun lowers by 4 degrees and rises by as much as 75, which is why we can “throw” our landmines over obstacles. But the UGN in our case is very inconvenient, because the gun rotates only 6.5 degrees in each direction, and this is very little.

ATTENTION! Outdated news format. There may be problems with the correct display of content.

The German entry-level self-propelled gun Sturmpanzer II uses the most powerful high-explosive fragmentation shells available in the War Thunder game.​

The 150 mm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf), or Sturmpanzer II, is a heavy German 150 mm sIG 33 infantry gun mounted on a modified Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) light tank chassis. The vehicle was intended to replace the Sturmpanzer I Bison self-propelled gun, which was too heavy and large.

Production began in 1941, with a total of 12 units produced. The weight of the self-propelled gun was 16 tons, and its 8-cylinder water-cooled petrol engine Büssing NAG typ GS with a volume of 7.9 liters allowed the tank to reach speeds of up to 45 km/h on the highway and up to 15 km/h over rough terrain. The maximum armor thickness reached 30 mm, the vehicle's armament consisted of a 150 mm sIG 33 howitzer, which was widely used as a heavy infantry weapon until the very end of World War II. All created vehicles were in service with the 707th and 708th infantry divisions. Some were lost in battle, the rest were used in the ranks of the Afrika Korps until the capture of Tunisia by Allied forces in May 1943.

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In War Thunder, this is one of the most powerful low-level self-propelled guns in the German ground forces branch. With this vehicle you will be able to quickly change position, deliver sudden attacks and defeat opponents even with the most powerful armor. She deserves your utmost attention. The low profile combined with the powerful 150mm howitzer is a serious threat to any enemy. In addition, the Sturmpanzer II uses the most powerful high-explosive fragmentation ammunition in War Thunder - the same as in the Brummbär self-propelled gun.

We should also not forget about the very weak armor and the fact that the Sturmpanzer II is not equipped with a roof. Even the lightest machine gun poses a mortal threat to this vehicle. A good tactic is to camouflage the tank with branches and take a position slightly away from the main combat zone. Use all the strengths of this machine and deliver insidious blows, destroy any enemy of your level with one shot.

Read more in the Development Diary section:

Advantages and disadvantages

In view of the fact that we have already analyzed the general characteristics of this self-propelled artillery mount and talked about its armament, it’s time to summarize all of the above, highlighting the most important advantages and disadvantages of the Sturmpanzer II WoT Art SPG

, and for clarity, let's break them down point by point. Pros: • Good safety margin for SAU-4; • High camouflage coefficient; • Excellent top speed; • Powerful one-time damage; • Serious air defense systems allow you to hit targets behind obstacles. Cons: • Poor viewing range; • Mediocre booking; • Poor mobility (dynamics and maneuverability); • Very low accuracy (scatter, convergence, stabilization); • Uncomfortable horizontal aiming angles.

Modules

Equipment for Sturmpanzer II

By and large, the process of equipping artillery with additional modules is a foregone conclusion, because for this class of equipment there are only 3 most popular options. In our case, it is worth remembering about the open wheelhouse and the impossibility of installing equipment on the Sturmpanzer II tank

the following is installed: 1. – one of the most important and most popular modules, because it gives us the opportunity to shoot a little more often. 2. – an equally important addition to the machine, thanks to which the aiming process will become somewhat more comfortable. 3. – this option will increase your stealth while stationary, which will have a beneficial effect on survivability.

Pz.Sp.Wg.II (2cm) “Luchs” \ VK 1303 Reconnaissance tank

Official designation: Pz.Sp.Wg.II (2cm) Alternative designation: Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.L, “Luchs”, VK 1303 Start of design: 1941 Stage of completion: from September 1942 to January 1944- 136 serial tanks were assembled this year.

A logical continuation of work on reconnaissance tanks of the VK 901\903 project series was the appearance of a specification for a more heavily armored combat vehicle, since the prototypes of the “nine hundred” did not fit into the required 9 tons of combat weight. The next tanks were VK 1301 and VK 1303

, which were developed by MAN. Both vehicles were a result of the implementation of the Pz.Kpfw.II nA concept and therefore had many similar features.

Oddly enough, the VK 1303 (more precisely, not the tank itself, but for now only the chassis) appeared somewhat earlier than the VK 1301. The first mention of this vehicle dates back to August 1, 1941, when the 6th Inspectorate demanded an urgent start to the production of reconnaissance tanks no testing. The priority of the program was so high that the earlier contract with number 210/1701/41 for the supply of 500 VK 901 tanks was revised - now it was required to build 250 VK 901 and VK 1301 tanks. Further, in March 1942, when the VK 901 program was cancelled, the entire order was converted for production of VK 1301.

The new vehicle retained the armor scheme and armament from the VK 1301, but was to be equipped with a 200-horsepower Maybach HL66P engine. The design included a maximum speed of 60 km/h on the highway and 30 km/h on the ground. At first it was planned that the VK 1303 would receive an 8-speed transmission, but due to technical problems with it, they decided to go with a 6-speed ZF SSG 48 type.

The work progressed quite quickly and already at the beginning of April 1942 the tank entered sea trials - its “bigger brother” with a lower serial number was ready only by August. MAN finally managed to maintain the weight and size parameters and now the weight of the tank in a fully equipped state did not exceed 12900 kg. It is also worth noting that the first full-fledged prototype of the VK 1303 was equipped with a turret designed for the VK 901, where the cannon was shifted to the left side and the machine gun to the right. The shape of the stern and the armor of the frontal part of the hull were completely different.

The VK 1303 has more than serious competitors. The VMM company presented a modernized Pz.38(t)nA tank for testing, and the Skoda company presented a prototype of the T-15 tank. During tests at the Kummersdorf test site, the MAN vehicle traveled 2,484 km, while the main units worked almost flawlessly. Thus, the favorite was determined quite quickly and the final stage of testing became a mere formality. This tank entered service under the official designation Panzerspaehwagen II (2cm) (Sd.Kfz.123)

, although in most modern sources it is designated as

Pz.Kpfw.II
Ausf.L. Meanwhile, the proper name “Luchs” (“Lynx”)
remained unchanged.

The Luchs reconnaissance tank had a classic layout for German tanks with a front-mounted transmission and an engine in the stern. In the front of the hull there were seats for the driver (left) and the radio operator (right), who had at his disposal a VHF radio station Fu 12 and a shortwave radio station Fspr "f". Both had observation devices in the front hull plate, closed by sliding armor flaps, a KFF2 periscope device and viewing slots in the sides. The middle part of the hull was occupied by the fighting compartment, where the ammunition was located, as well as the seats of the vehicle commander and gunner-loader. A tetrahedral turret with reverse slopes in the lower part at the corners was installed on the roof of the fighting compartment. Unlike tanks of the “nine hundredth” series, they did not have a commander’s cupola. For review, the crew received two periscope observation devices (one in the commander's hatch cover, the other in the loader's hatch cover) and one viewing device on the right side of the turret. The rotation of the tower was carried out manually.

The chassis, for one side, included five rubber-coated road wheels with a diameter of 720 mm each, arranged in two rows; front drive wheel with two removable toothed (23 teeth) rims; guide wheel with a caterpillar tension mechanism. Hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers were installed on the first and fifth road wheels. The Kgs 60/360/90 type caterpillar is fine-linked, double-ridged, 360 mm wide and 90 mm pitch.

The Luchs tanks were equipped with a 6-cylinder carburetor 4-stroke in-line liquid-cooled Maybach HL 66P engine with a power of 180 hp. at 3200 rpm and a working volume of 6754 cm3. The engine was normally started with a Bosch GTLN 600/12-12000 A-4 electric starter, but manual starting was also provided. Leaded gasoline with an octane number of 76 was used as fuel, which was placed in two tanks with a total capacity of 235 liters. Fuel was supplied using a Pallas Mr 62601 pump.

The transmission consisted of a double-disc main dry friction clutch of the Fichtel & Sachs “Mecano” type, a ZF Aphon SSG48 (6+1) mechanical synchronized gearbox, a driveshaft and MAN type shoe brakes.

The armament of the Luchs tanks consisted of a twin installation, which included one 20-mm Rheinmetall-Borsig KwK 38 cannon with a barrel length of 112 calibers (2140 mm) and a coaxial 7.92-mm MG 34 machine gun, later replaced by the MG 42. Unlike the prototype, the cannon was placed along the central axis of the turret, and the machine gun was located on the left side. Vertical guidance of the twin installation was possible in the range from -9° to +18° (according to other sources - from -10° to +20°). With a rate of fire of about 220 rounds per minute and an initial speed of an armor-piercing projectile of 830 m/s, this tank had a good chance of “swinging aside” tanks of the T-60 and T-70 level: the armor-piercing projectile penetrated a 25-mm armor plate placed at an angle of 30° with distance 350 meters. Guidance was carried out using a Zeiss TZF 6/38 telescopic single-lens sight with 2.5x magnification. The machine gun was equipped with its own KgzF 2 sight, but the TZF 6/38 was more versatile and could be used in parallel. The ammunition consisted of 320 rounds and 2250 rounds of ammunition. Three NbK 39 mortars were additionally installed on the sides of the turret to launch 90 mm smoke grenades.

