Assault tank II
The Sturmpanzer II was a heavy infantry gun ( 15 cm sIG 33 ) of the German Wehrmacht on a self-propelled gun .
The first attempt to move the heavy infantry gun 33 to a tank chassis was the Sturmpanzer I from 1940. At the beginning of 1941 the order was given to develop a similar vehicle based on the PzKpfw II . In October 1941, Alkett presented a prototype that not only had enough space for the gun, but could also absorb the enormous recoil. Compared to the Panzer II, the chassis was 32 cm wider and 60 cm longer, and a sixth wheel had been added. The armor was limited to a gun shield and flat side armor. The gun itself had a range of 4700 m, it could be used as a heavy infantry gun or as a heavy mortar, depending on the firing angle and the initial velocity of the bullet. The engine power was moderate (the weak machine quickly overheated) and the carriage was difficult to maneuver.
All twelve vehicles, divided between two companies , were transferred to the German Africa Corps between February and April 1942 and used in front of Tobruk . After a short time, the vehicles were considered strong but unreliable; they required constant maintenance and were therefore not suitable for covering longer distances. All vehicles of this type were out of service by December 1942. As a successor, the Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33 was developed from the end of 1941 .
Technical specifications
- Weight: 12 t
- Length: 5.48 m
- Width: 2.60 m
- Height: 1.98 m
- Engine: V8 petrol engine Büssing-NAG, 155 HP
- Speed: 40 km / h
- Armament: 150 mm infantry gun 33
- Armor: 20 mm at the front, 10 mm at the side
- Crew: 4 men
- Year of construction: 1941–1942
- Number of pieces: 12 pieces
See also
Web links
- Bison at www.wwiivehicles.com (English)