Category: WW2 German SPGs

German Reich (1940)
Self-Propelled Artillery – 38 Built + At Least 5 Modified

The concept of mounting a heavy infantry gun on a tank chassis was born out of the need for providing the German infantry formations with more mobile artillery support. In order to test the whole concept, the German firm Alkett designed and built a small series of 38 self-propelled vehicles. These consisted of a Panzer I Ausf.B chassis armed with a 15 cm sIG 33 infantry support gun. Despite its primitive construction, this vehicle, named 15 cm sIG 33 auf Panzerkampfwagen I ohne Aufbau Ausf.B, would see extensive action up to 1943.

Rise of the Infantry Support Guns

The First World War brought a series of military reforms and the introduction of new technologies and weapons. One of these was the concept of artillery units put directly under infantry control, which were meant to provide close-up fire support. On the Western Front, the use of such artillery was highly desirable, but their employment was heavily hindered by the extensive entrenched lines. On one hand, the use of close support fire at key points on the battlefield would offer a chance to break the enemy line. On the other hand, the difficult terrain greatly reduced their mobility during advances. Another major problem was that these guns were not specifically designed for this role. Any available small caliber gun or mortar would be reused for this purpose. Because of this, these early ‘assault guns’ were too heavy or had insufficient mobility to be used more directly during assaults.

After the First World War, the Germans especially showed interest in designing and producing infantry support guns. Despite being forbidden from doing so by the Treaty of Versailles, which prohibited the development of such weapons, the Germans bypassed this by often simply adding fictitious design years to their guns, misleading the Allies into believing that they were old World War One designs. After some time spent testing and perfecting the design, two new infantry support guns would be developed. These Infatteriegeschutz (Eng. Infantry guns) included the lightweight 7.5 cm leIG 18 and the much heavier, larger caliber 15 cm sIG 33. Both of these proved to be excellent designs, serving the German infantry up to the end of the war. The 15 cm sIG 33 proved to be especially effective in combat. It had good elevation, was easy to maintain, and had excellent firepower. The range of both of these guns was rather limited but, given the specialized role that they were to perform, this was not seen as an issue. The divisional artillery formation armed with 10.5 and 15 cm guns was to provide long-range fire support.

Panzer I Ausf.B

The Panzer I was the first mass-produced German tank and entered service in 1934. The first version, known as Panzer I Ausf.A, while vital in providing experience regarding tank design and crew training, had many shortcomings. A year later, another improved version was introduced to service, the Ausf.B. It had a more powerful engine and an improved suspension, while the armor and armament remained the same. By the time production ended in June 1937, some 1,500 of both versions were built. While additional versions would see service in the following years, these would be built in limited numbers only.

Despite its obsolescence as a combat tank, with its weak armament of two machine guns, the Panzer I remained in frontline service up to late 1941. The German industry could not sufficiently produce an improved design, so the Germans were forced to use the Panzer I as a frontline tank. Due to its obsolescence, the Panzer I chassis would be reused for a series of adaptations for other roles. This included a small production run of a self-propelled version armed with the 15 cm infantry support gun.

Self-Propelled Version

While the 15 cm sIG 33 offered great firepower to the German infantry, its weight severely limited its mobility. Infantry units of the German Army were not very mobile formations given the general lack of towing vehicles, mostly relying on horses to pull their equipment. In rarer cases, a Sd.Kfz.10 or 11 half-track was used to tow this gun. Depending on the means of towing, different road wheels were used. For example, when towed by horse, all-metal wheels were used. When towed by a half-track, metal wheels with solid rubber tyres were used. Despite this, moving a heavy gun was tiresome and took some time to set up properly. In addition, during retreats, the guns were often abandoned, as they could not be moved fast enough.

These shortcomings became obvious after the Polish campaign in 1939. Shortly after that, WaPrüf 6 issued orders to develop a self-propelled version armed with such a gun. According to original plans, this vehicle was to be a completely new design. These envisaged a fully tracked vehicle with 50 mm frontal and 20 mm side armor. The total combat weight was to be slightly over 12 tonnes and the maximum speed was to be 67 km/h. The last but most important requirement was that the gun could be easily dismounted and used in its original configuration.

Given that designing a brand new chassis would take time, the Germans went for the simplest possible solution. In parallel with this vehicle’s development, an anti-tank vehicle armed with a 47 mm gun was being developed using the Panzer I Ausf.B chassis. The choice to use this chassis was made in order to maximize the efficient utilization of existing resources. Larger chassis, such as the Panzer III or IV, would be more suited for this task, but, given their limited numbers and the lack of production capabilities of the German industry, there was no other choice than to reuse the Panzer I tank for this project. Another fact is that the Panzer I was, by that point, an obsolete combat vehicle, but it remained in service, as there was nothing available to replace it.

In any case, the overall design of the new self-propelled vehicle was quite simple. The Panzer I’s upper superstructure was removed and replaced with the entire 15 sIG 33 gun, which was provided with box-shaped armor protection, open to the rear and top. While this simple approach left much to be desired, it made the whole construction easy to repair and maintain, and any damaged part could be easily replaced or salvaged.

The first working prototype was completed at the start of 1940. It was designed and built by Almarkische Kettenfabrik G.m.b.H from Berlin. Following successful testing, a production order for 37 (chassis numbers 10456 to 16500) such vehicles was given. These were completed by the end of February or March 1940, depending on the source.

Name

This vehicle was designated as 15 cm sIG 33 auf Panzerkampfwagen I ohne Aufbau Ausf.B Sd.Kfz.101. As with other German armored vehicles of WWII, other sources use slightly different designations for this vehicle, such as 15 cm sIG 33 PzKpfw I Ausf.B. For the sake of simplicity, this article will use sIG 33 auf Pz. I, although this was not an official name.

The nickname ‘Bison’ is often associated with this vehicle, but the Germans never referred to it as such. It is also sometimes referred to as Sturmpanzer I, which was another false name, given the incorrect belief that the vehicle was designed to be used as a direct fire support weapon. While occasionally it did happen, it was not its primary purpose.

Design

Hull

The sIG 33 auf Pz. I’s hull consisted of a frontal-mounted transmission, a central crew compartment, and a rear-positioned engine. Its overall design was unchanged from the original Panzer I Ausf.B.

Suspension

The suspension was another element that remained unchanged the original Panzer I Ausf.B. It consisted of five road wheels per side. The first wheel used a coil spring mount design with an elastic shock absorber in order to prevent any outward bending. The remaining four wheels were mounted in pairs on a suspension cradle with leaf spring units. There was a front drive sprocket, rear idler, and four small return rollers. Given the added weight, the sIG 33 auf Pz. I’s suspension was very prone to malfunctions and breakdowns.

Engine

With the added crew and the gun, the weight increased from the original 5.8 tonnes to 7 tonnes. Depending on the source, the weight of this vehicle is sometimes described as being 8.5 tonnes. The Panzer I Ausf.B was powered by a new water-cooled Maybach NL 38 Tr, which was able to supply 100 [email protected] 3,000 rpm. The maximum speed, depending on the source, ranged between 35 to 40 km/h, while the cross-country speed was only 12-15 km/h.

The fuel was located in two tanks, with one holding 82 liters and the other 62 liters. Both were located to the rear right side, separated from the crew compartment. The operational range was 170 km on good roads and 115 km/h cross-country. Sources, such as Tank Power Vol.XXIV 15 cm sIG 33(Sf) auf PzKpfw I/II/III, mention that the operational range was only 100 km. Author W. Oswald (Kraftfahrzeuge und Panzer) mentions that the operational range was 160 km on good roads and 120 km cross-country.

Superstructure

While the chassis remained unchanged, the original superstructure and turret were removed. A small frontal driver plate was retained. While it kept its driver visor port located on the left side, another smaller vision port was added next to it. Despite this, the driver’s vision would be severely limited by the added upper superstructure, which protruded slightly on both sides in front of the driver.

On top of the vehicle, a simple three-sided box-shaped armored superstructure was added for crew protection, which was open from the back and the top. The sides and lower parts of the front armor were flat. The upper front plates were slightly angled inwards at a 25º angle. On the front armor, there was a large U-shaped opening to allow the gun to be placed there. It was enclosed by the gun shield itself, so it did not leave the crew exposed. There was a large hatch located to the front upper left, which served to provide a clear view for the gunner’s sights.

The side armor plates had few noticeable features. On top of them, small observation ports were added. The rear sections of the two side walls could, if needed, be opened to provide the crew with more working room and some protection during ammunition resupply. Lastly, on the sides of the armor plates, there was a noticeable bulge that protruded out of the vehicle. Its purpose was to provide slightly more working space during the mounting or dismounting of the main gun.

With this new superstructure, the sIG 33 auf Pz. I was a fairly large target. There are conflicting recollections on the precise turret dimensions. For example, D. Nešić (Naoružanje Drugog Svetskog rata-Nemačka) mentions a length of 4.42 m, width of 1.68 m, and height of 3.35 m. According to T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (Panzer Tracts No.10 Artillerie Selbsfahrlafetten) the length was 4.42 m, width of 2.17 m, and height of 2.7 m. Lastly, Tank Power Vol.XXIV 15 cm sIG 33(Sf) auf PzKpfw I/II/III gives slightly different numbers of 4.42 m length, 2.65 m width, and 3.35 m height.

Armor

The original Panzer I Ausf.B’s armor was quite thin. Its front hull ranged between 8 to 13 mm. The side armor was 13 mm, the bottom 5 mm, and the rear 13 mm. The armor was made of rolled homogenous hardened plates with a Brinell hardness of 850. It was welded and formed the body of the superstructure and hull. Although not protected from even small caliber anti-tank guns, it could provide protection against small arms fire and SmK bullets (steel-cored rifle bullets).

For crew protection, the vehicle received a large box shaped superstructure. Its armor thickness was only 4 mm thick according to T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (Panzer Tracts No.10 Artillerie Selbsfahrlafetten). Authors, such as D. Nešić (Naoružanje Drugog Svetskog rata-Nemačka), mention it being 10 mm thick. This basically provided the crew protection only against regular small caliber ammunition. Armor-piercing ammunition of the same caliber could easily penetrate this armor. With its open rear and top, its large silhouette, and a powerful gun, the sIG 33 auf Pz. I was a magnet for enemy return fire. This alone indicates that using this vehicle in a close support role was dangerous for the crew and completely suicidal.

Armament

The main armament of this vehicle was 15 cm sIG (schwere Infanteriegeschutz – Heavy infantry gun) 33. Rheinmetall began its development in 1927 and it entered service in 1933. With a total weight of approximately 1,700 kg, it was one of the heaviest guns ever to be used for infantry support. It was a reliable and robust gun that was easy to build and required very little maintenance.

In terms of construction, it was a quite conventional design. It had a two-wheeled carriage and the older type of box trail equipped with a hydropneumatic recoil system placed under the gun barrel. The gun possessed a high elevation and used a horizontal sliding-block breech mechanism. To help counteract the muzzle weight, two balancing springs (one on each side) were installed. The 15 cm sIG was considered a satisfactory weapon by the Germans, but the greatest issue was its weight. It would remain in use throughout the whole of World War II in both its original form and as the main weapon of many German self-propelled guns.

The gun installation was quite simple. The gun was not modified in any way and was simply placed on top of the modified Panzer I chassis. To hold the wheels in place during firing the gun, they were placed in a metal housing located on top of the mudguards and held in place by two large screws. In addition, there were two large metal rings that housed the two gun wheels, providing further stability. The gun was also secured by a vertical pin connected to the gun tow hitch (towing eye) and a triangular-shaped armored plate that was welded to the engine compartment.

If needed, the gun could be easily removed, which made performing maintenance and repairs much simpler. For removing the gun, a sufficiently strong crane (either specially designed or a simple improvisation) would be needed. As mentioned earlier, for this purpose, on both sides of the armored superstructure, there were two oval projections. The right-hand side oval was slightly closer to the front of the vehicle, in contrast to the left side. This allowed the gun to be turned anti-clockwise and, with the help of some kind of crane or a winch system, the gun could be removed without dismantling the rest of the superstructure.

The 15 cm sIG 33 fired a 38 kg heavy high-explosive round at a maximum range of 4.7 km. This high-explosive round, during explosion, created a lethal area of around 100-120 m wide and 12-15 m deep. While the 15 cm sIG used several different ammunition types, on the sIG 33 auf Pz. I configuration, only the high-explosive rounds were used. The main gun elevation was -4° to +75, while the traverse was 5.5° in both directions. These numbers differ depending on the source used. The rate of fire was low, at only 2 to 3 rounds per minute. This was due to the heavy weight of the shells and the use of separate two-part ammunition (shell and charges). The 15 cm sIG 33 used the Zeiss Rblf 36 gun sight.

Due to its cramped interior and the large size of the ammunition required for the gun, only three spare rounds were transported in the vehicle. This would limit the effectiveness of the sIG 33 auf Pz. I if the supporting ammunition carriers could not reach them for whatever reason. It is possible that the crew would store additional rounds inside the vehicle. There are photographs that show that an additional fourth round was carried under the gun itself, making it difficult to spot. Spare rounds were held in woven containers. Two were usually located on the left rear mudguard and one on the right side, plus the one under the gun. Author D. Nešić (Naoružanje Drugog Svetskog rata) states that the ammunition load of this vehicle consisted of up to 18 rounds. This is highly unlikely given the limited internal space.

Besides the crew’s personal weapons, no secondary armament was provided for self-defense. As this vehicle was designed to fire from a distance, this was not a significant issue.

Using a lighter gun may seem to have been a better choice due to the overburdened chassis, but the Germans chose not to for a number of reasons. The two main infantry support guns used by the German Army were the 7.5 and the 15 cm guns. The much smaller 7.5 cm leIG 18 was lighter. On the other hand, the gun was highly mobile, so placing it on a self-propelled chassis was not seen as urgent or providing enough advantages. The 15 cm sIG 33 was very heavy and mobility was a major issue. Using it in a more mobile configuration was deemed more important. In addition, it had much stronger firepower than its ‘smaller’ ‘cousin’. Using other artillery pieces, such as the 10.5 cm howitzer, may also have been an alternative. However, as it was not directly under the control of the infantry, the use of this caliber would have caused some logistical problems.

Crew

According to authors T. L. Jentz and H. L. Doyle (Panzer Tracts No.10 Artillerie Selbsfahrlafetten), this vehicle was operated by a crew of five. During relocation to other positions, three of them were stationed inside the vehicle. The two remaining crew were transported by the auxiliary vehicles belonging to the unit. Somewhat confusingly, the same sources later mentions a crew of four including the commander, two gun operators, and the loader in the specifications table. It is unusual, but the driver is not mentioned, which might explain the difference.

Sources such as Tank Power Vol.XXIV 15 cm sIG 33(Sf) auf PzKpfw I/II/III mention a crew of four: commander/gunner, driver, and two loaders. This is a significant difference between sources, especially regarding the commander’s role. To complicate the matter, older photographs show this vehicle with both four and five crew members.

The driver was positioned on the vehicle’s left side and was fully protected. As there was no hatch available for him, the driver would have had to squeeze around the gun to get to his position. The gunner was positioned to the left of the gun and the loader right of him. The last crew member was likely positioned behind them, ready to assist the gun’s loading.

The crews from the supply vehicles (usually three people per vehicle) would also help with delivering the ammunition. As there was little room for all of the crew members, on long marches, the crew, with exception of the driver, were usually transported by the support vehicles (but this depended on the situation in the field). As an open-topped vehicle, the crew was also exposed to the weather. A canvas cover could be placed over the vehicle, but it limited the crew’s view of the surroundings.

Organization

With the completion of all 38 vehicles, it was possible to begin creating the first units equipped with this vehicle during spring 1940. These were allocated to six vehicle strong Schwere Infanteriegeschütz (Motorisiert) Kompanie – s.I.G.(mot.) Kp (Eng. self-propelled heavy infantry gun companies). With the available vehicles, six such companies were formed, numbered 701 to 706. The remaining two vehicles were allocated for training, but also acted as replacement vehicles.

These companies were attached to the Schütze-Brigade (Eng. rifle brigade) of various panzer divisions just prior to the German invasion of the West in May 1940.

The structural organization of each company consisted of a command unit that was equipped with four military cars, such as the Kfz.15 Horch, as well as four motorcycles. One of these motorcycles was provided with a sidecar. The companies were divided in three two-vehicle strong platoons. These were supplemented by four Sd.Kfz.10 half-track vehicles with two trailers and two motorcycles. Additional trucks would be used to transport ammunition, fuel, and spare parts from designated army storage bases to the unit at the front. After 1941, some structural changes were made to address this unit’s lack of radio equipment, enlarging the command unit with additional vehicles and radio equipment. In later years, some vehicles may have been provided with radio equipment, like some photographs indicate.

In Combat

Conquest of the West, May 1940

The sIG 33 auf Pz. I self-propelled heavy (motorized) infantry gun companies, numbered from 701 to 706, were allocated to six panzer divisions that were preparing for an attack on the Westin May 1940.