The only attempt at significant modernization took place in 1944. In order to increase specific power, one of the prototypes without weapons (Versuch-Fahrgestell V.Nr.29) was experimentally equipped with a 12-cylinder V-shaped diesel engine Tatra 103 with a power of 220 hp. In addition, the project provided for modification of the hull by installing inclined side and frontal armor plates, which externally brought the Luchs closer to the Leopard project, the design of which was also carried out by MAN. It is possible that at the end of the war it was decided to use the existing developments from the rejected developments of the VK 1602 design series.

The prototype of the updated Luchs tank (essentially a demonstration model) received only applied metal plates that imitated a new type of hull. At the moment, it was not possible to find information about tests of the updated tank, but this Luchs modification was not transferred to mass production. Meanwhile, photographs of this machine have now become widespread, which are erroneously identified as “VK 1602 prototypes.”

Plans for serial production were changed again on July 1, 1942, when MAN was required to assemble 800 tanks with deliveries to begin no later than August 1. At the same time, only the first 100 “Luchs” were supposed to receive 20-mm cannons, while the 101st vehicle was planned to be equipped with a 5cm KwK 39/1 gun with a barrel length of 60 calibers. To install a larger artillery system, it was necessary to rework the design of the turret (judging by the latest data, it was supposed to be unified with the turret for the VK 1602 “Leopard” tank), the turret box and the rear part of the hull. In particular, it was planned to abandon the cartridge case extractor, move the driver's hatch forward, reduce the height of the body above the air intake of the cooling system and move the engine access hatch back. In modern sources this option is designated VK 1303b

and it is even indicated that 4-6 cars of this variant were assembled, but in fact this is not true. Deliveries of serial tanks with 50-mm guns were supposed to begin in August 1943, but due to the curtailment of Luchs production, these plans remained only on paper.

In total, MAN, from September 1942 to January 1944, assembled 118 tanks, including 4 converted from VK 1301. The serial numbers of these vehicles (Fgst.Nr. Serie) ranged from 200101 to 200200. Another 18 were built at the Henshel plant. This marked the end of the production of the Luchs tanks. No major improvements were made during this time, with the exception of:

— installation of an updated engine cooling system (from October 1942);

— introduction of a wider turret hatch (since December 1942);

— dismantling the KFF2 periscope (from February 1943);

- introduction of a standardized camouflage scheme Dunkelgelb RAL 7028 (since February 1943);

— dismantling smoke mortars (since May 1943);

— replacement of the steering control unit (June-July 1943);

— dismantling the headlight dimmer on the right wing (from August 1943).

According to instructions K.St.N.1162b dated January 10, 1943, each Panzerspahkompanie b (type “b” reconnaissance tank company) was to include one command tank and seven Pz.Sp.Wg.II (2cm) in each four platoons - a total of 29 units. Additionally, the company received four Sd.Kfz.250 half-track armored personnel carriers included in the Gefechtstross. However, due to the small number, very few full-fledged companies of such composition were created. The first unit to receive Luchs was the 2nd reconnaissance company of the 9th battalion of the 9th tank division (2.Kp./Pz.Aufkl.Abpt.9 (9.Pz.Div)) - this happened on 30 April th, 1943. However, already on September 26th a report was drawn up, which indicated that all accepted “Luchs” needed major repairs and on October 1st they were sent to Germany. The next unit fully equipped with Pz.Sp.Wg.II (2cm) tanks was the 2nd reconnaissance company of the 4th battalion of the 4th tank division (2.Kp./Pz.Aufkl.Abpt.4 (4.Pz. Div)), sent to the Eastern Front in September 1943. It is also indicated that tanks of this type were in the 2nd, 3rd Panzer and 116th and Training Panzer Divisions, as well as in the SS Totenkompf division.

Due to the fact that the production plan was never fulfilled (and then completely cancelled), on March 1, 1944, the K.St.N.1162b instruction was updated - now it was planned to have 6 Pz.Sp type vehicles in each platoon .Wg.II (2cm), which reduced their total number in the company to 25. Reconnaissance tanks were actively used until the end of the war and, according to a report dated December 30, 1944, they were still in service with individual units. In particular, 5 units were included in the 4.Kavallerie-Brigade and Korps-Truppen/Fallschim-Panzer-Korps “Hermann Hoering” (both formations had one combat vehicle). Meanwhile, the report dated March 1, 1945 mentions only three Luchs tanks.

To date, only two examples of Luchs tanks have survived: in the Museum of the Royal Tank Corps in Bovington (Great Britain) and in the tank museum in Samur (France). Both cars are in good condition, with the French example still running.

Sources: Thomas N. Jentz, Hillary H. Doyle “Panzer tracts No.11-2. Aufklaerungpanzerspahwagen. H8H to Volkettenaufklaerer 38" Thomas N.Jentz, Hillary H.Doyle "Panzer tracts No.20-2. Paper Panzers (Reconnaissance, Observation and Anti-Aircraft)" I. Moshchansky "Little tigers for reconnaissance and communications." Veche. Moscow. 2009 P. Chamberlain, H. Doyle “Encyclopedia of German tanks of the 2nd World War.” AST\Astrel. Moscow, 2004 I.P. Shmelev “Armored vehicles of Germany 1934-1945.” AST. 2003. Moscow. ISBN 5-17-016501-3 M. Baryatinsky “Tanks “Luchs” and “Leopard” - reconnaissance forces in force” (“Model designer” 2001-11)

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE Pz.Sp.Wg.II RECOUNTING TANK, model 1943.

Crew training

The training of tank crews sitting inside self-propelled guns must be given special attention, because only by making the right choice can you significantly improve your position on the battlefield. At the same time, it is undesirable to make mistakes here, because correcting them will take a lot of time and effort. Thus, for the Art-SPG Sturmpanzer II the perks

It is preferable to study in the following sequence: • Commander (radio operator) – , , , . • Gunner – , , , . • Driver mechanic - , , , . • Charger – , , , . • Charger – , , , .

Sd.Kfz.121 Pz.Kpfw. II

Sd.Kfz.121 Pz.Kpfw. II

A light tank, larger in size and more heavily armed than the Pz.I. Like the latter, it was originally intended for training personnel and putting together combat units of tank forces, but was a more complete combat vehicle. Produced by MAN, DeimIer-Benz, FAMO. Mowag, Henschel, Wegmann, Alkett and the United Engineering Works in Warsaw. In production c. 1935 to 1941.

SERIAL MODIFICATIONS Pz.IIa1 - the first version weighing 7.6 tons. Maybach HL 57TR engine with a power of 130 hp. Speed ​​- 40 km/h. Armament: 20 mm KwK30 cannon and MG 34 machine gun. Crew: 3 people. 10 units produced.

Pz.IIa2 – minor changes to the engine cooling system and ventilation of the fighting compartment. 15 units produced.

Pz.IIa3 – an engine bulkhead and an additional hatch in the bottom are installed for access to engine components. 50 units produced.

Рz.IIв – minor changes have been made to the chassis. The length of the tank increased to 4760 mm. Maybach HL 62TR engine with 140 hp. 25 units produced.

Pz.IIc - a new chassis with five medium-diameter road wheels. Dimensions: 4810x2223x1990 mm. Combat weight 8.9 tons. The armor is made of molybdenum steel. Engine and weapons unchanged. 200 units produced

PZ.IIA – Synchronized gearbox, Maybach HL 62TRM engine. New type of driver's inspection slit. Otherwise similar to PzIIc. 100 units produced.

Pz.IIB – minor technological differences from PZ.IIA. 200 units produced.

Pz.IIC – changes in the engine cooling system, 50-mm armored glass in the viewing devices Combat weight 9.5 tons. Engine and weapons unchanged 100 units manufactured

Pz.IID - a tank for arming light divisions of the Wehrmacht. New body and chassis with four Christie-type road wheels. Turret and weapons - from Pz.IIc Combat weight 10 tons. Crew 3 people. 80 units produced

PZ.IIE – minor changes to the suspension and chassis. Everything else is the same as PZ.IID. 163 units were produced.

Pz.IIF – the frontal part of the hull and the armor of the viewing devices have been changed, the turret rotation mechanism has been improved. Otherwise similar to Pz.IIC. 532 units produced.

Pz.IIG (VK 901) - new hull and chassis with five road wheels. arranged in a checkerboard pattern. Combat weight 9.2 tons. Maybach HL45p engine with 150 hp power. Speed ​​50 km/h. Armor 14.5-30 mm Armament: 20 mm KwK 38 cannon and MG 34 machine gun. Further development: VK 903 and VK 1301 tanks. 12 units produced.

Pz.IIJ - developed as Pz.II nA (neue Art - new model). Powerful armor – 50-80 mm. Speed ​​31 km/h. New hull, turret and chassis Armament, like the VK 901. In 1942, 22 units of Pz.IIL “Luchs” (Sd. Kf 1.123) were manufactured - an improved and modernized version of the VK 901. VK 903 and VK 1301 models. Light reconnaissance tank . Combat weight 11.8 tons. Engine HL 66r with a power of 200 hp. Armament: 20 mm KwK 38 cannon and MG 34 machine gun. Crew: 4 people. In 1943, 133 units were manufactured.

Several Pz.IIs were tested for the first time in 1939 in Spain. On March 15, 1939, they were the first from the 2nd Wehrmacht Panzer Division to enter Prague. On September 1, 1939, the Panzerwaffe had 1,224 Incas Pz.IIs of various modifications. During the Polish campaign, 83 of them were irretrievably lost. As part of the 40th Special Purpose Battalion, 40 Abteliung zBV) 25 Pz.II participated in the occupation of Denmark and Norway. On the eve of the invasion of France, the Wehrmacht had 955 of these tanks, which could only fight well-armored light and medium French vehicles at close range. In preparation for the invasion of the British Isles, 52 Pz.II units were converted into amphibious tanks. On June 22, 1941, 746 Pz.II tanks were ready for combat use, 424 of them were lost by the end of the year. As tank units became saturated with more powerful combat vehicles, Pz IIs were increasingly used for reconnaissance purposes. They were seen in combat units on the Eastern Front until 1943. In particular, 70 Pz.IIs took part in Operation Citadel. Until 1943, they were also used in North Africa. In March 1945, there were another 145 Pz.II in the army. In addition to the Wehrmacht, these vehicles were in service in the Slovak, Romanian and Bulgarian armies.

On the basis of the Pz.II of various modifications, self-propelled artillery mounts, sapper, bridge and flamethrower tanks were built.

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE Pz.IIF TANK

COMBAT WEIGHT, t: 9.5. CREW, people: 3. OVERALL DIMENSIONS, mm: length – 4810, width – 2280, height – 2022, ground clearance – 340. ARMAMENT: 1 KwK 30 automatic cannon (on some KwK 38 tanks) 20 mm caliber and 1 MG 34 machine gun caliber 7.92 mm. AMMUNITION: 320 rounds and 2100 rounds. AIMING DEVICES: Zeiss TZF4/38 telescopic sight. RESERVATION, mm: forehead – 30; board – 20; feed – 15; bottom – 5; roof – 15; tower – 15-30. ENGINE: Maybach HL62TRM, 6-cylinder, carburetor, liquid cooling; power 140 hp (103 kW) at 2600 rpm, displacement 6234 cc. see TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual gearbox (6-forward, 1-reverse), CHASSIS: five support rubber rollers on board, front drive wheel, four support rollers; individual suspension on quarter-elliptic leaf springs; each caterpillar has 108 tracks with a width of 300 mm. MAX. SPEED km/h: 40. POWER RESERVE, km: 190. OBSTACLES OVERCOME: ascent angle, degrees. - thirty; ditch width, m – 1.8; wall height, m ​​– 0.63; ford depth, m – 0.925. COMMUNICATIONS: shortwave radio station Fu 5.

Equipment for Sturmpanzer II

Another standard that almost never changes is the purchase of consumables. The bottom line is that if your supply of silver credits is running low, it would be better to carry , , . But in cases where saving is not necessary, it will be much safer to carry equipment on the Sturmpanzer II

from , , . By the way, you should know that our engine is located in the front, which increases the likelihood of fires, but if you play carefully, you can still replace the fire extinguisher with.

History of creation

History of creation

In the second half of 1934, the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate developed tactical and technical requirements for a new combat vehicle - a tank weighing 10 tons, armed with a 20-mm cannon. As with the Pz.I, the new tank received the misinformation designation LaS 100. Its prototypes were developed on a competitive basis by three companies: Friedrich Krupp AG, Henschel und Sohn AG and Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg (MAN). The results of their activities were presented to the commission of the Armaments Directorate in the spring of 1935.

Krupp presented the LKA-2 tank - essentially an enlarged version of the LKA tank (Pz.I prototype) with a new turret and 20-mm cannon. Henschel and MAN developed only the chassis. At the same time, the Henschel chassis had six road wheels interlocked into three bogies, while the MAN chassis used a design by the English company Carden-Loyd - six road wheels were interlocked into three bogies, suspended on quarter-elliptical springs; it was chosen for mass production. The body was manufactured by Daimler-Benz. The LaS 100 tanks were to be assembled at the factories of MAN, Daimler-Benz, FAMO, Wegmann and MIAG.

Pz.II Ausf.a1, a2, a3

At the end of 1935, the first ten vehicles were built, which received the army designation 2 cm MG Panzerwagen (MG - Maschinengewehr - machine gun)[1]. The tanks were equipped with a Maybach HL 57TR gasoline engine with a power of 130 hp. and a six-speed ZF Aphon SSG45 gearbox. The maximum speed reached 40 km/h, the range on the highway was 210 km. Reservation - from 5 to 14.5 mm. The armament consisted of a 20 mm caliber KwK 30 cannon, which was a version of the Flak 30 anti-aircraft gun shortened by 300 mm and adapted for installation in a tank (ammunition capacity of 180 rounds in 10 magazines), and an MG 34 machine gun (ammunition capacity of 1425 rounds). According to the unified designation system for Wehrmacht vehicles introduced in 1936, the vehicle received the index Sd.Kfz.121. At the same time, a new army designation was introduced, according to which the first ten tanks began to be called Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.a1. The next 15 vehicles - Ausf.a2 - received minor changes in the generator cooling system and ventilation of the fighting compartment. On 50 tanks of the Ausf.a3 version, an engine bulkhead appeared, and access hatches to the fuel pump and oil filter were installed in the bottom of the hull. In addition, the machines of the “a2” and “a3” versions differed from the first ten in the absence of rubber tires on the supporting rollers.

Pz.II Ausf.b.

Pz.II Ausf.b

Tanks of the “b” modification (25 units) were produced in 1936–1937. The improvements introduced on them affected mainly the chassis. The support and support rollers have become wider, while the latter have decreased slightly in diameter. The design of the suspension elements and drive wheels has changed somewhat. The biggest innovation was the installation of a Maybach HL 62TR engine with a power of 140 hp.

Pz.II Ausf.c

Tests of tanks of modifications “a” and “b” revealed significant shortcomings in the design of their chassis. Therefore, in 1937, a completely new type of chassis was developed for the Pz.II tank.

The chassis now included, on one side, five rubber-coated road wheels of medium diameter, suspended on quarter-elliptical leaf springs. The number of support rollers has increased to four. The drive and guide wheels have been modernized. The smoothness of the ride off-road and the speed on the highway have increased. The changes made resulted in an increase in the dimensions of the combat vehicle: the length increased to 4810 mm, the width to 2223 mm, and the height to 1990 mm. Accordingly, the combat weight also increased - from 7.9 to 8.9 tons.

Pz.II Ausf.A

In 1937, production of “mass” modifications of the Pz.II tank began. The production of the first of them - Ausf.A - supposedly began in March 1937 at the Henschel plant in Kassel, and then continued at the Alkett plant in Berlin.

Ausf.A vehicles received a synchronized ZF Aphon SSG46 gearbox and a Maybach HL 62TRM engine with a power of 140 hp, as well as new viewing slots with armored flaps for the driver and an ultra-short wave radio station (previously short wave was used).

Pz.II Ausf.B

The tanks of version "B" differed slightly from the vehicles of version "A". The changes were mainly technological in nature, simplifying mass production.

Pz.II Ausf.C

On combat vehicles of modification "C", the engine cooling system was improved and armored glass with a thickness of 50 mm was installed in the viewing blocks (for "A" and "B" - 12 mm). The production rate of Ausf.C tanks was extremely low. Suffice it to say that in July 1939, 9 tanks were assembled, in August - 7, in September - 5, in October - 8, and in November - only 2 tanks!

Light tank Pz.II Ausf.A.

Tank Pz.W Ausf.B during tactical training.

Its production ended in March - April 1940. This can be explained, apparently, by the fact that even before the end of production, the modernization of combat vehicles of this modification and, in parallel, variants “C”, “A” and “B” began. The fact is that by this time the Germans had completed their analysis of the Spanish experience. And although the Pz.II did not participate in this war, they, in comparison with the Soviet light tanks T-26 and BT-5, which fought on the side of the Republicans, and the tanks of potential opponents (French R35 and H35, as well as Polish 7TR), had weak weapons and armor.

For some reason, the Germans did not modernize the armament - this is usually explained by the small size of the towers. Indeed, of the larger caliber guns, only the 37-mm KwK L/45, installed in the Pz.III, “fit” into the Pz.II turret, but then the “two” turret became too crowded, and there was practically nowhere to place the ammunition. Subsequently, this gun was installed in Pz.II turrets used in fortifications, where these problems were easily resolved (the MG 34 machine gun was dismantled). However, it is completely unclear why a 20-mm cannon with an “anti-aircraft” non-shortened barrel 1300 mm long could not be installed in a standard turret. In this case, the initial speed of the armor-piercing projectile increased from 780 to 835 m/s and armor penetration increased accordingly. Apparently, the decisive factor here was the extension of the gun barrel beyond the dimensions of the tank, which at that time was widely considered unacceptable. By the way, it was because of this that the barrel of the KwK 30 gun was shortened by 300 mm, compared to the barrel of the Flak 30 anti-aircraft gun.

