Assault tank VI
| Assault tank VI | |
|---|---|
Storm tiger in the Technikmuseum Sinsheim |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 5 men |
| length | 6.28 m |
| width | 3.57 m |
| height | 2.85 m |
| Dimensions | 65 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | Tub 60 to 100 mm, structure 25 to 150 mm |
| Main armament | 38 cm Storm Mortar RW61 L / 5.4 |
| Secondary armament | 1 × 7.92mm MG 34 |
| agility | |
| drive |
Maybach HL 210 P45 or HL 230 P45 , 12-cylinder gasoline engine, displacement 21.88 l or 23.09 l 650 or 700 hp at 3000 rpm |
| Top speed | 40 km / h |
| Power / weight | 10.7 hp / t |
| Range | 120 km |
The Sturmpanzer VI , also known as Sturmmörser Tiger , or colloquially also called " Sturmtiger ", was a heavy assault tank that was used by the German Wehrmacht in World War II .
technology
The 65-ton Sturmtiger was built by the Altmärkische Kettenwerke (Alkett) in Berlin . The prototype was presented to Hitler on October 20, 1943 at the Arys military training area . Other names for the Sturmtiger were Device 817, Gun Car 606/9 and Sturmmörser "Tiger". The main feature of the storm tiger was the imposing mortar . Originally developed by Rheinmetall for the Kriegsmarine for use on submarines for coastal bombardment, but never used there, the 38 cm L / 5.4 caliber gun was mounted on the chassis of damaged and repaired Panzerkampfwagen VI "Tiger" . From its extremely short barrel (205.4 cm) he shot 148.9 cm long and 345 kg grenades up to 5650 m wide. The grenade contained 125 kg of explosives and had a solid rocket drive made of diethylene glycol , which accelerated it from the moderate muzzle velocity of 45 m / s to a top speed of 250 m / s.
The five-man crew was protected by massive armor (up to 15 cm), but only 14 shells of ammunition could be carried (12 in the tank, one in the barrel and one in the loading device). The gun had a ring of holes; Depending on the source, these were used to reduce the enormous recoil or to remove the gases after the shot through blown air. The designers had mounted a small boom on the roof of the Storm Tiger, with which the heavy grenades could be loaded more easily.
commitment
A total of 18 storm tigers were built and 317 rounds of the normal R.Sprgr. Delivered to the troops in 4581. The vehicles were used in storm mortar departments, especially on the western front, e.g. B. in the Westphalian Marl , in the bridgehead Wesel and during the Warsaw uprising . The main gun had an enormous, above all moral, effect, but due to the lack of suitable application options, poor mobility of the vehicles and later also a lack of fuel and ammunition, they proved to be of little use.
A preserved storm tiger can be viewed today in the German Tank Museum in Munster , and another vehicle is in the Kubinka Tank Museum .
Technical specifications
- Ground clearance: 47 cm
- Climbing ability: 79 cm
- Wading ability: 120 cm
- Trench crossing ability: 230 cm
- Gradeability: up to 35 °
- speed
- Road: 40 km / h
- Terrain: 24 km / h
- Fuel supply: 534 l
- Driving range: 120 km on road, 85 km in medium-difficult terrain
-
Armament
- 38 cm Storm Mortar RW61 L / 5.4
- Aiming means: Pak 3 × 8 °
- Muzzle velocity: HE grenade 45 m / s
- Ammunition: 14 rounds
- 1 × 7.92 mm MG 34 in the bow
- Total ammunition supply: 800 rounds
- 38 cm Storm Mortar RW61 L / 5.4
-
Armor
- Tub
- 150 mm bow / slope 66 °
- 80 mm driver front / 35 °
- 80 mm tub side up / 90 °
- 60 mm tub side below
- 80 mm stern / 82 °
- 26 mm bottom / 0 °
- tower
- 150 mm body front / 45 °
- 80 mm body side / 70 °
- 80 mm stern / 80 °
- 40 mm ceiling / 0 °
- Tub
- Crew: 5
- Manufacturer: Alkett
- Number of items: 18
See also
- Assault tanks
- Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger
- List of tracked vehicles of the Wehrmacht
- Artillery troops from the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS
