Description
The Sturminfanteriegeschütze have a firm place in the armament of the Grenadier units. The first manufactured vehicle was the Sturminfanteriegeschütz based on the chassis of the Pz.kpfw. I Ausf. B. Jürgen Wilhelm described this type in detail in NB Vol. 19. The two versions based on the chassis of the Pz.Kpfw 38 Grille Ausf. H and M are described in NB Vol. 22 and 26. In addition to the rifled gun, which we present again with historical and museum photos in addition to the presentation in Vol. 19, we will now focus on the vehicles based on the Pz.Kpfw. II and III. The s. IG. 33 on chassis of the Pz.Kpfw. II were designed for use in North Africa. The twelve vehicles of the series version were actually used in North Africa, but proved to be unsuitable for this theater of war, since the engine of the Pz.Kpfw. II was completely overloaded by the weight of the gun in the hot climatic conditions of North Africa and failed regularly. In North Africa, one of these guns was also mounted on the chassis of a Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. H, probably after the failure of the chassis of the Pz.Kpfw. II. This troop conversion is also presented here. The third vehicle we present here is the Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33, where the s.I.G 33 was mounted on repair chassis of the Sturmgeschütz III of different versions. Designed for the street fighting in Stalingrad, the first twelve vehicles were actually used there; the other twelve vehicles could not reach Stalingrad with the planned relief troops and were used up in the following fights of Heeresgruppe Süd at least until the end of 1943, but perhaps even until the end of 1944. While the vehicles used in North Africa are presented on the basis of historical photos due to the lack of surviving examples, we present the Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33 on the basis of historical photos as well as museum photos of the only surviving vehicle, which is exhibited in Russia today in the Patriot Park in Kubinka.
Joachim Baschin. 204 pages. 8.5″ x 11″. Soft cover; Glue-bound. English/German captions. 275 photos (199 contemporary photos, 142 colour photos of the surviving vehicles in public and private collections, 34 colour photos of five models), 12 camouflage schemes, tactical markings, 4 tables of organization (KStN), 2D drawings of all known variants incl. Sd.Ah.116, some in 3D.