In short, the modernization of the Pz.II came down mainly to increasing the thickness of the armor. The frontal armor of the turret was reinforced with sheets of thickness 14.5 and 20 mm, the hull - 20 mm. The design of the frontal part of the hull has also changed. On top of the standard bent 14.5 mm armor plate, two were welded, connected at an angle of 70°. The top sheet had a thickness of 14.5 mm, the bottom - 20 mm.

On Ausf.C vehicles, instead of a double-leaf hatch in the turret roof, a commander's cupola was installed, which made it possible to conduct all-round surveillance from the tank. The same turret appeared on some tanks of previous modifications. Since the changes were made during the overhaul, not all vehicles were affected.

After the Polish campaign, almost all "two" early issues were brought to the Ausf.C standard. New improvements followed, in particular, the turret ring at the front and rear was protected by a special armored side, which protected the turret from jamming when hit by bullets and shrapnel.

It should be mentioned that in November 1938, MAN began work on installing the HWA 1038G diesel engine with a power of 175–200 hp in the Pz.II tank. However, the tests ended unsuccessfully, and at the end of 1940 the experiments were stopped.

One of the first production tanks Pz. II Ausf.C. 1939

Pz.II Ausf.D/E

In 1938, Daimler-Benz developed a project for the so-called “fast tank” (Schnellkampfwagen), intended for tank battalions of light divisions. In appearance, this car was sharply different from other modifications of the “two”. Only the turret with weapons was borrowed from the Ausf.C, the chassis and hull were designed anew.

The Christie-type chassis used four large-diameter road wheels per side and new drive and idler wheels. The hull was almost the same as that of the Pz.NI tank. The combat weight of the vehicle was 10 tons. The Maybach HL 62TRM engine allowed the tank to reach a maximum speed on the highway of 55 km/h. The Maybach Variorex VG 102128Н gearbox had seven forward speeds and three reverse speeds. The Pz.II Ausf.E differed from the Ausf.D by a reinforced suspension, a new track and a modified sloth design.

In 1938–1939, Daimler-Benz and MAN produced 143 tanks of both versions and about 150 chassis.

Pz.II Ausf.F

On November 27, 1939, a decision was made to produce a series of modernized Ausf.F tanks - the latest modification of the “classic” Pz.II. This was explained by the shortage of tanks in the Wehrmacht, which did not allow the newly formed tank formations to be equipped.

The tanks of this series received a new hull design, which had a vertical frontal plate across its entire width. A mock-up of the driver's observation device was installed on its right side, while the real one was on the left. The new shape of the viewing window covers in the installation mask increased its armor resistance. Some vehicles were equipped with a 20 mm KwK 38 cannon.

Production of the Ausf.F progressed very slowly. In June 1940, only three tanks were assembled, in July - two, in August - December - four! The pace was only picked up in 1941, when the annual production amounted to 233 vehicles of this modification. The following year, 291 Pz.II Ausf.F left the factory floors. In total, 532 tanks of this modification were produced. Its main manufacturers were the FAMO plants in Breslau, Vereinigten Maschinenwerken in occupied Warsaw, MAN and Daimler-Benz.

Pz.II Ausf.D.

Refueling a Pz.II tank in the 2nd Tank Brigade. After the Polish campaign, the frontal armor of Ausf. c, A and B was reinforced with overlay sheets. The identification mark - a black cross with a white border - was introduced on October 26, 1939.

* * *

Unfortunately, as in the case of most other German combat vehicles, it is not possible to indicate an absolutely exact number of Pz.IIs produced. The cars of variants “C”, “A”, “B” and “C” raise the most questions. Both in domestic and foreign literature, their release is characterized by a total number of 1113 or 1114 units. Moreover, a breakdown of individual modifications, as a rule, is not given. If we take this figure on faith, then the total number of Pz.II manufactured (excluding flamethrower tanks) will be 1888 (1889) units, of which 1348 (1349) units were manufactured before the start of World War II.

Tactics for playing the Sturmpanzer II

From a strategic point of view, the gameplay with most self-propelled artillery units in World of Tanks is very similar, but this does not mean that everything will be simple, because in fact there are a number of important tactical factors to take into account. First of all for Sturmpanzer II tactics

fighting is about taking the right position.

Of course, you must protect yourself by being far from the enemy, stand in the bushes in order to increase camouflage, but that’s not all. The point is that when playing on the Art-SPG Sturmpanzer II WoT

You also need to make sure that you have escape routes in case of trouble, or at least a reliable shelter and enemies in which you can hide if you are discovered.

Remembering that the German Sturmpanzer II tank

endowed with problematic horizontal aiming angles, you must know the maps well so that you can initially converge on the place where enemies will soon appear, this is especially important at the beginning of the battle.

In addition, do not forget about the opportunities that excellent vertical aiming angles give you. Still, the Sturmpanzer II tank

capable of inflicting damage even on enemy vehicles hidden behind small covers, thereby causing damage and driving the enemy out of an advantageously occupied position.

Otherwise, the advice is standard - play carefully, remember the problem with armor, which is complicated by large dimensions and poor mobility. In order to avoid unforeseen situations, the player on Sturmpanzer II World of Tanks

You have to keep an eye on the mini-map, and it doesn’t hurt to have a couple of allies who, if anything happens, will help fight off unexpected guests.

“Assault tank”: self-propelled gun Sturmpanzer II

By the fall of 1941, the German army was faced with problems regarding the use of armored vehicles. Existing tanks and assault guns performed well during constant offensives, but over time their characteristics became insufficient to perform some tasks. Advancing through foreign territory on the Eastern and North African fronts, the Germans increasingly encountered well-prepared layered defenses. The 75-mm guns of tanks and self-propelled guns could no longer cope with some fortifications, which is why the Wehrmacht needed new types of equipment with high firepower and sufficient mobility.

The troops had a small number of 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl “assault tanks”. auf Pz.KpfW.I Ausf B ohne Aufbau, also known as Sturmpanzer I Bison. However, these combat vehicles had not only high firepower, but also a lot of design flaws. For this reason, by the end of 1941, the command of the German army drew up technical specifications for the creation of a new self-propelled artillery unit, armed with a 150 mm caliber gun and without the disadvantages of the previous vehicle of a similar purpose.

It is worth noting that the Alkett company began research on this topic back in 1940. The fact is that the chassis of the PzKpfw I tank, which was already outdated by that time, was used as the base for the Sturmpanzer I self-propelled gun. As a solution to the current problem, it was proposed to use the chassis of the PzKpfw II tank. These tanks were a little newer and more advanced than the previous ones, and in addition, the troops had a sufficient number of them, which in the future would make it possible to quickly organize mass conversion into self-propelled guns. In the summer of 1940, the first copy of a promising self-propelled gun was assembled.

The turret and part of the roof were removed from the base tank. In place of the removed units, an open armored wheelhouse and devices for attaching the gun were installed. The weapon chosen for the new self-propelled gun was the 150-mm infantry howitzer sIG 33, tested on the previous “assault tank”. The power plant did not undergo any changes - its basis was still the six-cylinder Maybach HL62TRM engine with a power of 140 horsepower. By the fall of 1940, the main work on fine-tuning this version of the self-propelled guns was completed and in October it was tested at the test site. As the shooting showed, the chassis of the PzKpfw II tank was too weak for a powerful 150 mm gun. In addition, the self-propelled cabin was not large enough - it was difficult for the crew to work in it.

It took several months to correct the identified deficiencies. The new prototype left the workshop only in February 1941. After the update, the design became noticeably more complicated. Initially, Alkett engineers wanted to provide the ability to convert tanks into self-propelled guns in the conditions of combat workshops. But the improvement of the project has significantly complicated this process. First of all, the reason for this was the updated design of the armored hull. To strengthen the chassis, it was necessary to introduce an additional pair of road wheels, which led to a lengthening of the body by approximately 700 mm (according to other sources, by 600-650). In addition, keeping in mind the uncomfortable fighting compartment of the first prototype, the hull was expanded by 320 mm. The design of the armored cabin and some other small details have also undergone changes.

In February 1941, construction began on the first prototype of the updated self-propelled gun, but work was completed only at the beginning of summer. The Sturmpanzer II self-propelled gun had a combat weight of about 12 tons, but was equipped with an old 140-horsepower engine. A relatively low armored cabin was mounted on the roof of the hull, in the front sheet of which there was a window for the sIG 33 gun. The thickness of the cabin armor varied from 30 mm in the frontal part to 5 mm on the sides and stern. For self-defense, the self-propelled guns were equipped with one MG34 machine gun. The gun mounting system made it possible to aim it within a sector 10° wide horizontally and raise it, according to various sources, by 60-70° in the vertical plane. In the fighting compartment there were jobs for three crew members. The stacks could only hold 10 shells. It was planned to compensate for such a small ammunition load with appropriate tactics of use.

