Sturmpanzer IV

Sturmpanzer IV
Production Information
Manufacturer	Vienna Arsenal (early to mid models) Deutsche Eisenwerke (late model)
Type	Self Propelled Gun Heavy assault gun
Technical Specifications
Length	19.46 ft (5.93 m)
Width	9.45 ft (2.88 m)
Height	8.27 ft (2.52 m)
Weight	28,200 kg (62,170 lb)
Engine	1 x Maybach HL 120TRM, allowing the vehicle 265 horsepower
Speed	Max Speed is 25 mph (40 km/h)
Range	Up to 130 miles (210 km)
Armor	Front: 100 mm
Armament	EARLY – 1 x 150mm (15cm) StuH 43 L/12 LATE – 1 x 150mm (15cm) StuH 43 L/121 OR 2 x MG34 Machine Guns
Crew	5
Passengers	N/A
Cargo capacity	N/A
Usage
Role(s)	Self Propelled Heavy Assault Gun
Year introduced	1943
Affiliation	Germany

The Sturmpanzer (also known as Sturmpanzer 43, Sd.Kfz. 166, or Brummbär (German: "Grouch") by Allied intelligence) was a German heavy assault gun/infantry support gun based on the Panzer IV. The Brummbär nickname was not used by the Germans. They nicknamed it Stupa, a contraction of Sturmpanzer.

It was designed to support infantry and it first saw action during the Battle of Kursk in 1943. By 1944, only four units have the Sturmpanzer in service and saw service in Normandy, Italy, Warsaw, and Hungary.

Description

It is a heavy assault gun with the 150 mm howitzer mounted on a ball mount on the front superstructure. Early models lack forward machine gun had a driver's view on it's compartment. This changed in early 1944 when the final model of the Sturmpanzer saw the forward firing machine gun mounted on a ball mount high one the left of the superstructure. The driver's compartment is completely covered with periscopes on top of it.