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The ''Sturmpanzer'' (also known as ''Sturmpanzer 43'' or ''Sd.Kfz. 166'') was a German armoured infantry support gun based on the Panzer IV chassis used in the Second World War. It was used at the Battles of Kursk, Anzio, Normandy, and was deployed in the Warsaw Uprising. It was known by the nickname ''Brummbär'' (German: "Grouch") by Allied intelligence,〔Trojca & Jaugitz, p. 23, quoting DTD Report 3066〕 a name which was not used by the Germans. Just over 300 vehicles were built and they were assigned to four independent battalions. ==Development== The ''Sturmpanzer'' was a development of the Panzer IV tank designed to provide direct infantry fire support, especially in urban areas. The result was the ''Sturmpanzer'', which used a Panzer IV chassis with the upper hull and turret replaced by a new casemate-style armored superstructure housing a new gun, the ''Sturmhaubitze'' (StuH) 43 L/12 developed by Skoda. It fired the same shells as the 15 cm sIG 33 heavy infantry gun. Thirty-eight rounds, with separate propellant cartridges, could be carried. It used the ''Sfl.Zf. 1a'' sight. The combined weight of the shell and cartridge ( for an HE shell and for a propellant cartridge) made the work of the loader arduous, especially if the gun was elevated to a high angle.〔 An MG 34 machine gun was carried that could be fastened to the open gunner's hatch, much like the arrangement on the ''Sturmgeschütz'' III Ausf. G. Early vehicles carried a MP 40 sub-machine gun inside, which could be fired through firing ports in the side of the superstructure. The driver's station projected forward from the casemate's sloped frontal armor plate and used the Tiger I's ''Fahrersehklappe 80'' driver's sight. The fighting compartment was (badly) ventilated by natural convection, exiting out the rear of the superstructure through two armored covers. Sideskirts were fitted on all vehicles.〔Trojca & Jaugitz, p. 25〕 Early vehicles were too heavy for the chassis, which led to frequent breakdowns of the suspension and transmission. Efforts were made to ameliorate this from the second series onwards, with some success.〔Trojca & Jaugitz, p. 23〕 In October 1943 it was decided that the StuH 43 gun needed to be redesigned to reduce its weight. A new version, some lighter than the StuH 43, was built as the StuH 43/1. Some of the weight was saved by reducing the armor on the gun mount itself. This gun was used from the third production series onwards.〔 Zimmerit coating was applied to all vehicles until September 1944.〔Trojca & Jaugitz, p. 26〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Brummbär」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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