Until the end of 1941, German industry was unable to produce even a pre-production batch of 12 vehicles. By this time, only seven Sturmpanzer II self-propelled guns were ready, the remaining five were assembled the following 42nd year. The machine did not fully satisfy the customer. Greater firepower made it possible to effectively attack enemy equipment and fortifications, but weak armor had a corresponding effect on the actual capabilities of the vehicle. However, the pre-production batch was sent to the troops under the official designation 15cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell PzKpfw II. North Africa was chosen as a “testing ground” for military testing, where self-propelled guns were sent in the early spring of 1942 as part of the 707th and 708th companies of heavy infantry artillery.

During operation in the Afrika Korps, all claims about the new “assault tank” were confirmed. Weak armor did not allow it to be used in the same battle formations as tanks. In addition, the weak engine performed extremely poorly in African conditions. All these disadvantages more than outweighed the advantages of a large-caliber gun. As a result, the inherent shortcomings of self-propelled guns, combined with the climate of North Africa, led to the fact that by the end of 1942 only a few combat vehicles remained in service. The remaining Sturmpanzer IIs lay idle due to a lack of spare parts or due to the impossibility of restoration. Entire self-propelled guns were used as a source of spare parts for equipment still suitable for use.

In May 1943, when the Afrika Korps surrendered, only one self-propelled gun remained on the move, which went to the British as a trophy. During the offensive, the British army managed to capture six more “assault tanks”, dismantled for spare parts. After the production of a pre-production batch of 12 vehicles, the 15cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell PzKpfw II self-propelled gun was not built or used. The results of its operation were taken into account in the following projects of similar equipment.

The further fate of one of the self-propelled guns captured by the British is interesting. After the end of World War II, one copy was transferred to Egypt. Most likely, this was the only serviceable self-propelled gun remaining with the Germans, but there is a version about the restoration of several half-disassembled vehicles. Regardless of the exact number, the fate of the captured Sturmpanzer IIs, which replenished the fleet of equipment of the Egyptian army, turned out to be unenviable. The last car was destroyed in 1948, during the Arab-Israeli war.

Based on materials from the sites: https://weapon.df.ru/ https://achtungpanzer.eu/ https://shushpanzer-ru.livejournal.com/ https://panzernet.net/

"Wasp" and her sisters

Like the chassis of other German light tanks, the
Pz.Kpfw.II was actively used to create self-propelled artillery mounts. Thanks to larger than Pz . Kpfw . I , size and more powerful engine, it turned out to be suitable for mounting larger caliber guns. In particular, the Pz . Kpfw . II, after conversion, turned out to be an ideal base for the 105 mm leFH 18 howitzer. This article will focus on several combat vehicles created on the basis of the Pz . Kpfw . II, including the Wespe , a light self-propelled artillery mount that kept the long-obsolete tank's chassis on the assembly line until the summer of 1944.

A second approach to the chassis theme for the sIG 33

At first, the Germans did not consider the Pz.Kpfw.II chassis as a basis for creating a self-propelled gun with a 105-mm leFH 18 howitzer. Back in the summer of 1939, Krupp engineers began to work on the idea of ​​a self-propelled unit designed to support tanks. The result was the appearance of the Pz.Sfl.IVb self-propelled gun project in the fall of 1939. This vehicle turned out to be quite successful, so the idea of ​​installing the same howitzer somewhere else was not even considered.

On the other hand, the experience of the Polish campaign showed that the infantry needed mechanization of the 149-mm heavy infantry gun sIG 33. At the very beginning of 1940, Alkett, a subsidiary of the Rheinmetall-Borsig AG concern, received the task of developing the sIG 33 installation on the Pz.Kpfw chassis .I Ausf.B. The work was crowned with success - the 15 cm sIG 33 (mot S) auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B was born.

Less known is the fact that Alkett was working on the installation of the sIG 33 on the Pz.Kpfw.II chassis. It even went as far as making a prototype, which was no different in concept from a vehicle based on the Pz.Kpfw.I. Alas, there are no photographs of this car, but it is known that the tests ended in failure. It is not entirely clear what exactly the Alkett design bureau did wrong, but when firing, the self-propelled gun had a tendency to tip over. Most likely, the wider tank did not allow the gun to be rolled up onto the wings, so the height of the line of fire for such an SPG turned out to be even higher than that of a vehicle based on the Pz.Kpfw.I.

A prototype of the sIG 33 installation on the Pz.Kpfw.II chassis. As you can see, in this case the chassis is five-roller

This explanation of the reasons for the failure of the tests is partly supported by the fact that in June 1940, firing tests of the converted vehicle were carried out. This time the wheels from the sIG 33 were removed, but the carriage itself was completely preserved. A significant reduction in the height of the firing line meant that the rollover problem disappeared. Successful results served as the basis for continuing work.

In October 1940, a new model of a self-propelled gun entered testing. Alkett engineers tried to make the most efficient use of the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C chassis. The width of the fighting compartment has increased to the full overall width of the vehicle. The control compartment was reduced as much as possible, which allowed for a more rational placement of the gun.

Like last time, the sIG 33 gun itself was practically not altered; all changes amounted to the removal of the wheels. According to the German command, in the event of a self-propelled gun failure, the gun could be removed, the wheels reinstalled on it and used as a regular sIG 33. Taking into account the operating experience of the 15 cm sIG 33 (mot S) auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B there was a certain logic in this. But such a solution also brought a lot of problems. First of all, the bulky carriage “ate up” a significant volume of the fighting compartment, and even the changes made did not really help.

Production sample 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl

In February 1941, it was decided to stop work on this version of the self-propelled gun. But the idea itself did not die. The Alkett design bureau was tasked with developing a redesigned chassis. In total, it was planned to produce 12 such self-propelled guns in the pilot batch.

The redesigned self-propelled gun generally resembled the previous version, but at the same time became noticeably larger. The length of its body increased from 4810 to 5480 mm, and its width from 2223 to 2600 mm. This forced a number of changes to be made to the chassis. In addition to increasing the number of road wheels to 6 per side, the design of the transmission also had to be changed. The power plant was a V-shaped 8-cylinder Büssing-NAG L8V/GS engine, which developed power up to 155 horsepower. This engine was not unique - it was installed on 4-axle German armored vehicles. One of the reasons for replacing the Maybach HL 62 TR with this engine was its shorter length. Taking into account the fact that the designers were required to maximize the fighting compartment, such a replacement looks quite logical.

The fighting compartment of a self-propelled gun. Thanks to the increased length of the chassis, it was relatively spacious

The designers' actions aimed at increasing the fighting compartment brought positive results. Inside the vehicle, designated 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl (149 mm sIG 33 B gun on a self-propelled carriage), more than just a gun could be placed. The four crew members no longer looked like poor relatives. Moreover, the self-propelled gun even had room for ammunition. It was only 10 shots, but taking into account the fact that the 15 cm sIG 33 (mot S) auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B somehow only accommodated 3 shots, this was noticeable progress.

No less important was the fact that the height of the car, compared to its predecessor, decreased sharply. It was only 1980 mm, that is, even slightly less than that of the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.C. Reducing the height significantly improved the situation with the stability of the vehicle when firing direct fire.

This is the same car. It was destroyed by an internal explosion, thanks to which you can see the structure of the fighting compartment

Alkett's workload with other orders led to the fact that the production of the installation batch was slightly delayed. The first 7 self-propelled guns were delivered in December 1941, the remaining ones in January 1942. By that time, Pz.Kpfw.IIs in the Ausf.F modification were being mass-produced. The self-propelled gun borrowed some hull elements from this vehicle. All released 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl went to the newly formed units - s.IG.Kp(Mot.S) 707 and s.IG.Kp(Mot.S) 708, 6 vehicles per battery. The standard structure of the batteries turned out to be similar to the structure of the units that used the 15 cm sIG 33 (mot S) auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B. Due to the fact that the transportable ammunition of the self-propelled guns was small, the supply of ammunition was carried out using Sd.Kfz.10 half-track tractors.

The driver received a separate cabin

The 708th motorized battery sIG was the first to go to the front. This happened in February 1942. In North Africa, the battery was included in the 90th Light Division. Since 1942, this formally non-tank formation included, for example, the 190th tank battalion. Thus, the practice of using motorized batteries in conjunction with tank units has not changed much. In April 1942, the 90th Light Division also received the 707th Motorized Battery.

Front view, the driver's hatch is clearly visible. The viewing device, compared to the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F, has been changed

The story itself of sending 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl to North Africa raises a whole lot of questions. The German command was well aware of the problems that the 15 cm sIG 33 (mot S) auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B experienced during the fighting in the spring of 1940 and on the Soviet-German front. Of course, from a technical point of view, the new self-propelled gun was clearly better than its predecessor, but there was no point in deluding ourselves too much about this. The combat weight of the 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl was 16 tons, that is, almost 2 times more than the original tank. It was the heaviest vehicle based on the Pz.Kpfw.II. There are no miracles in such cases; you usually have to pay for overload with reliability.

