Armored vehicles of Germany in the Second World War. Self-propelled installation Sturmpanzer 38 (t) Grille
Sturmpanzer 38 (t), the official name of Geschützwagen 38 (t) für s.IG.33 / 2 (Sf) or 15 cm s.IG.33 / 2 auf Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t), as well as grille and a lot of use of a looper (as many as you can enjoy using a looper). Cricket ") - German light self-propelled installation class self-propelled howitzers of the Second World War.
According to the departmental heading of the Ministry of Arms of Nazi Germany, the self-propelled gun was designated as Sd.Kfz.138 / 1. This combat vehicle was created in 1942 on the basis of a light obsolete tank Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) by BMM in Prague. The impetus for the appearance of Grille was the Wehrmacht's need for mobile field artillery.
Initially it was assumed that a modified Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) (modification M) lightweight chassis with an arrangement in the middle part of the power plant housing would be used for the ACS undercarriage. But the chassis was not ready and the Panzerkampfwagen 91 (t) Ausf.H chassis was used for the first batch of machines consisting of an 38 machine in which the engine compartment was located at the rear. The turret was removed from the tank, and instead a fixed wheelhouse was mounted, equipped with s.IG.33 150 mm heavy infantry guns. This modification was produced in February-April 1943. In April, the 1943 of the chassis with the engine in the middle was worked out and the production of an SAU for the M version began in which the combat compartment was located behind. This lineup of the machine was more convenient for the maintenance of the gun, as well as the supply of ammunition from the ground. In April-June 1943 and October 1943 - September 1944 was built by BMM 282 ACS Grille and 120 ammunition carriers. In fact, armored ammunition carriers were the same self-propelled guns. The weapon embrasure in the cutting armor was sealed. If necessary, in the field it was possible to install the s.IG.33 / 2 infantry guns back, turning the carrier of ammunition into a fully self-propelled unit.
For the first time, "Cricket" was involved in the summer of 1943, on the Kursk Bulge. In addition to their direct appointment as self-propelled howitzers for firing from closed positions, self-propelled guns were often used for direct fire support of infantry with direct fire. Despite the firepower, the car as a whole was unsuccessful. The short and light chassis was not optimized for the installation of a heavy artillery system with high recoil. When firing with small elevation angles, the Sturmpanzer 38 (t) jumped back a little after each shot (the nickname “cricket” appeared from here), the ammunition load was small (therefore, the creation of a specialized conveyor was needed), was the result of strong recoil. However, in the absence of another alternative to Grille, serial production continued until September 1944. Subsequently, an attempt was also made to mount s.IG.33 on the basis of the light tank destroyer Jagdpanzer 38 (t), however, according to T. Yentz, documentary evidence of serial production This model is not. Grille self-propelled units took part in battles until the end of the war. Today it is known about one machine of this type, which is exhibited in the museum of the Aberdeen testing ground of the American army.
Combat Sturmpanzer 38 (t)
The heavy infantry cannon mounted on a self-propelled armored chassis, during the French campaign, were in service with the German tank armies 6. However, only with the arrival of 200 new SAU Sd.Kfz.138 / 1 in the troops it turned out to increase the firepower of the infantry units in the tank divisions, and this increase was not due to the number of vehicles, but due to their quality. According to the staff list of the Panzergrenadier and Tank Divisions 1943 – 1945, each compound had only 12 self-propelled infantry guns. They were not part of the division artillery, which is armed with towed guns and self-propelled guns. Units of infantry self-propelled guns were directly attached to the Panzergrenadier regiments as fire support vehicles. According to 6, self-propelled guns had mechanized regiments on trucks and armored personnel carriers (organizationally, the guns were reduced to the 9 company). This organization was purely theoretical, since 200 SAU Sd.Kfz. 138 / 1 could not meet the needs of all the Panzer and Grenadier Divisions. On 12, it was transferred to 1, 2, 4, 5, 16, 17, 24, 26, Tank, 3 and 29, Panzergrenadier Wehrmacht divisions, Panz, Panthergrenadier Wehrmacht, Panzer, Panzer Grenadier divisions, Wehrmacht, Panzer, Panzergrenadier divisions, Wehrmacht, Panzerg. divisions "Feldkhernhalle" and "Great Germany", SS tank divisions "Dead Head", "Das Reich" and "Adolf Hitler". The remaining released vehicles were used in reserve units and for crew training. The above divisions operated mainly in Italy or on the Eastern Front. SAU Sd.Kfz. 138 / 1 proved to be excellent in battles, however, due to losses, their number significantly decreased. The desire to compensate for the loss was the reason for the order in November 1943, 10 machines Sd.Kfz. 138 / 1. The batch was made at the beginning of 1944, after which the vehicles were transferred to four tank divisions: 2, 4, 17, and Dead Head. The solution to the problem was the introduction of a fourth vehicle in the three gun batteries, designed to transport ammunition and devoid of guns. The release of ammunition transporters was carried out in parallel with the manufacture of self-propelled guns. In January-May, the 1944 of the BMM plant produced 93 machine data. The plant also concluded a contract for the supply of weapons for 40 transporters, which were made in May: thus, if necessary, these machines could be converted in field conditions to “normal” self-propelled guns, with 150-mm guns. As of March 1945, according to German sources, the troops numbered 173 self-propelled guns "Grille", but did not specify how many of them are self-propelled guns and how many ammunition transporters. In April, the 1945 of the last 13 self-propelled guns entered service with the 3's tank divisions: three vehicles entered the 18 and 20 divisions, the rest in the 25. According to Czechoslovak army data, in October 1948, there were thirteen ammunition transporters in the country.