During the German offensive in France, the vehicle proved to be an effective weapon, but was not without its flaws. While the firepower was deemed excellent, other characteristics, such as mobility, armor protection, and reliability were deemed insufficient. The mechanical breakdowns, especially of the transmission, were common, and many vehicles were put out of action because of this. For example, the 703rd Company only had one operational sIG 33 auf Pz. I after the first week of fighting. In total, only two were lost due to enemy fire during this offensive. One of these two was hit by an artillery shell and destroyed.

In a report about the sIG 33 auf Pz. I’s performance by the 706th Company, it was noted that:

“ … The sIG 33 auf PzKpfw I Ausf B, in its present form, has not performed well. However, the gun, if it could be used in action, was very effective and fully met our expectations. The PzKpfw I chassis proved to be too weak. The running gear, although overhauled at Alkett, was still considerably worn out after many years in service. Most failures (up to 60 percent) occurred with the clutches, the brakes and the tracks. Most sIG companies could not keep pace with the marching speed of the tank division, which often exceeded 30 kph. For this reason, we advise to attach the sIG companies to infantry divisions for the coming combat… Combat usually involved a single sIG 33 gun firing from a concealed position at ranges varying from 50 to 4,000 m. But, the front gun shield was repeatedly penetrated by armor-piercing infantry ammunition…. “

In the Balkans

During the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1940 and later the invasion of Greece, only the 701st, 703rd, and 704th companies would see action. There is little to no information about their use in this campaign, as the war reports of the panzer divisions they were attached to (2nd, 5th, and 9th) barely mention them. Yugoslavia was defeated very quickly (the war lasted less than two weeks) with minimal German losses. The sIG 33 auf Pz. I may have seen some limited action there. Following the capitulation of Yugoslavia, the Germans successfully invaded Greece. They were likely used to bombard the heavily defended Greek Metaxa Line. As with their service in the Balkans, due to lack of information, it is unknown whether these units suffered any losses, but it is likely none were lost.

Although not a single vehicle is recorded as having been lost in direct combat, as many as six were lost in a highly unusual accident. After the successful campaign in the Balkans, the Germans began to withdraw their forces in preparation for the upcoming attack on the Soviet Union. On 19th May 1941, the 703rd Company, together with other armored vehicles of the 2nd Panzer Division, was meant to be transported by the ships Kybfels and Marburg from Patras (Greece) to Taranto (Italy). On 21st May, unbeknown to the Axis forces, the British HMS Abdiel (M39) minelayer secretly laid down some 150 mines near the planned route. Close to Cape Dukato, Kybfels struck a mine at around 14:00. The damage was so extensive that the whole ship sank very quickly. Shortly after, the Marburg would also run into a mine, and the explosion caused a huge fire. The ship did not sink immediately, but it also shared the fate of the first Axis ship. In this action alone, the Germans lost 226 personnel, including all the equipment and weapons stored inside these two ships. While not completely clear, it appears that at least some vehicles and equipment from the 2nd Panzer Division may have been unloaded a few days before this accident. Whatever the case, the 703rd Company lost all of its six-vehicles. As a replacement, it received towed 15 cm sIG guns instead.

In the East, 1941-1943

By the time of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, there were at least 30 sIG 33 auf Pz. I available for action. Although the German forces did not expect any serious resistance from the Soviet Army, the first month of the invasion proved to be different from their expectations. All six self-propelled heavy infantry gun companies were heavily engaged in combat.

In a combat effectiveness report (as found in T. Anderson Panzerartillerie) made by the 702nd Company dated from 18th September 1941, there are few quite interesting comments regarding the use of these vehicles.

“.. Despite being thoroughly aware of the shortcomings of the type, the sIG (mot S) [referring here to sIG 33 auf Pz. I] has performed very well as an assault gun during the campaign in Russia. This is in contrast to the first combat deployment in France, when the unit was afflicted by a number of serious problems. However, our troops have benefited from the long training phase and become accustomed to all mechanical vagaries and adept at correcting any faults.

The sIG (mot S) is the ideal assault gun for the lead echelon of a Kampfgruppe in the Panzer division. The low trajectory of the gun, when firing with a No.4 charge, is very effective for attacking a point target, such as a bunker or dug-in artillery, or machine-gun nests and mortar positions, with a minimal expenditure of ammunition. Due to having a fully tracked chassis, the vehicle can be moved quickly to attack a fresh target. Also, by being armored, the sIG (mot S) can also be deployed in an open position, and this can have a demoralizing effect on enemy forces; many cease firing and give away their positions. The gun is not suitable for use as an anti-tank gun, but it must be emphasized that in an emergency situation, it can be used to attack enemy armor. Just the massive effect of a 15 cm high-explosive shells detonating near enemy tanks will normally cause the attack to turn away; this was even applicable to the 52 tonnes heavy tank [KV heavy tank] . A stationary tank or any that approaches head-on can be destroyed at 300 to 400 m range by firing two or three shells propelled by the No.4 charge. In most instances, a combat company was supported by a single self-propelled gun, but any action involving the platoon would be the exception: the guns would be concealed in a covered position: Some 80 percent of all rounds were fired from an open position… “

This report shows that the crew of some units prefered to use the sIG 33 auf Pz. I in a role for which it was not designed for. Thanks to its excellent firepower, enemy targets, such as fortified positions, could be easily taken out. The report even mentions the possibility to use it as an improvised anti-tank vehicle in desperate situations

This report also mentions the logistical problems, something that the Germans always faced during the war and which were never fully solved.

“ … The workshop facilities for the company must be improved and enlarged. The lack of an 8-ton Zugmaschine [Sd.Kfz.7] and a flatbed trailer to enable the recovery of damaged guns or repair, is a very serious problem. Recovery services at divisional level were insufficient and extremely slow at recovering any damaged gun. This was observed when two were lost during the advance and, despite of their exact positions being reported (as required in regulations), neither vehicle was recovered immediately. However, both were later recovered by crews from the Speer organization, but were not returned to the company. If a tractor and flatbed trailer had been available, these precious guns would have been returned directly to our workshop unit for repair and be available for service after seven days. The resupply to our guns worked satisfactorily, this was due to the dedication to his task by the leader of the ammunition squad. However, it has become obvious that the standard Opel Blitz truck has poor cross-country mobility and a lack of cargo capacity. Since a large stock of ammunition cannot be carried on the gun, the resupply team has to follow in close proximity. As a consequence, the delivery of heavy cross-country trucks must be considered a vital necessity.’’

Lastly, the unit report also mentions the numbers of destroyed enemy targets during the advance toward Leningrad. The enemy losses, at the cost of some 1,640 rounds, were 24 bunkers, 31 guns, 13 anti-tank guns, and 6 tanks. Interestingly, the report also mentions the list of repairs undertaken during a four-day march, which included the replacement of 68 road wheels, 392 track links, 1,057 track bolts, 8 idler wheels, 2 drive sprockets, 5 return rollers, 9 leaf springs, etc. The source for this report is T. Anderson (Panzerartillerie).

While the use of the sIG 33 auf Pz. I by the 702nd Company may indicate that this vehicle could be quite effectively used in more aggressive and direct combat actions, a few things should be remembered. In the early period of the war in the East, the Soviet forces were often poorly led and trained. This affected their overall combat performance greatly, to the point that they would often run from the Germans, thinking the enemy was superior to them. As the war progressed and the Soviet soldiers became more experienced with fighting the enemy, the German advance slowed down. The sIG 33 auf Pz. I’s armor was minimal at best, and the Soviets possessed a great number of anti-tank guns and anti-tank rifles that could easily take out this vehicle.

To prevent the inadequate use of the lightly protected self-propelled artillery, in late 1942, the Waffenamt (German Army Weapon Agency) issued a series of orders that essentially banned their use in more direct attacks. With the rising losses, the surviving crew members were often relocated to the infantry school at Döberitz. There, they trained and helped with the formation of new units. The last unit to operate this vehicle was the 5th Panzer Division (704th), which still listed two operational vehicles on 30th June 1943.

New Vehicles

While the sIG 33 auf Pz. I chassis was overburdened and prone to malfunctions and breakdowns, its simplicity allowed an easy replacement of damaged parts. Another benefit of its overall design was that, in case the chassis was damaged beyond repair, the gun could simply be dismounted and used in its original configuration, or the other way around. Easy removal of the gun allowed the German crews to fabricate additional vehicles, if the components for it were available, with minimal equipment. This was the case of the 701st Company, which received 5 Panzer I chassis and two 15 cm guns. While, officially, only 38 vehicles were built, additional conversions were undertaken in the field. At least a few were documented, although others may have not. This somewhat complicates determining the precise number of such conversions used, but it is highly unlikely that many additions were completed.

The Germans somewhat overcomplicated their self-propelled artillery design by having the possibility to use the gun in its original towing configuration. The sIG 33 auf Pz. I actually achieved this with minimal work needed on its overall design.

Was This Vehicle Used as an Assault Gun?

There is some confusion about the precise role of this vehicle. Often, in some sources, this vehicle is described as the performing role of an assault vehicle. The well-known and only footage of this vehicle in action shows it firing at French buildings at close range supported by infantry. It is important to note that this was likely a propaganda film made by the Germans. In general, the self-propelled artillery guns developed and used by the Germans, such as this vehicle and later models (Wespe, Hummel, and the 15 cm armed Grile based on the Panzer 38(t) chassis) were provided with limited armor protection, giving more priority to their mobility and firepower. Their role was not to charge at the enemy and fire at close range, but instead to follow up fast motorized German units and support them from a distance. For close firing support, the German employed the well-known StuG III series, but also the 15 cm armed Sturmpanzer III and IV. These were much better protected and able to resist enemy return fire. While the sIG 33 auf Pz. I could be and probably was used as an assault gun on some occasions, this kind of deployment was highly risky for its crew. If the enemy had any kind of anti-tank weaponry or were even positioned above, they could easily take out the sIG 33 auf Pz. I’s crew or the vehicle itself. The effectiveness of its firepower can be seen in a contemporary German propaganda video, where it is filmed destroying a house during one German offensive action (possibly somewhere in France).

Conclusion

The sIG 33 auf Pz. I self-propelled gun solved the problem of the low mobility of towed artillery guns. It could engage enemy positions and then disengage, change position, or retreat to safety much faster than towed artillery. But, due to its overburdened chassis, breakdowns were common, which led to a reduction of its mobility. The firepower of the main 15 cm sIG 33 guns was considered to be satisfactory, being able to destroy most targets and even, in rare cases, enemy tanks. The sIG 33 auf Pz. I also had a very simple design, which allowed for quick and easy repairs and replacement of any damaged or worn-out parts. The simple installation of the 15 cm sIG gun also allowed it to be dismounted (if the tank chassis was damaged beyond repair) and to be used as an ordinary towed gun.

The weight of the 15 cm gun and the additional armor plates was simply too much for the weak Panzer I tank’s chassis. This overloading often resulted in many transmission and suspension breakdowns. A common problem was the frequent malfunction of the shock absorbers fitted to the front road wheels. Breakdowns of entire wheels and tracks were also common. The main gun recoil during fire was so strong that the vehicle would wildly shake and could be thrown back. This also increased the chance of damaging the chassis.

The high profile was a big problem for the sIG 33 auf Pz. I too, making it an easy target for enemy artillery gunners. The armor was also quite light and offered only limited protection from small arms fire and shrapnel.

It must be noted that this vehicle was not designed to be used as an assault weapon. Instead, it was intended to be used in a supporting role from a distance, where the lack of armor was not so important. Regardless, heavy camouflage and a well-selected combat position were necessary for the crew’s survival, but this was not always possible or easy to achieve successfully.

Low ammunition capacity was a major issue, especially during prolonged fighting, as the gun could quickly run out, which limited its combat potential. The sIG 33 auf Pz. I, therefore, needed constant support from a supply vehicle for the delivery of additional ammunition, which were themselves in short supply. Moreover, the crew compartment was too cramped, meaning that some of the vehicle’s crew had to be transported by these ammunition vehicles.

Despite its flaws, the sIG 33 auf Pz. I would become an example of how the Germans would (especially in the later part of the war) reuse obsolete or captured tank chassis and combine them with the 15 cm sIG gun. Later models would use more fitting tank chassis, such as the Panzer 38(t), which would be built in much greater numbers. The sIG 33 auf Pz. I may not have been a perfect weapon, but it influenced the future development of similar vehicles used by the Germans during the war. It not only helped German designers and engineers gain experience in making similar vehicles, but also contributed to the development of adequate tactics.

The author of this article would like to thank Guillem Martí Pujol for providing valuable data and Smaragd123 for providing photographs.

Sources

T. Anderson (2020) The History of the Panzerwaffe, Osprey Publishing
J. Engelmann, Bison und andere 15 cm-Geschutze auf Selbstfahrlafetten, Podzun-Pallas-Verlag GmbH
P. Chamberlain and H. Doyle (1978) Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two – Revised Edition, Arms and Armor press.
Ian V. Hogg (1975) German Artillery of World War Two, Purnell Book Services Ltd.
T. L. Jentz and H. L. Doyle (1998) Panzer Tracts No.10 Artillerie Selbsfahrlafetten
H. Doyle (2005). German Military Vehicles, Krause Publications
F. V. De Sisto (2010) Early Panzer Victories, Condor Publication Company
Tank Power Vol.XXIV 15 cm sIG 33(Sf) auf PzKpfw I/II/III, Wydawnictwo Militaria
D. Nešić (2008) Naoružanje Drugog Svetskog rata-Nemačka, Beograd
W. Oswald (2004) Kraftfahrzeuge und Panzer Motor Buch Verlag
T. Anderson (2019) Panzerartillerie, Osprey publishing
D. Predoević (2008) Oklopna vozila i oklopne postrojbe u drugom svjetskom ratu u Hrvatskoj, Digital Point Tiskara

German Reich (1938-1940)
Armored Towing Vehicle – 25+ Built
Anti-Aircraft Gun – 33 to 50 Modified

Prior to the Second World War, the Germans were aware that they would need weapons that could deal with enemy fortified positions, such as bunkers. Their anti-tank guns and most of the artillery were not suited for this task. During the Spanish Civil War, the 8.8 cm Flak anti-aircraft gun proved to be quite effective when used against ground targets. Thanks to its large caliber and high velocity, the German Army officials came up with the idea of modifying some of them for use against enemy bunkers. Around 50 or so guns would be modified and used during the invasion of the West in 1940.

A Brief  8.8 cm Flak History 

In search of a new anti-aircraft gun, Krupp was contacted by German Army officials to develop such a design. In 1931, Krupp engineers returned to Germany after spending years cooperating with the Swedish Bofors company to begin construction of the gun under the most secret conditions. By the end of September 1932, Krupp delivered two guns and 10 trailers. After a series of firing and driving trials, the guns proved to be more than satisfying, and, with some minor modifications, were adopted for service in 1933 under the name 8.8 cm Flugabwehrkanone 18 (Eng: anti-aircraft gun) or, more simply, Flak 18.

Its overall anti-aircraft performance was similar to other nations’ heavy anti-aircraft guns. It gained its fame as an excellent anti-tank weapon in the early years of the war. This gun helped the Germans when other weapons failed them in this role. It would remain in German use up to the war’s end, with over 20,000 such guns being built. Many, including copies, would see service for several more decades.

Not a Ground Attack Weapon 

Despite its fame as an excellent anti-tank weapon during the war, the 8.8 cm Flak was not intended to fulfill this role. Proof for this can be seen in a Wa Prw document dated October 1935. In it, a list of all available anti-tank weapons that were in use or under development was mentioned. In addition, weapons and guns that could be used in this manner were noted too. This included some 2 cm and 3.7 cm caliber anti-aircraft weapons. Somewhat surprisingly, the 8.8 cm Flak gun was not mentioned for potential use as an anti-tank weapon. Two years later, armor-piercing rounds for the 2 cm and 3.7 cm anti-aircraft guns were included in the anti-aircraft development program. The 8.8 cm caliber was once again not included, and thus, no armor-piercing rounds for it were to be developed.

The Germans at this point did not consider the 8.8 cm Flak to be a viable anti-tank weapon. The main reasons for this were its sheer size, the difficulty of movement once employed, and concealment. The only German anti-tank gun that was in service during this time was the 3.7 cm PaK 36. It could be easily moved by only a few crew members, was a small target, and had sufficient firepower to deal with most of the tanks from that era.

When the war in Spain broke out in 1936, the Germans responded to Francisco Franco’s call for aid. The Germans dispatched both ground and air forces to Spain, including a small number of the 8.8 cm Flak guns. As the Nationalists gained the upper hand in the air, the 8.8 cm guns were employed for the destruction of ground targets, where their firepower showed that it had great potential in this role. Thanks to their half-track towing vehicles, mobility was not a major issue, as these possessed good overall drive on-road and off-road.

Even before the Spanish War ended, in 1938, the Heereswaffenamt (German Army weapons agency) and, more importantly, Adolf Hitler himself, requested that the 8.8 cm Flak 18 be adapted for use against ground targets. Their primary missions would be to destroy enemy fortified positions, such as bunkers, but also tanks if any came into range. Mobility was a major factor, as the gun had to be quickly positioned to take action against enemy targets. Two proposals would be adopted. The first would be by placing the gun on a half-track chassis, creating the 8.8 cm Flak 18 Sfl. auf schwere Zugkraftwagen 12 t (Sd.Kfz.8) als Fahrgestell. The second variant was more orthodox in design, consisting of an armored half-track prime mover and a slightly modified 8.8 cm Flak 18 gun.

The latter version was known as the 8.8 BuFlak (Bunker Flak). Given its purpose, the destruction of enemy bunkers, these 8.8 cm guns are sometimes referred to as Bunkerknacker (Eng: bunker destroyer). It is important to note that this name was not only used to describe the 8.8 cm gun, but also for other weapons that performed similar roles, such as the 10.5 cm K 18 guns. The term  Gepanzerte Flak is also sometimes used. The towing vehicle was designated as Gepanzerter 8t Zugkraftwagen.

Increasing the 8.8 cm Flak gun’s mobility was to be achieved by firing the gun while still connected to its two-wheeled bogies. In this way, the crew would not need to waste time lowering the gun and removing the bogies. A new shield was to be added to the gun for crew protection, albeit minimal in scope. In addition to protecting the crew, their towing vehicle would be armored as well. The vehicle chosen for this conversion was the Sd.Kfz.7, which was the standard towing half-track for the 8.8 cm Flak gun prior to and during the war.

Production

In order to implement what was seen as an urgent project, Rheinmetall was contacted in August 1938. Rheinmetall engines worked hard, completing the wooden mock-up by 19th August. Only a week later, the first prototype was completed and tested at Kummersdorf. By the end of September, around 50 such modified guns would be built. Authors, such as  T. Anderson (History of Panzerwaffe Volume 1 1939-42), mention that 33 guns were modified this way.

While the number of the modified guns is known, the precise number of modified towing vehicles is unknown. Authors T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (Panzer Tracts No. 22-5 Gepanzerter 8t Zugkraftwagen and Sfl.Flak) mention that, thanks to photographic evidence, it is known that at least 25 such vehicles were built, though possibly more. The first vehicles were completed in mid-1938.

Design of the 8.8 cm BuFlak Gun

The Gun 

The 8.8 cm Flak 18 used a single tube barrel which was covered in a metal jacket. The barrel itself was some 4.664 meters (L/56) long. The gun recuperator was placed above the barrel, while the recoil cylinders were placed under the barrel.

The 8.8 cm gun had a horizontal sliding breechblock which was semi-automatic. It meant that, after each shot, the breach opened on its own, enabling the crew to immediately load another round. This was achieved by adding a spring coil which was tensioned after firing. This provided a good rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute when engaging ground targets. Despite its maximum range of 15.2 km (with a muzzle velocity of 840 m/s), modified Flak guns were meant to engage enemy bunkers and positions in ranges of less than 1 km.

The modified Flak guns received a slightly changed Flakzielfernroht 20E telescopic sight. Its original use of degree grading was replaced with meters. The gunsight was positioned some 71 cm to the right and 20 cm below the gun. The gunner had to take this into account during firing. The gunsight had to be accordingly positioned slightly to the right and below the target.

The crew manual for this weapon notes that the best and most stable firing position was when the gun was facing forward or to the rear. When fired to the sides, great care had to be taken so that the gun could take the firing recoil. No source provides a precise weight of this gun, but given that it received minimal modifications, it would likely remain the same or quite similar to the original, which had a weight in firing position of 5,150 kg, while the total weight was 7,450 kg.

Controls

Initially, the Flak 18 had two handwheels, one responsible for elevation or one for the traverse. These were located on the right side of the gun. In essence, this meant that two crew members were needed to fully control the movement when tracking targets. The Flak gun that was intended to be solely used for ground operations had to have changed controls. The two separate handwheels were replaced with a single operating unit that contained both of these controls. This new control unit was placed on the forward right side, close to the shield. Essentially, this meant that only one crew member, the gunner, was needed to fully engage targets. Due to its primary mission of engaging ground targets, the elevation was limited to -4° to +15°.

Carriage

Given its size, the gun used a large cross-shaped platform. It consisted of the central part, where the base for the mount was located, along with four outriggers. The front and the rear outriggers were fixed to the central base. The gun barrel travel lock was placed on the front outrigger. The side outriggers were shorter in contrast to those originally used. On these two side outriggers, the round-shaped leveling jacks were replaced with a new square-shaped jack. Their purpose was to prevent the gun from digging into the ground and to keep the gun level on uneven ground.

Bogies

The whole gun was moved using two-wheeled bogies designated as Sonderanhanger 201. The front bogie had single wheels, while the rear one consisted of a pair of wheels per side. Another difference between these two included that the front bogie had 7 and the rear 11 transverse leaf springs. The wheel diameter was the same for the two, at 910 mm. These were also provided with air brakes. In contrast to ordinary guns, this version was to be fired while the two bogies were still connected to the gun carriage.

Shield 

Another new implementation was the introduction of a slightly modified armored shield. It had a simple rectangular shape and was placed at an angle. To the right, there was a hatch that could be closed if needed. Its purpose was to provide the gunner an opening to spot his targets. While an ordinary 8.8 cm Flak front armor shield had a small opening on top for the gun to elevate to the sky, this gun shield did not have it, and it was instead covered with a plate. To somewhat further increase the gun operator’s protection, two smaller triangle-shaped side armor plates could be expanded to both sides. When on the move, these were folded to the front armor shield. The precise armor thickness is not listed in the sources, but it is mentioned that it was slightly thicker than the 10 mm used on the original 8.8 cm Flak shield. While not particularly thick, it was intended to protect the crew from small-caliber rounds and shrapnel.

Ammunition

The modified Flak gun was mostly meant to fire high-explosive and anti-tank rounds. The 8.8 cm Sprgr Patr was a 9.4 kg high-explosive round with a 30-second timed fuze. The 8.8 cm Pzgr Patr was a 9.5 kg standard anti-tank round. With a velocity of 810 m/s, it could penetrate 95 mm of 30° angled armor at 1 km. At 2 km, at the same angle, it could pierce 72 mm of armor. Using an armor-piercing round, at 70° angle, it could penetrate 1 m of concrete at 1 km distance. As these guns could not be used in their original role, the fuse setting device was replaced with a box-shaped ammunition bin that contained 6 rounds of ammunition.

Crew

The vehicle with the gun had a crew of 7. This consisted of the commander, loader, gunner, and four additional gun assistants. The gunner was placed on the right side of the gun and was responsible for operating the gun traverse, elevation, and firing mechanism. Left of the gunner was the loader’s position. Due to the use of bogies during firing, the height of the gun was raised. In order for the loader to be able to load a new round, a metal platform was welded on this side to stand on. The commander and the remaining crew were responsible for moving the gun, carrying additional ammunition, and spotting targets.

The Gepanzerter 8t Zugkraftwagen 

The primary towing vehicle for the 8.8 cm Flak guns was the Sd.Kfz.7 half-track, although it was also not uncommon to see heavy 6×6 wheeled trucks being used in this role. The Sd.Kfz.7 was developed in the mid-1930 by Krauss-Maffei. During its production run, some changes to its design would be implemented, mostly in an attempt to increase its overall performance. This would lead to the installation of a stronger engine and adding two more road wheels per side. The performance was deemed satisfactory and some 12,000 such vehicles would be built up to 1945. The Sd.Kfz.7 also saw limited export success, being sold in small numbers to Brazil, Hungary, Japan, the Soviet Union even Great Britain after the war. It was also built in Italy under the Breda 61 designation.

As the previously mentioned 8.8 cm guns were to be used for destroying enemy fortified positions at relatively close ranges, a soft-skin towing vehicle was deemed undesirable for this task. For this reason, unknown numbers of Sd.Kfz 7 was modified, receiving an armored body to protect the engine, crew, and ammunition.

Chassis and Suspension

The Sd.Kfz 7 chassis and its suspension seem to have been unchanged. The suspension consisted of 6 road wheels, a rear idler, and a front positioned drive sprocket. The front four wheels were suspended using a balance suspension. The remaining wheels were placed on a pivoting arm suspended using a semi-elliptic leaf spring unit.

Crew

The crew of this vehicle consisted of only the driver, who was positioned on the front left side of the driver compartment. During the drive, the commander would sit next to the driver. The remaining crew were located in the rear crew compartment.

Armored Body

The armored body of this vehicle resembles that used on the Sd.Kfz.251 armored half-track. It was well angled and covered the whole length of the rear compartment. In addition, it was open-topped. The armor thickness of the plates used for this vehicle was 15 mm. With this thickness and with the angled sides, it provided sufficient protection from small-caliber rounds and artillery shrapnel only.

The armored body of this vehicle could basically be divided into a few sections: the engine compartment, the driver compartment, the crew compartment, and the ammunition storage bin. The engine’s sides and front were fully enclosed with an armored shield. On both sides, there were four large hatches. These could be opened to provide better ventilation for the engine. The top of the engine compartment was not protected.

The drive compartment was slightly raised up from the rest of the armored body. It was open-topped and had four protective hatches, two at the front and one on each side. In addition, on the bottom of the sides of the driver compartment, two larger hatches were located. Their purpose is not clear, and they served either for some kind of storage or to allow the driver and the commander to exit the vehicle. Behind was the gun crew compartment. The crew was positioned on two benches placed opposite each other. In order to exit the vehicle, there was a hatch at the rear of this compartment. Lastly, to the rear of the vehicle, box-shaped armored ammunition storage was located. It contained some 24 spare rounds of ammunition.

Performance

The ordinary Sd.Kfz.7 vehicles had a 140 hp HL 62 TUK engine and could reach up to 50 km/h. With a fuel load of 213 liters, the operational range on roads was 250 km, and 135 km off-road. The length of this vehicle was 6.85 meters, width 2.4 meters, and height 2.62 meters. While the performance of the Gepanzerter 8t Zugkraftwagen is not mentioned in the sources, the additional weight from the armor plates probably affected its overall performance. To which extent this was the case it is quite difficult to know.

Training and Organization  

By the order of the Oberkommando des Heeres (Eng. German High Command), the training of the first crews that were to operate these guns was to commence during September 1938. The main training center was to be at the Juterbog artillery school.

Nominally, these were intended to be attached to heavy motorized artillery or anti-tank battalions. The order for the employment of these vehicles was to be issued by the command of an infantry regiment.

Prior to the engagement, the commander, along with two assistants, would go ahead to observe its target, find the best firing position, and the best way to retreat if needed. Once the location was found, the gun was moved to that position. Despite the 8.8 cm gun’s good firing range, targets were to be engaged at less than 1 km. In addition, due to its somewhat limited elevation, great care had to be taken by the crews to choose good firing positions. Given that the crew had to come rather close to the target, hiding and camouflaging the gun was seen as essential. Because of its sheer size, in practice, this would be a difficult task to undertake in close proximity to the target. Smoke screens were meant to be used while the gun was preparing to fire.

These units were to be primarily used in destroying enemy fortified positions, such as bunkers. Since the target hit rate was expected to be around 30%, shooting at greater ranges than that had to be avoided. If enemy tanks came into range, these were also to be targeted.

Some 11 vehicles were attached to the 525th, 560th, and 605th schwere Panzer Jäger Abteilung (Eng. heavy anti-tank battalions) each. Each of these battalions were divided into three companien (Eng. Company).

In Combat

Occupation of The Sudetenland 

The first ‘combat’ use of the Gepanzerter 8t Zugkraftwagen and Sfl.Flak was during the occupation of the Sudetenland in 1938. This operation was peaceful and the 8.8 cm guns did not have to fire in anger. While its self-propelled cousin saw service in Poland, use of the Gepanzerter 8t Zugkraftwagen and the 8.8 cm BuFlak in this campaign is not recorded, which likely suggests that it was never employed there.

In France

The 525th, 560th, and 605th heavy anti-tank battalions would see service during the German West campaign of 1940. During this campaign, they were attached to various units depending on the combat needs. Unfortunately, their overall performance and usage is rather poorly documented.

The 525th heavy anti-tank battalion saw its first action while helping clean Allied road barricades at Trois Ponts on 10th May 1940. The following day, it provided its firepower to the 49th Infantry Regiment that was attacking a bunker. After firing several rounds, the bunker crew surrendered. On 19th May, while driving toward Dinant, two vehicles from the 525th heavy anti-tank battalion ran into an enemy ambush and were hit by machine gun and anti-tank fire. One armored Sd.Kfz 7 was hit by an anti-tank round and was set on fire. The fire would expand to its ammunition storage, igniting it into an explosion. The second vehicle was hit with machine gunfire. Its crew abandoned the gun and used the armored towing vehicle to retreat. An hour later, they returned to recover the damaged gun.  The gun would be repaired that evening and the unit advanced toward Clairefontaine.

The following day, another vehicle arrived to support the attack of the 49th Infantry Regiment at the Allied held Assevent. Elements of the 525th heavy anti-tank battalion participated in this engagement with two guns. One gun was positioned to protect the infantry against enemy armor, which had been spotted. The second gun proceeded forward, but its towing vehicle hit a metal bar which immobilized it. The crew had to sit by this vehicle and wait for a replacement. Soon, the replacement vehicle arrived and the crew continued the advance. Once in a designated position, at least three enemy machine gun positions were destroyed. The crew of this gun noticed that friendly infantry was retreating under fire from enemy B1 bis tanks. One was engaged at a distance of 300 m and destroyed. The second vehicle was hiding behind a wooden hut. As it emerged to target the 8.8 cm gun, it was hit, exploding in the process. Seeing the two tanks destroyed, the German infantry made a counter-attack. These guns were also used to support the 51st Infantry Regiment advancing toward Dunkerque during May 1940.

Following the successful conclusion of the West campaign, the 525th, 560th, and 605th heavy anti-tank battalions were equipped with ordinary towed 3.7 cm anti-tank guns. The reason for this decision is not known. The order for the reorganization of these units did not include an explanation for this decision. Other units (both Heeres and Luftwaffe), which operated normal 88 mm Flak guns were more than satisfied with their overall performance. This is also supported by the German General Staff, which even argued that the 8.8 should be incorporated into each infantry division. A possible reason for the removal from service of the BuFlak may have been poor training and use. Another issue may have been related to the gun’s limited elevation, which prevented it from being operated in anti-aircraft use.

The fate of the guns and towing vehicles is unknown. It is likely that both types which survived the West campaign were converted back to their original configurations.

Conclusion

The Gepanzerter 8t Zugkraftwagen and its modified Flak gun were an attempt to provide the German ground forces with an effective anti-bunker and anti-tank vehicle. Its overall performance is quite difficult to describe due to the lack of sources and information about its use.

While the 8.8 cm gun was unquestionably an effective weapon when used against fortified targets or tanks, this design was rather questionable. The 8.8 cm Flak in its original configuration was already a tall target. The modified gun was even taller, which made it even easier for the enemy to see. The  Gepanzerter 8t Zugkraftwagen, while protected, in contrast to the ordinary towing variant, was often easily taken out due to the required close proximity to the target.

Due to a lack of information, the precise reason why this vehicle and its gun were removed from service is not known. It is likely that this was done more due to its poor organizational usage than due to any major flaws in its design, as the 8.8 cm Flak and the soft-skin towing vehicles would see major action up to the war’s end.

Sources

• 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37 Vol.1 Wydawnictwo Militaria 155
• T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (2001) Panzer Tracts Dreaded Threat The 8.8 cm FlaK 18/36/41 in the Anti-Tank role
• T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (2013) Panzer Tracts No. 22-4 Mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 8t (Sd.Kfz.7)
• T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (2014) Panzer Tracts No. 22-5 Gepanzerter 8t Zugkraftwagen and Sfl.Flak
• German 88-mm Anti Aircraft Gun Materiel (29th June 1943) War Department Technical Manual
• J. Norris  (2002) 8.8 cm FlaK 16/36/37/ 41 and PaK 43 1936-45 Osprey Publishing
• W. Muller (1998) The 8.8 cm FLAK In The First and Second World Wars, Schiffer Military
• E. D. Westermann (2001) Flak, German Anti-Aircraft Defense 1914-1945, University Press of Kansas.
• T. Anderson (2017) History of Panzerjager Volume 1 1939-42, Osprey publishing
• https://www.armedconflicts.com/gepanzerter-Zugkraftwagen-8t-Sd-Kfz-7-Typ-KM-m-11-fuer-Bunkerknacker-t30074

German Reich (1944)
SPG – 12+ Built

The 10.5cm Hummel-Wespe Artillery SPG

There is only one known photograph of a Hummel self-propelled gun (SPG) chassis and body fitted with an artillery 10.5cm le.F.H. 18/40 L/28 howitzer rather than the normal 15cm s.FH 18/1 L/30 howitzer. It was officially called the Hummel-Wespe. This name was used on the Stahlindustrie construction company’s documentation. It was also known as the 10.5cm le.F.H. 18/40 (Sf) auf Geschützwagen III/IV, or LeichtPanzerhaubitzen (lePzHaub – light armoured howitzer) or the the Ersatz-Wespe (Replacement Wasp). The photograph was taken after World War Two during the winter of 1945/46 at Košťaty near Teplice, Czechoslovakia, close to the factory that assembled the vehicle.

