Self-propelled howitzer Hummel

Self-propelled howitzer Hummel
	Self-propelled howitzer "Hummel" in the Munster tank museum (2005)
General properties
crew	6 men
length	7.17 m
width	2.97 m
height	2.81 m
Dimensions	24.4 t
	Armor and armament
Armor	10-30 mm
Main armament	1 × heavy field howitzer 150 mm sFH 18/1 L / 30 with 18 rounds of ammunition
Secondary armament	MG 34 or MG 42
agility
drive	Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 ; 300 PS (221 kW)
suspension	Leaf spring
Top speed	42 km / h
Power / weight	13 hp / t
Range	215/130 km (road / terrain)

The self-propelled howitzer "Hummel" was a self-propelled gun with a 150 mm howitzer . It was used by the German Wehrmacht in World War II from 1943 until the end of the war.

history

Development and production

Even before the war, the later Colonel General Heinz Guderian , who developed the armored weapon into an independent branch of the army, raised the demand for motorized artillery under armor protection, which should follow the armored units into battle and give them the necessary artillery support. However, due to the initially low production capacity of the tank industry, these plans could only be implemented in 1942. After it was recognized that an initially planned special construction of self-propelled guns with all-round firing was no longer justifiable due to the war events, attempts were made to use existing chassis and weapons.

The vehicle developed in 1942 was based, just like the tank destroyer Nashorn , on the gun car III / IV. This was a chassis of the Panzerkampfwagen IV with the drive train of a Panzerkampfwagen III , with the engine being moved to the front to create a generous fighting space in the rear. The weapon used was the 150 mm howitzer sFH 18 , which had a directional field of 15 ° to both sides and a shooting range of 13 km with a 43 kg projectile. Since the vehicle was not intended for direct combat use, only light armor protected against infantry fire and shrapnel. The structure had only 10 mm of all-round armor. The development took place at Alkett and the assembly at the Deutsche Eisenwerke in Duisburg. The official designation was "15 cm heavy Panzerhaubitze 18/1 on chassis Panzerkampfwagen III / IV (Sf)" (Sd.Kfz. 165). The "Hummel" came to the front in May 1943, and by the summer there were 85 of the troops. 227 units had been delivered by the end of the year. A total of 724 self-propelled howitzers were produced, ten of which were the result of modifications. On February 27, 1944, on the instructions of Adolf Hitler, the suggestive name "Hummel" used until then was dropped . At the beginning of 1945 the production of the "Hummel" was stopped. At that time there were still 335 "bumblebees", most of which were on the Eastern Front and suffered from a lack of fuel and ammunition.

commitment

The fighting area open at the top is easy to see

Combat chamber of a museum exhibit with a view of the sFH 18 howitzer

Organizationally, the self-propelled howitzer "Hummel" was placed under the armored artillery regiment of an armored division. A regiment had three compartments , only one of which was equipped with self-propelled guns. One compartment consisted of three batteries . The first two batteries were equipped with the "Wespe" self-propelled howitzer ; the third battery is supposed to have six "bumblebees" and two ammunition carriers. Although the vehicles had a high elevator and had no possibility of all-round firing, they proved themselves at the front. In the event of direct enemy contact, it was possible to fight enemy tanks by aiming the cannon directly, but due to the low armor this should only be done in an emergency. From autumn 1944 onwards, only the I. Division of an armored artillery regiment was officially equipped with self-propelled guns. Here, too, the target equipment for the 3rd battery was six "bumblebees", although there were numerous deviations due to the war, as production could not keep up with the losses. In 1944, 240 self-propelled howitzers “Hummel” were lost on the Eastern Front alone.