In addition, it is completely unclear what the German generals were thinking when they sent combat vehicles intended for direct infantry support to North Africa. On flat terrain, where the main type of vegetation was camel thorns, getting close to the enemy unnoticed was an extremely difficult task.

Installation tool at maximum elevation angle

It should not be surprising that in such conditions the 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl became a source of constant headache for the crews. Self-propelled guns began to fail even before they entered battle. At the end of May, the command of the 90th Light Division reported that both batteries were virtually uncombatable. The cars had problems with their engines and always overheated. If at least something could be done with the engine, then you just had to put up with the low maneuverability. In a word, this machine turned out to be completely unsuited to North Africa. And although all these problems were easily predictable, this did not stop the German generals at the beginning of 1942.

Unloading 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl in the port, early 1942

Due to its rather unusual appearance, the 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl can often be seen in wartime photographs. True, this remarkable appearance did not have a positive effect on combat effectiveness. In those rare cases when self-propelled guns were not under repair, they were far from the most successful combat units. Their task was to directly support infantry, often with direct fire, and bulletproof armor did not particularly contribute to this. It should not be surprising that by the end of October 1942, out of 12 vehicles, 8 remained in service.

After the British launched a counteroffensive near El Alamein, the not very successful combat career of the 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl quickly came to an end. By December 2, all of these vehicles were lost, most of them due to technical reasons. 6 self-propelled guns went to the British at the collection point for emergency vehicles. Later, several installations ended up in the Egyptian army. The last 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl was destroyed in 1948 during the Israeli War of Independence.

The crew of this vehicle was increased to 5 people. They felt quite comfortable in the fighting compartment of the 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl

Finally, it is worth mentioning an interesting fact that is associated with the designation of this machine. Most often the 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl is called Sturmpanzer II or Bison. In practice, neither one nor the other designation was applied to these machines. These self-propelled guns simply did not survive until the introduction of “animal” designations.

The failure with the 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl did not stop the German command. It was decided to build the sIG 33 installation on the basis of another light tank - Pz.Kpfw.38(t). This is how the Grille self-propelled gun appeared. As for the Pz.Kpfw.II base, by that time it had found a more worthy use.

Howitzer support for tank divisions

The Pz.Kpfw.II had a second chance in the summer of 1942. This was largely due to another failure for Krupp. By that time, the German military had finally rejected the idea of ​​serial production of the Pz.Sfl.IVa tank destroyer, and clouds began to gather over the Pz.Sfl.IVb self-propelled gun. The vehicle, which in 1942 changed its designation to Pz.Sfl. leFH 18 Ausf.A, was very difficult to put into production. In addition, from the point of view of unification, Krupp’s brainchild looked extremely weak, and in war conditions this was not at all an advantage.

An additional problem was that OKH changed the requirements for “self-propelled carriages”. Now the gun, like the 15 cm sIG 33 B Sfl, had to be made quickly detachable for installation on a ground platform. In addition, instead of limited horizontal aiming angles, the tower should have had a circular firing sector. All this led to the fact that work on creating a car for a large series was delayed.

First prototype leFH 18/2 (Sf) auf GW II

In the summer of 1942, OHK began to suspect that if such a pace were maintained, the self-propelled guns needed by the troops might not be received until the end of the war. Therefore, a program was launched to develop a “temporary solution.” The Tank Commission (Panzerkomission), headed by Ferdinand Porsche, acted as a supervisory body. Having quickly sorted out the issue, on July 14 the commission selected the Pz.Kpfw.II as the base for installing the 105-mm leFH 18 howitzer. True, this time it was proposed not to use the tank in its original form, but to rearrange it. The successful experience of using captured French Lorraine 37L transporters as a base for self-propelled guns has shown that even with such small dimensions it is possible to obtain a quite spacious fighting compartment. The Alkett company was again appointed executor of the order, at whose facilities the Lorraine 37L was converted into self-propelled guns.

The same car from a different angle. It’s clearly noticeable how different the driver’s cabin is from a production car

A prototype of the vehicle, designated leFH 18/2 (Sf) auf GW II (leFH 18/2 self-propelled howitzer on the GW II chassis), was built quite quickly. When developing the GW II chassis, Alkett engineers tried to keep the base vehicle as intact as possible. As a result, the self-propelled gun and the tank were the same in length and width. The designers left the chassis completely unchanged, the same applied to the transmission.

The engine compartment has undergone the greatest changes. It was completely removed from the rear of the hull, moving the engine and cooling system to the center. The control compartment was cut off from the fighting compartment, and the driver received a small cabin. The upper frontal plate of the hull was removable, and the driver's cabin was removed along with it. Later, the Alkett design bureau developed a similar arrangement when designing the Hummel self-propelled gun.

Layout of engine, transmission, gun and fuel tanks

Thanks to the rearrangement, there was enough space in the rear to accommodate the fighting compartment. The crew of three people was located in the wheelhouse open at the top. Above the engine compartment was the swinging part of the leFH 18/2 howitzer, covered in front by a gun shield. The ammunition load consisted of 30 rounds, which was quite enough for a combat vehicle of this size.

The downside of the dense layout was the difficult maintenance of the engine and cooling system. Like the Hummel, this required first removing the gun, then the front deck plates and the engine compartment roof. Despite the fact that a fairly powerful gun was installed on the chassis, the combat weight of the vehicle increased slightly compared to the base tank - up to 10,800 kg. In general, its dynamics remained at the level of the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F.

Installation of the leFH 18/2 howitzer along with the engine plate

The very first tests of the leFH 18/2 (Sf) auf GW II showed that Panzerkomission was not mistaken in choosing the chassis. What is a complete replacement for the Pz.Sfl. The leFH 18 Ausf.A car was not a secret to anyone. What turned out to be much more important was that it took much less time to launch a light self-propelled unit, its chassis was mass-produced, and it was much cheaper. On July 25, Hitler was informed that the idea of ​​a howitzer self-propelled gun based on the Pz.Kpfw.II was quite feasible. Tests of the prototype also showed this. For Pz.Sfl. leFH 18 Ausf.A, the successes of the light self-propelled guns became fatal. Although the Germans did not completely abandon the idea of ​​a medium “self-propelled gun carriage”, there was no longer talk of a large series.

As you can see, the fighting compartment was relatively spacious

As with the Hummel, there were no plans to produce the leFH 18/2 (Sf) auf GW II at Alkett. At that time, the company had completely switched to the production of StuG 40 self-propelled guns. A completely logical decision was to use the capacity of factories that produced Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.F and vehicles based on it. Tanks of this type were produced at the FAMO factories in Breslau and Ursus in Warsaw. Since July 1942, the production of these enterprises was reoriented to the production of Pz.Kpfw.II als Sfl tank destroyers. Mit 7.5 cm Pak 40. And at the end of 1942, preparations began for the start of mass production of the leFH 18/2 (Sf) auf GW II. Compared to the experimental vehicle, the design of the driver's cabin and leFH 18/2 muzzle brake has changed in the production ones, and the attachments have undergone minor changes.

Gaining access to the motor was not the easiest task

It was initially assumed that the first production self-propelled units of this type would be built in January 1943. But these plans had to be changed, since FAMO and Ursus received a large order for tank destroyers, releasing 80 Pz.Kpfw.II als Sfl in January. Mit 7.5 cm Pak 40. The first two leFH 18/2 (Sf) auf GW II were produced only in February. Truly large-scale production began in March, during which time two factories built 30 cars. April marked the peak of their production - 136 self-propelled units were produced this month. In the future, the factories did not set such records, since already in the first months of production they managed to ensure the initial saturation of the parts. In total, 517 vehicles of this type were built in 1943.

In August 1943, the name Wespe, that is, “wasp”, began to be used to designate the leFH 18/2 (Sf) auf GW II. Although this designation was officially abandoned in February 1944, in reality it continued to be used later, both at the official and unofficial level. In total, this vehicle was renamed 5 times; for the Germans, such frequent changes in the names of armored vehicles were the norm.

The GW II für Munition ammunition carrier differed minimally from the self-propelled gun. If necessary, it could be converted into a self-propelled gun

In the spring of 1943, it became clear that Wespe alone would not be enough. The small ammunition load of this vehicle forced the military to initiate the development and production of ammunition carriers. These vehicles were designated Munitionsfahrzeuge (later GW II für Munition). Their number should have been approximately a quarter of the number of self-propelled guns produced.

Like the ammunition carrier for Hummel, the GW II für Munition differed minimally from “its” self-propelled guns: it did not have a gun, and the front sheet of its conning tower was “sewn up.” If necessary, through fairly simple steps, the ammunition carrier could be converted into a Wespe. The first 10 carriers were manufactured in June 1943, and by the end of the year 104 of them were built. It is worth noting that the main burden of producing self-propelled guns and ammunition carriers fell on the Ursus plant. Since August 1943, FAMO's capacities have completely switched to the production of heavy Sd.Kfz.9 half-track tractors.