Hummel-Wespe 10.5 cm le.F.H 18 Artillerie Selbstfahrlafetten (Artillery SPG) – Photo: Petr Dolezal and Marek Solar
The Hummel SPG used an extended tank chassis called the Geschützwagen III/IV to mount the 15cm s.FH 18/1 L/30 howitzer. The engine was moved from the rear of the tank to the center of the vehicle to make room for the gun and the armored fighting compartment at the back of the SPG.
The 10.5cm leFH 18/2 (Sf) auf Geschützwagen II ‘Wespe’ (Sd.Kfz.124) artillery SPG used a Panzer II tank chassis. Production began in February 1943 and ceased in June 1944, when the main factory in Warsaw, Poland was captured by the Red Army. The German Army Panzer-Artillerie batteries still needed more self-propelled guns that could keep up with the Panzer Divisions, fitted with 10.5cm le.F.H. 18/40 howitzers.
The Geschützwagen III/IV was still in production and being used for the Nashorn 88mm anti-tank self-propelled gun as well as the 15cm Hummel SPG. A decision was made to mount the 10.5cm le.F.H. 18 howitzers gun used on the Wespe SPG onto the Geschützwagen III/IV chassis.
The German armaments company Deutsche Eisenwerke (D.E.W) were constructing Geschützwagen III/IV chassis at their assembly plant in Duisburg, Germany. Allied bombing was making production difficult. It was moved to the D.E.W plant Werke (Deutsche Eisenwerke AG Werk) Teplitz-Schönau in Czechoslovakia (now known as Teplice, Czech Republic). The building of armored vehicles for the German Army continued until the end of the war in May 1945.
Plans to fit a 10.5 cm Le.F.H 18/40 light field howitzer to the s.Pz.Haubitze Fahrgestell extended and modified Panzer III/IV tank chassis, as a stop-gap solution to send more 10.5 cm artillery SPGs on the battlefield, were discussed in a meeting on 2nd December 1944. The factory was expected to produce 40 in February, 50 in March and 80 in April. A further report documents the demand for a further 250 to be built in June 1945. That report was dated 9th January 1945.
A Stahlindustrie report dated 30th of August 1945 stated that one Hummel-Wespe artillery SPG had been built in December 1944, a further 9 in January 1945 and a further one before the end of the war, bringing the total to eleven. No German Army documents have been found that show these vehicles entering operational service or being used on the battlefield.

The anti-grenade screen

Another unusual feature visible in the photo of the Hummel/Wespe is the hand grenade protection screen that was added over the open fighting compartment on a metal hinged frame.

This is a photograph of an early version Hummel, not a Hummel/Wespe. It is fitted with the same wire mesh top screen to prevent grenades and mines from being thrown into the fighting compartment. Notice the large exhaust muffler/silencer box under the rear hatches. It was removed on the later version of the Geschützwagen III/IV chassis that was used on the 10.5 cm le.F.H. 18/40 Hummel-Wespe artillery SPG.

Proposed production figures – German Archives

A GenArt (General der Artillerie) report dated 11 December 1944, kept in the German Archives, reports that documentation for the 10.5 cm Hummel-Wespe design had been signed and a production order for 250 units for delivery in June 1945 issued.Production was to start in February 5. It was intended that 80 vehicles would be completed each month.
On 10 February 1945 the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKH – Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces) issued the following instructions, ” “Due to the drop in light field howitzer (LeFH) production, delivery of the 250 le Panzerhaubitze auf Fahrgestell Hummel is no longer anticipate. Instead of the 80 lePzHaub scheduled for February only 10 will be completed, followed by another 20 in March. To compensate, production of Panzerhaubitzen will proceed as follows.”
“In parallel with the highest possible output of lePzHaub, some 50 sPzHaub (15 cm sFH Hummel SPGS) will be produced. The available 80 sFH guns from the Hummel production wil be mounted on Beutelafetten (captured gun mounts). Production of lePzHaub (the 10.5 cm leFH Hummel-Wespe) will be fixed at 200 and not 250 units.”
Due to the end of the war being close, the continued bombing of German factories and supply routes, this production figure was never meet.

Proposed production figures – Russian Archives

A German document was captured by the Red Army. It showed predicted production numbers of vehicles like the Jagdpanther, Jagdtiger, Flakpanzer, Hummel and Hummel-Wespe from March 1945 to August 1945. It was translated by Senior Lieutenant Rubinshtein into Russian and kept in the Soviet archives.
On line 345, it shows that planned production of the heavily armed howitzer, the Hummel, was for 50 vehicles: 20 in March and 10 in April, May, June 1945 with production stopping in July. On line 346, it shows that planned production of the light armed howitzer, the Hummel-Wespe, was for 190 vehicles: 20 in March and 30 in April, May, June and 40 in July, August 1945.
There was a side note that an additional 10-20 new type Hummel/Wespe would be added to the number on April and May. This would have brought the planned production numbers of the 10.5cm Hummel-Wespe Artillery SPG to 220 vehicles by August 1945. Obviously, that did not happen as the war ended in May 1945.

Czechoslovakian Army 1948-54

Surviving Hummel-Wespe artillery self-propelled guns were used by the Czechoslovakian Army after WW2. They had twelve, but only eight vehicles underwent renovation and entered service in 1948. Between 1948-1949 they were officially called “Samohybné děla so 105 mm húfnicou”. Between 1949-1954 the official designation in army records changed to “105 mm samohybná húfnica vz.18/40”. They were withdrawn from Army service in 1954 and presumably scrapped. (Source – Vojenská história 4/2009 ISSN 1335-3314, VHÚ Bratislava)
Czechoslovakian Army records recorded the original German production chassis number (Fgst.Nr) of the eight Hummel-Wespe artillery SPGs that entered their service.
German Fahrgestellnummer 84407, date in service 4th May 1949,
Battery number R114, army registration number 79.651
German Fahrgestellnummer 84412, date in service 4th May 1949,
Battery number R107, army registration number 79.652
German Fahrgestellnummer 340003, date in service 4th May 1949,
Battery number R108, army registration number 79.653
German Fahrgestellnummer 84410, date in service 4th May 1949,
Battery number R3397, army registration number 79.654
German Fahrgestellnummer 84422, date in service 20th October 1949,
Battery number R113, army registration number 79.655
German Fahrgestellnummer 84419, date in service 20th October 1949,
Battery number R109, army registration number 79.656
German Fahrgestellnummer 84420, date in service 20th October 1949,
Battery number R106, army registration number 79.657
German Fahrgestellnummer 84421, date in service 20th October 1949,
Tactical unit number R105, army registration number 79.658

The German self-propelled howitzers

The full designation of this self-propelled artillery gun was Panzerfeldhaubitze 18M auf Geschützwagen III/IV (Sf) Hummel, Sd.Kfz.165. The German word ‘Hummel’ means bumblebee. This armored fighting vehicle had a nasty sting. There were two main types of self-propelled guns in the German Army during WW2. One was fitted with an anti-tank gun and the other with an artillery howitzer, like the Hummel. A vehicle fitted with an artillery field howitzer was called a ‘Geschüetzwagen’, which is literally translated as a ‘gun vehicle’. The letters ‘Sf’ stand for ‘Selbstfahrlafette’ – self-propelled carriage. ‘Panzerfeldhaubitze’ means armored field howitzer.
Self-propelled artillery guns were developed to enable fast moving attacks to have artillery support that could keep up with the speed of advancing Panzer Divisions. They could use direct fire mode at targets they could see or, more commonly, use indirect fire at targets plotted on a map.
They were not designed to be in the front line or engage in combat with tanks. They were motorized artillery guns that could fire high explosive HE shells over the heads of friendly troops. Most targets would have been given to the crew as map grid references by forward observation officers or infantry units under attack.
Quite often, the gun crews could not see where their shells landed, as the target was so far away. They would have to rely on the forward observer to tell them if adjustments had to be made.
The open-topped back design of these self-propelled guns had a number of advantages. The elevated commander’s position when standing in the crew compartment, behind the protective armored shield, meant that he had a good view on all sides. If there was the threat of enemy small arms fire, then the crew could use a twin lens range finder telescope that could peak over the top of the armored casement.
There was enough room for the crew to be transported towards the battlefield whilst protected from small arms fire and shell shrapnel. The vehicle had good mobility and could follow the infantry almost anywhere. The gun was quicker to get ready for action and fire on targets than towed artillery guns.
Putting the 10.5 cm le.F.H. 18/40 howitzer on top of a tank chassis was a more efficient use of manpower from the traditional form of German artillery battery transportation. Even in WW2, horse power was still widely used although tracked vehicles were also employed when available. Each field gun would require a six-horse team to pull the gun and limber. The ammunition, supplies and kit would be kept in the limber, which was a very large box on a pair of wheels with seats on the top. Three men would ride on the left-hand horse of each pair to control them. The remaining six men of the gun crew would ride on top of the limber. Only a relative few were towed by the 3-ton halftracks.
High explosive HE shells came in two parts. The explosive shell was loaded first, followed by the variable charge canister. This meant that the Hummel/Wespe could only carry 18 rounds of HE. It could fire armor-piercing AP rounds but they were only effective at short ranges and used in self defense. The Hummel/Wespe was not meant to be on the battlefield front line. It was a support vehicle that provided artillery support from behind the infantry and tanks.

The Geschützwagen III/IV chassis

The powerful 10.5 cm le.F.H. 18/40 light field howitzer was mounted on a specially designed Alkett/Rheinmetall-Borsig lengthened German tank chassis called the Geschützwagen III/IV. Components were adopted from both the Panzer III and Panzer IV tank chassis. The more robust final drive wheels, front drive wheels and steering units plus the Zahnradfabrik SSG 77 transmission gearbox were adopted from the Panzer III Ausf.J.
The Maybach HL 120 TRM engine with its cooling system, the suspension, and idler with track tension adjustment were adopted from the Panzer IV. The engine was moved from the rear of the tank to the center of the vehicle to make room for the gun and the armored fighting compartment at the back of the SPG.
On early versions of the Geschützwagen III/IV chassis, the front top of the hull had sloping armor with a raised armored compartment for the driver on the left of the vehicle. The front hull superstructure and driver’s armored compartment were redesigned in early 1944 and enlarged, covering the whole width of the vehicle. The radio operator and driver now had more space to work in. This design was used on all Hummel/Wespe artillery SPGs.
The exhaust system was also changed on the later model. It was moved from the original location below the rear double doors. The exhaust mufflers were dropped and the ends of the exhaust pipes were cut at a slant away from the tracks to avoid stirring up additional dust.
The Geschützwagen III/IV tank chassis did not have a hull mounted machine gun. Crews were issued with a single MG34 or MG42 machine gun, carried inside the fighting compartment, for self-defense.
The Hummel/Wespe was designed to be operated by a crew of six: commander, driver and four gunners. They were protected by an enclosed high silhouette armored fighting compartment. Although it was open topped, the crew were issued with a thick canvas tarpaulin cover that could be used in bad weather.
In front of the driver, a metal wire grid was fixed into position to aid the driver maneuvering the vehicle in the correct fire position. These were designed to prevent grenades and mines being thrown into the vehicle as it moved through towns and cities.
A metal louvered cover ventilated the engine, but many later versions were fitted with an angled shield that opened upward. On the photograph of the Hummel/Wespe the metal louvered engine vent can not be seen on the sides of the vehicle. It looks like it has been fitted with one of the armored angled shields.
Three aiming stake poles would have been carried in brackets below the rear door. The gunner would use a large ZE 34 sight. The top lens aperture would point to the rear of the vehicle. The gunner used this aperture of the sight to locate the aiming sticks that a member of the crew had pounded into the ground at the rear at a known bearing from the vehicle, having used a compass (compasses did not work inside a metal vehicle in 1943). By lining up the red and white fire aiming stake, subtracting 180 degrees, he would be able to work out the correct bearing the gun barrel is pointing towards.
The upper fighting compartment superstructure walls were constructed using 10 mm (0.39 in) thick E11 chrome-silicon armor plates hardened to 153 kg/mm2 for protection against shell fragments. The 30 mm (1.18 in) thick front hull was made using face-hardened FA32 armor plates. The rest of the hull was made out of cheaper rolled SM-Stahl (carbon steel) that was hardened to 75-90 kg/mm2. It took 20 mm (0.78 in) thick plates of SM-Stahl to provide equivalent protection against penetration by SmK (7.92 mm AP bullets) as 14.5 mm (0.57 in) of E11 armor plate.
The early Geschützwagen III/IV chassis used the standard 1943 38cm wide SK18 track that had three smooth metal pads visible on the front face of the track. In winter some vehicles were fitted with track width extenders called Winterketten (winter track). These triangular pieces of metal were bolted onto the outer edge of the track to extend the width of the track and help the vehicle move across snow and mud by spreading the load over a larger area. They were problematic: they fractured and often fell off. In 1944, vehicles started to be fitted with the wider Ostketten (east track) to cope with the conditions found on the Eastern Front. The Winterketten extensions made the SK18 tank track 55cm wide. The one-piece Ostketten was 56cm wide and did not have bits falling off it.

The Hummel-Wespe – Illustration by David Bocquelet

A regular Hummel SPG with the wire mesh protective cover

A Wespe SPG with its 10.5 cm gun.

A model of the 10.5cm Hummel-Wespe SPG made by Danis Stamatiadis

Hummel-Wespe artists impression of the SPG on the Eastern Front battlefield during 1945 (Art work – Cyber-Hobby)

The Hummel-Wespe 10.5 cm SPG had the louvered engine vents protected by an armored shaped cover (Photo – Cyber-Hobby)

The front hull superstructure and driver’s armored compartment were redesigned in early 1944 and enlarged, covering the whole width of the vehicle. The radio operator and driver now had more space to work in. (Photo – Cyber-Hobby)

The rear exhaust system was removed on the Hummel-Wespe SPG. The three aiming stake poles were stored below the rear hatch doors. (Photo – Cyber-Hobby)

Fighting compartment of the 10.5 cm le.F.H 18 Hummel-Wespe SPG. (Photo – Cyber-Hobby)

The 10.5 cm le.F.H. 18 light field howitzer

The 10.5 cm leFH 18 gun was a German light howitzer used in World War II. The abbreviation leFH stands for the German words ‘leichte FeldHaubitze’ which, translated, means light field howitzer. It was fitted with a ‘Mundungbremse’ muzzle brake to allow longer range charges to be fired and reduce the amount of recoil on the gun. This increased the operational life of the gun barrel.

German Army 10.5 cm le.F.H. 18 light field howitzer on display at the Finnish Artillery Museum, Finland
The 105 mm (4.13 in) high explosive HE shell weighed 14.81 kg (32.7 lb). The armor piercing shell weighed 14.25 kg (31.4lb). It had a muzzle velocity of 470 m/s (1,542 ft/s) and a maximum firing range of 10,675 m (11,675 yds). With a good gun crew, it had a rate of fire between 4-6 rounds per minute.
The 10.5cm leichte Feld Haubitze 18 gun was not very useful in the direct-fire mode against enemy armored vehicles. It could only penetrate 52 mm (2 in) of armor plate at a very short range of 500 meters.
The high explosive shell was in two pieces. It was a ‘separate loading’ or two part round. First, the high explosive HE projectile would be loaded and then the cartridge propellant case. Depending on the range of the target different sized bags of propellant were inserted into the cartridge. More bags were used for longer range targets.

German Reich (1942)
SPG – 10 Built + 2 Prototypes

Design and Production

The large German engineering company Krupp had been involved in designing and manufacturing ammunition, artillery, armored fighting vehicles and weapons for the German Army for many years. They had received their first order to build 135 Panzer I tanks in 1933.

In 1939, they turned their attention to the problem of how to mount a large artillery gun on a tank chassis. Their solution was to fix a 10.5cm LeFH 18/1 artillery light field howitzer on top of a shortened Panzer IV tank chassis in an open-topped turret. It was given the official designation 10.5cm leFH 18/1 (Sf) auf Geschutzwagen IVb. The chassis had only had six road wheels rather than the normal eight. The six wheels were 570mm diameter instead of the normal 470mm diameter road wheels. It also only had three not four top track rollers. Krupp presented their design to the military on 14th September 1939.

Completed 10.5cm leFH 18/1 (Sf) auf Geschützwagen IVb at the factory. It was based on a shortened Panzer IV tank chassis with only six wheels and not the regular 8.
The turret could not fully traverse 360 degrees. It could only traverse 70 degrees: 35 degrees to the left and 35 degrees to the right. It was not a tank, even though it may resemble one at first glance.
Two test vehicles were built. They were given the internal factory designations of V1 and V2 (nothing to do with the later flying bomb and rocket). The letter ‘V’ was an abbreviation for the German word ‘Versuchs’ which translated means trail or prototype. The German Army liked what they saw and put an order in for 10 more to be built in the autumn of 1941.
The first one was completed at the Krupp-Grusonwerk factory in August 1941, three more in September, four in October, one in November and one in December 1941. The 10 vehicles were accepted into the army in January 1942.
The first two test vehicles V1 and V2 were powered by a Maybach HL66P engine that produced 188 hp. The next ten SPGs were given a more powerful engine, a Maybach HL90 P20k 12-cylinder engine that produced 320 hp. Their chassis numbers ranged from 150631 to 150640. They were given the official designation of 10.5cm leFH 18/1 (Sf) auf Geschützwagen IVb (Sd.Kfz.165/1). This was shortened to 10.5cm leFH 18/1 (Sf) auf GW IVb or Pz.Sfl.IVb.

Pz.Sfl.IVb artillery self-propelled gun at the crew training center
The turret armor was not thick. It ranged from 14.5 to 30 mm (0.57-1.18 in). It provided the gun crew protection from small arms fire, high explosive shell fragments and mortars. The open top reduced weight and allowed the commander all round vision. In bad weather, a tarpaulin was fixed over the top of the open turret. It was also used in very hot weather. When not in use, it was rolled up on top of the rear turret storage box.
The Panzer IV hull mounted machine gun was removed to free up more storage space. This vehicle was not designed to be an assault gun or anti-tank gun. It was to provide mobile artillery support that could keep up with the attacking Panzer Divisions.
It was not envisaged to be fighting on the front line. It could fire high explosive shells over long distances onto enemy targets it was given via a grid reference by forward observation units. If Soviet infantry got too close they could use their personal weapons or retreat as fast as they could to a safer location.
The gun was issued with a few armor piercing AP rounds for self-defense if they were surprised by Soviet tanks. They only worked at close range and were ineffective against the front armor of the more heavily armored T-34 and KV-1 tanks.
The commander sat at the rear of the turret on the left side behind the gunner. He had access to a range finding periscope mounted to the side of the vehicle. The gunner’s gun sight poked out above the top of the forward gun shield and armor casement. The loader sat on the right side of the vehicle.

Spare road wheels were often fixed to the rear engine deck. The vehicle was fitted with six enlarged 520 diameter road wheels on both sides to cope with the extra weight, not the normal Panzer IV tank’s eight pairs of 470 mm diameter road wheels per side. In the case of damage to the wheels, they could be changed by the crew. A square jacking block was affixed to the right side of the hull just under the rear of the turret. The jack was kept on the rear track guard at the back near to it. Metal tow cables were stored around the outer turret armour plates.
Spare track links were fixed to the rear storage box at the back of the turret. A mock driver’s armoured vison slit replaced the hull machine gun on the right side of the front upper hull in an effort to confuse enemy gunners. The driver sat on the left of the SPG.
During 1942, the ten prototypes underwent trials on the German Army’s eastern test range with the Feld-Versuchs Batterie (field test battery), 16th Panzer Artillery Regiment, 12th Panzer Division. These were successful. An order for a further 200 10.5cm leFH 18/1 (Sf) auf GW IVb SPGs was placed. They were going to be built at the Stahlindustrie in Muelheim-Rhur. The problem was building enough Panzer IV tank chassis to be converted into artillery self-propelled guns. More Panzer IV tanks were urgently required to deal with the Soviet Army’s new T-34 and KV-1 tanks.
In the meantime, the engineers realized that they could mount the same 10.5cm artillery gun on the now obsolete Panzer II tank chassis. This new SPG was later known as the Wespe. No more 10.5cm leFH 18/1 (Sf) auf GW IVb self-propelled artillery guns were built. The order for the additional 200 was canceled in November 1942.

The 10.5cm LeFH 18/1 howitzer

The 10.5 cm leFH 18 gun was a German light howitzer used in World War II. The abbreviation leFH stands for the German words ‘leichte FeldHaubitze’ which, translated, means light field howitzer. It was fitted with a ‘Mundungbremse’ muzzle brake to allow longer range charges to be fired and reduce the amount of recoil on the gun. This increased the operational life of the gun barrel.
The 105 mm (4.13 in) high explosive HE shell weighed 14.81 kg (32.7 lb). The armor piercing shell weighed 14.25 kg (31.4lb). It had a muzzle velocity of 470 m/s (1,542 ft/s) and a maximum firing range of 10,675 m (11,675 yds). With a good gun crew, it had a rate of fire between 4-6 rounds per minute.
The 10.5cm leichte Feld Haubitze 18 gun was not very useful in the direct-fire mode against enemy armored vehicles. It could only penetrate 52 mm (2 in) of armor plate at a very short range of 500 meters.
The high explosive shell was in two pieces. It was a ‘separate loading’ or two part round. First, the high explosive HE projectile would be loaded and then the cartridge propellant case. Depending on the range of the target different sized bags of propellant were inserted into the cartridge. More bags were used for longer range targets.

Active Service

All ten vehicles served with the Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 16, attached to the 16.Panzer-Division on the Eastern Front. The Division was held in reserve during the Balkan Campaign, but took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa, in June 1941.
It was used in the southern sector of the Front, advancing to Stalingrad via Lvov, Pervomaisk, Zaporozhe, Taganrog, Makeevka and Artemorsk. The 10.5cm leFH 18/1 (Sf) auf Geschutzwagen IVb joined the rest of 16.Panzer-Division in late December early January. The regiment was destroyed in early 1943 in the Stalingrad pocket.

German Reich (1942)
SPG – 16 Built

The Giant SPG

With the fall of France in May 1940, the German Army captured a lot of French Army tanks and vehicles. They called them Beutepanzer (trophy tanks). The approximate numbers of French AFVs captured by the German Wehrmacht are as follows: 300x Panhard-178; 3,000 Renault-UE; 350 to 360x Lorraine 37L and 38L; 1700x Renault FT Tanks (various versions); 843x Renault R35; 550 to 600x Hotchkiss H-35 and H-39; 50x FCM-36 tanks; 297x SOMUA S-35 tanks and 161x Char B1 bis tanks. More than 5,000 captured French army armoured fighting vehicles were repaired or converted in French factories. Vehicle manuals were translated into German and the vehicle spare part production initiated.
One such Beutepanzer trophy tank was the very large Char B1 bis heavy tank. Many of them had been abandoned by their crews after running out of ammunition or fuel. The French Army supply system was poorly organized in 1940. Very few of these monster tanks were knocked out by enemy action.

Factory fresh 10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen B2(f), having just been driven out of the workshop doors.
They were given the German designation Panzerkampfwagen B2 740(f) shortened to Pz.Kpfw. B2 740(f). The letter ‘f’ signified that it was a French built tank. Hitler issued a directive in March 1941 that sixteen of these tanks were to be converted to self-propelled artillery guns and used to support the Flammenwerfer auf Pz.Kpfw.B2(f) flamethrower tanks as they assaulted Soviet positions on the Eastern front.
It took longer than initially planned to convert the Char B1 tanks to self-propelled artillery guns. Lack of equipment, vehicles, guns and parts were blamed. The Flammenwerfer auf Pz.Kpfw.B2(f) flamethrower tanks went into action without supporting artillery SPGs in June 1941.
The Panzer-Abteilung (Flamm).103 was disbanded by mid-July 1941. The B2 Flammenwerfer tanks were a disappointment to the Germans. They kept on breaking down with mechanical problems. They were not reliable and could not be depended upon to get to an enemy strong point and neutralize it.

Livery

Most of the 10.5cm leFH 18/3 (Sf) auf Geschützwagen B2(f) artillery self-propelled artillery guns were painted ‘Panzergrey’ at the factory but a few were repainted in the standard late war paint scheme of sandy yellow ‘Dunkelgelb’ with brown and yellow mix.

10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf.) auf G.W.B2 in the Rheinmetall-Borsig factory with bad weather tarpaulin on the top painted in ‘Dunkelgelb’ sandy yellow not ‘Panzergrey’.
The following photograph ends the discussion as to what colour the 10.5cm leFH 18/3 (Sf) auf Geschützwagen B2(f) artillery self-propelled artillery guns were painted. The first vehicle is painted in the sandy yellow ‘Dunkelgelb’ and the one following it is painted in the earlier ‘Panzergrey’.

Design and Production

The design contract was given to Rheinmetall-Borsig, which was based in Dusseldorf. They created blueprints for a mount placed on top of the tank chassis that could take the 10.5 cm leFH 18/3 artillery howitzer. The gun crew would be protected from small arms fire by an open top armored casement. Its armor plate thickness ranged between 30–40 mm (1.18-1.57 in) thick at the front and 20–30 mm (0.79-1.18 in) at the sides. Tarpaulins would cover the open top to give the crew shelter from bad and hot weather.
It had a five-man crew: commander, driver and three gunners. The Char B1 main gun in the hull had been removed. It was not replaced with a hull mounted machine-gun. For self-defence, a 7.92 mm (0.31 in) MG 34 machine gun was available to be fitted to the top of the gun casement. The crew also had access to handheld 9 mm (0.35 in) machine pistols.
The Char B2 tanks already had a very high profile. With the mounting of the 10.5cm leFH 18/3 howitzer on the top, it was very tall. Its height was 3 m (9ft 11in). This made it easy for the enemy to spot, so it had to be deployed behind the initial front line of tanks.
The French army radios were replaced. Some could only send messages by Morse code. Modern German Fug.5 radios, that could provide voice communication, were fitted in the machines. The removal of the hull mounted 75 mm (2.95 in) gun increased the amount of room there was available for the storing of extra equipment and ammunition.

Operational Service

Five were produced by January 1942, five in the following February and six in March. The sixteen 10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf) auf G.W. B2(f) were issued to Artillerie-Regiment 93, 1.Abteilung (1st Battalion) of the 26.Panzer-Division which was in France. The 1st Battalion had three batteries with four self-propelled artillery guns in each battery. The four remaining vehicles were issued to the HQ battery on reserve. Reports stated that the vehicle was prone to frequent mechanical breakdowns.
An Artillerie-Regiment 93’s combat strength report dated 31st May 1943 reported that they had fifteen 10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf) auf G.W. B2(f) SPGs of which 14 were in an operational condition. This report also recorded that twelve Wespe 10.5cm SPGs had been issued to the 1.Abt./Artl.Rgt.93 as replacement vehicles for the mechanically unreliable 10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen B2(f) SPGs. These were then used as training vehicles to teach new tank drivers, gunners and mechanics their trade skills. The 26.Panzer-Division was sent to Italy in July 1943.
Orders had been issued to send these vehicles to Sardinia to be part of the strength of the 90.Panzergrenadier-Division. No records have been found to confirm that the fifteen remaining vehicles were transferred to Sardinia or what their ultimate fate was. The 90.Panzergrenadier-Division withdrew to Corsica from Sardinia and was then sent to northern Italy. It fought at Anzio, Rome, the Caesar and Gothic Lines and the Po River. It was destroyed near Bologna, Italy, April 1945.

The 10.5cm LeFH 18/3 howitzer

The 10.5 cm leFH 18 gun was a German light howitzer used in World War II. The abbreviation leFH stands for the German words ‘leichte FeldHaubitze’ which, translated, means light field howitzer. It was fitted with a ‘Mundungbremse’ muzzle brake to allow longer range charges to be fired and reduce the amount of recoil on the gun. This increased the operational life of the gun barrel.
The 105 mm (4.13 in) high explosive HE shell weighed 14.81 kg (32.7lb). The armor piercing shell weighed 14.25 kg (31.4 lb). It had a muzzle velocity of 470 m/s (1,542 ft/s) and a maximum firing range of 10,675 m (11,675 yds). With a good gun crew, it had a rate of fire between 4-6 rounds per minute.
The high explosive shell was in two pieces. It was a ‘separate loading’ or two-part round. First, the high explosive HE projectile would be loaded and then the cartridge propellant case. Depending on the range of the target different sized bags of propellant were inserted into the cartridge. More bags were used for longer range targets.
The 10.5cm leichte Feld Haubitze 18 gun was not very useful in the direct-fire mode against enemy armored vehicles. It could only penetrate 52 mm (2 in) of armor plate at a very short range of 500 meters (550 yd).
A HEAT-round for the 10.5cm leFH 18 was developed in June 1940. It went into service in a large number in winter 1941/42, probably as a reaction to the T-34s and KV-series tanks appearing on the Eastern Front. There were 3 different types of HEAT-rounds, the GR H1/A, GR H1/B and GR H1/C. The GR H1/A was the first one developed in June 1940, followed by the GR H1/B sometimes in 1941 and the final GR H1/C in 1942.

An article by Craig Moore

Geschützwagen B2(f) specifications
Dimensions (L,W,H)	7.62 x 2.4 x 3 m (25′ x 7’10” x 9’11”)
Total weight, battle ready	32.5 tons
Crew	5 (commander, driver, gunner, 2x loaders)
Propulsion	Renault 307 water cooled, 6-cylinder gasoline/petrol engine, 272 hp
Top road speed	28 km/h (17 mph)
Off road speed	21 km/h (13 mph)
Operational range (road)	135 km (84 miles)
Main Armament	10.5 cm (4.13 in) leFH 18/3 howitzer
Secondary Armament	7.92 mm (0.31 in) MG34 machine gun
Armor (chassis)	Front 40-60 mm (1.57-2.36 in) Sides and rear 55 mm (2.16 in)
Total production	16

Sources

Beute-Kraftfahrzeuge und panzer der deutschen Wehrmacht by Walter J. Spielberger
Beutepanzer der Wehrmacht by Alexander Lüdekes
Die Feldartillerie des Heeres in der Panzerabwehr 1939–1945 (Militärgeschichte” issue 1/1994, page 9–15) by Wolfgang Fleische.
Profile AFV Weapons 55 – German Self Propelled Weapons by Peter Chamberlain and H.L.Doyle.
German Heavy Field Artillery 1934-1945 by Joachim Engelmann
German Artillery at War 1939-45 Vol 1 vy Frank V. de Sisto.
German Army S.P. Weapons 1939-45 part 2. handbook No1 by by Peter Chamberlain and H.L.Doyle.
Panzer Tracts by Thomas L.Jentz and H.L.Doyle
Assistance of Marcus Hock and Steve Osfield

German Army 10.5cm leFH 18/3 (Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen B2(f) self-propelled artillery gun by David Bocquelet

10.5cm leFH 18/3 (Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen B2(f) in Dunkelgelb livery by David Bocquelet

Gallery

Two 10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf.) auf G.W.B2(f) self-propelled artillery guns on the move. They were designated alphabetically in capital letters (A – P).

Gun crew standing next to a 10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen B2(f)

The fighting compartment that surrounded the gun of 10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen B2(f) N had an open top. In bad or very hot weather, a tarpaulin covered the top.

Notice that 10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf) auf GW B2(f) SPG ‘D’ is carrying a large wooded box on the back.

10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf) auf GW B2(f) Artillery Self-propelled Gun, with vehicle identification letter D (source: ebay)

Here is a side view of another 10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf) auf GW B2(f) SPG carrying a large wooded box on the back.

The 75 mm (2.95 in) gun was removed from the Char B1 hull when the tank was converted into an artillery self-propelled gun.

Side view of 10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf) auf GW B2(f) Artillery Self-propelled Gun, with vehicle identification letter N, being inspected by senior officers (Giuseppe Bianco)

Front view of 10.5cm le.F.H.18/3 (Sf) auf GW B2(f) Artillery Self-propelled Gun, with vehicle identification letter N, being inspected by senior officers (Giuseppe Bianco)

Germans Tanks of ww2

German Self-Propelled Artillery Guns of the Second World War

By Craig Moore

One towed artillery gun required a team of six horses and nine men. WW2 German engineers came up with the idea of mounting an artillery gun on top of a tank chassis. This new technology reduced the amount of resources required to deploy one artillery gun. Artillery self-propelled guns only needed a four or five man crew. They could also be made ready to fire more quickly. This book covers the development and use of this new weapon between 1939 and 1945. One type was successfully used in the invasion of France in May 1940. More were used on the Eastern Front against Soviet forces from 1941 until the end of the war in 1945.

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German Reich (1942)
SPG – 6 Built

The little SPG

With the fall of France in May 1940, after the German Blitzkrieg invasion, all British Army Expeditionary Force (BEF) tanks and vehicles had to be left behind as the soldiers escaped back to England via the beaches of Dunkirk. When the vehicles were abandoned the British troops tried to make them unusable so the German Army could not turn them against their previous owners.

