Allied-Axis #11: The Photo Journal of WW2: 15cm Schwere PanzerHaubitze Hummel, Allied Crawler Tractors, Wartime Sherman Variants

98 Pages·2009·19.67 MB·English

by  Patrick Stansell

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a~1iD ~~~ur~ ~~() )lC~l~D 661~llnrulHr~1\)\) The Sd Klz 165 Hummel (Bumblebee) self-propelled armOf'cd 15cm
field howitzer was designed \0 provide the Panzer and
Panzcrgrcnadler divisions with artillery support on an armored,
fully-tracked chassis. The hybrid pz KpJw IIVIV chassIs was select
ed for what Army Ordnance meant to be merely an inlenm solution
IIntll n chassis doslgned spccillcally 1IS a sel1-prOI)Ollod gun 1)llIlIor01 could bo prOduced Although com (lssombty and manuf.lcture w;\s also accomplished by Deutsche Iron woi1l.s In DlIIsOOrg which sw
ponents ollhe P2 Kplw til and IV were usod. tho lower hutl and suporstructuro had to bo erallied Altor plied nil speCial 11111110, while Ihe company German Tube Mills, Muefholnl 'Auhi', took ovet' ~ of
Ilin prototype had beon aceoilled and the vehlclo wonllrllo sones producllon, much 01 tho asscmllly cumonng Abo'lle: Ttmso HtHnmols. possibly 01 PzAR GroBdeutschlano. begll'l assembly 101' a tn mes·
was <,111110(1 to olhor companies Thfllhlmmot was <I0sIgnO<l by AtkO\l, Oculscho-E!senwcrkc, but sian In the wltltor or 1943/411. (GAl
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f.~!"iOQh b(JI1! on vl11al was C~~CtllJal1v a rncthutn lank chassIs lhe Ilummel, al 211 IOIJ~, \V,IS I1lIoly [Hoke duwn,lhe UIIII, 100, was put uul 01 ,JetlOIl s(Jllldt)!tHllIloit Idll'ly tl,IPPCrll'll \\llh (llIl\~ !Jullnilly
-<'f(fj/P,(J 1!'.l.ItWIIIy ttl!! '1Cry hlQllwttlis around Ihe htlh1u111 COflipartrnmll, Ilcr.es$Il;Jlcd tly ttlUlUllill(J ttw [HlIllL' movers, wluGtI h,ulllc.uly equ.11 cros~ CllWlllV Illourhly Above' tlh' 1!I.llll ,1\\t'll1hly 11.111 ,II
" hi 1(~-1 ;,.1)01/: Ih'~ f:ltQIn(: Master ldclr(:lflfl General Hermann Bittek wOlild have pwlerred Ih<llno Dl!lIbclu! II~cllwmkc. -;1I0wlIl()lhl: wuqW! hlJll:, [Willi) d~~,I'rHtJlcli AI lilt' lIillll'r 111]111 P,HlIr'1 IV "lI~pl'll
I)' I.:h.r.¥;', Of: u',I:d a~ Ilwy Vlere l;true 1,111jCIS Ihal wCle (hrrlcul11o C(Hu':l:al Also. wlwlIUw vt:lllt:lc ';;UUl cOll1pollcnh ,lie hCl!lfl ,uliled (11f\)
All Hummel battcflcs conSlstcd 01 SIX guns, rathcr than the tour contalncd In a towed battcry, as two of pare Ulcir life miSSion It IS Intcres\Jng 10 see a vehicle With liS chassIS number stenCIled on the M
the SPGs were usually In the ShOp at any onc lime The Hummet's normal crew consisted 01 a dnver, Production 01 thc Hummel stilrted With number 320001 (BA)
a radIOman and lour gunners lor the 15cm SF H 1811 U30 Modest anll-alr-cralt protection was pro
vrded by an MG 34 Of 42 mounted on the Ilghllng compar tmenl Above: Hummel crews mect 10 pre-
Another Hummel of the same unit moves snta posrtion
This vehicle also has a chassIs number stenciled 00 the
hull. The crew has wrapped Ihemsetves up well for !he
cold, making good use of their pattern 1943 reversible
camoullage parltas. The frame device on the front 01 !he
Hummel could be used to roughly am the gun J1 c0n
Junction with pre-placed aiming stakes. (SA)
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Opposite and above left Hummels 013JPz.A.R. GroOdeutschland move into posItion The very high sil 15cm gun removed to carry spare rounds (18 rounds were earned on the Hummel !tself) (SA) The fol
tnJette of the vehicle IS evident !n this photograph. Note the venlliation flaps lor the centrally located lowing five photos Illustrate the beginning of a frre miSSion and the laying and loading 01 the gun Sighting
~ 120TRM engine GO had a lull SIX-gun battery by the start 01 Unternehmen ·Z!tadelle~ In July 1943. of the 15cm s FH 18/1 U30 was via the RbU 36 panoramiC telescope gun Sight The IScm s FH 18 1
'/~tf!;( IIIth two of the wmplemenlary Munrtionslahrzeuge (ammun!\lon carriers) Hummels with tile lJ30 had 150 left 150 nght (hand operated) traverse and could be elevated lrom 30 to +4 20 (SA)
.\rt:--oerajl Yo of tne battery ttlat IS about to lire The gun's
ranoe VI.JS '4630 yards The shers proJectile weight was
g.:, 1lbs ~ittl ~ht IfICfements of propellant charges 101' the
HE anb·coocrete AP and smoke rounds (SA)
The round IS loaded under the direction 01 the
gun's commander on the left. (BA)