"Hummel" ammunition carrier

Since the self-propelled howitzer “Hummel” had only a limited amount of ammunition with 18 rounds and this was insufficient for sustainable fire support over a long period of time, 157 “Hummel” ammunition carriers were built. It was the same type of vehicle in which the main weapon was not installed. In the interior of the fighting compartment, which is still open at the top, additional ammunition holders were attached and the gap in the front armor of the superstructure caused by the lack of the main weapon was closed by an additional armor plate. The ammunition carriers could carry 90 grenades and cartridges. Although the vehicles were relatively expensive to purchase, they made the logistics of the heavy artillery units a lot easier. The ammunition carriers were just as off-road as the self-propelled howitzer, were better protected than the Opel Blitz normally used in the supply units, and there was none additional spare parts procurement necessary. It was also possible to convert such an ammunition carrier into a self-propelled howitzer "Hummel". All that was needed was to open the gun mantlet, which was sealed with an armor plate, and install a gun - for example from another damaged "Hummel".

Web links

Commons : Panzerhaubitze Hummel - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Hummel at wwiivehicles.com (English)
Hummel at Achtungpanzer.com (English)

Individual evidence

^ Walter J. Spielberger, Friedrich Wiener: The German Panzerkampfwagen III and IV with their variants 1935-1945 (= Wehrwissenschaftlicheberichte. Vol. 2, ISSN 0083-7822 ). Lehmanns Verlag, Munich 1968, p. 66.
^ Wolfgang Fleischer , Richard Eiermann: The motorized artillery and tank artillery of the German army 1935-1945. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Wölfersheim-Berstadt 2000, ISBN 3-7909-0721-9 , p. 119.
^ Walter J. Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen IV and its varieties (= military vehicles. Vol. 5). Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1975, ISBN 3-87943-402-6 , p. 128.
^ Ferdinand Maria von Senger and Etterlin : The German tanks 1926–1945. 3. Edition. Bernard & Graefe, Bonn 2000, ISBN 3-7637-5988-3 , pp. 71-72.
^ Wolfgang Fleischer, Richard Eiermann: The motorized artillery and tank artillery of the German army 1935-1945. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Wölfersheim-Berstadt 2000, ISBN 3-7909-0721-9 , pp. 141 and 158.
^ Wolfgang Fleischer, Richard Eiermann: The motorized artillery and tank artillery of the German army 1935-1945. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Wölfersheim-Berstadt 2000, ISBN 3-7909-0721-9 , p. 100.
↑ 12 / 43–11 / 44 → Wolfgang Fleischer, Richard Eiermann: The motorized artillery and tank artillery of the German army 1935–1945. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Wölfersheim-Berstadt 2000, ISBN 3-7909-0721-9 , p. 131.

[1] Walter J. Spielberger, Friedrich Wiener: The German Panzerkampfwagen III and IV with their variants 1935-1945 (= Wehrwissenschaftlicheberichte. Vol. 2, ISSN 0083-7822 ). Lehmanns Verlag, Munich 1968, p. 66.

[2] Wolfgang Fleischer , Richard Eiermann: The motorized artillery and tank artillery of the German army 1935-1945. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Wölfersheim-Berstadt 2000, ISBN 3-7909-0721-9 , p. 119.

[3] Walter J. Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen IV and its varieties (= military vehicles. Vol. 5). Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1975, ISBN 3-87943-402-6 , p. 128.

[4] Ferdinand Maria von Senger and Etterlin : The German tanks 1926–1945. 3. Edition. Bernard & Graefe, Bonn 2000, ISBN 3-7637-5988-3 , pp. 71-72.

[5] Wolfgang Fleischer, Richard Eiermann: The motorized artillery and tank artillery of the German army 1935-1945. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Wölfersheim-Berstadt 2000, ISBN 3-7909-0721-9 , pp. 141 and 158.

[6] Wolfgang Fleischer, Richard Eiermann: The motorized artillery and tank artillery of the German army 1935-1945. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Wölfersheim-Berstadt 2000, ISBN 3-7909-0721-9 , p. 100.

[7] 12 / 43–11 / 44 → Wolfgang Fleischer, Richard Eiermann: The motorized artillery and tank artillery of the German army 1935–1945. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, Wölfersheim-Berstadt 2000, ISBN 3-7909-0721-9 , p. 131.