The 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf Geschutzwagen Mk.VI(e) self-propelled artillery gun built on a Vickers Mk.VI light tank chassis
Not all their efforts were successful. A number of the captured tanks were in a repairable condition. Parts were taken from different vehicles to make one vehicle serviceable. The German mechanics managed to repair a number of British Vickers Mk.VIb and Mk.VIc light tanks.
These were known as Beutepanzers (trophy tanks) and given the official designation of Leichter Panzerkampfwagen Mk.VIB 735(e) or Leichter Panzerkampfwagen Mk.VIC 736(e). They were used for combat, reconnaissance, internal police security and tank crew training. The letter ‘e’ in brackets referred to the country of origin of the captured tank, in this case, England.
The German army needed artillery that could keep up with the tanks of the Panzer Division. A decision was made to use some of the captured tanks, including the Vickers Mk.VI light tanks, as self-propelled artillery guns and mount a howitzer on the tank chassis.

Fighting compartment showing the commander’s and gunner’s positions on the left of the SPG

Design and Production

A German engineer called Oberleutnant Becker, who had been attached to the tank producing factory of Alkett in Berlin, organized the mounting of six WW1 era 10.5cm le.F.H.16 howitzers on the top of captured Vickers Mk.VI tanks.
The gun crewmen were protected by an armored casement that surrounded the 10.5cm leFH 16 howitzer. Its armor thickness ranged from 11 to 22 mm (0.43-0.89 in). That was enough to protect the crew from small arms fire and shrapnel fragments from high explosive shells and mortar rounds.
This self-propelled gun was not designed to fight on the front line. It was an artillery self-propelled gun that would stay behind the main assault and fire high explosive HE shells over the heads of the troops and tanks at targets given to it as grid references on a map by forward observers.
It was not an anti-tank gun, though it did carry a few armor piercing AP rounds for self-defense at close quarters. A machine gun could be fitted to the front of the superstructure to the right of the gun. The crew had their own weapons that they could fire over the top of the fighting compartment if enemy troops got too close.
The fighting compartment was open topped, it did not have an armored roof. This kept the weight down and gave the commander all round vision. The crew would cover the top with a tarpaulin in bad weather and also in very hot weather, in order to provide shade.
To help deal with recoil from the gun when it was fired, the gun crew deployed a metal support frame attached to the rear of the vehicle. It was a square shaped metal frame that was strengthened by two cross bars and at the bottom had V-shaped ‘spades’ at the bottom that would dig into the earth.
The commander sat at the rear of the vehicle, on the left side, behind the gunner. He had access to a range finding periscope mounted to the side of the vehicle. The gunner’s gun sight poked out above the top of the forward gun shield and armor casement. The loader sat on the right side of the vehicle.

In June 1940, the prototype underwent firing trials at Le Harfleur, France. The gun crew protective armor casement had not been built around the gun at this stage – Photo: Dr Werner

The 10.5cm leFH 16 gun

The 10.5 cm leFH 16 gun was a German light howitzer used in World War I. It had a shorter range than the WW2 10.5 cm leFH 18 gun. Its maximum firing range was 9,225 m (10,089 yds). As it had the same caliber as the newer leFH 18, it could fire the same ammunition. Its muzzle velocity was 395 m/s (1,300 ft/s).
The 10.5 cm leFH 16 gun abbreviation leFH stands for the German words ‘leichte FeldHaubitze’ which, translated, means light field howitzer. It was not fitted with a ‘Mundungbremse’ muzzle brake.
The 10.5cm leichte Feld Haubitze 16 gun was not very useful in the direct-fire mode against enemy armored vehicles. It could only penetrate 52 mm (2 in) of armor plate at a very short range of 500 meters.
The high explosive shell was in two pieces. It was a ‘separate loading’ or two-part round. First, the high explosive HE projectile would be loaded and then the cartridge propellant case. Depending on the range of the target different sized bags of propellant were inserted into the cartridge. More bags were used for longer range targets.

Active Service

The six converted Vickers Mk.IV light tanks, now fitted with the long range 10.5cm leFH 16 artillery howitzer, were placed in the 15th battery of the Artillery Regiment, 227th Infantry Division. They were divided up into two platoons of three. The commanding officer was the same German Engineer Alfred Becker, now promoted to Captain, who had been involved in their construction.
The German documents refer to this unit as an assault battery. It was not used in that role. The armor on the front of these vehicles was not strong enough to take a direct hit from an enemy tank or anti-tank gun. These SPGs were used as artillery.
The 227th Infantry Division performed coastal defense and internal occupation security duties after the fall of France in Normandy, near the port of Le Havre, from July 1940 until late summer of 1941. The gun crews had time to train on their new vehicle before being posted to the Eastern Front and taking part in the heavy fighting in and around Leningrad (St Petersburg) Russia.
The 227th Infantry Division was transferred to the German Army Group North, arriving in the autumn. They relieved the 39th Motorised Corps who had been in position in the forests south of Ladoga.
At this part of the battle, the German commanders were expecting a Soviet counter attack to try and end the siege surrounding the city. The 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf Geschutzwagen Mk.VI(e) artillery SPGs of the 15th Battery took up defensive positions where they could fire on the routes it was believed the Red Army troops and tanks would take. They had time to zero in their guns, so as soon as the advancing Soviet forces were spotted by forward observers, they could cover the area in high explosive HE shells.
They were temporarily transferred to the nearby 254th Infantry Division and provided mobile artillery support when they took part in the 54th Army’s offensive of the 20th October 1941. The 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf GW Mk.VI(e) were used for numerous artillery fire missions between the 23rd and 24th October 1941, firing over 200 rounds. It appears that the 15th Battery was now divided into three platoons of two guns each.
The unit suffered its first casualties. Four men including Captain Becker were wounded when the SPGs were used for direct fire infantry support. This was a role not suitable for this artillery weapon due to the lack of heavy protective armor on these vehicles.
The two 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf Geschutzwagen Mk.VI(e) artillery SPGs of the 1st platoon were very active in late October. They were ordered to support the 11th Infantry Division as they attacked towards the villages of Volkhov and Pogostye. Soviet infantry surrounded the SPGs and the tank crews had to use their personal weapons and hand grenades to fight off the enemy troops.
On the 11th of November 1941, near the village of Khotovskaya Gorka, Soviet light tanks engaged the 1st Platoon Artillery SPGs. A German battle report confirmed the Soviet report that one of the vehicles was hit 16 times, but its armor was never penetrated. The tanks they confronted were Soviet T-40 light tanks of the 2nd Tank Brigade. Luckily for the German gun crews, the T-40 was only armed with machine guns.
Three men were killed on 15 November when the battery was ordered to act as assault guns whilst supporting an unsuccessful attack of the 223rd Infantry Division. One of the vehicles had to be left in no man’s land after being heavily damaged by a mine. It was recovered three days later.
The 15th Battery had fired over 1300 shells, which is just over 200 shells per gun crew, between November to mid-December 1941.
The 15th Battery conducted more artillery support fire missions during the winter and spring of 1942 as the 227th infantry Division continued to fight around the village of Pogostye.
Three of the six 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf Geschutzwagen Mk.VI(e) SPGs were knocked out on the 16th of February 1942, when KV-1 heavy tanks of the 124th tank battalion of the Soviet 54th Army attacked German units. The 10.5cm armor piercing ammunition given to the German gun crews failed to knock out the Red Army KV-1 tanks.
The three remaining vehicles provided close support as troops moved through forest roads near Pogostyle in March 1942. They used their HE shells to destroy a machine gun nest and fire on a Soviet infantry column they encountered in the woods.
One of the remaining three vehicles was reported not fit or active service and could not be repaired after the close quarters fighting during March. The 15th Battery now only had two vehicles. They were used to break through an enemy encirclement. One was knocked out by a Soviet anti-tank rifle.
The last remaining 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf GW Mk.VI(e) self-propelled gun was destroyed by a Red Army tank of the 98th Tank Brigade as it tried to provide protective covering fire for one of the German supply routes.

The post battle report evaluation

A German Army post-battle report dated November 1941 covered the role played by the 15th Batterie, Artillerie-Regiment 227 assault gun battery in the battle of Leningrad (St Petersburg) in October 1941 near the village of Mga south of the city.
The reporting officer was impressed with the high explosive shell performance of the 10.5cm LeFH 16 howitzer over the 7.5 cm HE shells. He judged it to be three times as powerful. It was found that the two-part ammunition used on the larger more modern guns, the 10.5cm LeFH 18, could be used up to canister charge 5. This helped in dealing with the logistics of ammunition supplies.
The overall evaluation of the 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf GW Mk.VI(e) in combat was positive as it was a good stable firing platform and it had good cross-country performance. Because of these findings, more self-propelled artillery guns were built although on different larger tank chassis.

Battery markings

On some photographs taken of 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf GW Mk.VI(e) on the Eastern Front there are numbers and letters on the side of the vehicle. The letters ‘Gp’ are an abbreviation for the word ‘Geschuetzpanzer’ which translated as gun tank or self-propelled gun. The number is the vehicle identification number given to the vehicle by the Regiment: Gp 4 would be gun tank number 4 in an artillery battery of 6 vehicles.

An article by Craig Moore

Gallery

Tanks Encyclopedia’s own illustrations of the 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf Geschutzwagen Mk.VI(e) by David Bocquelet.

There looks to be a machine gun mount at the front of the casement walls on the right of the main gun.


The driver would sit behind the loader on the right at the back when the gun was fired to assist with loading the gun.



Camouflaged 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf Geschutzwagen Mk.VI(e) SPG on the Eastern Front

A battery of three 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf Geschutzwagen Mk.VI(e) SPGs deployed for a fire mission. Notice the tracked ammunition carrier with a trailer in the background.

10.5cm LeFH 16 auf Geschutzwagen Mk.VI(e) SPG in winter camouflage.

Two 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf Geschutzwagen Mk.VI(e) SPGs in a revers slope firing position to avoid detection from the Soviet troops.

Beutepanzer SPG conversion 10.5cm LeFH 16 auf Geschutzwagen Mk.VI(e)

Sources

Beutepanzer unterm Balkenkreuz by Dr. Werner
Beute-Kraftfahrzeuge und panzer der deutschen Wehrmacht by Walter J. Spielberger
Warspot.ru by Vyachevlav Mosunov

Germans Tanks of ww2

German Self-Propelled Artillery Guns of the Second World War

By Craig Moore

One towed artillery gun required a team of six horses and nine men. WW2 German engineers came up with the idea of mounting an artillery gun on top of a tank chassis. This new technology reduced the amount of resources required to deploy one artillery gun. Artillery self-propelled guns only needed a four or five man crew. They could also be made ready to fire more quickly. This book covers the development and use of this new weapon between 1939 and 1945. One type was successfully used in the invasion of France in May 1940. More were used on the Eastern Front against Soviet forces from 1941 until the end of the war in 1945.

Buy this book on Amazon!

German Reich (1942)
SPG – 12 Built

The German self-propelled howitzers

There were two main types of self-propelled guns in the German Army during WW2. One was fitted with an anti-tank gun and the other with an artillery howitzer, like the 10.5cm leFH 18 (Sf.) auf Geschützwagen FCM 36(f) self-propelled gun. The vehicle fitted with the artillery howitzer was called a ‘Geschuetzwagen’, which is literally translated as a ‘gun vehicle’. The letters ‘SF’ stand for ‘Selbstfahrlafette’ – self-propelled carriage. The letter (f) indicates that the chassis was of French origin.

Recently manufactured 10.5cm leFH 16 (Sf.) auf GW FCM 36(f) in factory fresh condition.
Improvised self-propelled artillery guns were developed to enable fast moving attacks to have artillery support that could keep up with the speed of advancing Panzer Divisions. They could use direct fire mode at targets they could see or, more commonly, use indirect fire at targets plotted on a map.
They were not designed to be in the front line or engage in combat with tanks. They were motorized artillery guns that could fire high explosive HE shells over the heads of friendly troops. Most targets would have been given to the crew as map grid references by forward observation officers or infantry units under attack.
Quite often, the gun crews could not see where their shells landed, as the target was so far away. They would have to rely on the forward observer to tell them if adjustments had to be made.
The open-topped back design of these self-propelled guns had a number of advantages. The elevated commanders position when standing in the crew compartment, behind the protective armored shield, meant that he had a good view on all sides. If there was the threat of enemy small arms fire, then the crew could use a twin lens range finder telescope that could peak over the top of the armored casement.
There was enough room for the crew to be transported towards the battlefield whilst protected from small arms fire and shell shrapnel. The vehicle had good mobility and could follow the infantry almost anywhere. The gun was quicker to get ready for action and fire on targets than towed artillery guns.
They were cheaper and faster to build than a new vehicle. They used the chassis of an obsolete captured French tank and an existing artillery howitzer.
Putting the 10.5cm leFH 18 howitzer on top of a captured French FCM 36 tank chassis was a more efficient use of manpower from the traditional form of German artillery battery transportation. Even in WW2, horse power was still widely used although tracked vehicles were also used when available.
Each field gun would require a six-horse team to pull the gun and limber. The ammunition, supplies and kit would be kept in the limber, which was a very large box on a pair of wheels with seats on the top. Three men would ride on the left hand horse of each pair to control them. The remaining six men of the gun crew would ride on top of the limber. Only a relative few were towed by the 3 ton halftracks.

10.5cm leFH 16 auf GW FCM 36(f) awaiting the gun shield to be fitted in the factory workshop run by Major Becker

The German FCM 36 artillery SPG

The total amount of 10.5cm leFH 16 (Sf) auf Geschützwagen FCM 36(f) built has not been confirmed. Some say only eight, whilst other sources say 12 or even 48. At present there is no documentary evidence to confirm the exact number. The reason why eight is the preferred number is because of a photograph taken inside the tank conversion factory workshop that shows six 10.5cm gun barrels on the floor waiting to be hoisted onto the new built SPG gun mounts and in the background there are two FCM 36 tank based artillery SPGs already fitted with their gun barrels.
There is good evidence that 12 were produced as German Army orders show eight being sent to an Artillery Battalion 31st October 1942 and later four more being sent to the same unit in early 1943.
There were a few disadvantages of an open topped vehicle. The crew was exposed to the elements and were also at risk of injury from enemy thrown hand grenades, mortars and shrapnel from air burst enemy shells. Rain covers were produced. They covered both the crew compartment and the gun. The canvas was attached to the upper protective armour using the small D shaped rings welded to the upper part of the structure.
Because the French FCM 36 tank chassis was small, there was limited space for the storage of ammunition. Only thirty six 10.5 cm HE two part shells could be carried. The propellant charges were kept on the left of the vehicle whilst the projectile shells were stored on the right.
A MG 34 machine gun was attached to top right side of the armor casement, on a swivel mount to the right of the main gun. 50 round drums of spare ammunition were stored underneath the mount. It fired 7.92 mm (0.31 in) bullets.
Only 100 French built FCM 36 tanks were completed by the time of the German invasion of France in May of 1940. In early 1939, the French Army 4e and 7e Tank Battalions were equipped with 50 tanks apiece. After the German invasion of Poland in September of 1939, the two battalions were consolidated under the banner of the 503e French Second Army reserve. The FCM 36 tanks saw active service when they attempted to counter the growing German presence at a bridgehead being set up along the Meuse River at Sedan
With the fall of France, it is believed that roughly 50 FCM 36 tanks remained in operational service. The Germans decided to use some of these French tanks to help strengthen their occupation forces around France. These captured tanks were known as Beutepanzers, trophy tanks. Thirty seven were used as tanks and give the German Army designation of Panzerkampfwagen FCM 737(f). The letter “f” indicate that the tank was of French origins. Ten FCM 36 tank chassis were used to mount 7.5cm PaK anti-tank guns. These tank destroyers were known as the Marder I.
It is not clear if Panzerkampfwagen FCM 737(f) tanks were withdrawn from internal security patrols and converted into self-propelled artillery and anti-tank guns or if the chassis came from knocked out or abandoned FCM 36 tanks that were recovered or captured on the battlefield .

Six 10.5cm leFH 16 gun barrels awaiting hoisting into the new gun mounts on top of the modified FCM 36 tanks. Two have already been fitted. This is why some sources say only eight 10.5cm le.F.H.16 auf GW FCM SPGs were built. Other documents state that 12 were built.

The 10.5cm gun

The 10.5 cm leFH 16 gun was a German light howitzer used in World War I. It had a shorter range than the WW2 10.5 cm leFH 18 gun. As the it had the same caliber as the newer leFH 18, it could fire the same ammunition. The abbreviation leFH stands for the German words ‘leichte FeldHaubitze’ which, translated, means light field howitzer. The number 16 refers to 1916, the year it was introduced into the Imperial German Army. They were produced by the German weapons manufacturer Krupp.