Captured self-propelled gun Wespe with the proper name Prag. Nowadays it is located in Patriot Park

The built self-propelled guns ended up in batteries of light self-propelled howitzers, introduced by the state K.St.N.431b on January 16, 1943. According to this staff, the battery had 6 Wespe, an artillery observer tank based on the Pz.Kpfw.III, as well as a light armored personnel carrier Sd.Kfz.250/5. Later, 2 ammunition carriers were added to the staff. The self-propelled artillery battalions contained two batteries each armed with a Wespe and one armed with a Hummel.

The “recipients” of light self-propelled gun batteries were supposed to be tank divisions, but in practice they were distributed somewhat differently. As of 1 June 1943, only the 17th Panzer Division had received two Wespe batteries. 3 batteries each went to the 3rd and 29th Panzergrenadier divisions, and the same number ended up in the “Greater Germany” panzergrenadier division. The SS panzergrenadier divisions “Leibstandarte” and “Reich” received 2 batteries each. By July 1, batteries of light self-propelled guns received another 8 tank divisions, 2 Wehrmacht panzergrenadier divisions and the 3rd SS Panzergrenadier Division “Totenkopf”.

The number “10800” means the combat weight of the vehicle

A significant part of these vehicles took part in the battles on the Kursk Bulge. Overall, the combination of Wespe and Hummel in one division was considered successful. In battles on the Eastern Front, light self-propelled howitzers proved to be quite reliable. The main complaints boiled down to some problems in the operation of the brakes and the turning mechanism, which were subject to additional load.

Quite different reports came from Italy. In mountainous conditions, the car turned out to be too slow and the engine too weak. The car was plagued by problems with the chassis. By the way, very similar problems were experienced in Italy and Hummel. The specific theater of combat required several different vehicles. Where it was not necessary to travel through the mountains, the Wespe showed itself to be a very successful means of fire support. It should not be surprising that by the end of 1943, these self-propelled guns were in service with all German tank divisions, five panzergrenadier divisions and six SS divisions.

This vehicle took part in the battles on the Kursk Bulge, and was captured at the end of 1943

The fairly successful design of the chassis led to the fact that Wespe was modernized very little during production. The most noticeable alterations occurred in June 1943. Then the right headlight was eliminated, the suspension was strengthened and modernized bump stops were installed, the number of which increased to 3 per side. The fenders were strengthened for the second time in November 1943.

Production of the self-propelled gun continued until June 1944. A total of 676 Wespes and 159 ammunition carriers were produced. The serial numbers of the cars were in the ranges 31001–31300 and 21651–32185. Production stopped not because the car was outdated, but because the front line was approaching. After the Red Army carried out a number of successful operations in June 1944, the production of self-propelled guns at the Warsaw plant was under threat.

Tactical markings were applied to the front of the wings. If you look closely, you can see divisional markings on the right wing

Despite the heavy German losses during 1944, the number of self-propelled guns in service turned out to be quite large. Their availability peaked in April 1944, when there were 445 vehicles in the active army. Then their number steadily decreased, by the end of the year there were 352 Wespe in the troops. As of March 15, 1945, there were still 169 of them, that is, a quarter of production.

Destroyed Wespe near Zhitomir, 1944

To this day, 5 Wespe self-propelled guns have survived. One of them is located in Patriot Park. This self-propelled gun with serial number 31081 was released in April 1943 and went to the SS Reich division. She had her own name Prag (“Prague”). The vehicle took part in the Battle of Kursk and was captured at the end of 1943.

Self-propelled gun with a turret similar to the Heuschrecke 10 self-propelled gun. The process of its creation did not progress beyond the mock-up

Finally, it is worth mentioning another self-propelled gun based on the same tank, which was also supposed to be armed with a 105-mm howitzer. During the development of the Heuschrecke 10 self-propelled gun, a very similar vehicle was developed on the basis of the Pz.Kpfw.II. Instead of a wheelhouse, a turret box and a rotating turret were installed on the elongated tank chassis. Using a special mechanism, the tower together with the box could be removed from the vehicle without the help of crane equipment. Unlike Heuschrecke IVb, which was nevertheless built, the project of a similar self-propelled gun based on the Pz.Kpfw.II did not advance beyond the preliminary design and layout.

Andrey Ulanov

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Wespe from Saumur

29 photographs of Wespe self-propelled guns from the collection of the French museum of armored vehicles Musée des Blindés

• WWII
• artillery
• Germany
• armored vehicles

Sources and literature:

• Materials from TsAMO RF
• NARA Materials
• Panzer Tracts 10–1 - Artillerie Sfl. – from Pz.Sfl.IVb to Hummel-Wespe, Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary Louis Doyle, 2012
• Panzer Tracts No.10 Artillerie Selbstfahrlafetten, Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary L. Doyle, 2002, ISBN 0–9708407–5–6
• Photo archive of the author
• Materials of RGAKFD

Self-propelled gun 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl. auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B "Sturmpanzer I"

In preparation for the coming war, Nazi Germany was developing and building new armored vehicles for various purposes. Among other systems, the troops needed self-propelled artillery, which had high firepower and was superior to towed guns in terms of mobility. The need to create such vehicles led to the emergence of several new types of equipment, including the 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl self-propelled guns. auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B, which became the first self-propelled carrier of large-caliber guns in the German army.

Shortly before the start of the war in Europe, the German command raised the issue of developing promising artillery systems capable of significantly increasing the mobility of guns. Particular importance was attached to the creation of carriers of heavy weapons, such as the 150-mm 15 cm sIG 33 gun. This gun was put into service in 1933 and was produced only in a towed version. As a result, the mobility of artillery units equipped with such systems left much to be desired. The troops needed self-propelled vehicles capable of carrying similar and other weapons.

Due to the limitations imposed by the current situation and existing plans for the production of military equipment, Germany was not able to develop a new chassis for the sIG 33 from scratch. Nevertheless, the military and designers managed to find the opportunity to create the required self-propelled gun. It was proposed to use one of the available light tanks as a basis for it. The troops had several hundred Pz.Kpfw.I armored vehicles of various modifications, which no longer fully met the requirements for tanks, but could be used in new projects. This approach made it possible to relatively quickly provide the army with the required self-propelled guns with the necessary weapons, and also to do without unnecessary expenses. In the future, such equipment was supposed to be replaced by machines of newer models, initially developed in accordance with the requirements.

The proposal to convert serial Pz.Kpfw.I tanks of the Ausf.B modification into carriers of 150 mm guns was approved at the end of 1939. Soon the development of the project began, which consisted of changing the design of the base chassis with the aim of using it in conjunction with a gun. Due to some limitations imposed by the design of the basic products, the result of the project was the appearance of an armored vehicle with a characteristic appearance and specific characteristics.

In accordance with the German designation system, the new self-propelled guns should have received a name describing the basic units: 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl. auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B. In addition, the additional names Sturmpanzer I and Bison ("Bison") were proposed. Subsequently, the name “Sturmpanzer” was transferred to several other projects of similar equipment.

In order to save time and resources, it was decided to retain some of the units of the base chassis, as well as equip it with some new parts. To accommodate the weapons and the required armor for them, the upper part of the hull along with the turret was removed from the Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B tank. It was now proposed to use a horizontal roof as the floor of the new fighting compartment. Other components of the body, as well as the layout of the internal volumes, have remained almost unchanged. The transmission was retained in the front of the car, behind which the driver was located, and the rear was allocated for the engine and its auxiliary systems.

The hull of the future self-propelled gun, borrowed from the base tank, retained the existing armor. Its frontal part consisted of several sheets with a thickness of 8 to 13 mm, the sides and rear - 13 mm. In addition, the existing armored hull was supplemented with a wheelhouse to protect the gun and gunners. On the front part of the roof it was proposed to mount a U-shaped unit made of sheets 14.5 mm thick. The front part of the new cabin had an inclined frontal plate with a vertical cutout for a gun, and under the sheet there was free space, which was proposed to be used for observing the road from the driver’s seat. Sides of complex shape with beveled front edges were used. The rear part of the sides was mounted on hinges and could be tilted to the side to make it easier to get into the wheelhouse. Behind the frontal sheet of the cabin there should have been a standard gun shield.

The power plant and transmission of the new car were retained without any noticeable modifications. At the rear of the car was a Maybach NL 38TR carburetor engine with a power of 100 hp. The engine was mated to a mechanical transmission based on the main and side clutches, a six-speed manual gearbox and band brakes. The vehicle's transmission was connected to the front drive wheels.

The chassis was also borrowed from the Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B light tank without any changes. There were five rubberized road wheels on each side. The front pair of rollers was equipped with an individual spring suspension, the rest were locked in pairs and received leaf springs. A characteristic feature of the tank's chassis and the new self-propelled guns based on it was the use of external beams that covered the four rear road wheels. Drive wheels were attached to the front of the hull, and guides were attached to the rear. There were also four support rollers.