Performance characteristics of the self-propelled unit Sturmpanzer 38 (t) Grille:
Combat weight - 11,5 t;
Layout: front - engine compartment and control compartment, rear - fighting compartment in the wheelhouse;
Crew - 5 man;
Production years - from 1943 to 1944;
Years of operation - from 1943 to 1945;
The number of cars produced - 282 pcs .;
Dimensions:
Length - 4835 mm;
Width - 2150 mm;
Height - mm 2400;
Clearance - 400 mm;
Booking:
Type of armor - steel surface hardened rolled;
The forehead of the body (bottom) - 15 mm / 15 deg .;
The forehead of the body (top), 10 mm / 67 deg .;
Chassis side (bottom) - 15 mm / 0 degrees;
Chassis side (top) - 10 mm / 15 degrees;
Body feed (bottom) - 10 mm / 41 degrees;
Body feed (top) - 10 mm / 0 degrees;
Bottom - 10 mm;
The roof of the case - mm 8;
Forehead felling - 10 mm / 9 grad .;
The cabin deck is 10 mm / 16 degrees;
Feeding chow - 10 mm / 17 degrees;
The roof of the cabin is open;
Armament:
Type of gun - howitzer;
Brand gun and caliber - sIG33 / 2, 150-mm;
Ammunition gun - 15 shots;
Vertical guidance angles - from -3 to + 72 degrees;
Horizontal guidance angles - ± 5 degrees;
Firing range - 4700 m;
Mobility:
Engine Type –6-cylinder liquid-cooled carburetor;
Engine power - 150 l. with.;
Highway speed - 42 km / h;
Speed over rough terrain - 20 km / h;
Cruising over rough terrain - 140 km;
Specific power - 13,0 l. s./t;
Suspension type - on leaf springs, interlocked in pairs;
Ground pressure - 0,75 kg / cm2;
Gradeability - 30 grad .;
Breakable wall - 0,85 m;
Overcoming ditch - 1,9 m;
Overcoming ford - 0,9 m.
According to the departmental heading of the Ministry of Arms of Nazi Germany, the self-propelled gun was designated as Sd.Kfz.138 / 1. This combat vehicle was created in 1942 on the basis of a light obsolete tank Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) by BMM in Prague. The impetus for the appearance of Grille was the Wehrmacht's need for mobile field artillery.
Initially it was assumed that a modified Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) (modification M) lightweight chassis with an arrangement in the middle part of the power plant housing would be used for the ACS undercarriage. But the chassis was not ready and the Panzerkampfwagen 91 (t) Ausf.H chassis was used for the first batch of machines consisting of an 38 machine in which the engine compartment was located at the rear. The turret was removed from the tank, and instead a fixed wheelhouse was mounted, equipped with s.IG.33 150 mm heavy infantry guns. This modification was produced in February-April 1943. In April, the 1943 of the chassis with the engine in the middle was worked out and the production of an SAU for the M version began in which the combat compartment was located behind. This lineup of the machine was more convenient for the maintenance of the gun, as well as the supply of ammunition from the ground. In April-June 1943 and October 1943 - September 1944 was built by BMM 282 ACS Grille and 120 ammunition carriers. In fact, armored ammunition carriers were the same self-propelled guns. The weapon embrasure in the cutting armor was sealed. If necessary, in the field it was possible to install the s.IG.33 / 2 infantry guns back, turning the carrier of ammunition into a fully self-propelled unit.
For the first time, "Cricket" was involved in the summer of 1943, on the Kursk Bulge. In addition to their direct appointment as self-propelled howitzers for firing from closed positions, self-propelled guns were often used for direct fire support of infantry with direct fire. Despite the firepower, the car as a whole was unsuccessful. The short and light chassis was not optimized for the installation of a heavy artillery system with high recoil. When firing with small elevation angles, the Sturmpanzer 38 (t) jumped back a little after each shot (the nickname “cricket” appeared from here), the ammunition load was small (therefore, the creation of a specialized conveyor was needed), was the result of strong recoil. However, in the absence of another alternative to Grille, serial production continued until September 1944. Subsequently, an attempt was also made to mount s.IG.33 on the basis of the light tank destroyer Jagdpanzer 38 (t), however, according to T. Yentz, documentary evidence of serial production This model is not. Grille self-propelled units took part in battles until the end of the war. Today it is known about one machine of this type, which is exhibited in the museum of the Aberdeen testing ground of the American army.