German 10.5cm LeFH 16 Howitzer preserved in a park, North Baltimore Street, Kirksville, MO, USA
It was fitted with a ‘Mundungbremse’ muzzle brake to allow longer range charges to be fired and reduce the amount of recoil on the gun. This increased the operational life of the gun barrel.
The 105 mm high explosive HE shell weighed 14.81 kg (32.7 lb). The armor piercing shell weighed 14.25 kg (31.4 lb). It had a muzzle velocity of 395 m/s (1,300 ft/s) and a maximum firing range of 9,225 m (10,089 yd). With a good gun crew, it had a rate of fire between 4-5 rounds per minute.
The 10.5cm leichte Feld Haubitze 16 gun was not very useful in the direct-fire mode against enemy armored vehicles. It could only penetrate 52 mm (2 in) of armor plate at a very short range of 500 meters.
The high explosive shell was in two pieces. It was a ‘separate loading’ or two part round. First, the projectile would be loaded and then the cartridge propellant case.

Fully loaded 10.5cm leFH 16 auf Geschützwagen FCM 36(f) with high explosive shells and charge canisters. The machine gun was mounted to the right of the gun.

Operational Deployment

Eight 10.5cm leFH 16 (Sf) auf GW FCM 36(f) artillery self-propelled guns were issued to the gepanzer Artillerie-Abteilung (Sfl.) z.b.V (Armored Artillery Battalion) on the Western Front through an order dated 31st October 1942 (K.St.N.430).
The letters z.b.V were the abbreviation for ‘zur besonderen Verwendung’. An English translation would be ‘for special deployment’ or ‘for special assignment’.
They were divided up between two self-propelled artillery batteries called 1.Batterie (Sfl.) and 2.Batterie (Sfl.). Four SPGs were in each battery. The abbreviation (Sfl.) roughly translates to gun carriage or self-propelled gun.
A further four were issued for deployment. They were put in the 3.Batterie (Sfl). This gives strength to the argument that twelve 10.5cm leFH 16 (Sf) auf GW FCM 36(f) were built.
On the side of the upper armor of one vehicle in one of the surviving photographs is the number 2 over a 6Gp. This means that this vehicle was the gun tank number 6 in the 2nd Battery. The 1st Battery would have SPGs numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. The 2nd Battery would have SPGs numbered 5, 6, 7 and 8. The 3rd Battery would have SPGs numbered 9, 10, 11 and 12.
In March 1943 the unit was renamed. It was now called the Sturmgeschuetz-Abteilung 931 (931st Assault Gun Battalion). This unit’s long name is often abbreviated to Stu.Gesch.Abt. 931. This Battalion was also equipped with 7.5 cm Pak 40 auf FMC 36(f) anti-tank self-propelled guns and an anti-aircraft battery of 2cm Flak auf gep.Zgkw. P 107 vehicles for self-defence.
On 6th May 1943, Stu.Gesch.Abt. 931 was merged with Pz.Jg.Kp. 931 and renamed verst.Pz.Jg.Abt. and was now part of the Schnelle Division West. (Western fast response Division). The abbreviation ‘verst’ was for the word verstaerkte which means ‘reinforced’ (reinforced tank hunting battalion).
Pz.Jg.Kp. 931 was equipped with seven gep.Zgkw Somua MCG/MC 7.5 cm Pak 40 auf m SPW S307(f) anti-tank self-propelled guns. The abbrerviation  gep.Zgkw is short for Gepanzerte Zugkraftwagen (Armored Half-track)
A few weeks later, on June 27th 1943, the unit was renamed again. It was just called Sturmgeschuetz-Abteilung (Stu.Gesch.Abt.) but without a unit number. The Schnelle Division West was now called the 21.Panzer Division.
The rest of the men and equipment of the Pz.Jg.Kp. stayed part of the 21st Panzer Division, but they handed over their gep.Zgkw. Somua mit 7,5 cm Pak 40 halftracks and 2cm Flak auf gep.Zgkw. P 107 to one of the Division’s Panzer Grenadier Regiments.
On 15th July 1943 it was renamed again. This time it was called the Sturmgeschuetz-Abteilung 200 (200th Assault Gun Battalion) and was still part of 21.Panzer-Division.
In September 1943 the 4th battery was equipped with six 10.5cm leFH 18 (Sf.) auf Geschutzwagen 39H(f) artillery self-propelled guns. These had artillery guns that could fire high explosive shells over longer distances. The 4th Battery was also equipped with four 7.5cm Pak 40 (sf) auf GW 39H(f) anti-tank SPGs. To make the supply of spare parts and maintenance simple a decision was made in December 1943 that all the all FCM 36 tank chassis based SPGs were to be replaced with Hotchkiss tank chassis based SPGs.
German military units regularly sent reports to headquarters on how many soldiers and guns, tanks and SPGs were fit for action. In a battle strength report submitted by this unit dated 1st January 1944 there were no 10.5cm leFH 16 (Sf) auf GW FCM 36(f) listed.
It looks like they did not see action in Normandy fighting off the Allies invasion of France. At present it is not known what happened to them.

Identification

One of the easiest ways of telling the difference between a 10.5cm leFH 16 (Sf.) auf Geschutzwagen FCM 36H(f) self-propelled gun and a 7.5cm PaK 40 (Sf.) auf PzKpfw FCM 36(f) anti tank gun SPG is to look at the armored housing that surrounds the gun’s recoil recuperator mechanisms. A recuperator on an artillery gun is a device employing springs or pneumatic power to return a gun to the firing position after the recoil. On the 10.5cm leFH 16 it is long and is half the length of the gun. It is situated below the gun. The armored housing covering the 7.5cm Pak 40 gun’s recoil recuperator mechanisms is small and the gun barrel is thinner and much longer.
When looking at different German self-propelled guns the triangular road wheel armour covering between the tracks is very unique to the FCM 36 tank based SPGs and makes it easily identifiable.

An article by Craig Moore

10.5cm leFH 16 auf Geschützwagen FCM 36(f), having just come out of the tank conversion workshop.
10.5cm leFH 16 auf Geschützwagen FCM 36(f), 21st Panzerdivision, Normandy, summer 1944.

Gallery

10.5cm gun barrel being lifted by chain and rope hoist.

This 10.5cm LeFH 16 gun is being hoisted into position on its new self-propelled gun mount.

This 10.5cm leFH 16 auf Geschützwagen FCM 36(f) still needs its gun shield fitted before it can leave the tank conversion workshop.

10.5cm leFH 16 auf Geschützwagen FCM 36(f) artillery self-propelled gun with camouflage livery in France

Gun crews of the 10.5cm leFH 16 auf Geschützwagen FCM 36(f) being inspected in France by senior officers.

A member of the 10.5cm leFH 16 auf Geschützwagen FCM 36(f) gun crew posing for a photograph near his SPG.

10.5cm leFH 16 auf GW FCM 36(f) SPG being transported by rail to the front line.

Last surviving FCM 36 tank

The last preserved FCM 36 Char léger Modèle 1936 French WW2 light infantry tank at the Musée des Blindés, French Tank Museum, Saumur, France

Specifications
Dimensions (L x W x H)	4.60 (without gun 4.46) x 2.14 x 2.15 m (15’1″ (14’7″) x 7′ x 7′)
Total weight, battle ready	12.2 tonnes
Crew	4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)
Propulsion	Berliet MDP V-4 diesel engine, 91 hp
Fuel capacity	260 liters
Top road speed	24 km/h (15 mph)
Operational range (road)	225 km (140 miles)
Main Armament	10.5 cm (4.13 in) leFH 16 howitzer with 37 rounds
Secondary Armament	7.92 mm (0.31 in) MG 34 machine gun
Hull Armor	Front 25-40 mm (0.98-1.57 in) Sides and Rear 20 mm (0.79 in)
Upper Armor	Front 15 mm (0.59 in) Sides 15 mm (0.59 in) Rear 15 mm (0.59 in)
Total production	12

Sources

Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two, Peter Chamberlain and Hilary Doyle, 1999
Panzer Tracts No.10 Artillerie Selbstfahrlafetten by Thanks L. Jentz
Profile AFV Weapons 55 German Self-Propelled Weapons by Peter Chamberlain and H.L.Doyle
Beute-Kraftfahrzeuge und panzer der deutschen Wehrmacht by Walter J. Spielberger
French Tanks of World War II by Steven J.Zaloga
French Infantry Tanks: part II by Major James Bingham
German Artillery at War 1939-45 vol.1 by Frank V.de Sisto.
Musée des Blindés, French Tank Museum, Saumur, France.
Special thanks to Marcus Hock
www.tank-hunter.com

Germans Tanks of ww2

German Self-Propelled Artillery Guns of the Second World War

By Craig Moore

One towed artillery gun required a team of six horses and nine men. WW2 German engineers came up with the idea of mounting an artillery gun on top of a tank chassis. This new technology reduced the amount of resources required to deploy one artillery gun. Artillery self-propelled guns only needed a four or five man crew. They could also be made ready to fire more quickly. This book covers the development and use of this new weapon between 1939 and 1945. One type was successfully used in the invasion of France in May 1940. More were used on the Eastern Front against Soviet forces from 1941 until the end of the war in 1945.

Buy this book on Amazon!

German Reich (1940-1941)
SPG – 12 Built

One of Rommel’s Funnies

To move a towed 15 cm artillery piece, the Germans needed a team of six horses and three men to control and look after the horses. The five or six man additional crew rode on a wheeled limber behind the horses. Attached to the limber was the heavy 15 cm artillery field howitzer.
In 1941, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel needed heavy artillery to support his advancing armored divisions in North Africa. Horse drawn artillery was impractical in the heat of the desert. The logistics of supplying these animals with enough feed and water was a nightmare. He demanded a solution be found.

The gun barrel on this 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) was fitted with a cover to stop dirt and sand getting inside. (photographer unknown)
The Panzer II tank had performed well in Poland in 1939, but it was out classed by some of the British and French tanks it encountered during the invasion of France in May 1940. This vehicle was considered obsolete by 1941 and was replaced by Panzer III tanks as soon as they came off the factory production line.
The German army now had a surplus of Panzer II tanks. The decision was taken to remove the tank’s turret and mount in its place a 15cm sIG 33 field howitzer with a gun shield to protect the crew. Rather than having to find a crew of 9 men and six horses to operate one artillery gun, the German army only needed to find four crewmen. It is sometimes called one of ‘Rommel’s Funnies’.

Driver’s escape hatch on the 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf). (photographer unknown)

The Name – Not a Sturmpanzer II or Bison II

The correct German Army designation for this self-propelled artillery gun is 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) Sd.Kfz.121/122 or 15cm s.l.G.33 auf Fahrgestell Pz.Kpfw.ll (Sf.).
While undergoing trials, it was sometimes referred to as the 15cm s.I.G.33 B (this was to show it was an upgrade from the prototype SPG, the 15cm s.I.G.33 A, that used the original five wheeled Panzer II tank chassis and had not yet been lengthened).
After World War II, a scale model kit company produced one of the first retail kits of this vehicle. They called it the ‘Bison II’, believing it to be the natural progression for the earlier Bison 1 self-propelled 15cm Artillery Gun based on a Panzer I tank chassis’.
This was wrong. It was never called the Bison II during the war but, after the war, the name Bison II stuck. Museums, historical books and other scale model kit companies continue to call this mobile artillery weapon the Bison II.
Some authors, museums and scale model kit companies also wrongly call it the Sturmpanzer II. A ‘Sturmpanzer’ is a heavily armored assault tank. It’s crew is protected in a fully armored box, that is enclosed on all four sides and has an armored roof. The front armor of this vehicle is thick to enable it to get close to enemy strong points before firing it’s weapon.
This description bears no resemblance to the function and appearance of the German 15 cm s.I.G. 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) SPG. This vehicle was not designed to advance towards heavily fortified gun emplacements and blow them up whilst under heavy fire. It is only thinly armored and the crew have very little protection.
This vehicle was designed to keep up with the advancing infantry and tanks, but remain behind them, out of harm’s way, and fire shells over their heads at enemy targets.

Notice the spare road wheels strapped to the top of the right track guard on the 15cm s.l.G.33 auf Fahrgestell Pz.Kpfw.ll (Sf.) on the left. (photographer unknown)

Production and Development

Before the first 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen I (Sf) (Bison I) had been tested in combat in May 1940, the German Army Waffenamt was already engaged in the development of an improved model based on the Panzer II Ausf.B tank chassis, rather than the Panzer I.
The prototype was successfully test fired at Kummersdorf on 13 June 1940. A 15cm s.I.G.33 B, without standard gun carriage wheels, had been fitted to a Panzer II tank chassis by Alkett, an engineering company near Berlin. As part of the trials, 120 rounds were fired.

This is a photograph of the 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) prototype. Notice the curved gun shield and five, not six road wheels.
The Panzer II tank chassis absorbed the 15cm gun’s highest recoil force of 9 tons firing at all settings and at a rapid rate of fire of up to three rounds per minute. The tracks didn’t noticeably sink into the ground while firing on sandy soil.
Several months earlier, a similar trial had been conducted by Alkett. The standard field gun carriage wheels had been mounted on the Panzer tank chassis. This meant it had to be mounted too far to the rear.

The engine hatches at the rear of the vehicle were left in the open position when driving to keep the engine cool. (photographer unknown)
Firing at the highest muzzle velocity of 240 meters/second at an elevation of about 15 degrees, the recoil force of 9 tons passed through the middle of the last road-wheels, resulting in the Pz.Kpfw.II tank chassis unacceptably tipping backward.
After this initial failure, the Alkett design team went back to the drawing board. They took the wheels off the gun carriage and devised new mounts. This meant that the 15 cm howitzer could be fitted considerably farther forward on the tank chassis, which made the vehicle significantly more stable when firing.
The Entwicklungsstueck (prototype development piece) was completed by Alkett in October 1940 using a normal length Pz.Kpfw.II chassis with five road-wheels. They only made one.
On 18th February 1941, General Halder commented in his diary: ‘Room inside the s.I.G. auf Pz.II is unacceptably small. New vehicles in four months. Mass production in one year. ‘
Alkett must have taken this criticism to heart because the Versuchsserie (trial series) of twelve 15cm s.l.G.33 auf Fahrgestell Pz.Kpfw.ll (Sf.) SPGs were produced with a lengthened and widened hull resulting in the addition of a sixth road wheel. Delivery was to start in August 1941. Overall length of the new vehicle was 5.48 m, width 2.60 m, and height 1.98 m (compared to the 4.81 m long by 2.28 m wide Panzer II Ausf.F light tank).
Additional space for the fighting compartment was also achieved by mounting the 150 metric horsepower Buessing-NAG L8V water-cooled gasoline petrol engine transversely across the rear. The gun had a 75-degree elevation, but only 10 rounds could be carried on-board.

15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) being loaded with supplies. (photographer unknown)

The 15cm sIG 33 gun

The Germany Army Infantry regiments could call on the support of a large 15 cm caliber towed artillery field howitzer called the 15cm schweres Infanterie Geschütz 33 (heavy infantry gun). They were designed by Rheinmetall in 1927 and were formally accepted introduced into the German military in 1933, hence the designation 33. This long name was shortened to 15 cm sIG 33 or 15 cm s.I.G. 33. About 4,600 were made between 1936 – 45.
This gun was not designed as an anti-tank gun. It was normally used to fire high explosive HE shells over the heads of advancing German troops at targets plotted on a map. This is called indirect fire. Occasionally it was called upon to fire at enemy positions it could see. This is called direct fire. The two part I Gr 33 HE shell was filled with 8.3 kg (18 lbs) of pressed TNT with smoke box and standard Zdlg. 36 exploder system. The total weight of the fused round was 38 kg (84 lbs).
Unlike anti-tank gun shells that came in one piece, artillery shells were loaded into the gun breach in two separate pieces. The high explosive HE shell was always loaded first and this was followed by the propellant cartridge.
The rimmed brass propellant cartridge case, with a c 12 n/A percussion primer was closed at the top by a cardboard closing cap and loaded after the HE shell had been rammed home into the gun. The gun crew had a range chart that told them what amount of explosive propellant to put into the empty brass cartridge case. More was added for longer range targets and less was used to hit targets closer to the gun.
The propellant consisted of six removable silk bags numbered 1 to 6 that contained Nitroglyzerin Blättchen Pulver (nitroglycerin flaked powder) or Diglykolnitrat Blättchen Pulver (diglycolnitrate flaked powder). For long distant targets all six bags would be put in the brass propellant cartridge case. For shorter distances fewer bags would be used.
The gun could also fire smoke rounds to cover the retreat or advance of an infantry or armored column. These shells were called 15-cm Igr. 38 Nebel and weighed 38.50 kg (85 lbs). These smoke shells were identified by the white letters ‘Nb’ on a field-gray projectile. The bursting charge consisted of picric acid, and the exploder system comprised of a detonator set in penthrite wax enclosed in an aluminium container. The shell produces a smoke cloud 50 meters (55 yards) thick.
It had an effective firing range of 4.7 km – 4,700 m (2.89 miles – 5,140 yd). When firing HE shells it had a muzzle velocity of 240 m/s (790 ft/s). A good gun crew could fire three rounds a minute. The shell fuze s.Igr.Z. 23 was a highly sensitive, nose-percussion fuze with an optional delay of .4 second. It operated on impact or graze. It fired two types of HE shells, the 15cm I.Gv.33 and the 15cm I.Gv.38. For all practical purposes they were identical.
The breach was a horizontal sliding block. The gun’s recoil was controlled by a hydropneumatic chamber. The gun was made by a number of different companies: Rheinmetall, AEG-Fabriken, Bohemisch and Waffenfabrik
The gun cradle was situated below the gun barrel. It was trough-shaped and is provided with guide ways, in which guides on the gun move as it recoiled and ran out. On either side at the front was a pad to receive the unabsorbed force of run-out. Between them was the expansion chamber which received the buffer fluid forced from the buffer by expansion as it became heated. Towards the rear were the two cradle arms to which the trunnions were fixed. Each trunnion was provided with a cranked compensator lever which compresses the compensator spring.

Abandoned 15cm s.l.G.33 auf Fahrgestell Pz.Kpfw.ll (Sf.) in North Africa 1941. (photographer unknown)

North Africa

On 15th September 1941, the German Army Organisations-Abteilung ordered the creation of two new independent heavy self-propelled infantry gun companies: 707.schwere Infanteriegeschütze-Kompanien. and 708. schwere Infanteriegeschütze-Kompanien. These units were sometimes abbreviated to s.I.G.Kp. (mot. S).
Alkett completed seven 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) in December 1941 and five in January 1942. Each company were issued with six of these new SPGs. The six vehicles in the 707 were assigned to the Schützen-Regiment 155 and the six vehicles in the 708 were assigned to the Schützen-Regiment 200. Both of these regiments were part of Rommel’s 90.leicht Afrika-Division and fought until the Axis surrender in Tunisia in May 1943. The 12 vehicles did get to Libya in time for Rommel’s assault on Tobruk, due to its postponement from November 1941 until June 1942.
On the 23 February 1942, the six vehicles belonging to 708 arrived in Tripoli. Three different ships were used, each carrying just two of the SPGs, just in case of a torpedo or bombing attack. The s.I.G.Kp.707 wasn’t transported to Libya until April 1942. Six different ships were used to transport the remaining six vehicles belonging to 707. The last vehicle was taken of the ship in Tripoli on 24 April 1941.
On 9 March, the 708 company commander reported at the division command post that they had arrived in Bengasi on 8 March, but they must remain there for two days to complete various engine repairs. Not enough spare parts had been shipped to North Africa. One of the units NCO’s flew back to Alkett in Berlin to arrange for replacement parts to be shipped out as soon as possible.
Mechanical problems were going to plague the deployment of these new self-propelled artillery guns in the desert. The engine had not been upgraded to take the additional weight and cope with the conditions encountered in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. The Panzer II 155 horsepower engine was too weak for the vehicle weight of 16 ton.
The engine cooling system was inefficient for conditions in Africa. In accordance with the driver’s manual, the cooler flaps must be opened while driving. The large amount of dust thrown up by the tracks fell through the open grating and plugged up parts of the radiator reducing the available surface area and its ability to cool the radiator fluid. Engine temperatures became too hot.
A report dated 16 May 1942 stated that, ‘During the 70 km journey to SegnaIi-Sued it soon became apparent that the new 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) of 708.schwere Infanteriegeschütze-Kompanien were unusable due to design faults. The same situation applied to the vehicles of 707. They were currently in Bengasi with two broken-down SPG’s without any resources to transport them to the front or repair them.’
The transmission and transfer boxes suffered from faults. After a very short running time, sometimes 15 minutes, the engines were so hot that they had to stop to cool them. The pressurized engine coolant reached 120 degrees Celsius after a short running time. Cracks appeared in the track and drive wheels due in part to poor material quality.
Panzer-Armee Afrika still listed eight 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) as available, but not how many were operational on 23 October. All eight were reported as having been lost by 2 December 1942. The British reported capturing six of them abandoned during the withdrawal, all in a dismantled condition in a tank workshop.

Rain & Sun protection

The crew could fit two metal bands across the middle of the open top fighting compartment. They provided similar support as tent poles in a tent. A large canvas tarpaulin tied down at the back of the vehicle could be hauled over these bands and lashed down to the front of the vehicle to give the crew protection from the sun, as well as rain and sand storms.

The prototype 15cm s.I.G. 33 A only had five wheels and the normal length Panzer II tank chassis.
The 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) in grey livery.

15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) ready for active service in North Africa, 1941.

15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) with tarpaulin frame erected and sun shade tarpaulin tied on.

Gallery

15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) with wet weather tarpaulin frame in place. (photographer unknown)

15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) with the tarpaulin pulled over the ridge frame to keep the crew in the shade – North Africa, 1941. (photographer unknown)

15cm s.l.G.33 auf Fahrgestell Pz.Kpfw.ll (Sf.) gun crew, driver and commander – North Africa, 1941. (photographer unknown)

Notice the stick leaning on the vehicle. It was painted red and white and hammered into the earth behind the vehicle to help the gunner work out firing angles. (photographer unknown)

German 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) parked in a North African street. (photographer unknown)

Waiting for the next target. (photographer unknown)

The driver’s side vision hatch is open on this photograph of a 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf). (photographer unknown)

Time for coffee out of sight of the enemy. (photographer unknown)

The rear engine hatch covers are in the up position. This was done to keep the engine cool. (photographer unknown)

The flap in the gun shield was opened to use the shorter periscope gun sight for direct fire targets. The taller gun sight was used for indirect fire targets. (photographer unknown)

15cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) ready for a bombardment (photographer unknown)

15cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) in North Africa with a six man crew? The driver hidden from view. (photographer unknown)

Why were only 12 built?

A German Army Waffenamt liaison officer assigned to Panzer-Armee Afrika filed a report dated 30th August 1942 about the use of the 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) in North Africa:
‘From the ballistic and destructive effectiveness standpoint, the gun is judged to be outstanding but the Panzer II chassis too underpowered and liable to mechanical breakdown. The troops’ propose that a more suitable tank chassis should be used. I do not agree. The range of this gun cannot be increased. The expenditure is not justified. It would be better to use the 15 cm s.F.H.13 Sfl heavy field howitzer, which has the same caliber but a considerably longer range, on a better tank chassis.
Operationally it is too risky to employ such a valuable self-propelled gun as a fixed location defensive weapon. As soon as it opens fire the gun will be knocked out by concentrated artillery fire. In this situation, the should be replaced with a 12 cm Werfer (mortar) that, with its increased rate of fire, lower weight and easier transport on a truck, has almost the same destructive effectiveness.’
Lessons learned from this vehicle, the 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) Sd.Kfz.121/122 and earlier 15cm and 10.5cm self-propelled artillery guns resulted the design and development of the 10.5cm ‘Wespe’ self-propelled artillery infantry gun.

Post WW2 Service

The British Army recovered six 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II self-propelled artillery guns. They were left in Egypt. The Egyptians recovered one more. It is not known if any were repaired and used by the Egyptian Army against the Israeli Army in the 1948 war or what happened to them after that conflict. If you have any further information please contact us.

Recovered 15cm s.l.G.33 auf Fahrgestell Pz.Kpfw.ll (Sf.) in Egypt after WW2

A 15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II self-propelled artillery gun captured by Israeli forces in 1948

Sources

Ed Webster
German Infantry Weapons – US Military Intelligence Service, Special Series No. 14, May 25, 1943. U.S. War Department
Allied Expeditionary Force German Guns – Brief Notes and Range Tables for Allied Gunners – SHAEF/16527/2A/GCT July 1944
Chamberlain, Peter, and Hilary L. Doyle. Thomas L. Jentz (Technical Editor). Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War
A Complete Illustrated Directory of German Battle Tanks, Armoured Cars, Self-propelled Guns, and Semi-tracked Vehicles, 1933–1945 – Arms and Armour Press
Trojca, Waldemar and Jaugitz, Markus. Sturmtiger and Sturmpanzer in Combat. Katowice, Poland: Model Hobby,
Sturmpanzer II Bison. Achtung Panzer!.
Info on Wikipedia

Germans Tanks of ww2

German Self-Propelled Artillery Guns of the Second World War

By Craig Moore

One towed artillery gun required a team of six horses and nine men. WW2 German engineers came up with the idea of mounting an artillery gun on top of a tank chassis. This new technology reduced the amount of resources required to deploy one artillery gun. Artillery self-propelled guns only needed a four or five man crew. They could also be made ready to fire more quickly. This book covers the development and use of this new weapon between 1939 and 1945. One type was successfully used in the invasion of France in May 1940. More were used on the Eastern Front against Soviet forces from 1941 until the end of the war in 1945.

Buy this book on Amazon!

German Reich (1944)
SPG – 1 Prototype + 30 Built(?)

Introduction

The German Army run factories in Czechoslovakia could produce Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer chassis faster than they could produce the main 75 mm (2.95 in) gun. There were stocks of old 15 cm  (5.9 in) s.I.G 33/2 heavy field howitzer guns available to be mounted in those chassis. Troops on the Eastern Front always needed more heavy artillery support. Fixing a 15 cm gun onto an already built Jagdpanzer 38(t) chassis seemed a very sensible idea. For this prototype, a Bergepanzerwagen 38(t) was used.

15cm sIG 33/2 (Sfl) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t) prototype.

The name

This self-propelled artillery gun was officially designated the 15 cm s.I.G 33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t). The long version of the name is 15 cm Schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33/2 Selbstfahrlafette auf Jagdpanzer 38(t).
Although the word ‘Jagdpanzer’ is used in the name, this vehicle was not a tank hunter. The term ‘Jagdpanzer’ is a reference to the donor vehicle chassis used to mount the 15 cm heavy infantry field howitzer. This vehicle is a self-propelled mobile artillery gun.
It is often incorrectly called the Sturmpanzer (38)t. A ‘Sturmpanzer’ is a heavily armored assault tank. It’s crew are protected in a fully armored box, that is enclosed on all four sides and has an armored roof. The front armour of this vehicle is thick to enable it to get close to enemy strong points before firing its weapon. This description bears no resemblance to the function and appearance of this vehicle.
It was not designed to advance towards heavily fortified gun emplacements and blow them up whilst under heavy fire. It is only thinly armored and the crew had very little protection. This vehicle was designed to keep up with the advancing infantry and tanks, but remain behind them, out of harm’s way, and fire shells over their heads at enemy targets.

A Bergepanzer 38(t) was used to build the first prototype 15 cm s.I.G 33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t)

The 15cm sIG 33 gun

The Germany Army Infantry regiments could call on the support of a large 15 cm caliber towed artillery field howitzer called the 15cm schweres Infanterie Geschütz 33 (heavy infantry gun). They were designed by Rheinmetall in 1927 and were formally accepted introduced into the German military in 1933, hence the designation 33. This long name was shortened to 15 cm sIG 33 or 15 cm s.I.G. 33. About 4,600 were made between 1936 – 45.
This gun was not designed as an anti-tank gun. It was normally used to fire high explosive HE shells over the heads of advancing German troops at targets plotted on a map. This is called indirect fire. Occasionally, it was called upon to fire at enemy positions it could see. This is called direct fire. The two part I Gr 33 HE shell was filled with 8.3 kg (18 lbs) of pressed TNT with smoke box and standard Zdlg. 36 exploder system. The total weight of the fused round was 38 kg (84 lbs).
Unlike anti-tank gun shells that came in one piece, artillery shells were loaded into the gun breach in two separate pieces. The high explosive HE shell was always loaded first and this was followed by the propellant cartridge. The rimmed brass propellant cartridge case, with a c 12 n/A percussion primer, was closed at the top by a cardboard closing cap.  The gun crew had a range chart that told them what amount of explosive propellant to put into the empty brass cartridge case. The propellant consisted of six removable silk bags numbered 1 to 6 that contained Nitroglyzerin Blättchen Pulver (nitroglycerin flaked powder) or Diglykolnitrat Blättchen Pulver (diglycolnitrate flaked powder). For long distant targets bag number 6 would be put in the brass propellant cartridge case. For shorter distances lower number bags, with less propellant inside, would be used.
The gun could also fire smoke rounds to cover the retreat or advance of an infantry or armored column. These shells were called 15-cm Igr. 38 Nebel and weighed 38.50 kg (85 lbs). These smoke shells were identified by the white letters ‘Nb’ on a field-gray projectile. The bursting charge consisted of picric acid, and the exploder system comprised of a detonator set in penthrite wax enclosed in an aluminium container. The shell produces a smoke cloud 50 meters (55 yards) thick.
The gun had an effective firing range of 4.7 km – 4,700 m (2.89 miles – 5,140 yd). When firing HE shells, it had a muzzle velocity of 240 m/s (790 ft/s). A good gun crew could fire three rounds a minute. The shell fuse s.Igr.Z. 23 was a highly sensitive, nose-percussion fuse with an optional delay of .4 second. It operated on impact or graze. It fired two types of HE shell, the 15cm I.Gv.33 and the 15cm I.Gv.38. For all practical purposes they were identical.
The breach was a horizontal sliding block. The gun’s recoil was controlled by a hydropneumatic chamber. The gun was made by a number of different companies: Rheinmetall, AEG-Fabriken, Bohemisch and Waffenfabrik
The gun cradle is situated below the gun barrel. It is trough-shaped and is provided with guide ways, in which guides on the gun move as it recoils and runs out. On either side at the front is a pad to receive the unabsorbed force of run-out, and between them is the expansion chamber which receives the buffer fluid forced from the buffer by expansion as it becomes heated. Towards the rear are the two cradle arms to which the trunnions are fixed. Each trunnion is provided with a cranked compensator lever which compresses the compensator spring.

15 cm s.I.G 33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t) with gun in the firing position

Sources

German Infantry Weapons – US Military Intelligence Service, Special Series No. 14, May 25, 1943. U.S. War Department
Allied Expeditionary Force German Guns – Brief Notes and Range Tables for Allied Gunners – SHAEF/16527/2A/GCT July 1944
Osprey New Vanguard: The Jagdpanzer 38(t) (Doyle/Jentz/Badrocke)
Panzer Tracts 7-3, Panzerjägers (Doyle/Jentz)
Panzer-35t/38t – Spielberger
The Hetzer on Wikipedia

The prototype 15 cm Schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33/2 Selbstfahrlafette auf Jagdpanzer 38(t)

Fictional white washed livery of a 15 cm s.I.G 33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t), ready for winter active service on the Eastern Front in early 1945

Fictional livery of a 15 cm s.I.G 33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t) ready for spring deployment on the Eastern Front in 1945

Gallery

15 cm s.I.G 33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t) with the gun trough resting on the front armored hatch. The same hatch design was later used on the Grille.

Top view of the open fighting compartment if the 15 cm s.I.G 33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t)

Front view of the 15 cm s.I.G 33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t)

Were they actually built?

Most history books, museums and websites state that 30 of these Jagdpanzer 38(t) variant SPGs were built. The only known photographs of the 15 cm s.I.G 33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t) are of the prototype at the factory. Why are there no operational or trials photographs of this vehicle?
The official order exists requesting six to be built by converting existing Jagdpanzer 38(t) chassis and a further twenty four to be built on new chassis by December 1944. No documentation has yet been found to confirm that the order had been completed or delivered.
It is assumed that they were issued to schwere infanterie-geschutz (heavy infantry gun) companies of armored infantry regiments on the Eastern Front, but the exact ones have so far not been identified. No regimental records have been found showing receipt and deployment of these weapons. There are no Soviet photographs of captured or knocked out wrecks of this type of vehicle. None have so far been identified in photographs of Allied German military vehicle scrap yards in Western Europe.
At present it cannot be confirmed that thirty 15 cm s.I.G 33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer were built even though an official order was issued authorising their manufacture. It can only be confirmed that a prototype was constructed.
Spielberger’s book ‘Panzer-35t/38t’ on page 171 -172 states that an additional 30 were built between December 1944 and February 1945 and used as a support vehicle for the Panzergrenadiers. Six converted from existing Jagdpanzer 38(t) chassis and 24 newly built.
Note:- Unfinished Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzers would come from a holding area off the production line. It was not uncommon for production completion to be held up waiting for the main gun to be finished in a different or separate part of the factory.

Germans Tanks of ww2

German Self-Propelled Artillery Guns of the Second World War

By Craig Moore

One towed artillery gun required a team of six horses and nine men. WW2 German engineers came up with the idea of mounting an artillery gun on top of a tank chassis. This new technology reduced the amount of resources required to deploy one artillery gun. Artillery self-propelled guns only needed a four or five man crew. They could also be made ready to fire more quickly. This book covers the development and use of this new weapon between 1939 and 1945. One type was successfully used in the invasion of France in May 1940. More were used on the Eastern Front against Soviet forces from 1941 until the end of the war in 1945.

Buy this book on Amazon!