Balaclava 42
| Balaclava 42 | |
|---|---|
Sturmhaubitze 42 in the Auto- und Technikmuseum Sinsheim (2006) |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 4th |
| length | 6.14 m |
| width | 2.96 m |
| height | 2.15 m |
| Dimensions | 23.9 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 19-80 mm |
| Main armament | 10.5 cm stool 42 |
| Secondary armament | 1 × 7.92 mm machine gun |
| agility | |
| drive | Maybach HL 120 TRM 300 PS |
| Top speed | 40 km / h (road) |
| Power / weight | 12.6 hp / t |
| Range | 155 km (road) |
The Sturmhaubitze 42 ( StuH 42 for short ) was an assault gun that was used by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War .
history
The StuH 42 was necessary because the Sturmgeschütz III ( StuG III for short ) was increasingly withdrawn from infantry support for fighting tanks. In addition, the explosive and fragmentation effect of the 7.5 cm assault cannon of the StuG III was insufficient .
A modified version of the StuG III Ausf. E with the 10.5 cm storm howitzer 42, which was developed from the 10.5 cm light field howitzer 18 , served as the basis for the design.
In the course of 1942 the prototype and 17 other repaired vehicles were equipped with the StuH 42 . From September 1944, the muzzle brake became obsolete .
The StuH 42 performed well in its function as an infantry support weapon; However, it had only very limited possibilities to destroy enemy battle tanks, since the penetration power and effect of the howitzer was moderate and it had a relatively slow rate of fire.
From 1942 until the end of the war, the Altmärkische Kettenwerke (Alkett) produced around 1,317 storm howitzers.
ammunition
As is customary with howitzers , the ammunition had to be loaded separately; that means first the projectile and then the cartridge with the propellant charge . This reduced the rate of fire to three to five rounds / min. The maximum range, which in practice played no role in direct serving, was 5,400 meters. Typically, targets on the battlefield were no more than 2,000 meters away.
Compared to the StuG III , the StuH 42 could bring a much larger amount of explosives to the enemy with its cannon. The 10.5 cm field howitzer shell weighed 15.55 kg (1.4 to 1.75 kg of explosives), while the 7.5 cm high explosive grenade 40 weighed only 5.74 kg (0.68 kg of explosives). Effective splinters flew up to 35 meters to the sides and 10 meters forward.
In a combat set of the StuH 42 there were 26 HE shells as well as 10 hollow charge projectiles HL / B or HL / C for anti-tank defense. With these, depending on the model, 90 or 100 mm armor steel could be penetrated regardless of the distance.
commitment
According to War Strength Evidence 446a of November 1, 1942, the StuH 42 were integrated into the existing assault gun batteries . Usually one train was equipped with four StuH 42s per battery.
StuH 42 (without muzzle brake), during the fighting for Arnhem .
StuH 42 (without muzzle brake) in readiness, 1944 in Arnheim (Netherlands).
See also
literature
- Wolfgang Fleischer: The German assault guns 1935-1945. Podzun-Pallas Verlag, Wölfersheim-Berstadt 1996, ISBN 3-7909-0588-7 .
- Wolfgang Fleischer: Waffen Arsenal Volume 176: German assault guns in action. Podzun-Pallas Verlag, Wölfersheim-Berstadt 1999, ISBN 3-7909-0659-X .