Combat Sturmpanzer 38 (t)
The heavy infantry cannon mounted on a self-propelled armored chassis, during the French campaign, were in service with the German tank armies 6. However, only with the arrival of 200 new SAU Sd.Kfz.138 / 1 in the troops it turned out to increase the firepower of the infantry units in the tank divisions, and this increase was not due to the number of vehicles, but due to their quality. According to the staff list of the Panzergrenadier and Tank Divisions 1943 – 1945, each compound had only 12 self-propelled infantry guns. They were not part of the division artillery, which is armed with towed guns and self-propelled guns. Units of infantry self-propelled guns were directly attached to the Panzergrenadier regiments as fire support vehicles. According to 6, self-propelled guns had mechanized regiments on trucks and armored personnel carriers (organizationally, the guns were reduced to the 9 company). This organization was purely theoretical, since 200 SAU Sd.Kfz. 138 / 1 could not meet the needs of all the Panzer and Grenadier Divisions. On 12, it was transferred to 1, 2, 4, 5, 16, 17, 24, 26, Tank, 3 and 29, Panzergrenadier Wehrmacht divisions, Panz, Panthergrenadier Wehrmacht, Panzer, Panzer Grenadier divisions, Wehrmacht, Panzer, Panzergrenadier divisions, Wehrmacht, Panzerg. divisions "Feldkhernhalle" and "Great Germany", SS tank divisions "Dead Head", "Das Reich" and "Adolf Hitler". The remaining released vehicles were used in reserve units and for crew training. The above divisions operated mainly in Italy or on the Eastern Front. SAU Sd.Kfz. 138 / 1 proved to be excellent in battles, however, due to losses, their number significantly decreased. The desire to compensate for the loss was the reason for the order in November 1943, 10 machines Sd.Kfz. 138 / 1. The batch was made at the beginning of 1944, after which the vehicles were transferred to four tank divisions: 2, 4, 17, and Dead Head. The solution to the problem was the introduction of a fourth vehicle in the three gun batteries, designed to transport ammunition and devoid of guns. The release of ammunition transporters was carried out in parallel with the manufacture of self-propelled guns. In January-May, the 1944 of the BMM plant produced 93 machine data. The plant also concluded a contract for the supply of weapons for 40 transporters, which were made in May: thus, if necessary, these machines could be converted in field conditions to “normal” self-propelled guns, with 150-mm guns. As of March 1945, according to German sources, the troops numbered 173 self-propelled guns "Grille", but did not specify how many of them are self-propelled guns and how many ammunition transporters. In April, the 1945 of the last 13 self-propelled guns entered service with the 3's tank divisions: three vehicles entered the 18 and 20 divisions, the rest in the 25. According to Czechoslovak army data, in October 1948, there were thirteen ammunition transporters in the country.
Performance characteristics of the self-propelled unit Sturmpanzer 38 (t) Grille:
Combat weight - 11,5 t;
Layout: front - engine compartment and control compartment, rear - fighting compartment in the wheelhouse;
Crew - 5 man;
Production years - from 1943 to 1944;
Years of operation - from 1943 to 1945;
The number of cars produced - 282 pcs .;
Dimensions:
Length - 4835 mm;
Width - 2150 mm;
Height - mm 2400;
Clearance - 400 mm;
Booking:
Type of armor - steel surface hardened rolled;
The forehead of the body (bottom) - 15 mm / 15 deg .;
The forehead of the body (top), 10 mm / 67 deg .;
Chassis side (bottom) - 15 mm / 0 degrees;
Chassis side (top) - 10 mm / 15 degrees;
Body feed (bottom) - 10 mm / 41 degrees;
Body feed (top) - 10 mm / 0 degrees;
Bottom - 10 mm;
The roof of the case - mm 8;
Forehead felling - 10 mm / 9 grad .;
The cabin deck is 10 mm / 16 degrees;
Feeding chow - 10 mm / 17 degrees;
The roof of the cabin is open;
Armament:
Type of gun - howitzer;
Brand gun and caliber - sIG33 / 2, 150-mm;
Ammunition gun - 15 shots;
Vertical guidance angles - from -3 to + 72 degrees;
Horizontal guidance angles - ± 5 degrees;
Firing range - 4700 m;
Mobility:
Engine Type –6-cylinder liquid-cooled carburetor;
Engine power - 150 l. with.;
Highway speed - 42 km / h;
Speed over rough terrain - 20 km / h;
Cruising over rough terrain - 140 km;
Specific power - 13,0 l. s./t;
Suspension type - on leaf springs, interlocked in pairs;
Ground pressure - 0,75 kg / cm2;
Gradeability - 30 grad .;
Breakable wall - 0,85 m;
Overcoming ditch - 1,9 m;
Overcoming ford - 0,9 m.
Camouflaged German self-propelled howitzers "Cricket" combat group Gresser. The German Sd.Kfz armored personnel carrier is also visible in the background. 251 and captured by the Germans American tank M4 "Sherman". Corroceto town near Aprilia
Abandoned 150-mm ACS Sd.Kfz. 138 / 1 Ausf. M “Cricket” (“Grille”) of the 40 Tank Grenadier Regiment of the German 17 Tank Division
"Grille" in the Museum of the Aberdeen Proving Ground
Information