Sturmpanzer 38 (t), officially named Geschützwagen 38 (t) für s. IG.33 / 2 (Sf) or 15 cm s. IG.33 / 2 auf Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t), as well as Grille (transliterated as Grille - " Cricket ") - German light SPG of the class of self-propelled howitzers during the Second World War.
According to the departmental heading of the Ministry of Armaments of Nazi Germany, the SPG was designated as Sd. Kfz.138 / 1. This combat vehicle was created in 1942 on the basis of the outdated light tank Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) by BMM in Prague. The impetus for the emergence of Grille was the Wehrmacht's need for mobile field artillery.
Initially, it was assumed that a modified chassis of the light Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) (modification M) with an arrangement in the middle of the power plant hull would be used for the chassis of the ACS. But the chassis was not ready and for the first batch of vehicles, consisting of 91 vehicles, the Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) Ausf. H chassis was used in which the engine compartment was located at the rear. The turret was removed from the tank, and instead of it, a fixed wheelhouse was mounted, equipped with an infantry heavy gun s. IG.33 of 150 mm caliber. This modification was produced in February-April 1943. In April 1943, the chassis with the engine in the middle was worked out and the production of the ACS version M began, in which the fighting compartment was located at the rear. This line-up of the vehicle was more convenient for servicing the gun, as well as for supplying ammunition from the ground. In April-June 1943 and October 1943-September 1944, BMM built 282 Grille self-propelled guns and 120 ammunition carriers. In fact, the armored ammunition carriers were the same self-propelled guns without weapons. The gun embrasure in the armor plate of the wheelhouse was repaired. If necessary, in the field, it was possible to install the s. IG.33 / 2 infantry gun back, turning the ammunition carrier into a full-fledged self-propelled gun.
For the first time "Cricket" were used in the summer of 1943 at the Kursk Bulge. In addition to their direct purpose 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 vehicle was generally unsuccessful. The short and lightweight chassis was not optimized to accommodate a heavy recoil artillery system. When firing at low elevation angles, the Sturmpanzer 38 (t) jumped back a little after each shot (hence the nickname "cricket"), the ammunition load was small (therefore, a specialized conveyor was required), the reliability left much to be desired (it was a consequence of strong recoil). However, in the absence of another alternative to Grille, it remained in serial production until September 1944. Subsequently, an attempt was also made to mount the s. IG.33 on the basis of the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) light tank destroyer, however, according to T. Yentz, documentary evidence of serial production this model is not. Grille self-propelled guns took part in the battles until the end of the war. Today it is known about one machine of this type, which is exhibited at the Museum of the Aberdeen Proving Grounds of the American Army.
Combat use of Sturmpanzer 38 (t)
Heavy infantry guns mounted on a self-propelled armored chassis were in service with 6 German tank divisions during the French campaign. However, only with the arrival of 200 new Sd. Kfz.138 / 1 self-propelled guns in the troops, it turned out to increase the firepower of infantry units in tank divisions, and this increase was not due to the number of vehicles, but due to their quality. According to the staffing table of the panzergrenadier and tank divisions of 1943-1945, each unit had only 12 self-propelled infantry guns. They were not part of the divisional 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. 6 self-propelled guns each had mechanized regiments on trucks and armored personnel carriers (organizationally, the guns were brought together into the 9th company). This organization was purely theoretical, since 200 Sd. Kfz. 138/1 could not meet the needs of all panzergrenadier and tank divisions. 12 each were transferred to the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 16th, 17th, 24th, 26th Panzer, 3rd and 29th Panzergrenadier divisions of the Wehrmacht, Panzergrenade divisions "Feldhernhalle" and "Great Germany", SS Panzer divisions "Death's Head", "Das Reich" and "Adolf Hitler". The remaining vehicles produced were used in reserve units and for crew training. The above divisions operated mainly in Italy or on the Eastern Front. ACS Sd. Kfz. 138/1 proved to be excellent in battles, however, due to losses, their number was significantly reduced. The desire to make up for the losses was the reason for the order in November 1943 of 10 Sd. Kfz. 138/1. The batch was manufactured at the beginning of 1944, after which the vehicles were transferred to four tank divisions: 2nd, 4th, 17th and "Death's Head". The solution to the problem was the introduction of a fourth vehicle into the composition of the three gun battery, intended for the delivery of ammunition and devoid of a gun. The production of ammunition transporters was carried out in parallel with the manufacture of self-propelled guns. In January-May 1944, the VMM plant produced 93 of these machines. They also signed an agreement with the plant for the supply of weapons for 40 transporters, which were manufactured in May: thus, if necessary, these vehicles could be converted in the field into "normal" self-propelled guns, with 150-mm guns. As of March 1945, according to German sources, there were 173 Grille self-propelled guns in the troops, but it was not specified how many of them were self-propelled guns and how many ammunition transporters. In April 1945, the last 13 self-propelled guns entered service with 3 tank divisions: three vehicles each entered the 18th and 20th divisions, the rest in the 25th. According to the data of the Czechoslovak army in October 1948, there were thirteen ammunition transporters in the country.
The performance characteristics of the self-propelled unit Sturmpanzer 38 (t) Grille:
Combat weight - 11, 5 tons;
Layout: in front - engine compartment and control compartment, in the back - fighting compartment in the wheelhouse;
Crew - 5 people;
Years of production - from 1943 to 1944;
Years of operation - from 1943 to 1945;
The number of cars produced - 282 units;
Dimensions:
Length - 4835 mm;
Width - 2150 mm;
Height - 2400 mm;
Clearance - 400 mm;
Reservation:
Armor type - surface-hardened rolled steel;
Body forehead (bottom) - 15 mm / 15 degrees.;
Body forehead (top), 10 mm / 67 degrees;
Hull side (bottom) - 15 mm / 0 deg.;
Hull side (top) - 10 mm / 15 degrees;
Body feed (bottom) - 10 mm / 41 degrees;
Hull feed (top) - 10 mm / 0 deg.;
Bottom - 10 mm;
Hull roof - 8 mm;
Cutting forehead - 10 mm / 9 degrees;
Cutting board - 10 mm / 16 degrees;
Cutting feed - 10 mm / 17 degrees;
The roof of the cabin is open;
Armament:
Cannon type - howitzer;
Gun brand and caliber - s. I. G.33 / 2, 150 mm;
Gun ammunition - 15 shots;
Angles of vertical guidance - from -3 to +72 degrees;
Horizontal guidance angles - ± 5 degrees;
Firing range - 4700 m;
Mobility:
Engine type - 6-cylinder in-line liquid-cooled carburetor;
Engine power - 150 hp with.;
Highway speed - 42 km / h;
Cross country speed - 20 km / h;
Cruising in store for rough terrain - 140 km;
Specific power - 13.0 liters. s / t;
Suspension type - on leaf springs, interlocked in pairs;
Specific ground pressure - 0.75 kg / cm2;
The overcome rise - 30 degrees;
Overcoming wall - 0.85 m;
Overcome moat - 1, 9 m;
Overcome ford - 0.9 m.
Camouflaged German self-propelled howitzers "Cricket" from Gresser's battle group. The German Sd. Kfz armored personnel carrier is also visible in the background. 251 and an American M4 Sherman tank captured by the Germans. Corroceto town near Aprilia
Abandoned 150 mm self-propelled guns Sd. Kfz. 138/1 Ausf. M "Cricket" ("Grille") of the 40th Panzer Grenadier Regiment of the German 17th Panzer Division
Grille at the Aberdeen Proving Ground Museum