To simplify the production of serial equipment, it was decided not to change the design of the carriage of the required gun. It was proposed to use the 150-mm sIG 33 cannon together with a standard wheeled carriage, which was based on a single-bar box machine. During the assembly of the self-propelled gun, it was proposed to roll the gun onto the roof of the hull, while the carriage wheels were placed in special boxes, and the frame was secured with special locks placed on the roof of the engine compartment. After securing the gun in this way, the self-propelled gun could perform its assigned tasks. To facilitate the work of installing or replacing a gun, the armored cabin could be dismantled relatively quickly.

150 mm heavy infantry gun mod. 1933 sIG 33 was equipped with an 11-caliber barrel and had a horizontal sliding bolt. The design of the carriage allowed the gun to be aimed in a horizontal plane within 11° to the right and left of the neutral position. Vertical aiming was carried out in the sector from -4° to +75°. Hydropneumatic recoil devices were used. The sIG 33 gun could use separately loaded ammunition with several types of projectiles. When using the lightest high-explosive fragmentation projectile of type I.Gr. 33 provided an initial speed of up to 240 m/s. The maximum firing range reached 4.7 km. A trained crew could fire up to 3-4 shots per minute. Along with the carriage, the gun also retained the Rblf 36 telescopic sight.

The large dimensions of the gun and the relatively small dimensions of the base chassis led to a sharp reduction in the amount of ammunition carried. In the stowages placed on the roof of the hull, it was possible to place only eight shells with casings. Thus, for full-fledged combat work, the new self-propelled gun 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl. auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B needed an ammunition carrier. In addition, shooting on the move became extremely difficult, since the vehicle required regular stops to replenish ammunition.

The new project did not provide for additional weapons. If necessary, the crew of the self-propelled gun had to use personal small arms. Also, the artillerymen had to rely on the help of accompanying troops.

The crew of the promising self-propelled gun included four people. Inside the hull, under the mounted gun, there should have been a driver. As already mentioned, due to the installation of a new armored cabin, he had to observe the road through a large “window” at the bottom of the front plate. The self-propelled gun commander, who also had the duties of a gunner, was placed to the left of the gun, next to its sight and manual guidance drives. Two loaders were to be responsible for supplying ammunition.

The promising self-propelled artillery unit turned out to be noticeably larger and heavier than the basic light tank. The length of the vehicle was 4.67 m, width - 2.06 m, height - 2.2 m. The combat weight was 8.6 tons. The gun weighed 1,750 kg and the weight of the vehicle itself was about 5,800 kg. About another ton was for fuel, crew, ammunition, etc. For comparison, the base tank Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B had a height of 1.7 m and weighed only 5.8 tons. Due to the increase in mass and the preservation of the power plant, the Sturmpanzer I self-propelled gun could reach a speed of no more than 30-35 km/h . The power reserve was limited to 140 km.

In January 1940, one of the available light tanks was rebuilt according to a new design. On January 29, this car was presented for testing. In addition, simultaneously with the self-propelled guns, the customer was shown a promising ammunition transporter, also based on the Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B tank. The transporter differed from the base vehicle in the absence of a turret and a freed fighting compartment, inside of which it was now proposed to transport only shells of various types.

Tests have shown that the promising 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl. auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B "Bison" has ambiguous characteristics. The use of a 150-mm gun with the highest firepower made it possible to solve a wide range of combat missions and destroy various targets, including well-protected fortifications. At the same time, the military was not fully satisfied with the large combat mass of the self-propelled gun, the insufficient level of protection for the artillerymen and the deteriorating mobility. In addition, the reason for the complaints was the excessively high centering of the machine, which could lead to coups on various slopes.

The customer, represented by the Wehrmacht, weighed all the pros and cons of the new combat vehicle, after which he decided on further work. Despite the dubious characteristics of mobility and protection, it was decided to accept the 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl self-propelled gun. auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B for service. Industry ordered the assembly of 38 similar machines. The Alkett company was supposed to produce the new equipment.

All ordered vehicles were handed over to the troops by the summer of 1940. This equipment was distributed among several companies of heavy infantry guns. Each such unit, divided into three platoons, included six Bison self-propelled guns, 12 Sd.Kfz.10 tractors and six motorcycles for communications. Initially, companies armed with new self-propelled guns were not part of larger formations. Later they were transferred to the command of several divisions.

Before the attack on France, six companies equipped with 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl. auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B, were distributed among several tank divisions that were to participate in the battles. At the same time, companies of heavy infantry guns were attached to rifle brigades as part of divisions. After being transferred to tank divisions, the new self-propelled guns took part in battles for the first time. During the battles on French territory, the German army showed high combat effectiveness, one of the consequences of which was the small losses of new companies of heavy guns. During the entire battle with the French army, only two Sturmpanzer I self-propelled guns were destroyed by the enemy. According to available data, one of them, working on the front line, was noticed by enemy observers, who aimed artillery at it. The reasons for the loss of the second car are unknown.

It is noteworthy that non-combat losses of the self-propelled gun 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl. auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B turned out to be significantly higher than combat ones. Due to the heavy weight and the need for constant movement, the vehicles experienced increased loads on the power plant and chassis, which led to their breakdowns. It is known that on May 22 (i.e., 12 days after the start of the battles), the command of the 703rd heavy gun company reported the impossibility of full-fledged combat work: due to breakdowns of the chassis, only one vehicle with a 150-mm gun remained in combat-ready condition. The remaining self-propelled guns needed urgent repairs.

Almost all Sturmpanzer I self-propelled guns survived the French campaign. Soon, similar vehicles from three companies had to fight in the Balkans and participate in the capture of Greece. As far as is known, there were no combat losses and the number of combat self-propelled guns did not change, although some of the vehicles needed repairs.

During the attack on the Soviet Union by German troops, only a small number of 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl remained in service. auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B. In 1941, only the 705th and 706th companies of heavy infantry guns were sent to the Eastern Front. In the summer of 1942, the 701st company also went to war. Thus, no more than 18 Bison self-propelled guns took part in battles with the Red Army at a time. At the same time, the number of such machines was constantly changing. Despite their high firepower, these self-propelled guns were equipped with relatively weak armor and were a fairly easy target for artillery and aviation. Over time, approximately by the end of 1943, the German command decided to completely abandon the use of Sturmpanzer I self-propelled guns due to moral and physical obsolescence.

The further fate of the combat vehicles remaining in the army is not known with certainty. Probably, the equipment with the exhausted service life was sent to the rear and then went for disassembly. Repair, restoration and return to service were impractical, and in some cases impossible, due to technical reasons and the lack of some necessary spare parts.

According to available data, at least one Bison self-propelled gun was captured by the Red Army in its entirety. This car, like other trophies, was sent to the testing ground for testing and careful study. Checks showed that the vehicle is hopelessly outdated and has no advantages except for a powerful weapon. It is known that in parallel with the captured 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl. auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B Soviet specialists studied the StuG III self-propelled gun. The assessments of these two machines were diametrically opposed. The project of a self-propelled artillery mount based on the Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B tank and the 15 cm sIG 33 gun was created as an “ersatz” designed to quickly supply the army with the required equipment. Due to this origin, there were no special requirements for the project in terms of basic characteristics. At the same time, an aging tank with not very high characteristics was used as a base for the vehicle, which led to corresponding consequences. Already in the early forties, the 15 cm sIG 33 Sfl self-propelled gun, once considered a good and promising self-propelled gun. auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B was hopelessly outdated and was no longer of interest to the troops. In addition, by this time several new machines of a similar purpose with high performance characteristics had been created. "Bison" completed its task and was no longer needed by the army.

COMBAT WEIGHT – 8600 kg CREW, persons. – 4 OVERALL DIMENSIONS: Length, mm – 4670 Width, mm – 2060 Height, mm – 2250 Ground clearance, mm – 295 ARMAMENT: one 150 mm sIG33 L/11 cannon AMMUNITION: 8 shots AIMING DEVICES: Rblf36 telescopic sight ARMOR: hull front – 13 mm hull side – 13 mm hull rear – 13 mm superstructure front – 14.5 mm superstructure side – 14.5 mm superstructure rear – 14.5 mm hull roof – 6 mm bottom – 6 mm ENGINE: Maibach NL38TR, V- shaped, 6-cylinder, carburetor, liquid cooling, maximum power 100 hp. at 3000 rpm. TRANSMISSION mechanical type: 6-speed gearbox (5 speeds forward and 4 reverse), main and side clutches, propeller shaft and band brakes CHASSIS (on one side) 5 rubber-coated road wheels, front drive and rear idler wheels, fine track width 280 mm with steel tracks SPEED: 35 km/h on the highway 20 km/h on the country road COURSE RESERVE ON THE HIGHWAY – 140 km OBSTACLES OVERCOME: Climbing angle, deg. – 20° Wall height, m ​​– 0.37 Ford depth, m – 1.40 Ditch width, m – 0.60 COMMUNICATIONS were not installed