Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär

As the war progressed the StuG III/IV assault guns became rather inadequately armed and armored for their role of infantry support, a lesson the Wehrmacht learned at a terrible price in the streets of Stalingrad. This led to the development in 1943 of a new assault gun known as the Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär (Assault Panzer IV Grizzly Bear). The Brummbär first saw combat in Kursk, where they covered first-wave Panzergrenadier by suppressing and neutralizing strongpoints, field emplacements and fortifications. In urban fighting the Brummbär also proved indispensable as its high-explosive shells (by direct or indirect fire) could blast ambushers out of their hiding places. On the other hand, infantrymen had to stay close to the Brummbär, usually deployed singly or in pairs, to protect it from anti-tank weapons fired at short ranges. In general the Brummbär fulfilled its offensive role very well; its awesome firepower and heavy armor endeared it to foot soldiers and crewmen alike. In defensive operations, however, the Brummbär was less effective since its short howitzer could not successfully engage heavy armor. Nonetheless, any vehicle getting hit by a Brummbär was still no laughing matter. Ultimately over 300 Brummbär were made.

The Brummbär was made up of a boxy superstructure on a PzKpfw IV chassis. The fully-enclosed fighting compartment had all-round sloping armor up to 100mm thick (frontally), but side armor could be as thin as 30mm, rendering the Brummbär vulnerable to lateral fire. Late specimens were equipped with Schürzen (side skirt) space armor to counter hollow-charge shots. Some vehicles were coated with Zimmerit plaster paste to disable magnetically operated weapons. Main armament was a custom-made 150mm L/12 Sturmhaubitze 43 assault howitzer (a shortened sIG 33) in a ball mounting, and late production vehicles had a machine gun for close defense. The crew consisted of five men: commander (sitting behind the howitzer and picking targets with a periscope), two loaders (for the 38 rounds of ammunition, each weighing 38kg), gunner and driver (in the hull at the left front). Overall the Brummbär had good firepower and protection, but due to its massive weight and narrow tracks it was slow and suffered from a high ground-pressure ratio that could cause the vehicle to get stuck in cross-country travels.

Technical data and/or diagram of Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär.

A heavily camouflaged Brummbär in Italy, of either the 217th or 219th Sturmpanzer Abteilung (assault-gun battalion).

Side view of a Brummbär. Note the absence of Schürzen armor for protection against hollow-charge projectiles.

An early production model Brummbär.

A middle production model Brummbär.

A late production model Brummbär. Note the addition of a machine gun on the superstructure.

A Brummbär captured exactly where it was supposed to be seen - in a street.

This specimen was thoroughly coated with Zimmerit paste to neutralize magnetic mines or keep magnetic charges from attaching to the vehicle.

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	Technical data and/or diagram of Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär.
	A heavily camouflaged Brummbär in Italy, of either the 217th or 219th Sturmpanzer Abteilung (assault-gun battalion).
	Side view of a Brummbär. Note the absence of Schürzen armor for protection against hollow-charge projectiles.
	An early production model Brummbär.
	A middle production model Brummbär.
	A late production model Brummbär. Note the addition of a machine gun on the superstructure.
	A Brummbär captured exactly where it was supposed to be seen - in a street.
	This specimen was thoroughly coated with Zimmerit paste to neutralize magnetic mines or keep magnetic charges from attaching to the vehicle.