Self-propelled artillery

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As well as benefiting the Panzerjäger troops, the acquisition of many redundant tank chassis assisted the provision of equipment for the Panzerartillery, using the same approach of the first generation of tank-destroyers. A fixed, open-topped superstructure of lighter armor plate enclosed the weapon mounting and crew.

The first self-propelled artillery vehicle was the 150mm heavy infantry gun sIG 33 mounted on the chassis of the PzKpfw IB. Only 38 of these pre-war conversions were constructed and used in the French campaign in 1940. They proved to be very efficient, providing close support for infantry in the attack, or giving high angle covering fire for armored attacks, but were top-heavy and overloaded the suspension so that its cross-country-performance was poor. More successful was the usage of the chassis of the PzKpfw II to mount the sIG33, which had a lower profile. Of the Sturmpanzer II only 12 vehicles were built and used in North Africa.


A 150mm sIG 33 on PzKpfw I chassis	The sIG.33 Bismarck and Edith

The field batteries of the panzer divisions began receiving the more mobile Wespe (Wasp) 105mm self-propelled light howitzer, based on the PzKpfw II, in 1942, and several French chassis were also converted to this role. Like the other self-propelled artillery vehicles the Wespe suffered from a high silhouette and insufficient protection for the crew. In February 1943 Hitler ordered that all PzKpfw II production capacity should be concentrated on Wespe, the anti-tank role being taken by the PzKpfw 38(t) chassis. Other modified versions of the 105mm howitzer were mounted on the French "Lorraine" chassis.


Wespe howitzer of the 2nd PzDiv in 1934	The entire gun mount could be removed quite easily

Wespe production continued until mid-1944 by which time 682 had been built and a further 158 completed as ammunition carriers without the gun. The Wespe was very popular with the troops, being generally used in the divisional artillery of panzer and panzergrenadier divisions organized in batteries of six with up to five batteries in a battalion.

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